The following analysis of mobile games marketing trends for March 2025 is based on advertising data from AppGrowing across 50 countries and regions, and 28 global media platforms.
According to AppGrowing, casual, puzzle, and casino games remained the top three categories by share of mobile games advertising in March. Among newly launched titles, casino games led the pack with 34.62% of all new ad campaigns, followed by casual games at 22.09%.
In terms of ad volume, both casual and puzzle games saw more than 1.2 million ads deployed, ranking first and second respectively. Notably, action games overtook strategy titles to break into the top five.
Video creatives continued to dominate ad formats, accounting for 74.93% of all ads, while image creatives dropped slightly to 24.94%. Videos of 16–30 seconds were the most popular format, making up 56.09% of total video ads.
01.Top Mobile Game Developers & Mobile Games
Oakever Games once again topped the developer advertising chart. Top Games (TG Inc.), which held second place last month, dropped off the list, while FunPlus climbed to 18th place after increasing investment in its new title, DC: Dark Legion™.
Only three mid/hard core developers made it into the Top 30—each from China—while six other Chinese studios also appeared on the list with primarily casual titles.
In the Top Mobile Games, Vita Mahjong ranked No. 1, followed by Jigsawscapes® and My Puppy Daycare Salon. Light casual games continued to dominate, with Tencent's PUBG MOBILE being the only hard-core game in the top 10.
Several new mid/hard core titles made their debut in the lower half of the rankings. Zilong Game's Draconia Saga GLOBAL, the global version of 龙之国物语, saw an 87.41% MoM increase in ad volume and ranked 19th. Ragnarok V: Returns, a new MMORPG based on the RO IP, surged by over 500% in ad volume to take 27th. Meanwhile, FunPlus' 4X game DC: Dark Legion™, featuring DC superheroes, also entered the Top 30.
02.Top Download & Pre-registering Games
On Google Play, Block Blast! rose to No. 1 in downloads after Helix Crush dropped out. Among fast-growing titles, Disney STEP—an AR game featuring classic Disney IP—ranked second. Zilong's Draconia Saga GLOBAL secured fourth, while SP-Game's cyberpunk MMO 量子行动 ranked eighth.
In the pre-registration charts, SP-Game's beast-cultivation MMO 深淵：不滅者 took the top spot on the App Store, reportedly attracting 1.5 million pre-registrations. The game launched on April 2, topping iOS free game charts in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
Yiworld's Lands of Jail, a simulation-4X hybrid themed around prison life, ranked second on the App Store and first on Google Play. 4399's idle card game 갓깨비 키우기, the Korean version of 不休旅途：绘卷世界, reached 5th on the App Store and 9th on Google Play with its mix of idle mechanics and Pokémon-style pet collection.
03. Oakever Games Global Advertising Layout
Oakever Games dominated the Top Mobile Games with six titles—one-fifth of the entire list. Known for its focus on casual mechanics such as jigsaw puzzles, coloring, crosswords, and sudoku, the studio's Paint by Number Coloring Games has surpassed 100 million downloads.
Geographically, Oakever Games targeted not only mature Western markets like the US, Germany, and France, but also emerging regions like Brazil and Mexico—Brazil accounted for 3.9% of its ad volume (2nd highest), and Mexico 2.66% (Top 5).
According to AppGrowing data, Oakever's flagship puzzle title Jigsawscapes® ran over 60,000 ads in March, with a single-day peak exceeding 45,000 creatives. The game markets itself as a brain-training tool, effectively targeting older demographics. Many creatives emphasized memory enhancement—a key concern for elderly users.
One standout ad featured an elderly man introducing himself as a neurologist. He explained why he recommends his sister play Jigsawscapes® for 15 minutes daily—using his age and professional identity to establish trust and authority, and referencing a family member to increase relatability. The ad closed by highlighting the game’s mental benefits and showcasing gameplay, directly appealing to target users.
