Rise of Kingdoms
34 documents in the library are about Rise of Kingdoms, from writers such as GameRefinery, Sensor Tower and Mobilegamer.biz, the newest from 2026. Each has a summary and key insights with the page they come from.
From the depths of obscurity to the peaks of legend, you will be the author of your civilization's history. Will you launch epic wars and conquer the entire world? Or rise up as a virtuous leader renowned for your sagacity? Will you set off to explore the unknown as a pioneer? Or dedicate yourself to helping your own people?
- Released
- Sep 21, 2018
- Developer
- Lilith Games
- Genres
- Strategy
- Platforms
- Android, iOS
- Links
- Official site
Game data from IGDB.com
Key figures
The success of titles like Lilith Games’ 'Rise of Kingdoms,' which generated $100 million in its launch month without major Android store presence, proves that intensive marketing can offset the loss of traditional distribution channels.
Niko Partners, 2026 · Take Rates in China, p. 6
Rise of Kingdoms utilizes high-drama, non-sequitur TikTok hooks—such as real-world confrontations involving '10 million' or '80 million' power levels—to drive user acquisition through viral-style storytelling.
Mobilegamer.biz, 2024 · Rise of Kingdoms ads from TikTok with weird hooks., p. 1
High-revenue games require massive marketing scale, averaging 47,000 unique creatives per title, with video ads comprising 95% of the advertising mix for top performers like 'Rise of Kingdoms'.
SocialPeta, 2022 · What Kind of Mobile Games Can Generate More Than $1 Billion in Revenue?
Three established titles—Lords Mobile, Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade, and Slotomania—are forecast to surpass $3 billion in lifetime revenue during 2023.
Game World Observer, 2022 · Call of Duty: Mobile and 11 More Mobile Games to Join $2 Billion Club in 2023
Successful subscription models, such as Rise of Kingdoms' $9.99/month gem supply, can outperform traditional IAP store bundles by offering higher value (e.g., 19,500 gems via subscription vs. 12,000 gems for a $49.99 one-time purchase).
Naavik, 2022 · VIP Subscriptions & The Recurring Revenue Revolution
Documents about Rise of Kingdoms
Analyst Bulletin: Mobile Game Market Review June 2026
The mobile gaming landscape in June 2026 was defined by a strategic reliance on major sporting events and high-profile intellectual property collaborations to drive user engagement.
- The June 2026 mobile market shows a significant disconnect between high user engagement from live-ops events and actual monetization, as developers struggle to convert temporary interest into sustained revenue.
- Major sporting events like the FIFA World Cup drove widespread adoption of prediction-based mechanics and themed reward tracks across diverse genres, including PUBG Mobile and Rise of Kingdoms.
- Market saturation of sports-centric live-ops is leading to diminishing returns, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of these engagement strategies.
Take Rates in China
The analysis evaluates how take-rate structures shape mobile game monetisation in China and whether higher-quality development can outweigh the pressure of traditional distribution fees.
- Chinese Android app stores, dominated by manufacturers like Huawei, Oppo, and Vivo, typically charge a 50% commission on in-app purchases, significantly higher than Apple’s 30% rate.
- Hardware manufacturers rely heavily on these high take rates for profitability; for example, Xiaomi reports a 64.7% gross profit margin on services compared to only 7.2% on hardware sales.
- While iOS users account for only 25% of the Chinese gaming population, they generate approximately 40% of total mobile game revenue.
Is Farlight 84 Really Relaunching AGAIN?
Lilith Games is attempting a second global relaunch of its mobile shooter, Farlight 84, on August 7th.
- Lilith Games is executing a second global relaunch of Farlight 84 on August 7th, attempting to reverse declining retention and performance issues that followed its May 2023 debut.
- The Farlight 84 relaunch pivots toward mechanical differentiation by introducing a first-person mode, upgraded graphics, and creature-collection mechanics integrated into the battle royale loop.
- Lilith Games is facing a difficult fiscal period with year-to-date revenue down approximately 30% and a monthly active user base currently ranging between 8 and 10 million.
Rise of Kingdoms' 'player tips' ads from TikTok.
Rise of Kingdoms utilizes a strategic influencer-led marketing campaign on TikTok to drive user acquisition by framing gameplay decisions as high-stakes debates.
- Rise of Kingdoms uses influencer-led TikTok campaigns to frame gameplay decisions as high-stakes debates, leveraging conflicting expert advice to drive user acquisition.
- The marketing strategy utilizes a specific psychological hook by citing that only 5% of the player base achieves 10 million power, framing the game as a high-skill challenge.
- The game features 14 distinct civilizations, each offering unique bonuses like infantry health buffs or gathering speed increases to emphasize strategic depth.
Rise of Kingdoms' 'jocks and geeks' ads from TikTok
Rise of Kingdoms utilizes a specific narrative framework in its TikTok advertising strategy, centering on high-school-style social dynamics to drive user acquisition.
- Rise of Kingdoms uses a 'jocks-versus-geeks' narrative framework in TikTok ads to frame the game as a meritocratic environment where strategic planning overcomes social bullying.
