Insightrackr has released the Mobile Game Downloads and Revenue Rankings for March 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 March, most of the Top 15 games by download showed MoM growth. While the Top 1 and Top 2 spots remained stable, rankings fluctuated significantly among mid-tier products, resulting in a notably different trend compared to the previous month.
The game with the highest MoM download growth in March was I AM Cat, which surged by 528.19% and rose to No. 12 on the chart. It is published by Estoty, a studio based in Latvia.
This prank simulator game, where players take on the perspective of a cat, was originally a VR title. It was later ported to mobile because of its explosive popularity. In the following case study, we will dive into the game's advertising as well as ad creative strategies in detail.
Another category that saw significant download growth in March was cricket-themed sports mobile games. Notable titles include Dream11: Fantasy Cricket App, which grew 48.67% MoM and jumped to No. 6, and Cricket League, which surged 116.38% to reach No. 11.
The 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) kicked off on March 23, and the buzz surrounding the event helped boost the popularity of sports games like Cricket League and Dream11: Fantasy Cricket App. Cricket League is developed by the UK-based game company Miniclip, which was acquired by Tencent in 2015. We’ll explore this game further in a case study.
Meanwhile, the Squid Game-themed hype that carried over from January and February began to cool down in March. Casual game 456 Run Challenge, which rode the wave of the Squid Game IP, saw a sharp drop in both downloads and rankings.
Top 15 Mobile Games by Revenue
On the revenue chart, Dream Games made a strong entrance with Royal Kingdom, a new title set in the "Royal Match universe", aiming to challenge Playrix’s dominance. Overall, the "match-3+" hybrid casual genre continues to show strong monetization potential.
Playrix’s Township remained steady at the top of the revenue rankings, with an impressive MoM revenue growth rate of 110.56% in March.
Released globally in November 2024, Royal Kingdom—the sequel to the once top-grossing casual game Royal Match—rose to No. 9 on the March revenue chart, with a MoM growth of 99.12%.
Another standout in the hybrid casual space, the casual SLG title Last War: Survival Game, made a comeback to the revenue Top 15 in March, seeing a 36.26% increase from February.
Meanwhile, social casual games continue to show impressive monetization performance.
Dice Dreams, a social dice game from SuperPlay, reached No. 5 on the revenue chart in February(click here for the case study). In March, the company released a new game called Domino Dreams. It is a mix of social gameplay, match mechanics, and dominoes. The game entered the revenue chart at No. 12 in March, with revenue up by 81.14% MoM.
As a spin-off of the popular casual party game Dice Dreams, Domino Dreams incorporates traditional board game elements and is even outperforming its predecessor in terms of revenue. We’ll be diving deeper into this title in a dedicated case study.
Mobile Game Advertising Case Analysis
01 I Am Cat
The mobile version of I AM Cat was launched in February 2025. According to Insightrackr data, its downloads surged in March, surpassing 12 million.
In terms of regional distribution, North America, Europe, and Latin America were the main sources of downloads. The top three countries were the United States (17.27%), Mexico (11.75%), and Germany (6.91%).
In terms of marketing campaign, this viral hit not only sparked a wave of organic buzz on short video platforms but also adopted an aggressive ad strategy. Since March, I AM Cat has seen a steady rise in active creative volume, with daily active creatives reaching 200 by the end of the month.
As for regional distribution, most ads were targeted at Mexico, the Philippines, and Indonesia—markets with large population dividends.
In terms of traffic sources (excluding data from Facebook and Google ad libraries), I AM Cat’s top three user acquisition channels in March were Mintegral, Unity, and AdMob, with Mintegral alone accounting for 77.73%.
Looking at sub-channels, the top five traffic sources were Melon Sandbox, Hole.io, Stumble Guys, Super Bear Adventure, and Scary Teacher 3D. These are primarily similar casual and simulation games, indicating a strong focus on acquiring users from related genres.
In terms of creative strategy, I AM Cat launched a variety of first-person perspective video ads from the cat’s point of view. One popular ad shows the cat using its paws to catch fish and cook, ultimately preparing a dish called “Catatouille” (a playful blend of “Cat” and “Ratatouille”), which adds humor while staying on theme.
