Data from the State of Mobile Gaming 2021 study proves that once again, games dominate the mobile application sector. This is especially true when it comes to revenue. Consumers spent $143 billion on apps in 2020. Of this, $100 billion was spent on games. In other words, for every dollar spent on iOS and Google Play, games accounted for 70 cents. Games also dominated the market in terms of downloads, but not to the same extent. 36% of all mobile app downloads in 2020 were games, or 80 billion downloads out of 218 billion total. In 2020, users spent 296 billion hours playing mobile games, an increase of 35% from 222 billion hours in 2019.

Consumer spending on game events has more than doubled to $53 billion. Of course it’s also possible for players to win with online games. Like on the popular website MrMega. Here players can get up to hundreds of dollars of bonus just by registering. All types of games can be found. From the most classical ones to the newest colourful hyped up games.

The freemium model of monetisation dominates mobile games. In other words, most titles can be downloaded for free and are monetised through ads or in-app purchases. Among in-app purchases, one of the most popular techniques to exploit is the in-game event. In-game events typically feature new content or challenges. They can be recurring or time-limited. Some offer rewards that allow players to gain advantages or access to higher levels in the game.

Our report shows that events generated the largest average revenue per user (ARPU) in games in 2020. The other main monetisation models were customisation, such as avatar customisation, and leaderboards. Players more and more chose to enjoy casino games from the comfort of their home. For others willing to give this a go the best is to register on a website like Betiton. From old school poker to variations on roulette. Anything goes.

A remarkable year for the best casual game of 2020, Among Us

Among UsThe most notable game of 2020 was undoubtedly Among Us. It was the top casual title of 2020 in terms of downloads and the third in terms of average monthly active users. Its success came suddenly and almost without warning. Among Us had been published by indie studio InnerSloth in 2018, without much fanfare. Its action takes place in a spaceship in which crew members must identify imposters before they are eliminated.

Among Us performed modestly until it was embraced by major influencers on Twitch in July 2020. Soon after, the game saw a huge spike. According to our research, it had around 295 million monthly active users in October 2020. As a result, Among Us dominated our ranking of the most popular games in 2020. In terms of downloads, it was the number one game in year-on-year download growth in Argentina, Canada, the US, Mexico, Australia, South Korea and the UK.

Honour of Kings and Pokémon Go led the way for core games

The number one title in the core game market in terms of consumer spending was Honour of Kings, a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game created by the Chinese company Tencent. As a core game, it leverages strategic gameplay mechanics such as leaderboards and social assets, as well as monetisation features such as battle passes and consumables, to increase loyalty and ultimately revenue. Pokémon Go also had a strong year, finishing second in terms of consumer spending in the top games ranking. This is quite an achievement given that the game is generally played while walking around outside, which is not easy in this confined year. However, US developer Niantic has moved quickly to give players ways to collect Pokémon without having to go anywhere.

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