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Mobile Gaming Loyalty Report 2023
The Mobile Gaming Loyalty Report examines the drivers of player engagement, retention, and spending across the mobile landscape. By combining a longitudinal benchmark of 500 games with a survey of 3,000 mobile gamers in the US and Canada during 2023, the analysis establishes a Loyalty Index based on six key monetization and engagement KPIs. The findings emphasize that while user acquisition remains expensive, maximizing the lifetime value of existing players through loyalty-centric design is essential for sustainable growth. Role-Playing Games (RPGs) emerge as the most loyal genre, scoring 75 out of 100 on the index due to deep gameplay loops and compounding monetization systems that encourage high-value, frequent spending. Strategy games follow closely, excelling in repeat purchases and session frequency. Conversely, Lifestyle games lead in average sessions per user, utilizing bite-sized tasks and emotional storytelling to drive incremental spending. Data indicates a significant gap between average and top-quartile performers in genres like Casino and Sports, suggesting substantial room for optimization in retention and spender conversion. Consumer behavior insights reveal a disconnect between play and spend habits; while over 77% of spenders rotate between two to seven games weekly, 53% concentrate their spending on a single title. Progression is the primary motivator for both continued play and in-app purchases, whereas "pay-to-win" mechanics and poorly received updates are leading causes of churn. Notably, 39% of players will abandon a game if a bad update is not corrected within a week. High-value spenders, defined as those spending over $100, exhibit more demanding standards for app store ratings and customer service. Marketing effectiveness is heavily influenced by authenticity and social proof. Over 71% of gamers demand real gameplay footage in advertisements, and 60% consider app store ratings and reviews crucial for downloads. While digital ads remain the primary discovery tool, word-of-mouth ranks as a top-three acquisition source. Additionally, there is a strong interest in play-and-earn mechanics, with 84% of respondents open to trying games that offer tangible rewards.
MistplayJan 2023
Report
The State of App Engagement 2021: An Analysis of Key Global App Usage Trends in 2021
Global app engagement experienced a significant upward trend between 2018 and 2021, catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Monthly active users (MAU) for the top 500 apps grew at a compound annual growth rate of 12 to 14 percent, with the average top app gaining approximately 10 million MAU annually. While a spike in engagement occurred during 2020 lockdowns, growth rates and time spent largely normalized by the second quarter of 2021, though they remained above pre-pandemic levels. The analysis covers worldwide usage on iOS and Android across various categories and game genres. Business, Education, and Medical apps emerged as the fastest-growing categories due to shifts in remote work and remote learning. Conversely, Travel and Navigation suffered the most significant declines, though they began a slow recovery as restrictions lifted. In the gaming sector, Hypercasual titles dominated MAU and weekly active user metrics, while the Shooter genre led in daily active users. Engagement depth varies significantly by category and platform. Social Networking apps see the highest frequency of use, averaging nearly 10 sessions per day on Android, whereas Entertainment apps lead in daily time spent at approximately 30 minutes. Within gaming, mid-core genres like Strategy and RPG command the highest engagement, with users averaging about one hour of play per day. A strong correlation exists between time spent and revenue per download, particularly in mid-core and Casino genres. Retention trends reveal a divergence between games and non-games. While non-game retention improved during the study period, overall game retention—specifically day 30 metrics—was dragged down by the proliferation of Hypercasual titles, which prioritize high user acquisition over long-term loyalty. Tabletop games remain an outlier in the gaming category, maintaining the highest long-term retention and daily time spent among casual genres. Data for this analysis was sourced from Sensor Tower’s Usage and Store Intelligence platforms, benchmarking the top 100 to 500 apps per category.
Sensor TowerJan 2021
Report
The Gaming App Insights Report
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AdjustApr 2026
Report
Mobile & PC Gaming Benchmarks 2026
The global gaming landscape in 2026 reflects a challenging environment for player retention, as metrics across Day 1, Day 7, and Day 30 continue a downward trend established in previous years. Data indicates a widening performance gap between average titles and the top 10% of performers. While the industry has historically relied on the 40/20/10 rule for retention percentages, current benchmarks suggest a shift toward a more realistic 35/15/5 standard. Median Day 1 retention currently sits at approximately 22%, while the top tier of games maintains a 40% threshold. This decline becomes more pronounced over time, with median Day 7 retention dropping to 4% and Day 30 retention falling to a mere 0.7%. The analysis emphasizes that early engagement is the primary driver of long-term success, noting that players typically churn within the first five to fifteen minutes if the value proposition is not immediately clear. Effective onboarding must transition from functional tutorials to demonstrations of core gameplay pleasure to mitigate this early loss. Despite the seemingly low median figures, the data is influenced by a high volume of indie and early-stage projects. Established studios often utilize in-house data solutions, meaning the highest-performing titles are frequently absent from public benchmarks. Geographic and genre-specific contexts remain vital for interpreting these statistics, as hybrid-casual and midcore games exhibit vastly different long-term retention profiles. While the mobile market faces significant headwinds in maintaining a loyal player base, the situation is viewed as an evolution of player expectations rather than a fundamental failure of the platform. Success in this climate requires developers to focus on immediate engagement and recognize that the widening gap between median and top-tier performance necessitates more sophisticated retention strategies than those used in previous cycles.
GameAnalyticsJan 2026