Squad Busters' Soft Launch Hints at Blockbuster Success

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.

This month, Squad Busters, a new MOBA game from renowned developer Supercell, emerged as a standout breakout title. The game, which recently soft-launched in select markets including Mexico, Spain, Canada, and Singapore, has already secured the #8 position for top games by global download growth, surpassing 5 million downloads to date.  In fact Sensor Tower data reveals that Squad Busters is Supercell's fastest release to reach 5 million downloads, achieving this milestone in under 18 days.

The game's strong early performance highlights the enduring appeal of MOBA games on mobile platforms and the robust draw of the Supercell brand. By featuring beloved characters from previous hits like Clash of Clans and Clash Royale, the soft launch is strategically employed as a marketing tool to generate excitement and iron out any remaining technical issues ahead of its global release on May 29th 2024. This tactic effectively creates synergy among Supercell's games, enhancing day-one download numbers by introducing unique reward mechanics that are tied to the volume of pre-registration numbers.

Image: Supercell's preregistration page for Squad Busters highlights day-one rewards for early downloader

Top Games by Downloads in April 2024: Which Mobile Games Topped Downloads Charts and Which Games Were the Breakout Stars of the Month? 

The April 2024 breakout rankings also underscored the enduring popularity of Simulation Games on mobile, with five of the top ten breakout games belonging to this genre, highlighting its strong appeal for mobile gaming. Let's dive deeper into these trends. 

To provide the most current data and ensure a consistent comparison period, we will be analyzing the monthly pulse in four-week segments.

We took a look at which games saw the most significant growth in April 2024 in our Breakout Games by Downloads charts.

• Supermarket Manager Simulator, a simulation game from Digital Melody Games, has soared to the #1 spot for worldwide download growth and is currently ranked #8 in absolute downloads. Since early March 2024, Sensor Tower has tracked multiple video creatives across Meta Audience Network, Instagram, and Facebook, propelling the game into the top 10 charts. To date, it has garnered approximately 12.6 million downloads, with Brazil, France, the United States, Argentina and Mexico as its top markets. Set in a modern, shopping-themed environment, the game features a first-person perspective and a 3D realistic art style that resonates well with the casual gaming audience, offering an immersive and captivating gameplay experience.

• Pizza Ready!, a Time Management Simulation game by Supercent, climbed to the #2 spot in worldwide downloads and absolute ranks, up four positions since its global release in July 2023. The game has achieved 83 million downloads, with India, Brazil, the US, Mexico and Indonesia leading in downloads. It has also excelled in monetization, generating $1.7 million in global consumer spend since launch, with the US, Japan, UK, South Korea and Germany contributing the most. Featuring an isometric view and a cooking/food-themed setting, its hypercasual art style captivates a broad audience, providing a dynamic and engaging gameplay experience.

Most Popular Mobile Games by Downloads in April 2024

While the rising stars offer the best view into high-growth sectors, top charts showcase current consumer demand.

In April, Garena Free Fire, a Battle Royale game, maintained its #1 position for top games by worldwide downloads, a status it held from the previous period. Published by Garena Games Online (NYSE: SE), the game has amassed approximately 1.60 billion downloads globally since its September 2017 launch, with its primary markets being India, Brazil, Indonesia, Vietnam and Mexico. Additionally, India-focused fantasy sports games Dream11 and My11Circle climbed significantly, rising 9 and 45 positions respectively to break into the top 10 charts. The surge in popularity of fantasy sport platforms like Dream11 in India is fueled by widespread access to affordable internet and smartphones, and their legal status as games of skill, offering competitive gaming with the chance for substantial cash rewards.

Top Games by App Store Consumer Spend in April 2024: Which Mobile Games Topped Spend Charts and Which Games Were the Breakout Stars of Month?

Similarly to downloads, we took a look at which games saw the greatest growth in April 2024. How did successful launches, monetization mechanics and timely re-engagement campaigns shape our Breakout Games by Consumer Spend charts?

• 原神 (Genshin Impact), an open-world adventure game by miHoYo, achieved the #1 spot for top games by worldwide revenue growth, moving up six positions to rank #10 in absolute revenue. This surge was fueled by the global release of version 4.6 in late April, which introduced the much anticipated 5-Star Character Arlecchino, and new regions to explore. The game's sustained success reflects its commitment to continuous updates and releases. Since its launch in September 2020, it has been downloaded approximately 187.2 million times, with significant markets including China, the United States, Russia, Indonesia, and Brazil. Excelling in monetization, Genshin Impact has generated over $5.8 billion in lifetime global consumer spend heavily skewing to markets in Asia with the exception of the US ( China, Japan, the US, South Korea and Taiwan). Its third-person perspective in a high-fantasy setting and 3D anime art style strongly appeal to the mid-core audience.

• AFK Journey, a Squad RPG by Lilith(莉莉丝), soared to the #2 spot for worldwide revenue growth and is currently ranked #40 in absolute revenue, jumping 254 places from the previous period. During its global launch in March 2024, approximately one-third of the 4.3 million downloads were generated through paid advertising on major networks like YouTube, Meta Audience Network, and TikTok. This strategy significantly contributed to its popularity, with the US, Brazil, France, Russia, and the Philippines emerging as top markets. The game has excelled in monetization, generating over $30.3 million in global consumer spend, with significant contributions from Western markets like the US, France, Germany, Canada and the United Kingdom. Featuring a top-down camera in a combat arena-themed high fantasy setting, its 3D anime art style captivates the mid-core audience, offering a dynamic and engaging gameplay experience.

Most Popular Mobile Games by App Store Consumer Spend in April 2024

Consumer spending top charts are more stable than breakout charts, with player loyalty being crucial for the longevity of leading games. In April, a game that broadened its global reach cracked the top 10, underscoring the value of targeting markets beyond one's own.

MONOPOLY GO! maintained its #1 rank in consumer spend, attributed to its classic board gameplay, engaging 3D cartoon art style, and top-down camera perspective within a tabletop-themed setting. It recently celebrated its first anniversary with special events and campaigns and reaching the pivotal milestone of $2 billion in annual consumer spend.

Last War:Survival Game, a 4X Strategy game, climbed to the #6 spot for top games by worldwide revenue, up three positions from the previous period. Set in a zombie-themed sci-fi environment with a third-person camera perspective, its April Foodie Carnival Event significantly boosted player engagement and spending.

Sensor Tower's Timeline Report can help you monitor performance spikes in games triggered by in-app events.