The AppMagic Hypercasual games recap for the second quarter of 2024 unveils some interesting information about this specific part of the mobile games market. The hypercasual games market has been on a downwards trajectory for a couple of years now, but there is still potential for success.
General Market Trends
Compared to Q1 2024, the market has shifted down by 11%, amassing 3.38B installs. Also, the trend on the YoY market decrease persists with a 6% drop compared to Q2 2023. Similarly, as was the case in the last period, all markets shrunk on a YoY basis, with Tier-1 West down by 17%, Tier-1 East by 10%, and all other countries by 3%.
As for the quarterly split dynamics, the largest downturn was recorded in the Tier-1 East market, which saw a 18% drop to 90k installs, followed by Tier-1 West with an 9% fall to 478k installs. All the other countries combined are down by 4% to a total of 2.8B daily downloads.
Top 10 Games By Downloads
As usual, about 70% of the top are the old-timers that are keeping their positions: Pizza Ready! (a remarkable +100% QoQ; read a full case study on Supercent’s games); Car Race 3D: Car Racing (+22% QoQ); Race Master 3D – Car Racing (+4% QoQ); Going Balls (+0.1% QoQ); Bridge Race (–4% QoQ); Magic Tiles 3 (–12% QoQ); and Build A Queen (–20% QoQ).
Now, let’s turn to the newbies at the top.
Wood Nuts: Screw Puzzle
The first game on the list is a title by Zego Studio: Wood Nuts: Screw Puzzle. In this quarter alone, the game was able to generate 31M downloads, actively growing after a short plateau in January 2024 but facing a downturn since June 2024.
In this game, the user solves various puzzles by unscrewing everything on the screen. The gameplay becomes more intriguing due to the “physics” affecting the movement of wooden blocks in different ways when the player moves the screws. With no time limits, the gameplay is relaxed, and the ASMR sound of wood shuffling and creaking enhances the overall user experience.
To keep players engaged, the game features a leaderboard that motivates players to achieve better results by solving more complex puzzles. Additionally, customization options allow users to personalize their gameplay experience further.
Wood Nuts & Bolts Puzzle
Next in line is the ABI Games Studio’s Wood Nuts & Bolts Puzzle with its 27M installs in Q2 2024. Interestingly enough, its name alone explicitly implies that this title and the one discussed just above are very similar. The question is, who was inspired by whom? Apparently, ABI Games Studio released their title one month earlier, in November 2023. However, interest in both games is already going down, and while for Zego’s game the downtrend has started recently, for* Wood Nuts & Bolts Puzzle* it began back in February 2024.
The concept here is quite similar: users need to move screws around to drop all the wooden blocks on the screen. Unlike the first game, this one includes a time limit, adding an extra layer of complexity. Players can also enjoy various cosmetic skins, enabling them to customize everything on the screen.
Beyond the main gameplay, users can participate in numerous in-game events, such as race events and daily challenges, which add complexity and extend engagement. While the game employs a typical monetization approach, combining ads (forced ads, banners, and reward ads) with various in-app purchase offers, it also features a dual currency system for players.
Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles
The final title for today is Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles by Unico Studio, which has acquired 22M installs in this quarter. The game has existed on the market for a very long time since its release in 2019. In November 2023, its downloads picked up again, but as of now, the slight downtrend is on.
Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles is a simple 2D Hypercasual puzzle where players solve various problems, each with a unique scenario. Solutions can range from logical and mathematical to visual and motoric, with some challenges requiring the user to rotate their phone—a captivating game mechanic.
Despite the linear progression, players encounter many unexpected solutions to riddles, maintaining high long-term engagement. The game’s minimalistic and colorful style helps players stay focused on finding unconventional solutions. With quite a typical D1 retention of 25.8%, the game’s D30 retention is quite prominent as it stays put at 16.1%!
Conclusion
This quarter, we saw continued growth of Pizza Ready. It has increased its downloads by 100% while others grew slowly or faced a downtrend.
Among new releases, we have identified two games with similar mechanics of unscrewing wooden panels. To pick one major difference between them, one has no time limits, while the other does. Despite the latter’s inclusion of mini-games, Q2 2024 statistics suggest that players prefer not being rushed and value it above any entertaining add-ons.
Another notable approach is focusing on simple yet unique puzzles, such as how to help people fall in love or make an overweight person happy. Despite its simplistic art style, Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles has clearly found its niche, maintaining good downloads figures and high retention rates.
Author: Diana Levintova – AppMagic