Gaming app insights report from AppLovin and Adjust

Adjust released The Gaming App Insights Report, a first-of-its-kind resource for studios, developers, and mobile marketers, pairing global mobile gaming app data with expert insights from AppLovin and its in-house creative agency SparkLabs. Notable growth in gaming app installs and in-app revenue in 2023 continued into 2024 reveals a resurgence across many subverticals and provides a window into a new framework - from leveraging AI to embracing CTV - to reach success and scale.

"The perception that mobile gaming is stagnating due, in part, to a crowded market overlooks one positive by-product of this competition: growth. We meet daily with partners who are launching new products successfully and at a rapid pace. In fact, Monopoly Go became a top-grossing game in 2023 - the same year it was released," said Daniel Tchernahovsky, VP of Global Business Development, AppLovin.

The route to scalable mobile gaming growth has shifted and requires embracing changes in audience expectations, technological developments, and measurement complexity. The data-backed Gaming App Insights Report - based on a mix of Adjust’s top 5,000 apps and the total dataset of all apps tracked - sheds light on recent trends, guiding advertisers toward strategic and informed decision-making to outpace the competition.

Adjust and AppLovin’s report also explores how generative AI can be utilized to streamline campaigns and how CTV is becoming a performance channel for growth.

Key insights from the Adjust and AppLovin’s Gaming app insights report:

Hybrid casual games are thriving, bringing in 800% more average revenue per monthly active user (MAU) than hyper-casual games, largely due to the addition of in-app monetization elements to titles. Hybrid casuals also had the highest click-through rate at 30%, again outperforming hyper-casual.

Gaming in-app revenue is climbing, experiencing a notable 6% YoY increase in 2023, and December rising the highest at 17% above the annual average and 21% YoY. This growth has continued into 2024, with in-app revenue already increasing 13% YoY in January.

Racing and simulation games topped the charts, with installs growing by 61% and 53% YoY, respectively. Arcade games followed close behind, with 38% and 19% increases in installs and sessions.

Gaming has significantly higher ATT opt-in rates than the rest of the app industry, with the global average up to 39% in Q1 2024 (vs 36% in Q1 2023). Indonesia, the UAE, and Brazil have the highest opt-in rates, all at 49%.

Marketers can gain real-world insights and best practices from notable game developers and publishers, including Hypercell Games, Mamboo Games, VividJoan, and Widogame.

"By investing in the right tools, prioritizing next-gen tech, AI, and personalization, game developers and studios can scale on new channels and platforms, regain install and session volume, and find users that play and pay," added Tiahn Wetzler, Director of Content & Insights at Adjust.