Mobile gaming

benchmarks for Q1 2024

Access the industry's performance with Q1 2024 benchmarks. Explore key
metrics like retention rates and session engagement to benchmark your
games against industry standards.

Gameanalytics.com
Gameanalytics.com
GameAnalytics provides game studios and mobile app developers with a full

suite of powerful analytics tools, helping them better understand their users

and optimize their entire app portfolio. Our analytics solution enhances

overall app performance, offering insights into crucial user metrics such as

retention, session count, or length, providing advanced Live Ops features,

reporting on health and design issues, and more.

 What’s inside?

GameAnalytics Benchmarks

12
Session length

13
North America

Key takeaways

14
Europe

15
Middle East

Methodology

16
Asia

17

How to successfully optimize session length?

6
Retention

7
North America
18
Session count

8
Europe
19
North America

9
Middle East
20
Europe

10
Asia
21
Middle East

11 Game analytics 100: The retention curve 22 Asia

2
Access industry benchmarks
and compare your game to
your competitors
While paying attention to your game performance cannot be overstated,
it is equally important to deeply understand player preferences and
industry standards. Conveniently packaged in GameAnalytics Pro, our
industry benchmarks can help you identify areas of strength for their
game, or weaknesses that need improvement. Helps game studios
prioritize efforts and optimizations alongside the access to next-gen
analytics solutions for your game.

We recommend making a holistic approach by comparing and

contrasting several benchmarks and metrics to unveil deeper insights.

Platform Africa

Region Asia

For instance, by analyzing how changes in session length correlate with Countries Southeast Asia

retention rates, you can pinpoint optimal session durations that keep
Spenders Europe

Middle East

players coming back for more. Similarly, understanding how playtime North America

affects retention can inform decisions about game pacing, content Central America

depth, and progression mechanics to enhance player engagement over

time. Explore more use-cases here.
Key takeaways
Exploring key metrics from Q1 of this year helps us uncover the
industry's performance and allows you to benchmark your
games against the standards.

Q1 retention median
The median global retention rates across
The median global D1 retention in that quarter was 22.91%, day all genres are 22.91% on the first day,
7 was 4.20%, and 0.85% on day 28. While these percentages may 4.20% on day 7, and 0.85% on day 28.
seem lower than what is typically considered good retention, it's
essential to remember that these are related to the excellent
performing games, not the usual ones (which we monitor in this Classic games leading the charts
report).

Games from this category typically

exhibit the best performance across all
Classic games lead the charts across most of the metrics and
regions and metrics.
regions. This category includes board and card games, casino
and trivia, and word games. Notably, this category of games
performs exceptionally well in the Middle East.

Puzzle games
An honorary mention goes to puzzle games, which, regardless of This genre consistently maintains solid
how other games, especially within the casual category, are performance across all regions in terms
performing, consistently perform well across metrics and of session lengths, session counts, and
regions with minimal fluctuation. retention rates, without significant
fluctuations.

4
Methodology
To compile this report, we have utilized data from over 10K The data in this report, with the exception of retention, are
games leveraging GameAnalytics to optimize their strategies presented in quantiles, specifically highlighting the top 25%,
refine mechanics. It's worth noting that, on average, each game median 50%, and bottom 25% segments. This way, we can offer
was published in at least 3 regions. This implies that a single a holistic view of the industry landscape, catering to a range of
game may contribute data in multiple regions (including MAU).

developers with varying levels of success and aspiration.

Consequently, the summarized count of games within individual Want to know how the top 2%, 5% or 10% games perform in
regions may exceed the actual total of games tracked. long-term? Access this data with GameAnalytics Pro.

Over 10K games studied

Analysis of over 10K which are currently
using GameAnalytics.
EU AS
NA
5.820 8.019
5.452
From 2.7 billion MAU
ME
This report represents findings from 1.67 4.745
AF
billion average monthly active users. CA
2.505
2.427

OC
1.514
SA
3.698
Q1 2024
The data in this report were collected
during the first quarter of 2024.

5
Retention
Retention tracks the number of players who continue to engage
with the game over time, in the case of this report measured at
day 1, day 7, and day 28 after install. High retention rates mean
players found the game compelling and were likely return. On Puzzles
the other hand, low retention rates suggest issues with Highest D7 retention in Casual category
gameplay, onboarding, or overall user experience.

across all regions.

Explore the retention rates of the top 25% of games across

various regions, including North America, Europe, the Middle
East, and Asia. These rates are organized by genre for easy Classic games
comparison. Here is your guide to reading this data:
Generally show lower D1 retention than
casual and mid-core games, but highest
Genre D7 and D28.

Day 1 Day 7 Day 28

North America
This region displays highest average of
Looking for diverse metrics? D1, D7, and D28 retention rates across all
Unlock wide range of benchmarks from regions, quantiles, or platforms of regions.
your choice. Upgrade to GameAnalytics Pro for unlimited access.

