Mobile Gaming Sees Rise in Casual Downloads, but Revenue Growth Stagnates

According to a recent report by AppMagic, a leading mobile market intelligence tool, casual mobile game downloads have experienced a significant increase since the start of the year, yet revenue has remained surprisingly stable. The Casual LiveOps Report H1 2025, released on July 30, indicates a 6% year-on-year rise in global casual game downloads, from 28.4 billion in 2023/2024 to 30.2 billion in 2024/2025, with winter months being a major driving force behind this growth. Global revenue has also seen a modest year-on-year increase of 3.6%, from $22.9 billion to $23.8 billion. However, when examining the half-year trend, downloads have increased by 5% compared to the same period last year, whereas revenue has seen minimal change, with less than a 1% variation since the beginning of the year. The report highlights a notable shift in revenue trends among the top countries in the first half of 2025. The United States and China, which hold the top two positions in terms of revenue, have both seen a decline in half-year revenue, with 7.06% and 7.31% decreases, respectively. In contrast, Japan has experienced a 21.8% increase in revenue during the same period. Geographical shifts are also evident in download numbers, with Indonesia replacing Brazil among the top three countries by downloads in 2025, following a 21% increase in downloads compared to the first half of 2024. Brazil, on the other hand, has seen a 20% decrease in downloads. The report further reveals that puzzle, casino, and simulation games continue to be the top revenue-generating genres in the casual mobile gaming space, with puzzle games showing a 13.2% revenue growth from H1 2024 to H1 2025. Additionally, 70% of the top casual games in 2025 feature a race mechanic, and 25% of top casual titles have included at least one IP collaboration this year. Fishing mechanics, however, have failed to gain popularity and are no longer being introduced in new top games.