What is Puzzle Games?
A genre of mobile games that encourage players to test and improve their problem-solving skills through various subgenres.
Puzzle games are a genre of mobile games that encourage players to test and improve their problem-solving skills. There are various subgenres of mobile puzzle games – the most popular include match-3, word, brain, and board games. The mobile gaming genre attracts over 12 billion downloads every year and is expected to bring in over 19 billion downloads by 2027.
Why It Matters
The bulk of revenue from puzzle games comes from in-app purchases, but in-app advertising for puzzle games will grow by 60+% by 2027. Women tend to engage for longer on a daily basis with puzzle games. This demographic shift and monetization evolution make puzzle games a key vertical for developers and advertisers.
How to Calculate
Revenue growth calculation: In-app ads for mobile puzzle games are set to grow by 62 percent by 2027, while IAPs are set to grow by 26 percent. Daily engagement: Women play 17.6 minutes compared with 16.1 minutes for men.
Industry Benchmarks
| Category | Average | Good Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Playing Time (Over 50s) | 17.6 minutes | 18+ minutes |
| Daily Playing Time (Women) | 17.6 minutes | 18+ minutes |
| Daily Playing Time (Africa Region) | 17.7 minutes | 18+ minutes |
Best Practices
Target demographics over 50 and women for highest engagement. Implement blended monetization approach between IAPs and in-app advertising. Focus on problem-solving mechanics that encourage daily return. Consider regional preferences, with Africa showing highest commitment levels.
Examples
Top puzzle games include EverMerge: Merge 3 Puzzle (Big Fish Games), Royal Match (Dream Games), Fishdom (Playrix), 2248 – Number Puzzle Game (Inspired Square FZE), and Toon Blast (Peak). These games represent the most successful implementations of puzzle mechanics.
Notes
Industry forecasts show that by 2027, the gap in revenue generated by IAPs and in-app advertising will close significantly. A blended approach to monetization will be key for this genre moving forward, as in-app ads gain more traction as a revenue stream.