Related Documents
Report
Midcore Gaming Apps Report 2023
The midcore mobile gaming market is undergoing a significant expansion as players increasingly migrate from hyper-casual titles toward games offering greater depth and complexity. Currently accounting for 35% of total US iOS gaming revenue, the midcore segment is defined by its high player retention and diverse monetization strategies. While these games face higher user acquisition costs than casual titles—averaging a $2 cost-per-install (CPI)—they leverage sophisticated LiveOps and multi-layered Battle Pass systems to drive long-term profitability. Strategy and RPG genres lead the market, while emerging trends like extraction shooters and season-based gameplay loops further solidify the segment's dominance. Data from 2022 to 2023 highlights stark contrasts in performance across platforms and regions. Android remains the more cost-effective platform for developers, offering a $0.73 CPI compared to $3.86 on iOS, while also delivering nearly double the Day-7 return on ad spend (ROAS) at 6.1%. Geographically, North America represents the most expensive market with a $5.45 CPI, yet it maintains a strong 4.5% ROAS. Conversely, the EMEA region provides the best overall value, balancing a low $0.80 CPI with a competitive 4.4% ROAS. Genre-specific analysis shows that Shooters require the highest acquisition investment at $7.47 but yield the highest early returns, whereas RPGs offer the lowest entry cost at $0.60. To maximize revenue and bypass traditional platform fees, midcore developers are increasingly adopting external web stores and aggressive LiveOps schedules, often running an average of 15 simultaneous active events. This shift toward complex, service-based ecosystems is supported by specialized growth acceleration platforms that provide the infrastructure for large-scale app marketing and monetization. By utilizing programmatic exchanges and targeted advertising solutions, developers can navigate the high-cost landscape of midcore gaming to secure a dedicated and high-value audience.
LiftoffJan 2024
Report
The Rise of Midcore Mobile Games Snapshot Report July 2022
The midcore mobile gaming sector is experiencing a significant shift as AAA developers and high-fidelity titles increasingly challenge the historical dominance of casual and hyper-casual games. Analysis of the US iOS market between Q1 2021 and Q1 2022 reveals that midcore was the only category to achieve revenue growth, currently accounting for 36.73% of total mobile game revenue. This trend is further evidenced by the fact that nine midcore titles released in the past year remain in the top 200 grossing chart, compared to only three casual titles. The success of these games, such as Diablo Immortal, Genshin Impact, and Apex Legends Mobile, is attributed to three essential design pillars: sophisticated control systems, diversified monetization, and high content cadence. Top-performing midcore games differentiate themselves by offering precise, console-like manual controls and minimizing reliance on autoplay. Furthermore, they utilize complex monetization strategies; 75% of top-grossing midcore games employ Battle Pass systems, and over 63% feature five or more distinct gacha mechanics. Live operations and player engagement are equally critical, with 100% of top-tier midcore games utilizing recurring live events. A notable 80% of these titles implement special event-specific currencies to manage game economies and drive temporary sinks. Additionally, a burgeoning trend involves publishers establishing external web stores to bypass standard app store commission fees. Data for this analysis was sourced from the GameRefinery SaaS platform, focusing on feature adoption and revenue performance within the US iOS market to identify the specific mechanics that separate market leaders from the broader competitive field.
GameRefineryJul 2022
Report
The Highest-Grossing Mobile Games on iOS & Android: Q2 2022
The analysis set out to pinpoint the highest‑grossing mobile games of the second quarter of 2022, evaluating performance across Android and iOS markets. Data were drawn exclusively from Apptica’s Top Apps section, covering 37 countries between 1 April and 30 June 2022, and were segmented into casual, casino and mid‑core categories without supplementation from other analytics services. Across both platforms, mid‑core titles generated the greatest revenue, with “Rise of Kingdoms” leading the chart at $179.5 million. Other top earners included “Candy Crush Saga” ($122 million), “Coin Master” ($99.2 million) and “Roblox” ($68.1 million). Casual games such as “Homescapes,” “Gardenscapes” and “Royal Match” each surpassed $20 million, while casino titles like “Slotomania” and “Jackpot Party” contributed between $10 million and $30 million. Organic traffic dominated most titles, typically accounting for 70‑95 % of user acquisition, with paid channels playing a smaller role. Publisher analysis showed King as the highest‑grossing publisher with over $264 million from four leading titles, followed closely by Lilith Games ($254.6 million) and Playrix ($182.8 million). Playrix and Playtica each appeared in 16.2 % of top‑10 slots, while Supercell and King accounted for 10.8 % each, and Lilith Games 8.1 %. Studios headquartered in the United States held the most positions (17), with Finland, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel also featuring prominently. The study concludes that mid‑core games dominate revenue in Q2 2022, “Rise of Kingdoms” stands as the single biggest earner, and a relatively small group of publishers and studios capture the bulk of market share, underscoring the concentration of financial success within a few leading developers and regions.
AppticaJun 2022
Report
The Highest-Grossing Mobile Games on iOS & Android: Q2 2022 Report & Infographics
This analysis examines the highest-grossing mobile games across iOS and Android platforms during the second quarter of 2022. Utilizing data from the Apptica platform across 37 countries, the study focuses on three primary industry segments: casual, casino, and mid-core games. The central thesis highlights the continued dominance of established franchises and the significant revenue-generating power of mid-core titles, which emerged as the highest-grossing genre during this period. Key findings indicate that Rise of Kingdoms by Lilith Games was the top-earning individual title, generating over $179.5 million on iOS alone. On the Android platform, Candy Crush Saga led with revenues exceeding $122 million. When aggregating performance across multiple top-charting titles, King emerged as the highest-grossing publisher with over $264 million in revenue, followed closely by Lilith Games at $254.6 million and Playrix at $182.8 million. The data also reveals a high reliance on organic traffic for top-tier games; mid-core titles on iOS averaged 91% organic traffic, while casual games on Android maintained a lower average of 70%. Geographically, the United States remains the primary hub for mobile game development, hosting 28.8% of the top-performing publishers' headquarters. Ireland and Israel follow as significant secondary hubs. In terms of market presence, Playrix and Playtika were the most frequent leaders in the charts, each accounting for 16.2% of the games appearing in the top-10 rankings. The analysis concludes that while the market is competitive, a small group of global publishers and established mid-core titles continue to capture the majority of mobile gaming revenue.
AppticaJun 2022