Based on data from AppMagic, the App2Top editorial team prepared a report on the most downloaded and highest-grossing mobile games of the past month—My Supermarket Simulator 3D, Supermarket Master 3D, and AFK Journey.
Most Downloaded Games of August
In terms of strong new releases, last August was quite weak. Only two new games made it onto the free global charts (the Asian version of AFK Journey can be considered new only technically). We will discuss these later, but for now, note the following:
- The trend of life simulators migrating from Steam to mobile continues to strengthen: since spring, we've seen a new entry in the charts almost every month in this genre (they are usually based on simulating working in a grocery store);
- Free Fire by Garena continues to hold strong positions in the charts, benefiting from the conflict between Epic Games and mobile platforms;
- Despite a long-standing prediction of the fall of hyper-casual games, the minimalist project collection, Offline Games, has shown excellent performance in recent months, as we discussed last time—the app is just steps away from reaching 100 million downloads;
- Projects like My Talking Hank: Islands, Zenless Zone Zero, and the Chinese version of Need for Speed: Mobile significantly dropped in downloads compared to the previous month, falling from the top chart positions dramatically.
Now to the new successful releases.
My Supermarket Simulator 3D
Publisher: Pakistani company Playspare
About the Game: A typical mechanics simulator of a small grocery store owner. Players are tasked with a wide range of responsibilities—from purchasing goods and placing them on shelves to cleaning and working as a cashier. The key feature of this new release, amidst many similar projects, is its neat interface and stylized cartoon graphics reminiscent of Fortnite.
Observation: Since its launch in July, the game's installations have been gradually increasing. There was no explosive growth in download metrics. The audience grew steadily. The revenue story, however, is different. In early September, the game's daily revenue—previously earning $10,000 daily from IAP—began a rapid ascent, doubling for now.
Metrics:
- Total downloads in August — 10.4 million;
- Downloads from Google Play in August — 8.8 million;
- Downloads from the App Store in August — 1.6 million.
Supermarket Master 3D
Publisher: Japanese developer Takeshi Ube / CE-Games
About the Game: Another supermarket simulator, but compared to other similar games, Supermarket Master 3D is greatly simplified. It has fewer mechanics and is more akin to a hyper-casual cashier simulator. Unlike its niche competitors, it features vertical screen orientation.
Observation: Judging by the download curve, the publishers focused on promoting the game on iOS. Most of the game's installations are on this platform, with monetization primarily built on advertising (no data on IAP revenue). Meanwhile, the project is showing a decline in downloads. It’s possible that important purchases aren’t delivering the expected level of organic growth.
Metrics:
- Total downloads in August — 7.8 million;
- Downloads from Google Play in August — 1.8 million;
- Downloads from the App Store in August — 6 million.
We will discuss AFK Journey's debut at the top of the charts in the revenue section.
Highest-Grossing Games of August
When it comes to revenue charts, the most notable debut is AFK Journey from Lilith Games. The game initially released back in March, but that launch only covered Western regions, where it earned over $40 million. The game's appearance in the revenue chart is due to its release in Asia. In the first month of sales in China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, it earned over $45 million. As a result, it entered the top ten revenue chart for the month (but only on iOS).
One other noticeable aspect of the chart is the absence of miHoYo games. The release of Zenless Zone Zero last month, by the company’s standards, was not very successful. The project managed to stay in the chart only for a month. In August, its sales plummeted threefold—from $60 million to $22 million. While a monthly revenue of tens of millions might be a success for any other mobile game, we are discussing a project from a company whose previous games have consistently generated $100 million in the first months.