Get custom benchmarks now

6
 Genre

North America | Retention Day 1 Day 7 Day 28

Top 25% of games - Q1 2024

North America boasts the highest day 1 retention in mid-core titles, with an average of 31.7% for the genre. This is buoyed by particularly
strong day 1 retention for multiplayer games. Remarkably, retention in mid-core games is also the highest when comparing to other regions.

Casual games Classic games Mid-core games

Action Board Multiplayer

29.27% 6.67% 1.72% 26.59% 10.83% 4.54%% 33.5% 9.73% 2.46%

Adventure Card Role playing

30.55% 7.11% 1.93% 28.57% 13.18% 5.95% 31.4% 7.26% 1.72%

Arcade Casino Simulation

29.23% 7.79% 2.06% 30.19% 11.56% 4.10% 31.84% 8.06% 1.94%

Casual Trivia Strategy

30.52% 7.17% 1.87% 27.84% 8.08% 3.40% 33.26% 10.73% 3.06%

Puzzle Word Racing

32.40% 11.67% 4.54% 31.69% 14.47% 6.77% 28.67% 7.30% 1.82%

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 Genre

Europe | Retention Day 1 Day 7 Day 28

Top 25% of games - Q1 2024

In Europe, casual games boast the highest retention at 31.79%. Adventure games display high day 1 retention but lag on day 7. Additionally,
this region ties North America for top puzzle day 1 retention. It also leads in word games with 34% day 1 retention and tops simulation and
racing games rates.

Casual games Classic games Mid-core games

Action Board Multiplayer

30.99% 6.33% 1.39% 27.64% 11.37% 4.90%% 30.09% 8.80% 2.17%

Adventure Card Role playing

31.53% 3.63% 1.45% 31.23% 13.72% 6.49% 28.02% 5.30% 1.37%

Arcade Casino Simulation

31.92% 7.65% 1.81% 30.09% 12.02% 4.01% 31.94% 6.81% 1.44%

Casual Trivia Strategy

32.07% 6.71% 1.61% 30.78% 8.32% 2.24% 33.00% 9.60% 2.43%

Puzzle Word Racing

32.44% 11.35% 4.36% 34.95% 13.39% 5.42% 31.95% 7.01% 1.69%

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 Genre

Middle East | Retention Day 1 Day 7 Day 28

Top 25% of games - Q1 2024

In the Middle East, classic games boast the highest day 1, day 7, and day 28 retention rates across all regions. Classic games also
outperform casual and mid-core games within the region. This is mainly driven by word and casino games, although all sub-genres exhibit
high or good retention rates. While other categories aren't low performing, they lag behind North America and Europe.

Casual games Classic games Mid-core games

Action Board Multiplayer

29.70% 5.64% 1.25% 32.27% 12.83% 5.55% 32.94% 7.10% 1.61%

Adventure Card Role playing

27.45% 5.35% 1.19% 33.56% 14.75% 6.59%% 25.43% 4.22% 0.85%

Arcade Casino Simulation

31.08% 6.98% 1.63% 35.13% 11.87% 4.89% 28.00% 5.07% 1.03%

Casual Trivia Strategy

30.19% 5.88% 1.37% 32.09% 8.18% 1.89% 30.09% 6.63% 1.47%

Puzzle Word Racing

29.85% 9.44% 3.45% 35.98% 15.32% 5.92% 28.87% 5.83% 1.05%

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 Genre

Asia | Retention Day 1 Day 7 Day 28

Top 25% of games - Q1 2024

In Asia, there's a general trend of the lowest performance when comparing to other genres across monitored regions. However, classic
games stand out as the best performers in this region, particularly card games.

Casual games Classic games Mid-core games

Action Board Multiplayer

27.34% 5.04% 1.08% 26.32% 7.95% 2.86% 25.02% 5.53% 1.21%

Adventure Card Role playing

26.40% 4.75% 1.00% 31.46% 12.45% 5.28% 22.31% 3.62% 0.73%

Arcade Casino Simulation

28.48% 6.00% 1.35% 27.44% 8.58% 2.67% 26.07% 4.52% 0.87%

Casual Trivia Strategy

27.40% 4.96% 1.05% 26.97% 6.30% 1.70% 27.69% 5.48% 1.14%

Puzzle Word Racing

27.82% 8.33% 2.70% 30.40% 9.69% 3.54% 26.43% 4.71% 0.98%

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Game analytics 100: The
retention curve
Retaining customers is paramount for game studios, as
acquiring new customers involves significant costs. In “Game
Analytics 100: The Retention Curve,” Russell Ovans from East Side
Games delves into the critical aspect of customer retention in
the gaming industry.

