Global Mobile Games in December 2024

The December 2024 snapshot of the global mobile gaming market highlights a continued dominance by Chinese developers, especially in puzzle titles that have refined their advertising strategies to focus on short, vertical video creatives. In the App Store, 95.7 % of “One Line” ads were under 30 seconds and largely in 720×1280 format, while the title’s English creatives accounted for only 12 % of total spend. On Google Play, “Squid Game: Unleashed” leveraged a mix of 64.8 % video and 35 % image ads, with over half the videos exceeding 30 seconds to showcase high‑stakes gameplay. These campaigns demonstrate a shift toward immersive, real‑life background footage and interactive IQ progress bars to drive downloads.

Revenue data underscore the resilience of established IPs. “Pokémon TCG Pocket” generated more than $94 million on the App Store, with U.S. and Japanese markets contributing 50.7 %. “Fate/Grand Order” saw a 216.4 % month‑over‑month jump to $17 million, propelled by a Christmas event and upcoming New Year bundles. On Google Play, “오딘: 발할라 라이징” and “Gossip Harbor” each earned roughly $16 million, with growth rates of 138.2 % and 44.5 %, respectively.

Download figures reveal that classic franchises remain strong drivers of user acquisition. “Block Blast!” topped the App Store with 11 million downloads, while “Squid Game: Unleashed” captured 3.5 million single‑platform downloads, half of which came from India (50.8 %). On Google Play, “Horror Spranky Beats” and “Jelly Master: Mukbang ASMR” each surpassed 10 million downloads, with significant contributions from Brazil (17 %) and Indonesia (23.8 %). These metrics illustrate a market where IP leverage, targeted advertising formats, and regional preferences continue to shape performance across both iOS and Android platforms.