Welcome to a concise guide that turns billion-dollar revenue lists into playable picks. The industry has produced clear leaders: Honor of Kings, PUBG MOBILE, Candy Crush Saga, Pokémon GO and more. These titles shaped the market and defined player habits worldwide.
This piece highlights all-time revenue champions and recent winners like MONOPOLY GO!, which led 2024 with $2.21B. You’ll get a snapshot of chart leaders, genre standouts, and regional powerhouses so each choice sits in clear context. Data in this article pulls from public leaderboards and market reports — see linked sources for month-by-month charts and the report timeframe.
Expect a balanced blend of evergreen classics and current sensations. We explain why certain mechanics and LiveOps keep players engaged and how those choices push titles to the top of the top grossing mobile games.
For a month-by-month snapshot and detailed charts, see this August report for more context: August revenue roundup.
Key Takeaways
- All-time leaders: Honor of Kings and PUBG MOBILE sit among the biggest earners — their lifetime revenue shapes where studios invest.
- 2024 snapshot: MONOPOLY GO! led the year, illustrating shifts in player spending toward social-casino mechanics.
- Genre diversity: Match-three, RPG, and core competitive games all produce top grossing titles when paired with strong LiveOps.
- Retention wins: Regular events and retention mechanics convert launches into sustained revenue over years.
- Practical guide: This list turns complex revenue data into a short set of playable recommendations for players and makers alike.
Why “mobile games top grossing” matters: how the biggest titles shape mobile gaming
The highest earners set the creative and commercial blueprint for the industry. When a title tops the top grossing charts, studios often adopt its progression loops, LiveOps cadence, and monetization patterns — a clear market signal for what players will spend on.
Live service design is the bridge between a strong launch and sustained revenue over time. Regular updates, timed events, and in-app economies keep players returning and increase lifetime value. Casual hits such as Candy Crush and Coin Master demonstrate that mass audiences will spend at scale, while gacha RPGs show how deep collection systems can generate repeat high-value transactions.
Regional dynamics shape where the money comes from: China, Japan, and the United States remain dominant markets for in‑app spending. For example, Honor of Kings earns the majority of its revenue in China, which explains why many teams prioritize China-focused localization and cadence when chasing growth.
- Industry signals: chart leaders influence funding, hiring, and genre focus across studios.
- Sustainable design: well-timed events and meaningful drops turn launches into long-term value.
- Market insight: tracking revenue data helps predict where players and advertising budgets will flow next.
Editor’s picks: the most influential top-grossing mobile games of the past
These editor’s picks spotlight titles that reshaped revenue models and player habits over the past years. Each entry below earned vast lifetime revenue and provided a repeatable blueprint for retention, monetization, or community-driven growth.
Honor of Kings, PUBG MOBILE, Candy Crush Saga
Honor of Kings ($13.25B) redefined MOBA scale on mobile — esports polish, deep progression loops, and targeted regional LiveOps turned it into a global reference for how to monetize competitive play.
PUBG MOBILE ($9.01B) popularized battle royale on phones: seasonal passes, tight controls, and esports/events kept players engaged long after launch.
Candy Crush Saga ($7.69B) proved match-3 can be a cash machine: low-friction purchases, endless level design, and steady event cadence created huge, sustained player spend.
Monster Strike, Roblox, Clash of Clans, Pokémon GO
- Monster Strike ($6.82B) dominated Japan by blending physics-driven play with RPG hooks and region-specific monetization.
- Roblox ($5.88B) turned creation and community into long-term revenue via user-generated content, marketplace fees, and social engagement.
- Clash of Clans ($5.86B) perfected clan strategy: war systems, long-form progression, and timed offers that reward community commitment.
- Pokémon GO ($5.99B) leveraged brand power and location-based events to build durable monetization from a broad, casual player base.
Genshin Impact, Royal Match, Fate/Grand Order
Genshin Impact ($4.57B) raised production and gacha expectations for open-world, character-driven play — banner systems and live events drive repeat high-value transactions.
Royal Match ($3.27B) modernized match-3 with crisp pacing, event-led sessions, and aggressive LiveOps that convert casual players into consistent spenders.
