Insightrackr has released the Mobile Game Downloads and Revenue Rankings for February 2025, based on its monitoring data of the global mobile market.
The rankings are divided into the Top 15 Mobile Games by Downloads and the Top 15 by Revenue, with an analysis of the advertising and ad creative strategies of popular games for the month.
Top 15 Mobile Games by Downloads
In the Top 15 download rankings, the hyper-casual game 456 Run Challenge by Vietnamese developer Amobear made a strong rise to 3rd place, jumping 144 spots.
The top two spots are still dominated by Roblox and Block Blast, with Block Blast surpassing Roblox in February to claim the number one position.
The latter half of the rankings saw several new entrants, with notable increases in download.
In 12th place, the first-person shooter FPS Strike Ops saw a massive surge, jumping 517 spots, marking the largest download increase in the rankings. It was developed by independent creator Naveed Imran.
In 15th place, Dalgona Candy Honeycomb DIY, a candy-cutting casual game with the "Dalgona challenge" as its main gameplay, entered the rankings. Developed by LIVDG, the game capitalized on the Squid Game trend. The trend continued into February(click to read), driving the popularity of casual survival games.
Another notable entry is Extreme Car Driving Simulator, a realistic supercar simulation game, which also saw impressive growth. Its ranking rose 84 places, securing 10th position on the list.
Top 15 Mobile Games by Revenue
In terms of revenue rankings, Playrix’s classic simulation game Township took the top spot this month. It has been rising for two consecutive months. In January, it ranked 7th.
At the end of January, Township introduced an upgraded seasonal adventure event, allowing players to purchase a “Gold Pass” for additional rewards. Additionally, season rewards were further reduced, potentially driving increased player spending.
Other popular Playrix titles, including Gardenscapes, Fishdom, and Homescapes, remained in the Top 15 but experienced varying degrees of ranking declines.
The biggest climber in the revenue rankings was Dice Dreams, a social dice game that jumped 129 places to rank 5th.
Developed by SuperPlay, Dice Dreams employs a highly diversified monetization strategy. Its in-app purchase revenue has been growing steadily since 2023.
The game features innovative monetization methods, including season passes, choice-based systems, promotions, and events inspired by popular game mechanics. These strategies have contributed to its impressive revenue performance.
Several long-standing casual games saw revenue growth this month. In the match-3 category, Candy Crush Soda Saga from King and Clash of Clans from Supercell both performed well.
A rising star in the stack-matching genre, Match Factory!, climbed 14 spots to rank 4th in revenue.
Developed by Turkish studio Peak Games (a subsidiary of Zynga), Match Factory! is a close replica of Triple Match 3D but with a stronger focus on in-app purchases. It primarily targets high-value users on iOS and Tier 1 markets.
Mobile Game Advertising Case Analysis
01 456 Run Challenge
456 Run Challenge is inspired by the Korean drama Squid Game. Players compete among 456 opponents in a mix of classic hyper-casual mechanics, including "Red Light, Green Light," "Hide and Seek," and elements from Fall Guys.
Squid Game 2 launched at the end of last year, with localized marketing campaigns in cities like Bangkok and Madrid. Its online buzz continued into early this year.
Riding this wave, 456 Run Challenge ramped up its ad campaigns in February, with around 200 active creatives per day. The ads primarily targeted Japan and Thailand, where Squid Game remains popular, with Spain as the third-largest market.
Geographically, India became the top download source for 456 Run Challenge, accounting for 45.69% of total downloads. Egypt and Indonesia followed in second and third place.
In terms of revenue, India also ranked first after combining IAA and IAP earnings, contributing 12.77%. France and Brazil came next.
Ad creatives heavily leveraged the Squid Game IP. Most ads showcased the “Red Light, Green Light” gameplay, often using failure scenarios to spark players' competitive drive.
|
|
Some creative ads used a combination of "video + playable ads," with the playable ads being of high quality. From game mechanics to character outfits, the scenes were highly reminiscent of Squid Game.
Users could try out the "Red Light, Green Light" game within the ad, experiencing the full challenge, which increased their likelihood of downloading the game.
02 Dalgona Candy Honeycomb DIY
The "Dalgona Challenge," featured as one of the tasks in Squid Game, has popularized Dalgona, a traditional Korean candy, and the candy-cutting game worldwide.
Image source: YouTube
Videos about the Dalgona Challenge on TikTok
Dalgona Candy Honeycomb DIY, inspired by the Squid Game, recreates the "Dalgona Challenge" gameplay and uses this as the primary focus in its ad materials.
In February, the app saw significant growth in downloads. However, in terms of active ad materials, Insightrackr’s data shows that the daily active ads were still in the single digits. The ongoing popularity of the Squid Game series has driven organic traffic growth for games with similar themes.
Geographically, Indonesia, India, and Turkey are the top three download sources, with Indonesia leading at 29.57% and India at 17.72%. Southeast Asia and India are the primary markets for Squid Game-themed products.
For revenue, Indonesia is the top contributor, accounting for 19.41%, followed by the United States and Mexico at 13.23% and 6.12%, respectively.
Regarding creative materials, Dalgona Candy Honeycomb DIY focuses on showcasing the core gameplay. The ad content primarily features gameplay recordings of the "Dalgona Challenge" across different levels.
|
|
03 Dice Dreams
Dice Dreams follows a similar gameplay model to Coin Masters, focusing on a "social + strategy" approach.
Ranked 5th on the revenue chart, Dice Dreams targets high-net-worth users, but it did not make it to the download rankings Top 15.
Geographically, the United States is the largest market for download, accounting for 37.05%, followed by India and the UK at 6.05% and 4.98%, respectively.
In terms of revenue, Dice Dreams generated most of its income from the United States, with the U.S. market accounting for a significant 99.8%.
Regarding ad creative, Dice Dreams maintained a high level of material placement. In February, the daily active ad creatives peaked at over 1,000, with the daily average close to 800 for the rest of the month.
The top three markets for ad creative placements were the United States, Malaysia, and France, with minimal differences between them. Overall, the user acquisition efforts were focused on North America and Europe.
Based on the ad creatives, Dice Dreams, as a well-known classic casual game, primarily adopts a brand-oriented strategy. This includes featuring celebrity endorsements and promoting a mascot character based on the game's monster IP.
|
|
|
In the live-action ads, the spokesperson SAMUEL L. JACKSON (known for portraying Nick Fury in Marvel movies) was featured in promotional videos, attracting potential casual game players through his star power.
Another type of ad featured a unique cartoon mascot, designed to build its own IP. The clever and adorable monster character aimed to strengthen players' recall of the product.
Overall, in February, the products with significant growth in downloads and revenue were mainly in the casual game category. Whether in core gameplay or marketing strategies, leveraging IP power not only brought natural traffic but also amplified the effects of paid user acquisition.
It is also noticeable that the combination of IAP (In-App Purchases) and IAA (In-App Ads) as a hybrid monetization model continues to be effective. Classic casual games that focus on tapping into high-value users and in-app purchases have seen significant revenue growth.
For more global mobile marketing data and trends, follow Insightrackr or Signup Now for a free trial.