Only 66 of the 146 apps we tested offer welcome-back bonuses, and half only offer instant rewards—missing out on the retention benefits of long-term progressions.

Our Expert Panel discussed 2025’s top mobile gaming trends and what we expect to see throughout 2026.

Selling exclusive cosmetics directly through machines and offering rewards for getting other players to buy cosmetics creates a secondary avenue for spend.

Cash Frenzy adds a Plants vs. Zombies-inspired social bonus, Cashman Casino introduces a Deal or No Deal-style pick'em, and DoubleU Casino offers respins with several unlockable reel sets.

Exploration-based mechanics can function as deep, sustainable main progressions or as secondary engagement drivers within existing events.

Color Blaze Shooter delivered the second-highest growth rate among top sort apps over the past year, helping it quickly rise into puzzle's top 30.

Temple Run 3 marks the franchise's first mainline release since 2013, offering classic endless runner gameplay with a host of new progressions.

We analyzed 10 payment processors and found that full-service web store providers often strike the best balance between robust functionality and manageable overhead.

Family Island adds a mini-game that blends treasure hunt mechanics with food ordering progressions. Meanwhile, Gossip Harbor introduces a gacha-style mini-game, and Two Dots runs an event that helps players progress in the app's seasonal collection.

In the fastest-growing core subgenres—survival, 4X, and tower defense—mini-game ads that mimic core gameplay generally outperform other creatives.

Call of Duty: Mobile adapts an old PvPvE title into a standalone expansion mode, aiming to capture the resurgent interest in extraction shooters.

MapleStory: Idle RPG adapts the IP's 2D MMO roots into a heavily automated mobile RPG, quickly emerging as a top 10 RPG.