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Another creative features a VR-style first-person story where the cat’s relationship with its owner shifts from sweet and affectionate to chaotic and combative, creating an amusing emotional twist that grabs viewers' attention.
In terms of revenue, I AM Cat currently relies on IAA (in-app advertising) for monetization. In March, its revenue mainly came from the United States, Germany, and Mexico. The United States contributed 33.86%, Germany 14.17%, and Mexico 5.88%.
02 Cricket League
The publisher of Cricket League, Miniclip, is well known for creating casual sports games. Boosted by the cricket season, Cricket League quickly captured the attention of users in the South Asian market.
In March, the game exceeded 12 million downloads, with the top three markets being India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Notably, India accounted for 92.1% of the total downloads.
In terms of advertising, Cricket League saw a slight uptick in active creative volume starting in late March, peaking at around 80 creatives in a single day. The vast majority of ads targeted the Indian market, which accounted for 99.3% of the total ad impressions.
Regarding traffic sources (excluding Facebook and Google Ads libraries), Mintegral was the game's largest ad platform in March, contributing 89.53% of traffic. It was followed by AppLovin and AdMob.
As for sub-channels, the top-performing one was Block Blast, a casual mobile game with the highest number of downloads, contributing 12.81%. Other key sub-channels included Snaptube, Tourist Passenger Bus Drive, ZEDGE, and Pocket Toons—all of which are popular in India, spanning utility apps, webtoon platforms, and simulation games.
In terms of creative strategy, Cricket League’s video ads often showcase authentic gameplay scenes. Many of these creatives feature a hand or finger overlay to demonstrate the controls, emphasizing the simplicity of the mechanics and highlighting the intense and satisfying moments in its fast-paced matches.
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The creative of Cricket League’s playable ads stays consistent with the video format but further simplifies the process and controls. It adds slow-motion at key points to guide users to swipe and instantly experience the gameplay.
According to Insightrackr data, Cricket League mainly adopts a hybrid monetization model of IAA + IAP. In March, 69.59% of its revenue came from India, 12.67% from Pakistan, and 3.65% from Australia.
03 Domino Dreams
Domino Dreams launched at the end of 2022, standing out with its uncommon domino gameplay. According to Insightrackr data, the game’s revenue suddenly surged in March, exceeding $82 million.
In terms of regional distribution, both revenue and downloads of Domino Dreams rely heavily on Tier-1 markets. Revenue came almost entirely from the U.S., accounting for 99.1%. The U.S. also ranked first in downloads at 45.81%, followed by Germany at 10.99% and the UK at 5.89%.
Ad targeting aligned with this distribution—the U.S was the largest market, making up 75.76% of ad impressions. In March, the number of active creatives declined compared to February, with daily creative volume dropping from 700 to around 400.
In terms of traffic channels, excluding Ad Library data, 41.33% of Domino Dreams' traffic in March came from AdMob, making it the primary channel. AppLovin and Mintegral followed, accounting for 16.35% and 14.29%, respectively.
As for sub-channel rankings, the majority of traffic in March came from similar match-3 and merge games, such as Goods Master 3D (7.89%) and Merge Studio (3.74%). Additionally, entertainment apps, like Musi (12.81%), also contributed significantly to the traffic.
In terms of creative content, the videos for Domino Dreams not only showcase the domino gameplay but also incorporate elements from popular hyper-casual games, such as match-3 and prize-pull mechanics.
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In one creative combination, the video draws inspiration from the classic Royal Match concept of clearing blocks to rescue the trapped protagonist. The difference is that Domino Dreams replaces the blocks with dominoes and the king with its own monster IP.
The associated playable ad, however, doesn't relate much to the gameplay shown in the video, as it simply demonstrates the dominoes themselves.
Overall, in March, many games succeeded by offering differentiated themes and more diverse hybrid gameplay. Whether it's the gameplay itself or the creative scenarios presented in the ads, creating an instant sense of enjoyment for players and helping them relieve stress were key factors in resonating with the audience.
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