REDWOOD CITY, Calif.,
April 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --
Liftoff, the leading mobile growth acceleration platform, today
unveils its 2024 Casual Gaming Apps Report. The report, based on
data from 355 billion ad impressions, 36 billion clicks, and 90
million installs from January 1st,
2023, to January 1st, 2024,
finds ads in casual games are driving the majority of installs for
midcore games.
Ads in casual games drive 74% of midcore mobile game
installs, while puzzle games drive 37% of casual game installs.
Simulation and lifestyle games also play an important role in
driving casual game installs, each contributing around 8% of total
installs.
Liftoff's Casual Gaming Apps Report covers three main sections:
an annual breakdown of benchmarks for advertising costs and
revenue, the mobile game genres and subgenres driving the most
installs, and the latest trends shaking up the casual gaming
market. Key findings from the report include:
Casual games lead the install charge, as 74% of midcore
installs come from ads Casual games are still the primary
driver of installs for other casual games, followed by sports and
driving games at 5%, with casino games contributing the least at
2%. In the sample, 74% of midcore installs came from ads in casual
games. Hyper-casual games are a significant driver of installs
across all genres at 29%, while puzzle games remain popular with
37% of casual game installs. Simulation and lifestyle games each
drive around 8% of total installs.
Half of top US casual games embrace progressive offers in just
one year
Around 70% of the top 25 casual games in the US use
a progressive offer feature that offers players a sequence of free
and paid rewards. Approximately 50% of these games have introduced
this feature in the past year.
Mobile Game install costs on iOS rise to $4.83
The report also includes an annual
breakdown of user acquisition cost benchmarks. Notably, CPIs on iOS
reached $4.83 between March 2023 and March
2024. However, the data presents a potential mitigating
factor as regional cost differences may affect results. For
example, regions with the highest CPIs, such as North America, also exhibit the highest Day 7
return on ad spend.
3D match games surge 411%, carving lucrative niche in puzzle
market
Titles like Triple Match 3D and Tile Match 3D have
scaled impressive performance, carving out a lucrative niche in the
crowded puzzle market. GameRefinery data reveals a meteoric rise in
the US market share of these games within the top 500 grossing iOS
titles. Market share surged from $2.95
million in Q4 2022 to $15.25
million by Q4 2023.
Casual games embrace external web stores for enhanced player
engagement
Casual games are increasingly turning to external
web stores to boost player engagement and offer more value.
Previously used mainly by midcore titles, web stores allow players
to score attractive deals on in-game items through direct purchases
from the developer or publisher. This bypasses the fees from app
stores like Apple's App Store and
Google Play, which typically take a cut of each transaction. Beyond
cost savings, web stores can also cultivate loyal communities by
offering exclusive rewards, value bundles tailored to player
preferences, and dedicated loyalty programs. Examples of this
approach include Scopely's Yahtzee With Buddies! Online and
Mattel's UNO!™ web stores.
Joey Fulcher, Global VP,
Accelerate at Liftoff, said: "The market is still adjusting
after the pandemic, but we are seeing that certain types of games,
such as casual games, are doing well in generating revenue. This
indicates that there is still potential for growth, particularly in
the mobile gaming industry. Casual games are not only a favorite
among players but also a useful tool for attracting users to
midcore titles. This highlights the interdependence of the mobile
gaming industry and the importance of understanding your target
audience for successful app development."
For more details about Liftoff and to download the full report,
visit here.
Methodology
All report data comes from GameRefinery and Accelerate,
Liftoff's programmatic advertising solution. It also draws from
Liftoff's data from January 1st,
2023, to January 1st, 2024.
This spans 355 billion ad impressions and 36 billion clicks across
90 million installs to deliver key takeaways on casual gaming app
engagement worldwide.
About Liftoff
Liftoff is the leading growth acceleration platform for the
mobile industry, helping advertisers, publishers, game developers,
and DSPs scale revenue growth with solutions to market and monetize
mobile apps.
Liftoff's solutions, including Accelerate, Direct, Influence,
Monetize, Intelligence, and Vungle Exchange, support over 6,600
mobile businesses across 74 countries in sectors such as gaming,
social, finance, e-commerce, and entertainment. Founded in 2012 and
headquartered in Redwood City, CA,
Liftoff has a diverse, global presence.
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