Mobile gaming benchmarks for Q1 2024

May, 2024 Gameanalytics.comGameanalytics.com
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.
Mobile gaming
benchmarks for Q1 2024

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?2
GameAnalytics Benchmarks

Key takeaways

Methodology

Retention

North America

Europe

Middle East

Asia

Game analytics 100: The retention curve
Session length

North America

Europe

Middle East

Asia

How to successfully optimize session length?

Session count

North America

Europe

Middle East

Asia
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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 , 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.

For instance, by analyzing how changes in session length correlate with
retention rates, you can pinpoint optimal session durations that keep
players coming back for more. Similarly, understanding how playtime
affects retention can inform decisions about game pacing, content
depth, and progression mechanics to enhance player engagement over
time. .
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PlatformRegionCountriesSpendersAfricaAsiaSoutheast AsiaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaCentral America

4
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.

The median global D1 retention in that quarter was 22.91%, day
7 was 4.20%, and 0.85% on day 28. While these percentages may
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
report).

Classic games lead the charts across most of the metrics and
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.

An honorary mention goes to puzzle games, which, regardless of
how other games, especially within the casual category, are
performing, consistently perform well across metrics and
regions with minimal fluctuation.Key takeawaysClassic games leading the charts
Games from this category typically
exhibit the best performance across all
regions and metrics.Q1 retention median
The median global retention rates across
all genres are 22.91% on the first day,
4.20% on day 7, and 0.85% on day 28.Puzzle games
This genre consistently maintains solid
performance across all regions in terms
of session lengths, session counts, and
retention rates, without significant
fluctuations.

5
To compile this report, we have utilized data from over 10K
games leveraging GameAnalytics to optimize their strategies
refine mechanics. It’s worth noting that, on average, each game
was published in at least 3 regions. This implies that a single
game may contribute data in multiple regions (including MAU).

Consequently, the summarized count of games within individual
regions may exceed the actual total of games tracked.Methodology
The data in this report, with the exception of retention, are
presented in quantiles, specifically highlighting the top 25%,
median 50%, and bottom 25% segments. This way, we can offer
a holistic view of the industry landscape, catering to a range of
developers with varying levels of success and aspiration.

Want to know how the top 2%, 5% or 10% games perform in
long-term? Access this data with .
GameAnalytics Pro
AS8.019EUNASACAAFMEOC2.5052.4274.7451.5145.4523.6985.820Over 10K games studiedFrom 2.7 billion MAU Q1 2024
Analysis of over 10K which are currently
using GameAnalytics.
This report represents findings from 1.67
billion average monthly active users.
The data in this report were collected
during the first quarter of 2024.

6Retention
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
the other hand, low retention rates suggest issues with
gameplay, onboarding, or overall user experience.

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
comparison. Here is your guide to reading this data:Puzzles
Highest D7 retention in Casual category
across all regions.Classic games
Generally show lower D1 retention than
casual and mid-core games, but highest
D7 and D28.North America
This region displays highest average of
D1, D7, and D28 retention rates across all
regions.GenreDay 1Day 7 Day 28 Looking for diverse metrics?
Unlock wide range of benchmarks from regions, quantiles, or platforms of
your choice. Upgrade to GameAnalytics Pro for unlimited access.Get custom benchmarks now

7Top 25% of games – Q1 2024North America | Retention
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.GenreDay 1Day 7 Day 28 Action29.27% 6.67% 1.72% Adventure30.55% 7.11% 1.93% Arcade29.23% 7.79% 2.06% Casual30.52% 7.17% 1.87% Puzzle32.40% 11.67% 4.54% Board26.59% 10.83% 4.54%% Multiplayer33.5% 9.73% 2.46% Card28.57% 13.18% 5.95% Role playing31.4% 7.26% 1.72% Casino30.19% 11.56% 4.10% Simulation31.84% 8.06% 1.94% Trivia27.84% 8.08% 3.40% Strategy33.26% 10.73% 3.06% Word31.69% 14.47% 6.77% Racing28.67% 7.30% 1.82% Casual gamesClassic gamesMid-core games

8Top 25% of games – Q1 2024Europe | Retention
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.GenreDay 1Day 7 Day 28 Action30.99% 6.33% 1.39% Adventure31.53% 3.63% 1.45% Arcade31.92% 7.65% 1.81% Casual32.07% 6.71% 1.61% Puzzle32.44% 11.35% 4.36% Board27.64% 11.37% 4.90%% Multiplayer30.09% 8.80% 2.17% Card31.23% 13.72% 6.49% Role playing28.02% 5.30% 1.37% Casino30.09% 12.02% 4.01% Simulation31.94% 6.81% 1.44% Trivia30.78% 8.32% 2.24% Strategy33.00% 9.60% 2.43% Word34.95% 13.39% 5.42% Racing31.95% 7.01% 1.69% Casual gamesClassic gamesMid-core games