What will you learn Download the paper

Importance of retention: Customer retention is crucial for
game studios, as acquiring new customers is expensive
compared to retaining existing ones
Day-n retention: Measures the proportion of players
returning to play a game n days after installation, providing
insights into player engagement
Retention curve: Generalizes day-n retention by predicting
player retention for any day after installation, derived from Portions of this paper previously
historical data appeared in the book Game Analytics:
Key metrics: Includes day-n retention, average player Retention and Monetization in Free-to-
duration, and lifetime value (LTV) to assess and optimize Play Games. Available on Amazon in
game performance various regions.
Tools: Utilizes statistical regression and data analysis tools
like Excel and Tableau to analyze retention data and predict
player behavior.

11
Session length
Session length measures the average duration of a single
gaming session, indicating how long players typically play the
game in one sitting. Longer session lengths suggest high player
engagement and enjoyment, while shorter session lengths may Global median
indicate issues with pacing, content depth, or player frustration.

The session length median across all

genres in the 4 regions is 4.45 minutes.
On the following pages, we delve into the session lengths of the
top and bottom 25% of games, along with their median values.
This exploration spans four regions: North America, Europe, Casino and card games
Middle East, and Asia and 15 game genres. Use this guide to Casino games consistently boast
interpret the data accurately: remarkable session lengths, while
European card games stand out with
sessions surpassing 25 minutes, the
Top 25% of games

longest across all genres.

Genre median

Bottom 25% of games

Europe
Games launched in Europe drive the
Looking for diverse metrics? longest sessions of all regions.
Unlock wide range of benchmarks from regions, quantiles, or platforms of
your choice. Upgrade to GameAnalytics Pro for unlimited access.

Get custom benchmarks now

12
North America | Session length Top 25% of games

Genre median

Q1 2024 Bottom 25% of games

20 min In North America, multiplayer games consistently

exhibit the longest session lengths, even among
the bottom 25% of games. Remarkably, this genre,
along with casino games, is also the only one
15 min where the session length of the top 25% of games
surpassed 15 minutes.

The majority of genre medians fall within the

10 min
range of 4 to 9 minutes.

Casual Classic Mid-core

5 min Action
Board
Multiplayer

Adventure
Card
Role playing

Arcade
Casino
Simulation

Casual
Trivia
Strategy

0 min
Puzzle Word Racing

13
Europe | Session length Top 25% of games

Genre median

Q1 2024 Bottom 25% of games

Surprisingly, in Europe, casino games did not

25 min exhibit the longest sessions lengths as they do in
other regions. It is card games where the top 25%
of games exceed 25 minutes of session length.
However, the median session length for card
20 min
games does not surpass 10 minutes, with casino
games still holding the top spot at nearly twelve
minutes.
15 min
Casual Classic Mid-core
Action
Board
Multiplayer

Adventure
Card
Role playing

10 min
Arcade
Casino
Simulation

Casual
Trivia
Strategy

Puzzle Word Racing

5 min

0 min

14
Middle East | Session length Top 25% of games

Genre median

Q1 2024 Bottom 25% of games

20 min In the Middle East, the majority of players, as

indicated by the genre medians, do not spend
more than 5 minutes playing their mobile games.
However, the top-performing games in the casino
15 min genre exceed 15 minutes of session length. This
pattern contrasts with other regions, where casino
games generally perform similarly to other
genres.
10 min

Casual Classic Mid-core

Action
Board
Multiplayer

5 min Adventure
Card
Role playing

Arcade
Casino
Simulation

Casual
Trivia
Strategy

Puzzle Word Racing

0 min

15
Asia | Session length Top 25% of games

Genre median

Q1 2024 Bottom 25% of games

In Asia, casino games hold players' attention the

25 min longest compared to other regions, with the best-
performing games boasting session lengths of
nearly 23 minutes. Additionally, multiplayer games
display longer sessions in this region.

20 min
However, similar to the Middle East, the majority
of games (genre medians) do not extend sessions
15 min beyond 5 minutes.

Casual Classic Mid-core

Action
Board
Multiplayer

10 min
Adventure
Card
Role playing

Arcade
Casino
Simulation

Casual
Trivia
Strategy

5 min Puzzle Word Racing

0 min

16
How to successfully
optimize session length?
To increase session length, it's important to integrate updates and promotions to keep players engaged. This blend of
captivating gameplay mechanics, clear progression paths, and content-driven and data-driven strategies enhances the gaming
social features that foster player interaction. Engaging gameplay experience and prolongs session length.
elements like challenging levels, rewarding achievements, and
dynamic content keep players activated and motivated to
continue playing. Providing clear goals and milestones will
encourage players to play your game longer. Additionally,
incorporating social features such as multiplayer modes and in-
game chat facilitates social interaction, making the gaming
experience more enjoyable and encouraging longer play Total users

sessions with friends. This is supported by session length Breakdown

52,329
Export

averages across the regions - and especially across iOS games.

