WIP Sensor Tower Monthly Gaming Pulse for April | Pocket Gamer.biz

data.ai’s monthly gaming pulse rounds up analysis on the latest releases and highlights the breakout hits of tomorrow. And in advance of the official release PocketGamer.biz have got an early look at all the latest facts, figures and finds.

The data covers trends and movement in the top charts across the leading gaming markets and compares how each game (and their publishers) are faring and makes predictions for the months ahead.

This month’s star performer…

Overall star performer this month has to be Supercell’s latest (and incredibly only their sixth to win a full release) Squad Busters. The game, which recently soft-launched in select markets including Mexico, Spain, Canada, and Singapore, has already secured the number eight position for top games by global download growth, surpassing 4.7 million downloads to date.

The game’s strong early performance highlights the enduring appeal of MOBA games on mobile and the power of featuring multiple Supercell IPs in one game. This tactic effectively creates synergy among Supercell’s games, enhancing day-one download numbers by introducing unique reward mechanics that are tied to the volume of pre-registration numbers.

The game is currently in soft launch, with the limited release effectively serving as a marketing tool while they iron out any issues ahead of the game’s full, global release on May 29th 2024.

But let’s take a look at the rest of the field, starting with April 2024’s breakout games by download (aka which games saw the greatest growth in April).

April 2024 breakout games by download

April 2024’s breakout rankings underscored the enduring popularity of the simulation genre on mobile, with five of the top ten breakout games being sims.

Supermarket Manager Simulator from Digital Melody, has soared to the #1 spot for worldwide download growth and is currently ranked #8 in absolute downloads. To date the game has approximately 12.6 million downloads, with Brazil, France, the United States, Argentina and Mexico as its top markets.

Pizza Ready! from Supercent climbed to the #2 spot in worldwide downloads and absolute ranks, up four positions since its global release in July 2023. The game has achieved 83 million downloads, with India, Brazil, the US, Mexico and Indonesia leading in downloads. It has also excelled in monetization, generating $1.7 million in global consumer spend since launch, with the US, Japan, UK, South Korea and Germany contributing the most. 

February 2024 top games by downloads

While the rising stars offer the best view into high-growth sectors, top charts showcase current consumer demand.

Garena Free Fire has maintained its #1 position for top games by worldwide downloads, a status it held last report. So far the game has amassed approximately 1.6 billion downloads globally since its September 2017 launch, with its primary markets being India, Brazil, Indonesia, Vietnam and Mexico.

India-focused fantasy sports games Dream11 and My11Circle climbed significantly, rising 9 and 45 positions respectively to break into the top 10 charts, boosted by their legal status as games of skill, offering competitive gaming with the chance for substantial cash rewards.

April 2024 top breakout games by consumer spend 

Let’s take a look at which games saw the greatest growth in April 2024. How did successful launches, monetization mechanics, and timely re-engagement campaigns shape our Breakout Games by Consumer Spend charts?

Genshin Impact from miHoYo achieved the #1 spot for top games by worldwide revenue growth, moving up six positions to rank #10 in absolute revenue. This surge was fueled by the global release of version 4.6 in late April, which introduced the much anticipated 5-Star Character Arlecchino, and new regions to explore.

The game’s sustained success reflects its commitment to continuous updates and releases. Since its launch in September 2020, it has been downloaded approximately 187.2 million times, with significant markets including China, the United States, Russia, Indonesia, and Brazil. 

Lilith Games’ ongoing success with AFK Journey saw it soar to the #2 spot for worldwide revenue growth, being also currently ranked #40 in absolute revenue, jumping 254 places from the previous period. During its global launch in March 2024, approximately one-third of the 4.3 million downloads were generated through paid advertising on major networks like YouTube, Meta Audience Network, and TikTok. This strategy significantly contributed to its popularity, with the US, Brazil, France, Russia, and the Philippines emerging as top markets.

The game has excelled in monetization, generating over $30.3 million in global consumer spend, with significant contributions from Western markets like the US, France, Germany, Canada and the United Kingdom. 

February 2024 top games by consumer spend

Consumer spending top charts are more stable than breakout charts, with player loyalty being crucial for the longevity of leading games. In April, a game that broadened its global reach cracked the top 10, underscoring the value of targeting markets beyond one’s own.

Once again, Scopely’s Monopoly GO! maintained its #1 rank in consumer spend. It recently celebrated its first anniversary with special events and campaigns and reaching the pivotal milestone of $2 billion in annual consumer spend.

Last War: Survival Game from FirstFun climbed to the #6 spot for top games by worldwide revenue, up three positions from the previous period. Its April Foodie Carnival Event significantly boosted player engagement and spending and has been downloaded around 33.6 Million times to-date. The top markets by downloads include United States, South Korea, Brazil, Japan, Germany. 

Supercell’s Brawl Stars continues to do well, taking the #8 spot, up three positions from prior period. The game has been available globally since June 2017 and has been downloaded around 446.3 Million times to-date. Its top markets by downloads include Brazil, Russia, Turkey, United States, France. So far it has surpassed $2.17 billion in lifetime consumer spend globally. Leading markets that contributed to consumer spend share were United States, South Korea, Germany, China, France. 

Want more from data.ai? Download data.ai’s State of Mobile Gaming 2024 report here.