9Top 25% of games – Q1 2024Middle East | Retention
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.GenreDay 1Day 7 Day 28 Action29.70% 5.64% 1.25% Adventure27.45% 5.35% 1.19% Arcade31.08% 6.98% 1.63% Casual30.19% 5.88% 1.37% Puzzle29.85% 9.44% 3.45% Board32.27% 12.83% 5.55% Multiplayer32.94% 7.10% 1.61% Card33.56% 14.75% 6.59%% Role playing25.43% 4.22% 0.85% Casino35.13% 11.87% 4.89% Simulation28.00% 5.07% 1.03% Trivia32.09% 8.18% 1.89% Strategy30.09% 6.63% 1.47% Word35.98% 15.32% 5.92% Racing28.87% 5.83% 1.05% Casual gamesClassic gamesMid-core games

10Top 25% of games – Q1 2024Asia | Retention
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.GenreDay 1Day 7 Day 28 Action27.34% 5.04% 1.08% Adventure26.40% 4.75% 1.00% Arcade28.48% 6.00% 1.35% Casual27.40% 4.96% 1.05% Puzzle27.82% 8.33% 2.70% Board26.32% 7.95% 2.86% Multiplayer25.02% 5.53% 1.21% Card31.46% 12.45% 5.28% Role playing22.31% 3.62% 0.73% Casino27.44% 8.58% 2.67% Simulation26.07% 4.52% 0.87% Trivia26.97% 6.30% 1.70% Strategy27.69% 5.48% 1.14% Word30.40% 9.69% 3.54% Racing26.43% 4.71% 0.98% Casual gamesClassic gamesMid-core games

11
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 learni
! Importance of retention: Customer retention is crucial for
game studios, as acquiring new customers is expensive
compared to retaining existing onesf
! Day-n retention: Measures the proportion of players
returning to play a game n days after installation, providing
insights into player engagementf
! Retention curve: Generalizes day-n retention by predicting
player retention for any day after installation, derived from
historical dataf
! Key metrics: Includes day-n retention, average player
duration, and lifetime value (LTV) to assess and optimize
game performancef
! Tools: Utilizes statistical regression and data analysis tools
like Excel and Tableau to analyze retention data and predict
player behavior.
Portions of this paper previously
appeared in the book Game Analytics:
Retention and Monetization in Free-to-
Play Games. Available on Amazon in
various regions.Download the paper

12Session 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
indicate issues with pacing, content depth, or player frustration.

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,
Middle East, and Asia and 15 game genres. Use this guide to
interpret the data accurately:
Top 25% of games

Genre median

Bottom 25% of gamesGlobal medianCasino and card games
Casino games consistently boast
remarkable session lengths, while
European card games stand out with
sessions surpassing 25 minutes, the
longest across all genres.Europe
Games launched in Europe drive the
longest sessions of all regions.
The session length median across all
genres in the 4 regions is 4.45 minutes. Looking for diverse metrics?
Unlock wide range of benchmarks from regions, quantiles, or platforms of
your choice. Upgrade to GameAnalytics Pro for unlimited access.Get custom benchmarks now

13Q1 2024North America | Session length5 min0 min10 min15 min20 minCasual
Action

Adventure

Arcade

Casual

PuzzleClassic
Board

Card

Casino

Trivia

WordMid-core
Multiplayer

Role playing

Simulation

Strategy

Racing
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
where the session length of the top 25% of games
surpassed 15 minutes.

The majority of genre medians fall within the
range of 4 to 9 minutes.
Top 25% of games

Genre median

Bottom 25% of games

14Q1 2024Europe | Session length5 min0 min10 min15 min20 min25 minCasual
Action

Adventure

Arcade

Casual

PuzzleClassic
Board

Card

Casino

Trivia

WordMid-core
Multiplayer

Role playing

Simulation

Strategy

Racing
Surprisingly, in Europe, casino games did not
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
games does not surpass 10 minutes, with casino
games still holding the top spot at nearly twelve
minutes.
Top 25% of games

Genre median

Bottom 25% of games

155 min0 min10 min15 min20 minQ1 2024Middle East | Session length
Casual
Action

Adventure

Arcade

Casual

PuzzleClassic
Board

Card

Casino

Trivia

WordMid-core
Multiplayer

Role playing

Simulation

Strategy

Racing
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
genre exceed 15 minutes of session length. This
pattern contrasts with other regions, where casino
games generally perform similarly to other
genres.
Top 25% of games

Genre median

Bottom 25% of games

16Q1 2024Asia | Session length
Casual
Action

Adventure

Arcade

Casual

PuzzleClassic
Board

Card

Casino

Trivia

WordMid-core
Multiplayer

Role playing

Simulation

Strategy

Racing
In Asia, casino games hold players’ attention the
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.