Fate/Grand Order ($4.81B) demonstrates storytelling + limited-time banners create exceptional lifetime value from dedicated fans.
mobile games top grossing at a glance: definitive all-time chart leaders
Charting cumulative earnings makes it simple to spot the enduring elites behind massive player spending. The compact lifetime leaderboard below highlights which game designs, LiveOps strategies, and monetization mixes turned hits into sustained revenue over years. (Numbers reflect cumulative lifetime totals reported by market trackers through the most recent reporting period.)
All-time elites by lifetime revenue
Honor of Kings ($13.25B) and PUBG MOBILE ($9.01B) top the all-time list. Close followers include Candy Crush Saga ($7.69B), Monster Strike ($6.82B), and Pokémon GO ($5.99B) — a mix of competitive, casual, and location-driven experiences that map player preferences across genres.
Evergreen casual hits
Casual titles demonstrate that longevity and big lifetime revenue often come from simple, repeatable loops plus excellent event cadence. Gardenscapes ($4.11B), Coin Master ($4.90B), and Royal Match now sit in the multi‑billion club thanks to level design, social features, and strong retention programs.
- Puzzle & Dragons and Fantasy Westward Journey show how regional hits can rival global names in lifetime revenue.
- Lineage M highlights how deep MMORPG progression loops convert fan loyalty into sustained spending.
- These leaders collectively map how quick puzzle runs and long-form progression both scale into massive lifetime revenue.
- Understanding this all-time list helps spot which systems reliably turn downloads into durable player value.
The hottest revenue winners of 2024: who dominated the charts
A handful of releases and live-service staples dominated revenue charts throughout 2024. These titles combined strong social hooks, regular events, and clear progression to keep players engaged and spending across the year. Below are the standout winners and why they mattered for the year’s revenue picture.
MONOPOLY GO!, Honor of Kings, Royal Match rise to the top
MONOPOLY GO! surged to lead the year with $2.21B — a sign that social-casino loops and broad cross-market appeal can drive enormous spending in a single year. (See linked leaderboards for month-by-month context.)
Honor Kings remained a top earner at $1.87B, underscoring how a tight core loop plus strong regional LiveOps keep titles near the summit year after year.
Royal Match captured the puzzle crown at $1.44B by pairing clean level design with relentless event cadence, showing match-3 still scales when coupled with aggressive LiveOps.
RPG and gacha momentum: Honkai: Star Rail, Genshin Impact, Fate/Grand Order
Character-driven RPGs kept steady banner-driven revenue. Honkai: Star Rail and Genshin Impact relied on regular character drops and collaborative events to fuel repeat spending, while Fate/Grand Order turned long-running fandom into reliable year-round revenue.
War and survival surge: Whiteout Survival, Last War: Survival
Strategy and survival design rose in prominence in 2024. Whiteout Survival and Last War: Survival found traction by blending resource management, alliance systems, and PvP intensity — mechanics that boost retention and long-term spending.
Across genres, LiveOps cadence and social loops separated the year’s winners from the rest. For a detailed leaderboard and month-by-month breakdown, see the 2024 leaderboard.
“Social loops, IP familiarity, and steady LiveOps turned these titles into the defining revenue stories of the year.”
Category champions: puzzle, strategy, RPG, shooter, casino standouts
From quick puzzle runs to long alliance wars, each genre produced clear champions in recent years. These titles show how tight loops, regional tuning, and steady LiveOps turn short plays into lasting engagement and predictable revenue.
Puzzle powerhouses
Royal Match, Candy Crush Saga, and Homescapes keep players coming back with elegant level design, short-session pacing, and timely events that nudge low-friction purchases.
Strategy & 4X titans
Games like Three Kingdoms Tactics, Rise of Kingdoms, and Age of Origins reward long-horizon planning. Alliance mechanics and war-room decisions create social glue that keeps guilds engaged for months and years.
RPG & gacha leaders
Dungeon & Warrior: Origins, Genshin Impact, and Uma Musume combine collection loops, narrative hooks, and limited-time banners to produce high ARPDAU and steady long-term spending.
