Over the last couple of years, some gaming genres have witnessed fantastic growth, driven primarily by the spread of mobile devices, the introduction of new social features, and recent changes in consumer tastes.

This data is a summary of information derived from industry reports and studies conducted by various market research houses.

1. Strategy & Role-Playing Games

The data provided by Sensor Tower and data.ai clearly and straightforwardly signal that in 2024, strategy and RPGs were the top-grossing genres of mobile games worldwide in terms of in-app purchase (IAP) revenue. Strategy games accounted for almost US$17.5 billion, while RPGs accounted for about US$16.8 billion.

The growth of these genres extends beyond revenue increase to also include engagement, such as the amount of time spent by users and the number of microtransactions per user. The elements of skill, character development, invented worlds, and either competition or collaboration with other players are becoming a more frequent reason for growth.

2. Casino Games

Casino games are not only expanding but also doing it at a similar pace. Several reports show that the trend is gaining strength:

• The global casino gaming market has increased from US$25.42 billion in 2024 to a forecast US$27.29 billion in 2025, which corresponds to a CAGR of approximately 7.3%. Predictions indicate that growth will continue until 2032, when the market size is expected to reach around US$94.12 billion, representing a 105% increase from 2024.
• The online social casino gaming market (playing casino-style games via social platforms) increased from US$7.39 billion in 2023 to US$7.99 billion in 2024, an eight percent growth. The sub-market is expected to grow to nearly US$11.2 billion by 2028 with a steady rise thereafter.
• The player expenditures on mobile casino games in the U.S. grew by approximately 16.4% year-on-year to nearly US$4.8 billion.
• A particularly strong segment of this growth is the casino with live dealers, which has surged in popularity due to its immersive and interactive nature, replicating the atmosphere of traditional casinos while leveraging mobile and online platforms.

Major factors: the penetration of smartphones, the generally more liberal attitude/rising number of jurisdictions where the activity is legal, improved monetization (particularly through in-app purchases and advertising), increased popularity of casual/social gambling games, and the progress of technology that simplifies and makes these games more attractive to users.

3. Simulation, Puzzle, and Casual Games

Simulation and puzzle genres continue to hold their positions as some of the most popular mobile game downloads.

For instance, in 2024, simulation and puzzle games each accounted for around 20% of total mobile game downloads. Although they may earn less than RPGs or casino games per download, they are impressive in terms of numbers and reach. This is primarily the case for developing countries or users who prefer light gaming.

4. Real-Time Strategy (RTS) and Competitive Multiplayer

According to data, user engagement has notably increased in RTS games (including mobile RTS). One report mentioned that RTS games like Clash of Clans and Rise of Kingdoms had a 22.4% year-over-year growth in the number of mobile users.

Alongside that, competitive multiplayer titles, MOBA, battle royale, and strategy hybrids, also greatly benefit from the current trend. Their success is due to the fact that they combine social and competitive aspects, plus the opportunity for continuous revenue through seasons, cosmetics, etc.

5. Emerging & Niche Genres (AR/VR, Cross-genre Hybrids)

Though their absolute sizes are still smaller, there is a signal of increment in the augmented reality / virtual reality (AR/VR) and hybrid genres (simulation + RPG or strategy + casual) market. One of the reasons for the success of these genres is the improvement in hardware, cloud streaming, and the user interface.

Why These Genres Are Rising

The main reasons for these growth trends are:

1. Mobile & Online Accessibility – More and more people all over the world are getting their hands on a smartphone and a good network connection, therefore the games that are easy to access (casual, social, casino, mobile strategy/RPG) win more users.
2. Monetization Models Improve – In-app purchases, advertisements, subscription models, and social features make it possible for genres like strategy and RPGs to monetize effectively.
3. Social & Community Factors – The social part, multiplayer, friend chat, cross-play, social media communities (guilds, alliances) have brought the users of strategy/RPGs closer together. The social aspect of gaming, competitions, leaderboards, also contribute to user engagement which is an important factor.
4. Global Market Expansion – The spread of new markets (Southeast Asia, Latin America, parts of Africa) are adding a considerable number of new users, who are usually more inclined to play mobile, casual, casino, and strategy-oriented games.

Limitations & Considerations

• The rates of growth vary a lot from region to region. What is very popular in the U.S. may be on the decline in other places, and the other way around.
• Sometimes the way data is collected can mean that genres are classified in one way in one place and another way in another making it difficult to compare.
• An increase in the number of download does not necessarily reflect in the revenue which is retention and monetization matter.