Apple: Most-downloaded Games of 2024

As 2024 ends, Apple has revealed the most downloaded games and apps in the U.S. You can find the year-end charts on the App Store’s Today tab for iPhone and iPad. These charts highlight the top Apple Arcade games and the most popular free and paid apps and games. This list follows the 2024 App Store Awards announced last week. It’s interesting to see a mix of new games and long-time favorites, like Monopoly Go, Roblox, Minecraft, Royal Match, Subway Surfers, Stardew Valley, and Among Us. Top Apple Arcade Games NBA 2K24 Arcade EditionSnake.io+Hello Kitty Island AdventureSneaky SasquatchBloons TD 6+Sonic Dream TeamNFL Retro Bowl ’25Disney Dreamlight ValleyCooking Mama: Cuisine!Solitaire by MobilityWare+ Top Free iPhone Games Block Blast！Monopoly Go!RobloxCall of Duty: Warzone MobileTownshipLast War:SurvivalRoyal MatchBrawl StarsSubway SurfersMy Perfect Hotel Top Paid iPhone Games Minecraft: Play with FriendsHeads Up!Geometry DashPapa’s Freezeria To […]

Ömer Yakabagi December 18

Journal

Experts’ Favorite Games of 2024

What is your favorite game to play in 2024?I asked 5 Game Industry Experts, here they are: Matej , UA and Marketing Consultant,Capybara Go!You know him from two & a half gamers,His pick is an absolute revenue making machine,Scaling big time in mobile platform, Eric, Principal at Gossamer ConsultingWorld of Warcraft: The War Within.‘’Even after 20 years, WoW remains the gold standard for the MMO genre.’’And he is absolutely right.This particular expansion features‘’ ↳ a compelling storyline ↳ innovative additions like scalable Delves, ↳ the Hero Talents system, ↳ and Warbands for shared character progression’’ Renata, Head of PR at UGC NinjaRoyal Match by Dream GamesShe is particularly interested in Level and progress system, and as she isAround lvl 777, it’s safe to say she is addicted.Sergei, LiveOps Director Wargaming,Astro Bot and also mentioned Helldivers 2.We know he like spending […]

Gökhan Üzmez December 18

Journal

Smart Signal Integration: UA Boost by 50%

In the competitive world of app growth and user acquisition (UA), the quality and quantity of signals sent to your UA channels can make or break your campaigns. Whether it’s SDK integrations, Conversion API (CAPI) data, or Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP) events, the richness of these signals defines your ability to optimize and scale effectively. Let’s explore why signal growth is vital and how standard and custom events play a pivotal role. What Are Signals in UA? Signals are the data points shared with advertising platforms, providing insights into user behavior, campaign performance, and downstream events. These signals enable platforms like Meta, Google, TikTok, and Applovin to optimize ad delivery, targeting, and bidding in real-time. The three main sources of UA signals are: SDK Events: Embedded in your app, SDKs send key events directly to UA platforms or MMPs. CAPI […]

Doruk Kasoglu December 18

Journal

Mobile MMOs: Innovation Opportunities in 2025

Mobile MMOs: Innovation Opportunities in 2025 🎮🌍 The mobile #MMO genre remains an interesting frontier, offering opportunities for creative disruption. While high barriers to entry deter newcomers, the potential for innovation—and rewards—makes it a ripe area for exploration. Trends to Look in Mobile MMOs:1. Lapsed and Underserved Audiences 👨‍🔧🗡️Western gamers who grew up on #MMOs like #WorldofWarcraft now face 'constraints' by life. #MobileMMOs designed for short, flexible play could attract these players, offering them nostalgic experiences in an accessible format. E.g., creating systems where players feel empowered without excessive grinding, such as streamlined progression mechanics inspired by lighter ARPGs, would be worth to be studied. Additioanlly, MMOs can be mixed with open and non-open design, making them light while retaining key elements.2. Eastern Market vs. Western Market 📉📈MMOs flourish in Asian markets, where habits are around long sessions and intricate […]

Antti Kananen December 18

Journal

Mobile Games Downloads Heatmap 2024

Mobile Games Downloads Heatmap 2024 Here’s the breakdown by genre, with all the numbers:1. Hypercasual Games (https://lnkd.in/epJ6KA2Y) • Total Downloads: 12.9B (-9.9%) • Puzzle: 3.0B (-11.1%) • Arcade: 2.7B (-12.2%) • Runner: 1.5B (-14.5%) • Idle Arcade: 1.0B (21.9%) • Shooter: 542.8M (7.1%) • Simulation: 1.1B (-9.7%) • Clicker/Idle: 197.2M (-15.3%) • Other genres like Rhythm (-22.5%) and Satisfaction (-12.5%)2. Casual Games (https://lnkd.in/e6MViVcK) • Total Downloads: 28.3B (-1.3%) • Match-3: 885.3M (-19.9%) • Merge: 608.6M (20.5%) • Kids: 4.6B (0.8%) • Simulation: 4.3B (3.6%) • Bubble Shooter: 398.0M (-16.7%) • Hidden Objects: 235.4M (9.7%)3. Midcore Games (https://lnkd.in/eJ7_A4Ed) • Total Downloads: 12.4B (+0.4%) • Shooter: 2.4B (-3.2%) • Racing: 1.0B (10.0%) • Action/Brawl: 427.7M (34.9%) • Real-Time Strategy (RTS): 408.5M (14.6%) • Action RPG: 263.9M (20.5%) • Idle RPG: 234.5M (17.1%) • Card Battler: 97.1M (15.6%)Key Takeaways: • Hypercasual continues to […]

Anton Slashcev December 18

Journal

Survive(d) to 2025

As we head into 2025, the gaming world is buzzing with possibilities. New platforms, evolving player expectations, and industry shifts are all setting the stage for an exciting year. Drawing from insights shared by developers, publishers, and players, here’s a look at the key trends poised to shape gaming in 2025. “Play Anywhere” Is the Future Gaming is no longer tied to a specific device. In 2025, the “play anywhere” model is going to take off in a big way. Developers are focusing on creating seamless cross-platform experiences, whether on PC, console, mobile, or even web browsers. With the M4 chip, iPads are now capable of running increasingly complex games. While Apple’s early release of Death Stranding on iOS may have been ambitious, it signals the arrival of premium AAA titles on mobile. The technology is here, and 2025 is likely to […]

Adam Smart December 18

Journal

Sports Apps are becoming increasingly popular.