Shooter giants
Competitive seasons, cosmetics, and tight controls powered PUBG MOBILE, Call of Duty: Mobile, and CrossFire: Legends, turning ranked play and esports ecosystems into consistent revenue streams.
Casino & social casino earners
MONOPOLY GO!, Coin Master, and Jackpot Party monetize social loops and spins — lightweight mechanics that scale across broad player bases and drive large annual grossing totals.
Across categories, winners pair easy onboarding with a high ceiling for mastery. That combination, alongside fair-feeling offers and strong LiveOps, explains why these titles rank among the most influential and top grossing games to play.
Regional revenue magnets: where the money flows
Which titles win often depends more on local taste than global buzz. Regional patterns reveal which mechanics, payment options, and localization moves convert attention into real spending.
China and Japan
China still generates outsized iOS and overall spend; Honor of Kings is a prime example of a title whose revenue is heavily China-weighted, which shapes its event cadence and monetization. Japan favors local franchises — Monster Strike and other domestic hits consistently occupy top spots, with many top-10 lists in 2024 dominated by domestic studios.
United States and Europe
The U.S. showed a tilt toward social-casino loops in 2024, where MONOPOLY GO! outperformed legacy puzzle hits in annual revenue. The UK favored sandbox and creation platforms like Roblox, while Germany and France saw strong followings for Coin Master and MONOPOLY GO! respectively.
Market nuances
Localization and cultural fit frequently beat raw global reach. India rewarded different mechanics (e.g., Free Fire MAX), and niche products like Pokémon TCG Pocket found big pockets of spending by appealing to collectors.
“Following regional spending reveals where genres and monetization truly resonate.”
- Local hits can outperform global names when cultural fit and payment options align.
- LiveOps need local flavor to bridge regions effectively.
- Tracking spend by market helps spot where new top-grossing opportunities will emerge next.
Platform breakdown: App Store vs. Google Play top grossing
App storefronts act like separate markets with distinct spending patterns — that split drives which features, offers, and communities win on each platform. Understanding the differences between iOS and Google Play helps predict where downloads, advertising, and in‑app spend will concentrate.
iOS leaders: regional power drives scale
Honor Kings and pubg mobile anchored Apple’s top grossing charts in 2024. Much of their revenue is China-weighted, where high ARPDAU and frequent LiveOps produce outsized returns for developers focused on regional cadence and premium event timing.
Google Play winners: social loops and broad reach
monopoly leveraged social mechanics and wide distribution to claim Google Play’s crown last year. Its cross-market appeal helped drive downloads and sustained spending across casual and core audiences.
- Both stores now host 500k+ apps/games and have moved toward IAP-first models rather than paid downloads.
- Category performance diverges by device mix, regional reach, and local payment habits — a top grossing list on iOS can look very different from Google Play.
- Developers optimize events, pricing, and payment options per store to boost retention and conversion.
Understanding platform leaders helps predict where content drops, cross-promotions, and seasonal events will have the biggest impact. For a concise market snapshot, see the full report on store performance and the top grossing lists.
Monetization metrics that matter: ARPDAU and cumulative RPD leaders
Daily revenue metrics reveal who truly converts attention into cash and why. ARPDAU (average revenue per daily active user) and cumulative RPD (revenue per download) spotlight different strengths — ARPDAU shows daily event and monetization effectiveness, while RPD highlights long-term value extracted per install. (Numbers quoted in the article come from market trackers; confirm the reporting period when citing.)
High-ARPDAU standouts
Lineage M ($22.28 ARPDAU) and Fate/Grand Order ($15.80 ARPDAU) top daily spend in many markets. Uma Musume Pretty Derby ($12.96 ARPDAU) and MONOPOLY GO! ($3.86 ARPDAU) illustrate how fandom and social loops boost short-term returns — higher ARPDAU typically signals aggressive event cadence or premium offers.
Lifetime value leaders
Dungeon & Warrior: Origins leads on cumulative RPD at $109.06, showing exceptional revenue per download. Honor Kings follows with $32.94 RPD, demonstrating how deep engagement and long progression translate to lifetime revenue.
What these numbers reveal
- ARPDAU: indicates daily monetization strength and how events or ads convert active players into revenue.
