AppMagic’s Monetization Report 2025 offers 60 slides detailing market shifts and providing a closer look at how different genres adapt to the new environment. The report covers the largest segments—Strategy, RPG, Puzzle, Casino, and Simulation—as well as one of the year’s most important categories: Hybridcasual.
Here are key takeaways you need to know about:
- Moderate market growth compared to last year: Overall revenue increased by 3.4% driven mainly by the App Store (+5,4%), while Google Play showed a slight decline.
- Market growth driven by select subgenres and regions: Overall revenue expansion is modest and concentrated in a few genres: Strategy, Simulation, and Hybridcasual.
- Shift toward emerging markets: Main growth comes from countries with low bases and volatile currencies: LATAM, MENA, and Eastern Europe.
- Revenue remains concentrated in key regions: Developed markets such as the US, Western Europe, and Japan show signs of slowdown or stagnation, yet continue to maintain high ARPPU levels.
- Simple and Hybrid / Midcore games gain traction: In genres like Puzzle, Simulation, and Hybridcasual, simple and Hybrid formats continue to expand actively.
- Revenue concentrated in top offers: More than 40% of revenue in each genre comes from the five largest offers within the ten biggest projects.
- Revenue growth shifts toward the App Store: Across most genres, the App Store shows higher ARPPU, while on Google Play, purchase size stays flat despite higher transaction frequency.
- Payment SDKs are gradually gaining traction: Monetization through D2C systems and alternative payment methods grew by 46%, but is employed by 62% of top 100 games only.
Monetization trends in different genres
Strategy
- Since mid-2024, several major new titles have contributed to a 20-28% increase in revenue on each platform.
- The strongest gain comes from Card Battlers (+213%) and 4X Strategy (+26%). MOBA remains the only declining subgenre (-4.9%).
- By day 90, paying strategy players in the US spend twice as much as Casino players, with ARPPU on the App Store now up to eight times higher than on Google Play. On Google Play, growth comes from purchase volume, while on the App Store, larger payments (often $15+) drive ARPPU.
RPG
- Revenue dropped by 13-16% across both platforms, with the steepest fall recorded in China (-25%). Most RPG subgenres have shrunk by 15-30%, while Tactical RPG and Roguelike grew with Warhammer 40,000, GIRLS’ FRONTLINE 2, and Archero 2.
- Average payments per user fell by up to 29%, with day 90 ARPPU down 42%, while the App Store maintained stable growth in high-spending markets. Average payment size decreased by 20-28% on Google Play, reflecting weaker player spending.
- Most RPG revenue comes from hard currency through battle passes, and 30-day subscriptions also play a notable role for key titles. Titles like Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero tested $0.99 – $4.99 bundles, effectively engaging low-spending users.
Puzzle
- Revenue rose by 15%, with the App Store leading /+18%), while Google Play showed more moderate dynamics. The strongest gains came from the UK (+28%) and Ireland (+24%), while the US showed a moderate increase (+10%).
- Overall market revenue grew by 14%, driven by simple subgenres like Block Puzzle(+91%) and Hybridcasual projects expanding their share. Merge games rose by 61%, led by Gossip Harbor and Travel Town, while Find the Difference declined by 42%.
- ARPPU fell across both platforms, and App Store users made fewer purchases, especially in the older top-ranking titles.
Casino
- Revenue fell by about 7.5% on each platform, with the sharpest drop in the US (-11%) and slight growth in the UK (+5%) and Germany (+10%). Mahjong, Slots, and Coin Looter revenues fell by 8-12%, making Casino the only major segment with a clear drop.
- Top projects saw ARPPU and purchase frequency fall by up to 50%, causing the overall decline in Casino revenue metrics.
- ARPPU grew by 25-40%, supported by titles like Monopoly GO! and Quick Hit Slots, which continue to show positive dynamics.
Simulation
- Revenue grew by 11% in 2025, mainly driven by the App Store, while the gap with Google Play widened to nearly 39%. Growth was led by Sandbox (26%), Dating Sim (+41%), and Life Sim (+14%), while Job Simulator and Animal Simulator more than doubled their revenues.
- In 2025, ARPPU on iOS grew by up to 10%, while the number of payments fell by 20-30%, driven by long-standing titles like Roblox and Township. On Android, ARPPU remained flat after day 60, and early-stage metrics dropped by up to 10% widening the iOS-Android gap from 30% to 40%.
Hybridcasual
- IAP revenue has increased by 84% on the App Store and by 93% on Google Play. Most top-grossing titles feature complex monetization systems and generate significant IAP revenue.
- US App Store users increased spending by up to 71% in the first 90 days, while Google Play saw 31-43% growth driven by more purchases per player. Most revenue comes from low-priced currency packs and failure-triggered offers, while no-ads deals lag behind ad-skip tickets.
- By mid-2025, nearly all top Hybridcasual games featured a Season Pass, which has become a standard element for the new releases.
Check out the full report
AppMagic’s Monetization Report 2025 examines annual trends, key market changes, shifts toward alternative payments, payment behaviors, and the most impactful offers in 2025.
