2025 Casual Game Latest Trend Survey - Puzzles Account for 46.6%, Original Titles at 90%
Spicemart released its 2025 casual game trend survey. Analyzing the top 100 App Store free games, it found that puzzle games dominate at 46.6%, and over 90% are original, non-IP titles.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 7, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 7, 2026 at 10:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 01:17 (326h 45m after Collected)
Spicemart Inc. conducted a survey targeting casual games ranked within the top 100 of the 2025 App Store download ranking (Free ranking).
This survey is conducted annually and is now in its 5th year.
This survey compiled the genre composition, the proportion of IP titles, and ranking trends for a total of 191 titles, and is currently being distributed as a report to companies contracted with 'LIVEOPSIS'. This release introduces a part of that overview.
[Survey Summary]
- In genre composition, puzzle games account for 46.6%.
- Over 90% are original titles; IP titles account for only 9.4%, though many are long-running operations.
- Casual game publishers are predominantly from Japan, at 45.0%.
*The survey is based on data acquired through 'LIVEOPSIS' provided by Spicemart.
You can open a free account here to try 'LIVEOPSIS'. There are also articles available for free viewing, so please check them out as well.
[LIVEOPSIS Button]
[Survey Overview]
Period: January to December 2025
Target: 191 casual game titles (*) among smartphone game titles ranked in the monthly top 100 Free rankings during the period.
(*) In this survey, to analyze the trends of 'hyper-casual and casual games' that can be played in a short time, mid-to-long-term play titles that include sandbox elements, story progression, or heavy resource management, such as 'Royal Match', 'Gossip Harbor', and 'Township', are excluded.
## Genre Composition: Puzzle Games Account for 46.6%
Among the 191 casual game titles targeted in this survey, the most dominant genre was puzzle games, accounting for 46.6% of the total. Constituting nearly half as a single genre, it occupies a central position in the rankings. The second most common was escape games/puzzle solving, accounting for 18.8% of the total.
In the breakdown of puzzle games, sort puzzles, unscrewing, and match-3 puzzles were at the same level of 10.1% each. Furthermore, block puzzles, merge puzzles, and 3D match puzzles also accounted for top percentages, showing that rather than being skewed to a specific subgenre, it is composed of multiple subgenres within puzzles.
Puzzle games have a high affinity with advertisements on comic apps and SNS, and it is thought that high ad exposure contributes significantly to the number of ranking appearances (continuation of new downloads).
## Over 90% are Original Titles, IP Titles Stay at 9.4% but Many Have Long-term Operations
In this survey, it was found that over 90% of the casual game market is occupied by original titles.
IP titles account for 9.4% of the total.
This survey is conducted annually and is now in its 5th year.
This survey compiled the genre composition, the proportion of IP titles, and ranking trends for a total of 191 titles, and is currently being distributed as a report to companies contracted with 'LIVEOPSIS'. This release introduces a part of that overview.
[Survey Summary]
- In genre composition, puzzle games account for 46.6%.
- Over 90% are original titles; IP titles account for only 9.4%, though many are long-running operations.
- Casual game publishers are predominantly from Japan, at 45.0%.
*The survey is based on data acquired through 'LIVEOPSIS' provided by Spicemart.
You can open a free account here to try 'LIVEOPSIS'. There are also articles available for free viewing, so please check them out as well.
[LIVEOPSIS Button]
[Survey Overview]
Period: January to December 2025
Target: 191 casual game titles (*) among smartphone game titles ranked in the monthly top 100 Free rankings during the period.
(*) In this survey, to analyze the trends of 'hyper-casual and casual games' that can be played in a short time, mid-to-long-term play titles that include sandbox elements, story progression, or heavy resource management, such as 'Royal Match', 'Gossip Harbor', and 'Township', are excluded.
## Genre Composition: Puzzle Games Account for 46.6%
Among the 191 casual game titles targeted in this survey, the most dominant genre was puzzle games, accounting for 46.6% of the total. Constituting nearly half as a single genre, it occupies a central position in the rankings. The second most common was escape games/puzzle solving, accounting for 18.8% of the total.
In the breakdown of puzzle games, sort puzzles, unscrewing, and match-3 puzzles were at the same level of 10.1% each. Furthermore, block puzzles, merge puzzles, and 3D match puzzles also accounted for top percentages, showing that rather than being skewed to a specific subgenre, it is composed of multiple subgenres within puzzles.
Puzzle games have a high affinity with advertisements on comic apps and SNS, and it is thought that high ad exposure contributes significantly to the number of ranking appearances (continuation of new downloads).
## Over 90% are Original Titles, IP Titles Stay at 9.4% but Many Have Long-term Operations
In this survey, it was found that over 90% of the casual game market is occupied by original titles.
IP titles account for 9.4% of the total.
FAQ
What is the most popular casual game genre in 2025?
Puzzle games are the most popular, accounting for 46.6% of all games.
Are IP-based games common in casual games?
No, over 90% are original works, and IP-based games only make up 9.4%.
What games were included in the survey?
191 casual games that ranked within the top 100 on the App Store in 2025.