- RPD: reveals extraction per install and lifetime revenue potential across channels and campaigns.
- For players, ARPDAU and RPD suggest pacing, offers, and likely spending patterns over time.
- For creators, these metrics guide balance among generosity, depth, and sustainable monetization.
“Design choices—event cadence, collection mechanics, and progression—convert playtime into revenue.”
Trends and takeaways: how top-grossing games keep winning
Winners keep pulling ahead by treating every login like a headline event. Short seasons, festivals, and limited collabs make routine play feel urgent and fun — and that urgency converts to steady revenue.
LiveOps excellence is the consistent anchor. Top teams schedule predictable drops, seasonal festivals, and surprise moments so players return across months and years.
LiveOps excellence and event cadence
Seasons and timed events boost daily engagement and create clear reasons to come back and spend. Good cadence balances novelty with routine so each session feels rewarding rather than exhausting.
Gacha, social mechanics, and hybrid monetization
Collection systems combine character stories with chase loops; social features — clubs, leaderboards, co-op rewards — amplify that drive. Hybrid monetization (IAPs, respectful ads, and battle-pass–style event passes) widens appeal without alienating players, increasing both ARPDAU and long-term LTV.
- LiveOps: seasons, collabs, and festivals keep content fresh and predictable.
- Gacha & social: collection plus community fuels long-term spend and engagement.
- Hybrid monetization: multiple revenue paths (IAPs + ads + passes) broaden the player funnel.
- War & survival: alliance strategy and base progression sharpen loyalty and retention.
The highest-grossing titles engineer pacing, lean on player data, and iterate quickly. Expect future growth to come from tighter creator integrations, smarter personalization, and deeper social loops that turn casual players into committed spenders.
“The right cadence of rewards, challenges, and offers makes every login feel worthwhile.”
Quick takeaway: consistent LiveOps, thoughtful monetization, and social depth explain why top grossing titles keep winning. This pattern is the playbook for teams building long-lived mobile games.
The ultimate listicle: best picks to play from the top-grossing hall of fame
Pick a title from this hall of fame when you want solid design, fair monetization, and long-term play value. Below are quick recommendations matched to how you want to play.
Casual favorites
Candy Crush Saga — 5–10 minute puzzle runs, steady seasonal events; Royal Match — short sessions with strong event cadence; Gardenscapes — level play with light narrative.
Competitive core
Honor Kings and PUBG MOBILE reward teamwork and ranked play; try quick PvP rounds for high-skill engagement.
Deep RPG journeys
Genshin Impact, Fate/Grand Order, and Honkai: Star Rail offer long story arcs, character builds, and regular banners for committed players.
Strategy and survival
Three Kingdoms Tactics for grand strategy; Last War and Whiteout Survival layer resource pressure with PvE/PvP depth.
Social and sandbox
Roblox, Coin Master, and MONOPOLY GO! excel at creative play and party-style events — great when you want social replay value.
Start where your mood points: puzzle to unwind, MOBA or shooter for rush, strategy for long-term mastery, or sandbox for social fun.
Conclusion
Use this report as a practical compass for choice and craft. Steady value, smart LiveOps, and respect for players’ time build loyalty over years. Design, cadence, and cultural fit drive leadership from local powerhouses to global crossovers.
The hall of fame and this curated list are tools to find the right game for any session length — five minutes or a focused evening. Bookmark this page, check the linked leaderboards for monthly updates, or subscribe to receive new revenue reports as seasons change.
FAQ
What defines a “top grossing” title and why does it matter?
Which franchises consistently appear among the highest earners?
How do casual puzzle titles like Royal Match and Gardenscapes make so much money?
What role do gacha systems play in revenue leadership?
Are shooters like Call of Duty: Mobile and PUBG MOBILE still major earners?
How do regional differences affect revenue charts?
Between the App Store and Google Play, where do top earners make more money?
Which metrics best indicate long-term monetization health?
How did 2024 change the revenue landscape—who rose to the top?
What should new developers prioritize to compete?
Do social and sandbox titles still generate significant revenue?
Which categories look poised for growth?