Sports apps are becoming increasingly popular. As I work on the business side of the sports industry, I decided to examine three types of sports apps: Sports Betting, Sports News, and Sports Games—from a data perspective. I am sharing some part of my analysis in this post. It should be interesting for anyone working with those topics and/or interested in Sports topics in general. A few elements: ▪️ Sports Betting grew significantly in 2023 and is growing strongly in 2024 still ▪️ That growth is especially visible on iOS (2023 was a period with very strong growth on Android and 2024 that focus moved more towards improving user quality, growing user loyalty) ▪️ Sports News and Sports Games have slower growth, although they have still very significant scale ▪️ We see more and more apps that focus not only on […]

Mariusz Gąsiewski December 18

Journal

Cross-Promotion for Mobile Games That Works

💫 Cross-Promotion for Mobile Games That Actually Works 🎮💡 Cross-promotion has been pitched as the "fix-all" for mobile UA post-IDFA and a big reason behind industry consolidation. But here’s the reality — I’ve never met a developer who says, “Yeah, we’ve nailed cross-promotion.”We invited Gonçalo from BoomBit — a studio that’s managed to scale cross-promotion into something meaningful. Cross-promotion now generates 13% of BoomBit's profits. Here’s what you need to know:🚀 When it works best: During the pre-scaling (to help with early profitability) and sunset phases (to help elongate a game's lifecycle.🎯 How to do it right: Cross-promotion needs to be done via a standalone ad unit, not embedded in your mediation stack.📱 What drives installs: The most effective format is an optional games menu (shown below) where users browse other games. At BoomBit, this menu drives 85% of cross-promotion […]

Felix Braberg December 17

Journal

Push Notifications Guide

Push Notifications Guide Based on the Playliner research, here’s how to master push notifications:1. Time-Based Notifications • Game reminders after 24 hours of inactivity • Daily bonuses for rewards • Limited-time offer alerts • Event notifications (start, mid-event, and end reminders) • Booster expiration warnings2. Action-Based Notifications • Achievement unlocked: Celebrate player milestones • Friend/enemy activity: Updates on gifts, requests, or teams • Resource collection ready: Alert when resources are available • Progress milestones: Highlight new levels or achievements3. Best times to send notifications: • Morning (7:00–9:00): Game reminders, team updates • Midday (9:00–12:00): Resource updates, rewards • Evening (18:00–20:00): Event pushes, offer reminders4. Tips to keep players engaged: • Be concise: Short, action-focused messages • Incentivize: Highlight rewards and progress • Personalize: Use player names and in-game activity • Time it right: Avoid sending too many or off-peak hours5. […]

Anton Slashcev December 17

Highlights

Agave Games, Creator of Find the Cat, secures $18M

A Turkish startup, Agave Games, known for its hit mobile game Find the Cat, has raised $18 million in Series A funding. The game, inspired by Where’s Wally-style puzzles, has players search for hidden cats in increasingly complex drawings. The funds will help Agave grow its team and develop at least two new games within the next year. The casual mobile gaming market, including puzzle and farm-building games, remains highly profitable. Find the Cat has been a massive success, surpassing 10 million downloads just three months after its August release, with revenues of $10 million on Android alone, according to SensorTower. Investors see it as “the next Tripledot,” a successful casual game studio. The funding round was co-led by Felix Capital and Balderton Capital, with participation from E2VC. All three firms were early investors, with Balderton also leading Agave’s seed […]

Ömer Yakabagi December 17

Journal

Main differences between VCs and Angel Investors

What are the main differences between VCs and angel investors: - Angels invest their own money, VCs invest other people's money (LPs)- Angels can decide instantly, VCs need internal discussions and often weeks of due diligence- Angels can invest in whatever interests them, VCs must follow their fund's thesis- Angels typically write smaller checks ($25k-250k), VCs often need to deploy big checks per deal- VCs need companies to be huge ($1B+) to return their fund, angels can win with smaller exits- Angels often invest based on gut feel and relationships, VCs need data and proof points- VCs have pressure to deploy capital within 3-4 years, angels can invest at their own pace- Angels are usually happy with 3-5x returns, VCs need 10x+ to make their model work- Angels have often been founders themselves, VCs might have a big team and […]

Joakim Achren December 17

Journal

New week, new case study!

New week, new case study! 🤓 Today I’m sharing a success story with one of my oldest clients: We have been working together for 13 months and what we have achieved together is simply amazing.When I started with this game, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 €𝟏𝟎𝟎𝐊 𝐌𝐑𝐑 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 €𝟑𝟓–𝟒𝟎𝐊/𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡..The game had strong metrics and significant organic presence in one market (which was responsible of 99% of the revenue) and it was generating solid revenue. However, the campaigns (managed by a well-known agency) were an absolute mess as they were optimizing for non-valuable events.I didn’t use any magic tricks or do anything that good UA professionals wouldn’t know. I simply applied logic:📢If a game monetizes through in-app purchases, you need to "teach" the algorithms to find users who actually make those purchases. Otherwise you are wasting time, money and resources.I […]

David Vargas December 17

Journal

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