AFK Journey's homecoming: Asia release sparks tenfold growth in monthly revenue

The Sensor Tower mobile gaming pulse highlights the top-performing iOS App Store and Google Play games each month. Our analysis covers trends and movement in the top charts among the leading games across countries. It is the industry standard for professionals looking to compare the latest market shifts of leading games and publishers and prepare for the months ahead. All lifetime downloads and revenue estimates are inclusive up to the time of the original publication on September 5th, 2024.

AFK Journey, a squad RPG game, secured the #6 spot for top games by worldwide downloads growth and an impressive #2 spot for top games by worldwide revenue growth, largely driven by its successful Asia launch on August 8th, 2024. Published by Farlight Games, the global publishing arm of its China-based developer Lilith, AFK Journey initially found success in Western markets following its March 2024 release, breaking into the top 5 download rankings in major markets like the United States, France, and Germany. For the Asia launch, the publisher's extensive advertising efforts are evident from the game topping the Share of Voice (SOV) on YouTube across key markets such as South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan, ultimately landing the game as the #1 most downloaded title in South Korea and Taiwan for the month.

The game’s strong localization efforts, including voice dubbing, celebrity-driven marketing, and live operations, significantly bolstered its revenue success. In August, the game experienced nearly tenfold month-over-month revenue growth, with over 70% of its revenue coming from newly added markets, demonstrating the profound impact of tailoring game experiences to regional audiences.

Top games by breakout downloads in August 2024 

While AFK Journey emerged as a standout title, the August 2024 breakout rankings also showcased the growing popularity of supermarket-themed simulation games, with two out of the top 10 games making it into the top rankings. Let's dive deeper into these trends and explore what makes these genres so captivating for players worldwide.

• My Supermarket Simulator 3D, took the #1 spot for top games by worldwide downloads growth and is currently ranked #8 by absolute downloads. Published by Playspare, the game has been available globally since July 2024 and has been downloaded around 16 million times to date. Its top markets include Indonesia, Russia, Turkey, Mexico, and Brazil. The supermarket-themed game features simplified store management simulation mechanics targeted at the hypercasual audience. Its 3D realistic art style and first-person camera perspective create a more refined experience, making it appealing to a wider audience. The game is available for free, with monetization through ad removal options and in-app purchases.

• Supermarket Master 3D, another supermarket-themed simulator game, took the #4 spot for top games by worldwide downloads growth. Published by CE-Games, the game has been downloaded around 8 million times to date. Its top markets by downloads include the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Russia. The game features familiar supermarket simulation mechanics but distinguishes itself with a vertical orientation and a focus on simple, action-based casual gameplay.

Top games by downloads in August 2024

While top breakout ranks offer insights into high-growth sectors, the top charts by absolute downloads reflect current consumer demand. In August, summer Olympics-themed events and those inspired by the viral Brat trend propelled Roblox up two positions to claim the top spot in worldwide downloads, replacing Offline Games - No Wifi Games  from the previous period, which remained strong at #3. Garena Free Fire, currently celebrating its 7th anniversary, held steady at #2, having amassed 1.71 billion downloads globally since its September 2017 launch, with primary markets including India, Brazil, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Mexico. 

The MOBA hit Mobile Legends: Bang Bang  climbed 10 positions to secure the #9 spot for top games by worldwide downloads. This surge was driven by its largest market, Indonesia, where downloads steadily increased throughout 2024, peaking in August at over 4.9 million—nearly half of the total global downloads for the month—reaching a level not seen since February 2018. The publisher’s strong emphasis on localized events, culturally relevant promotions, and e-sports tournaments has shown a direct impact on user growth.

Top games by revenue growth in August 2024

• The MOBA hit Honor of Kings secured the #1 spot for top games by worldwide revenue growth and currently ranks #1 in absolute revenue, up two positions from the prior period. The revenue spike in August was largely driven by its performance in its home market, where the game held a collaboration with the popular Chinese anime/manga series Fox Spirit Matchmaker. This collaboration featured highly sought-after characters, themes, and cosmetic items that resonated with fans of both the game and the anime/manga series.

• ONE PIECE Bounty Rush, an action fighting game, climbed 94 positions to secure the #7 spot for top games by worldwide revenue growth, currently ranking #55 in absolute revenue. Published by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, the game held special events to commemorate 5.5 years of operation and 150 Million Downloads milestone. These events significantly boosted the game’s monetization, leading to its highest monthly revenue in the past 12 months. The leading markets driving this revenue include Japan, the United States, and Taiwan.

• Sword of Convallaria,  a turn-based tactics game, secured the #10 spot for top games by worldwide revenue growth, currently ranking #87 in absolute revenue. Published by X.D. Global, the game was originally released in the Greater China markets in August 2023 and globally launched at the end of July 2024. It has been downloaded around 3.1 million times to date, with top markets including China, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. The game has also excelled in monetization, surpassing $14 million in gross revenue in August, nearly twenty-fold increase from the previous month. The leading markets driving this revenue growth were Japan, the United States, and South Korea. Featuring an isometric camera perspective in an adventure-themed high fantasy setting, the game’s pixel art style appeals to a mid-core audience, offering a familiar experience reminiscent of the classic console games that inspired it.

Top games by revenue in August 2024

Top revenue charts tend to be more stable than breakout charts, with player loyalty playing a crucial role in the sustained success of leading games.

The MOBA game Honor of Kings climbed two positions to secure the #1 spot for top games by worldwide revenue, while MONOPOLY GO! retained its #2 rank in consumer spend. The coin looters game Coin Master rose to the #9 spot, climbing one position from the previous period. Notably, it recently surpassed $6 billion in all-time gross revenue after generating over $1 billion annually since 2020.

Top in-app events in August 2024

Each month, we compile a list of the top two In-App Events with the highest impact in select markets, based on the total iOS revenue generated within the first three days. These events are ranked by their revenue lift growth in each market:

• Super Snail, an idle RPG about time-traveling snails battling demon gods, ran a campaign during the month to celebrate its first anniversary and major app updates, introducing new features and improvements. This campaign led to a remarkable fourteenfold increase in revenue on the US App Store during its peak revenue day.

• In Japan, GranBlue Fantasy held a Summer special event, featuring limited-time gacha and exclusive event rewards, which led to a hundredfold revenue surge at its peak compared to the days leading up to the event.

• The global launch of  Sword of Convallaria was particularly impactful in South Korea, with events offering limited in-game rewards and increased rates for obtaining rare characters, significantly boosting revenue.

• In China, Arknights saw substantial growth driven by the introduction of the highly anticipated sidestory "Leaving the Sun Behind", resulting in a whopping 27x revenue lift on its peak day. 

• In August 2024, Clash of Clans celebrated its 12th anniversary  with anime-inspired premium content and other limited-time items, topping the revenue lift charts for events in the United Kingdom.

Understanding the effectiveness of these events and learning how your competitors successfully run in-app events to boost user engagement and retention is crucial for achieving long-term success.