Casual mobile game downloads rise amid shifting revenue trends across key markets

The mobile gaming market is showing diverging signals: casual game downloads are rising globally, but revenue has largely plateaued in 2025, according to AppMagic’s newly released Casual LiveOps Report H1 2025.

According to the report, global downloads of casual mobile games rose 6% year-over-year, jumping from 28.4 billion in H1 2024 to 30.2 billion in H1 2025. Much of this growth was concentrated in the winter months, with AppMagic attributing the surge to seasonal behavior.

Despite the uptick in downloads, revenue only edged up by 3.6% year-over-year — from $22.9 billion to $23.8 billion. On a half-year basis, however, the increase is less than 1%, suggesting stagnation in monetization despite increased engagement.

While the United States and China remain the largest markets in terms of revenue, both countries experienced a downturn in the first half of 2025. Revenue fell by 7.06% in the U.S. and 7.31% in China compared to the same period last year. Conversely, Japan emerged as a bright spot with a 21.8% revenue increase, underscoring regional shifts in monetization patterns.

Downloads also reflect changing market dynamics. Indonesia has overtaken Brazil to join India and the U.S. among the top three countries by downloads. While Indonesia posted a 21% year-over-year increase, Brazil saw a 20% decline.

Puzzle, casino, and simulation games remain the leading revenue generators in the casual gaming segment. Puzzle games, in particular, saw a 13.2% revenue increase year-over-year.

Mechanically, race elements continue to dominate the casual genre, present in 70% of the top-performing games. Meanwhile, intellectual property (IP) collaborations are becoming more common, featured in 25% of the top titles in 2025. In contrast, fishing mechanics have notably fallen out of favor, with AppMagic reporting no presence in new top-performing games this year.

AppMagic’s full report also provides insights into monetization trends and LiveOps strategies. While traditional mechanics like boosters and bundles remain widely used, there’s been an uptick in the use of “slot machines” as mini-games. Additionally, retention tactics like battle passes and surprise chests are increasingly employed to improve session duration and daily active use.