Puzzle video games have lengthy felt proper at residence on cellular, and a brand new report by Sensor Tower has examined the strengths of the style.
The style has achieved 50 billion all-time downloads, producing $42 billion in income, displaying the sturdy demand cellular customers have for “participating and intellectually stimulating gameplay experiences.”
Swap puzzle video games, similar to Sweet Crush and Royal Match, emerged as the preferred puzzle subgenre, with eight billion downloads – 16% of the full – and $25 billion in lifetime income – 59% of the full.
Swap video games noticed an 8% enhance in downloads and a 6% enhance in income from January 2022 to Could 2023. As such, it’s clear that the subgenre exhibits no indicators of slowing down.
Pair video games additionally noticed sturdy development over the identical interval, with a 47% enhance in income and a 14% enhance in downloads. Merge video games noticed blended outcomes, with a 28% enhance in income however a 28% decline in downloads.
Actual-time puzzles noticed the strongest development between January 2022 and Could 2023, with a 103% rise in downloads and a 64% rise in income. This was primarily pushed by two titles: Tetris, which was downloaded 11 million instances and generated $231,000 in income, and Visitors Jam Fever, which was downloaded 10 million instances and generated $212,000 in income.
Driving success
Sweet Crush Saga was recognized as probably the most profitable puzzle sport of the interval, adopted by Gardenscapes and Homescapes. Regardless of surpassing Sweet Crush Saga by way of each income and downloads in July 2023, Royal Match got here in tenth place.
One notable omission among the many high ten for the interval is Merge Mansion, regardless of a high-profile promoting marketing campaign starring actor Pedro Pascal.
Sensor Tower famous that the highest 10 video games within the puzzle style benefitted from various monetisation methods and meta options, similar to ranges, narrative, and social points. All 10 characteristic foreign money bundles, reside ops, and loot containers, whereas all however Line: Disney Tsum Tsum and Toy Blast supply starter packs.
Solely two video games among the many high 10, Line: Disney Tsum Tsum and Royal Match, omit adverts, and not one of the remaining eight supply customers the prospect to take away adverts.
Swapping supremacy
The swap style was recognized as the highest incomes subgenre of puzzle video games in all 4 areas analysed by Sensor Tower: China, Japan, Europe, and the USA. China proved to be a very profitable marketplace for the subgenre, accounting for 83% of puzzle income in 2022. This was adopted by Europe (71%), Japan (53%), and the USA (58%).
The informal product mannequin maintains a outstanding place available in the market, accounting for 32.9 billion of lifetime downloads and $41.3 billion of lifetime income. Nonetheless, the interval of January 2022 to Could 2023 noticed the mannequin expertise a 5.93% decline in downloads and a 0.13% decline in income. In distinction, the hybridcasual mannequin noticed sturdy development on this interval, with a 9.19% enhance in downloads and an enormous 429.67% rise in income.
Just one different mannequin, hypercasual, noticed a rise in income, rising 42.48%. Nonetheless, hybridcasual was the one sport mannequin that noticed a rise in downloads inside the puzzle style.
Final month, Sensor Tower reported that enviornment and journey video games are poised to exceed $4.7 billion income in 2023.