- The ads illustrate the core gameplay loop by showing characters scaling their power from 10 million to 80 million through economic development.
- The advertising strategy prioritizes specific mechanics like logging, trade, and the control of traffic strongholds to demonstrate how players generate the capital required for military expansion.
Rise of Kingdoms ads from TikTok with weird hooks.
Mobile strategy games frequently employ unconventional and high-drama advertising hooks on platforms like TikTok to drive user acquisition.
- Rise of Kingdoms utilizes high-drama, non-sequitur TikTok hooks—such as real-world confrontations involving '10 million' or '80 million' power levels—to drive user acquisition through viral-style storytelling.
- Marketing content bridges absurd social skits with technical gameplay mechanics to appeal to both casual viewers and competitive players interested in min-maxing.
- Ads emphasize early-game optimization by highlighting specific civilization bonuses, such as the 10% stone gathering speed boost provided by choosing Greece.
Rise of Kingdoms' 'plane' creatives from TikTok
Mobile strategy games utilize aggressive, narrative-driven advertising campaigns on platforms like TikTok to drive user acquisition by gamifying social status.
- Rise of Kingdoms uses hyperbolic, narrative-driven TikTok advertisements to frame in-game power levels—ranging from two million to 80 million—as a form of real-world social currency.
- The marketing strategy centers on gamifying social status by depicting characters in public settings, such as airplanes, using high power rankings to assert dominance over others.
- Creative assets bridge the gap between casual entertainment and technical instruction by detailing specific civilization bonuses, such as Rome’s infantry defense or Greece’s resource gathering speeds.
Call of Dragons review - 4X strategy games deep dive, User acquisition & Game design breakdown (#62)
Call of Dragons represents a sophisticated evolution within the 4X strategy genre, successfully positioning itself as a high-production-value successor to established titles like Rise of Kingdoms.
- Call of Dragons generates approximately $14 million to $17 million in monthly revenue, with the United States contributing roughly $5 million of that total.
- The game demonstrates strong Day 1 retention at 51%, with Day 7 retention at 17% and Day 30 retention at 4% on Google Play.
- Unlike many modern 4X competitors that utilize 'fake' gameplay ads, Call of Dragons maintains marketing integrity by featuring authentic, representative gameplay in its user acquisition creatives.
The 4X Evolution of Century Games
Century Games has successfully redefined the 4X strategy genre by integrating team-battler mechanics and idle-style onboarding into its flagship title, Whiteout Survival.
- Whiteout Survival became the highest-grossing strategy game in South Korea by September 2023, generating more than double the revenue of the second-place title, Top War: Battle Game.
- To combat high User Acquisition (UA) costs in a post-IDFA environment, Century Games utilized a 'bait and switch' strategy by using an idle survival-builder hook (similar to Frozen City) to attract players before transitioning them into a deep 4X multiplayer metagame.
- 4X games represent the highest spending depth in mobile gaming, and Whiteout Survival achieved significant revenue growth throughout 2023 despite starting from zero in January.
Top Selling Mobile Games: Algeria (H1 2023)
The mobile gaming market in Algeria demonstrated consistent revenue growth throughout the first half of 2023, driven by a strong appetite for established shooter and strategy titles.
- PUBG Mobile remains the top-grossing mobile game in Algeria, generating over $60,000 in revenue during the first half of 2023.
- The top ten mobile games in Algeria generated a combined revenue of over $167,000 during the first six months of 2023.
- Rise of Kingdom and Age of Origins: Tower Defense were the second and third highest-grossing titles in the first half of 2023, earning $44.5k and $22.3k respectively.
What Kind of Mobile Games Can Generate More Than $1 Billion in Revenue?
The analysis investigates the characteristics of mobile titles that have surpassed a cumulative $1 billion in revenue, drawing on data from PocketGamer and SocialPeta.
- Nearly 60 mobile games have surpassed $1 billion in cumulative revenue, with 4X strategy games emerging as the most dominant genre, accounting for nine of these titles.
- Chinese developers are a major force in the billion-dollar club, responsible for 21% of all qualifying titles and specifically dominating the 4X strategy genre through studios like FunPlus.
- High-revenue games require massive marketing scale, averaging 47,000 unique creatives per title, with video ads comprising 95% of the advertising mix for top performers like 'Rise of Kingdoms'.
Call of Duty: Mobile and 11 More Mobile Games to Join $2 Billion Club in 2023
The global mobile gaming market is experiencing a period of contraction, with consumer spending projected to decline by 5% in 2022 to $110 billion, followed by an additional 3% decrease in 2023.
- The global mobile gaming market is contracting, with consumer spending projected to fall by 5% in 2022 and an additional 3% in 2023.
- Economic instability and privacy-related user acquisition challenges, including IDFA restrictions and Google privacy updates, are the primary drivers of the market downturn.
- Eleven mobile games, including Call of Duty: Mobile, State of Survival, and Brawl Stars, are projected to reach the $2 billion lifetime revenue milestone in 2023.