However, similar to the Middle East, the majority
of games (genre medians) do not extend sessions
beyond 5 minutes.
Top 25% of games

Genre median

Bottom 25% of games5 min0 min10 min15 min20 min25 min

How to successfully
optimize session length?
To increase session length, it’s important to integrate
captivating gameplay mechanics, clear progression paths, and
social features that foster player interaction. Engaging gameplay
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
sessions with friends. This is supported by session length
averages across the regions – and especially across iOS games.

Understanding player behavior through data insights will help
you optimize session length effectively. Analyzing funnels,
digging into player segmentation and conducting A/B tests can
guide improvements in game mechanics, leading to longer
session lengths. Additionally embracing LiveOps methodologies
allows real-time adaptation based on player feedback and
performance data. By monitoring sentiment, engagement
metrics, and session lengths, you can respond promptly with
updates and promotions to keep players engaged. This blend of
content-driven and data-driven strategies enhances the gaming
experience and prolongs session length.11BreakdownExportStepStep completionChurnTotal completion1World_001andStage_001100%N/A100%2World_001andStage_00249.44%50.56%49.44%3World_001andStage_00367.87%32.13%33.56%4World_001andStage_00480.19%19.81%26.91%5World_001andStage_00583.81%16.19%22.55%6World_001andStage_00682.22%17.78%18.54%7World_001andStage_00783.84%16.16%15.55%8World_001andStage_00882.57%17.43%12.84%9World_001andStage_00984.59%15.41%10.86% Total completion10.68% Total churn67.40% Total users52,329 Biggest dropStep 2

18Session 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,
while lower session counts may signal waning interest or
competing priorities.

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
spans 4 key regions: North America, Europe, Middle East, and
Asia. Here is how to read the data:
Top 25% of games

Genre median

Bottom 25% of gamesAverage number of daily sessions
Across all regions, the majority of games
(genre medians) engage their players 4-5
times a day on average.Classic games
Across all regions, players engage more
frequently with classic game than with
any other genre.Middle East
Players from the Middle East engage in
gaming the most, particularly favoring
word and puzzle games. Looking for diverse metrics?
Unlock wide range of benchmarks from regions, quantiles, or platforms of
your choice. Upgrade to GameAnalytics Pro for unlimited access.Get custom benchmarks now

19Q1 2024North America | Session countCasual
Action

Adventure

Arcade

Casual

PuzzleClassic
Board

Card

Casino

Trivia

WordMid-core
Multiplayer

Role playing

Simulation

Strategy

Racing
In North America, mobile games across genres
typically initiate between 3 to 5 daily sessions on
average. However, the best-performing puzzle,
board, and card games exceed 6 sessions,
approaching 7.

On the other hand, multiplayer games in North
America generated as little as approximately 2.4
daily average sessions among the bottom 25% of
games.
Top 25% of games

Genre median

Bottom 25% of games1324657

20Q1 2024Europe | Session count
Casual
Action

Adventure

Arcade

Casual

PuzzleClassic
Board

Card

Casino

Trivia

WordMid-core
Multiplayer

Role playing

Simulation

Strategy

Racing
In terms of session count, Europe follows a similar
pattern to North America, displaying a daily
average of 3 to 5 sessions across all genre
medians. However, word games are more popular
in this region, totaling over 7 average daily
sessions.

Additionally, multiplayer games in Europe
generated as few as approximately 2.4 daily
average sessions among the bottom 25% of
games.
Top 25% of games

Genre median

Bottom 25% of games13246857

21Q1 2024Middle East | Session countCasual
Action

Adventure

Arcade

Casual

PuzzleClassic
Board

Card

Casino

Trivia

WordMid-core
Multiplayer

Role playing

Simulation

Strategy

Racing
The Middle East appears to favor puzzle and word
games, with the daily average session count
across all quantiles being the highest of all
regions. However, at the same time, this region
holds the record for the lowest session counts for
casino games, displaying 2 sessions per day
among the bottom 25% of games.
Top 25% of games

Genre median

Bottom 25% of games13246891057

22Q1 2024Asia | Session countCasual
Action

Adventure

Arcade

Casual

PuzzleClassic
Board

Card

Casino

Trivia

WordMid-core
Multiplayer

Role playing

Simulation

Strategy

Racing
Asia exhibits a high session count among the top
25% of board, card, and word games, with board
and card games nearing 8 sessions.

However, with an average of 4.71, the session
count for the rest of the mobile game genres in
Asia is comparable to that in other regions.
Top 25% of games

Genre median

Bottom 25% of games13246857

Turning data into insights.