GameRefinery, a Liftoff company, has released its latest analysis for July 2024. The report offers in-depth insights into the performance and trends across hybrid casual, casual, and mid-core mobile game titles.
One of the report’s significant highlights is Rollic’s Twisted Tangle. The popular hybrid casual game introduced “Seasonal Collectible Albums.” This marks the first time a hybrid casual title has implemented such a feature, establishing a new standard for engagement strategies in the genre.
Another key focal point in the analysis is miHoYo’s highly anticipated title, Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ), which has crossed the impressive milestone of 50 million downloads. Despite the substantial player base, Zenless Zone Zero has yet to match the revenue generated by its predecessors.
The report’s highlights are:
- NIKKE the Diver: Goddess of Victory: NIKKE launched a unique collaboration with Dave the Diver that recreated the latter’s gameplay (including a complete change in art style) within its own world. The event was practically like a demo for Dave the Diver, which isn’t actually available on mobile. It may be the first example of a developer testing how their PC & console game might perform on mobile by integrating it into an existing mobile title through a limited-time event.
- Deadpool & Wolverine: Marvel Snap sought to capitalize on the success of the third Deadpool movie’s release into theatres with a variety of live events. The game saw a 300%+ spike in revenue on July 10, the day after the launch of its Deadpool-themed battle pass, reaching 21 in the top 200 grossing on the US iOS market. While this may sound impressive, it largely follows the same trajectory as previous battle pass updates, which is slightly surprising given the film has grossed over $1bn worldwide.
- Hybrid Casual Brainteasers: Hybrid casual puzzle games have seemingly cemented their place as one of the hottest trends in the market, with Rollic Games leading the charge with several chart-topping titles—including Seat Away, Twisted Tangle, and Screw Jam. These games feature simple yet distinctive gameplay loops that are enriched by an ever-expanding live event framework, alongside a hybrid monetization model that utilizes both in-app purchases and in-app advertising.
- A Song of Empire & Puzzles: Zynga launched a puzzle RPG based on HBO and George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones that plays just like Empire & Puzzles—albeit with a fantasy skin and fan-favorite characters like Jon Snow and Rhaenyra Targaryen. The title has only seen a modest amount of success, barely scratching the top-grossing #200 in the US, despite launching alongside a new season for the Game of Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon.
- Naraka Bladepoint: Netease launched an unusual battle royale game in China, Naraka Bladepoint, which utilizes AI to create NPC dialogue. The game was released across PC, console and mobile platforms, with all the different versions interconnected. Naraka Bladepoint has been scaling exceptionally well, holding steady at #4 in the top-grossing ranks and #1 in downloads in China.
The full report can be accessed at GameRefinery’s website.
