Median CPI for hyper-casual games reached an all-time high of $0.42 in Q4 2022, signaling a significant increase in user acquisition costs.
See it on page 5Median CPL rose to $0.20 on both Android and iOS in Q4 2022, with Android costs increasing by $0.05 and iOS costs by $0.17 compared to Q3.
See it on page 5iOS consistently outperforms Android in player retention, with top-tier games achieving 45% day-1 retention on iOS compared to 38% on Android.
See it on page 16The United States remains the most expensive market for iOS user acquisition, while China, South Korea, and Australia lead ad spend on Android.
See it on page 9Mexico is currently experiencing a decline in CPI, whereas Brazil has seen its CPI rise to the highest level within its specific market segment.
See it on page 7The findings are based on an analysis of over 100,000 games tracked by GameAnalytics during the Q4 2022 period.
See it on page 14The report presents a quarterly benchmark of hyper‑casual mobile games, focusing on cost‑per‑install (CPI), cost‑per‑lead (CPL), and retention metrics across Android and iOS platforms. In Q4 2022, median CPL rose modestly to $0.20 on both platforms, with Android up by $0.05 and iOS up by $0.17 from Q3, reflecting a tightening cost environment for user acquisition. Median CPI reached an all‑time high of $0.42, indicating higher spending per install during the period.
Geographically, the analysis highlights top markets by ad spend. For Android, China, South Korea, and Australia remain leaders; France and the Netherlands appear as secondary markets. In iOS, the United States dominates CPI costs, followed by Japan and South Korea, with France and Germany showing notable increases. Mexico emerges as a new market experiencing CPI decline, while Brazil’s CPI rises to become the highest in its segment.
Retention benchmarks reveal platform‑specific performance. Across all game tiers—top 2 %, top 25 %, and median—the day‑1 retention rates are higher on iOS than Android, with the greatest gap observed in top 2 % games (45 % vs. 38 %). Day‑7 retention follows a similar pattern, underscoring iOS’s advantage in sustaining early player engagement for hyper‑casual titles.
Methodologically, the data derive from a sample of over 100 000 games tracked by GameAnalytics, covering Q4 2022 and comparing against Q3 benchmarks. The report’s scope spans global markets, with a focus on the most active regions for mobile advertising spend.
