Piecing it Together: Creative Trends Shaping Puzzle Games in 2025

Puzzle games like Candy Crush have successfully embedded themselves into the cultural lexicon over the years, with everyone from businessmen to schoolchildren recognizing the tile-matching game’s alliterative name and colorful interface. In fact, in the past 12 months — and over a decade since its release — Candy Crush Saga users logged an average of 34 minutes a day on the app. 

The staying power of such titles is evidenced by their prominence and continued popularity, and is reflected in the sustained successes of the Puzzle genre as a whole. In 2024, Puzzle games enjoyed an impressive 14% year-over-year (YoY) revenue climb — even in the midst of a 3% decline in downloads. 

But what creative campaigns are driving these milestones? And more importantly, how can forward-thinking developers leverage quality creatives to provide seamless user touchpoints that drive acquisition?

Sensor Tower’s new report in partnership with Meta, “Creative Trends in Puzzle Games: A Deep Dive” explores the paid ads fueling top Puzzle games in 2025, and offers concrete insights and recommendations intended to help apps stand out in a saturated landscape. For an even deeper dive, watch our on demand webinar, where experts from Meta and Sensor Tower break down key findings.

The illustrated, 50+ page report is divided into three sections: 

• A data-driven overview on the state of the industry, including downloads, revenue, and top subgenres 

• A detailed exploration of the eight major creative trends fueling growth in 2025, from sound design to emotional hooks 

• Four actionable takeaways that provide you with the roadmap necessary to revamp your strategy and capture user attention 

Read the Report