Step Step completion Churn Total completion

1 World_001 and Stage_001 100 % N/A 100 %

Understanding player behavior through data insights will help 2 World_001 and Stage_002 49.44% 50.56% 49.44 %
you optimize session length effectively. Analyzing funnels,
3 World_001 and Stage_003 67.87 % 32.13 % 33.56 %
digging into player segmentation and conducting A/B tests can Biggest drop

guide improvements in game mechanics, leading to longer

World_001 and Stage_004 80.19 % 19.81 % 26.91 %
4
Step 2

session lengths. Additionally embracing LiveOps methodologies 5 World_001 and Stage_005 83.81 % 16.19 % 22.55 %

allows real-time adaptation based on player feedback and 6 World_001 and Stage_006 82.22 % 17.78 % 18.54 %

performance data. By monitoring sentiment, engagement 7 World_001 and Stage_007

Total churn
83.84 % 16.16 % 15.55 %

67.40%
metrics, and session lengths, you can respond promptly with 8 World_001 and Stage_008 82.57 % 17.43 % 12.84 %

9 World_001 and Stage_009 84.59 % 15.41 % 10.86 % Total completion

10.68%

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Session count
Session count tracks the number of gaming sessions initiated by
players within a defined timeframe, providing insights into
player engagement frequency and habits. Higher session counts
indicate strong player engagement and interest in the game, Average number of daily sessions
while lower session counts may signal waning interest or Across all regions, the majority of games
competing priorities.

(genre medians) engage their players 4-5

times a day on average.
Presented in candlestick charts, following data represents the
average number of daily sessions across the top and bottom
25% of games, including medians, across 15 genres. Our focus Classic games
spans 4 key regions: North America, Europe, Middle East, and
Across all regions, players engage more
Asia. Here is how to read the data:
frequently with classic game than with
any other genre.
Top 25% of games

Genre median

Bottom 25% of games Middle East

Players from the Middle East engage in
gaming the most, particularly favoring
Looking for diverse metrics? word and puzzle games.
Unlock wide range of benchmarks from regions, quantiles, or platforms of
your choice. Upgrade to GameAnalytics Pro for unlimited access.

Get custom benchmarks now

18
North America | Session count Top 25% of games

Genre median

Q1 2024 Bottom 25% of games

7 In North America, mobile games across genres

typically initiate between 3 to 5 daily sessions on
6 average. However, the best-performing puzzle,
board, and card games exceed 6 sessions,
5 approaching 7.

4 On the other hand, multiplayer games in North

America generated as little as approximately 2.4
3
daily average sessions among the bottom 25% of
games.
2

1 Casual Classic Mid-core

Action
Board
Multiplayer

Adventure
Card
Role playing

Arcade
Casino
Simulation

Casual
Trivia
Strategy

Puzzle Word Racing

19
Europe | Session count Top 25% of games

Genre median

Q1 2024 Bottom 25% of games

8 In terms of session count, Europe follows a similar

pattern to North America, displaying a daily
7 average of 3 to 5 sessions across all genre
medians. However, word games are more popular
6 in this region, totaling over 7 average daily
sessions.

5
Additionally, multiplayer games in Europe
4
generated as few as approximately 2.4 daily
average sessions among the bottom 25% of
3
games.
2
Casual Classic Mid-core
1 Action
Board
Multiplayer

Adventure
Card
Role playing

Arcade
Casino
Simulation

Casual
Trivia
Strategy

Puzzle Word Racing

20
Middle East | Session count Top 25% of games

Genre median

Q1 2024 Bottom 25% of games

10 The Middle East appears to favor puzzle and word

games, with the daily average session count
9 across all quantiles being the highest of all
regions. However, at the same time, this region
8 holds the record for the lowest session counts for
casino games, displaying 2 sessions per day
7 among the bottom 25% of games.
6
Casual Classic Mid-core
5 Action
Board
Multiplayer

Adventure
Card
Role playing

4 Arcade
Casino
Simulation

Casual
Trivia
Strategy

3 Puzzle Word Racing

2

21
Asia | Session count Top 25% of games

Genre median

Q1 2024 Bottom 25% of games

8 Asia exhibits a high session count among the top

25% of board, card, and word games, with board
7 and card games nearing 8 sessions.

6 However, with an average of 4.71, the session

count for the rest of the mobile game genres in
5 Asia is comparable to that in other regions.
4
Casual Classic Mid-core
3 Action
Board
Multiplayer

Adventure
Card
Role playing

2 Arcade
Casino
Simulation

Casual
Trivia
Strategy

1 Puzzle Word Racing

22
Turning data into insights.