This Month's Case Studies: Pixel Flow!, Drop the Cat, Jigmerge Puzzles
Insightrackr has released the November 2025 Global Mobile Game Rankings for Downloads and Revenue, based on its comprehensive monitoring of the worldwide mobile market.
These rankings are derived from Insightrackr's proprietary estimates of app download volume and gross revenue, listing the Top 15 Short Mobile Games by Downloads and the Top 15 Mobile Games by Revenue, alongside in-depth analyses of notable cases in advertising strategy and creative execution.
Top 15 Mobile Games by Downloads
The top tier of the download rankings remained highly stable in November. Block Blast! and Roblox continued to hold the Top 2 positions, with MoM fluctuations contained within 6%. Meanwhile, Pizza Ready and Subway Surfers swapped positions, ranking third and fourth respectively.
From the middle of the list onward, movement became more pronounced.
Gamincat, Inc.’s Jigsolitaire delivered a standout performance — its downloads surged 114.98% MoM, and its ranking jumped 32 positions, landing directly at No. 6. We conducted a detailed analysis of this title in last month’s report (Click to Read). After several months of stability, this hybrid of Jigsaw and Solitaire unexpectedly broke out in November, climbing to the top of AppStore Top Free charts across multiple countries.
Another strong climber was Solitaire Associations Journey. This Solitaire + Word Puzzle hybrid has maintained steady growth since its September launch, and we began tracking it in its first month (Click to Read). Downloads increased 210.49% MoM in November, pushing it up 128 places to No. 11 — the largest MoM increase among all titles in the ranking.
The rapid rise of these two Solitaire-driven puzzle games signals a broader trend: this classic gameplay category is finding new momentum through combination-based innovation.
Top 15 Mobile Games by Revenue
The upper half of the revenue rankings also remained highly stable. Aside from Clash Royale and PUBG MOBILE swapping into fourth and fifth place, the Top 8 showed minimal changes, with revenue fluctuations contained within 11%.
In comparison, the lower half demonstrated more notable shifts.
Block Blast! delivered one of the strongest performances of the month. Insightrackr estimates its revenue increased 281.31% MoM, lifting the game 33 places into the Top 15 and making it the most remarkable breakout performer on this month’s revenue list.
Mobile Game Advertising Case Analysis
01 Pixel Flow!
Published in August by Turkish developer Loom Games, Pixel Flow! first entered the U.S. AppStore Free Games Top 20 in late October and has remained at a high ranking since.
Insightrackr estimates its cumulative iOS + Android downloads to be nearing 4.8 million.
Advertising activity has accelerated rapidly over the past six weeks. Active daily ad creatives increased from fewer than 50 per day in mid-October to nearly 350 per day by late November, marking a substantial escalation.
In terms of channels, Pixel Flow! concentrates heavily on programmatic networks such as AppLovin and Mintegral, with most impressions originating from casual-gaming traffic sources.
Regionally, targeting clearly favors Tier 1/2 markets — particularly the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan. The U.S. accounts for 27.69% of downloads and 52.96% of revenue, making it the game's dominant core market.
Gameplay centers on Color Matching but introduces additional elements such as pig-shaped cannons and conveyor belts, creating a more dynamic visual experience.
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This “light innovation within a familiar framework” is also reinforced through its ad creatives. The game relies heavily on video + playable combinations: videos convey visual style and gameplay logic, while playables offer instant hands-on interaction to boost conversion efficiency.
02 Drop the Cat
Developed by South Korean studio ACTIONFIT, Drop the Cat launched on both platforms in August and entered the U.S. AppStore Free Games Top 20 in October. It has since maintained a stable Top 10 position in the Japanese AppStore Top Free Games.
Insightrackr monitoring shows that ad volume increased significantly in November, with peak daily active ad creatives exceeding 400 per day.
Advertising is highly concentrated on programmatic networks, with AppLovin and Mintegral contributing over 90% of impressions. Regionally, Japan, the United States, and South Korea are the primary markets targeted.
In download distribution, the U.S. contributes 20.17%, while Japan accounts for 18.42%. However, revenue tells a different story: the U.S. contributes 48.16% of total revenue, far surpassing Japan’s 13.78%, indicating stronger monetization efficiency in the American market.
ACTIONFIT has previously released several cat-themed casual titles, giving the studio strong accumulated expertise in art style and audience insights.
Drop the Cat extends this direction with vibrant candy-tone visuals, an addictive sliding block puzzle mechanic, and strategy-driven logic challenges — all contributing to a relaxing, feel-good user experience.
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Most ad creatives highlight real gameplay, emphasizing the core mechanic of “slide the blocks to match the cat with the corresponding color.” Some creatives enhance emotional appeal by opening with a “cat chased by a black hole” animated vignette to strengthen tension and viewer retention.
The corresponding playables closely replicate in-game mechanics, supporting more than ten interactive steps, allowing users to fully grasp the gameplay rhythm and improving conversion efficiency.
03 Jigmerge Puzzles
As noted earlier, puzzle games incorporating Solitaire-style mechanics have surged in recent months, inspiring fast follow-up from many developers. Jigmerge Puzzles is a representative example.
Insightrackr estimates its November global downloads to exceed 1.4 million.
As its name suggests, Jigmerge Puzzles combines Jigsaw + Merge mechanics. Overall gameplay resembles Jigsolitaire: players move cards to gradually restore a complete puzzle image.
Insightrackr data shows that advertising volume spiked sharply starting in late October, with daily active ad creatives surpassing 1,500 per day at peak. Beyond data from the Facebook Ad Library, most paid acquisition was concentrated on AppLovin.
Regionally, the game targets Tier 1 markets such as the United States, Japan, and South Korea. However, Russia emerged unexpectedly as a major source of downloads, contributing 21.96% of downloads and 9.35% of revenue.
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In terms of creative themes, Jigmerge Puzzles diverges from Jigsolitaire’s frequent use of celebrity portraits. Instead, it features a broader mix of animals, landscapes, geometric patterns, and more.
Video creatives focus on clearly illustrating the puzzle-solving process, while playables deliver a highly immersive experience that allows users to rapidly understand gameplay structure within the ad.
These insights summarize the global mobile game download, revenue, and advertising trends of October 2025.
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