Game teardowns
The top-grossing mobile games, decoded
For each of the 96 biggest-grossing games, we read hundreds of real App Store and Google Play reviews and count what players actually praise and complain about: why it wins, how it makes money, whether it's pay-to-win, and the gap a builder could take. Ratings and install ranges are the stores’ own figures. We never invent installs or revenue.
Category analysisWhat players really complain about across the top-grossing gamesAcross a wider 50-game sample (7,500 reviews): monetization tops the complaints in 70%, gameplay is praised in 98%.- #1 grossing4.8
MONOPOLY GO!
Scopely, Inc. · Board / Dice
The dice game that turned Monopoly into the #1 top-grossing title in the US App Store, and a social-casino loop players either can't put down or call rigged.
Read the teardown - #2 grossing4.69
Royal Match
Dream Games, Ltd. · Match-3 Puzzle
The match-3 game that quietly became the #1 top-grossing puzzle title in the US, almost entirely without in-game ads.
Read the teardown - #3 grossing4.63
Gossip Harbor: Merge & Story
Microfun Limited · Merge Puzzle
The merge game behind the ads that are “nothing like the game”, a top-grossing soap-opera merger where 30% of unhappy players feel lied to before they even start.
Read the teardown - #4 grossing4.71
Candy Crush Saga
King · Match-3 Puzzle
The 13-year-old match-3 that still prints money, but a crash-prone update and difficulty walls have its most loyal, 10,000-level players talking about quitting.
Read the teardown - #5 grossing3.99
Free Fire
Garena International · Battle Royale
The lightweight battle royale that owns the low-end phone market worldwide, kept at the top by cosmetics and gacha, and dragged down by hackers and account bans.
Read the teardown - #6 grossing4.62
Kingshot
Century Games · Strategy / 4X Survival
The “pull the pin, save the hero” ads sell an archer puzzle. The actual game is a pay-to-win 4X city builder, and 38% of unhappy players feel tricked before they finish the tutorial.
Read the teardown - #7 grossing4.71
Royal Kingdom
Dream Games, Ltd. · Match-3 Puzzle
Dream Games' second top-grossing match-3 in three years, the polish of Royal Match with the same misleading “save the king” ads and the same difficulty tuned to sell moves.
Read the teardown - #8 grossing4.75
Township
Playrix · City-Building / Farming
The farm-and-city builder that's quietly grossed for over a decade, beloved by millions, and dogged by ads that promise a harvest game it isn't and an economy players call greedy.
Read the teardown - #9 grossing4
Pokémon GO
Niantic, Inc. · AR Adventure
The augmented-reality phenomenon that got the world walking, still top-grossing a decade on, but a rare hit players keep despite openly resenting the studio that runs it.
Read the teardown - #10 grossing4.61
Whiteout Survival
Century Games · Strategy / 4X Survival
The frozen-apocalypse city builder with the most misleading ads on the chart, 45% of unhappy players say the real game is nothing like the rescue minigames they were shown.
Read the teardown - #11 grossing4.72
Toon Blast
Peak Games · Blast Puzzle
The cartoon blast-puzzle that's grossed near the top for years, loved for its comfort loop, resented for difficulty tuned to sell coins and a Toon Cards gacha veterans say ruined it.
Read the teardown - #12 grossing4.45
Fate/Grand Order
Aniplex Inc. · Gacha RPG
The story-heavy gacha RPG that prints money from a small, devoted whale base, carried by writing and character art, dragged down by brutal summon rates and crash-prone events.
Read the teardown - #13 grossing4.74
Last War: Survival
Funfly · Strategy / 4X Survival
The 4X war game behind the “merge your soldiers, dodge the wall” ads, a top-grosser where the fun minigame is a lie and the real game is whale-versus-whale.
Read the teardown - #14 grossing4.78
Coin Master
Moon Active · Social Casino / Casual
The spin-and-raid game that invented the loop MONOPOLY GO copied, wildly addictive (63% of praise), and openly described by its own players as a rigged, pop-up-stuffed slot machine.
Read the teardown - #15 grossing4.67
Call of Duty: Mobile
Activision · Shooter
The console-grade shooter in your pocket, genuinely loved for how it plays and looks, and genuinely hated for skill-based matchmaking, bot lobbies, and cheaters.
Read the teardown - #16 grossing4.8
Match Factory!
Peak Games · 3D Match Puzzle
The 3D matching game with the highest praise share on the chart (67% call it addictive), undercut by fake gameplay ads and a difficulty that hides the last item to run down your clock.
Read the teardown - #17 grossing4.76
Last Z: Survival Shooter
Omnilojo · Survival Shooter / 4X
A stats-versus-stats survival shooter that climbed the grossing chart fast, fun enough to hook players, thin enough that they call it pay-to-win with an AI-generated coat of paint.
Read the teardown - #18 grossing4.57
Tasty Travels: Merge Game
Century Games · Merge Puzzle
The merge game whose “shoot to merge” cocktail ads have almost nothing to do with the game, yet 80% of the players who stay call it addictive, the highest praise share on the chart.
Read the teardown - #19 grossing4.64
Pixel Flow!
Loom Games · Flow / Color Puzzle
The satisfying color-flow puzzle from a Turkish studio that shot up the grossing chart in months, genuinely fun, then buried under some of the most aggressive ads on the chart.
Read the teardown - #20 grossing4.69
Gardenscapes
Playrix · Match-3 / Renovation
The match-3-and-garden-renovation hit that made the notorious pull-the-pin ads famous, beloved for a decade, and dogged by difficulty walls and ads that show a game it isn't.
Read the teardown - #21 grossing4.76
Clash of Clans
Supercell · Strategy / Base Builder
The base-builder that's grossed at the top for over a decade on the strength of its clans, the most socially-loved game on the chart, now testing that loyalty with monetization veterans call greedy.
Read the teardown - #22 grossing4.32
PUBG MOBILE
Tencent (Level Infinite) · Battle Royale
The battle royale that put 100-player PC combat on phones worldwide, still top-grossing years on, and still fighting hackers, lag, and account theft its players never stop reporting.
Read the teardown - #23 grossing4.65
Homescapes
Playrix · Match-3 / Renovation
Gardenscapes' interior-design twin, the same beloved match-3-and-renovation loop with butler Austin, and the same difficulty walls, pin-pull ads, and update bugs its players report.
Read the teardown - #24 grossing4.04
Free Fire MAX
Garena International · Battle Royale
The higher-fidelity Free Fire for better phones, same shared accounts and matches, same cosmetic economy, and the same hackers and account bans dragging its rating down.
Read the teardown - #25 grossing4.9
Disney Solitaire
SuperPlay · Solitaire / Card Puzzle
The Disney-themed TriPeaks solitaire that rocketed to the top with the highest rating on the whole chart (4.9★), adored for its charm, quietly accused of rigging the cards to sell coins.
Read the teardown - #26 grossing4.2
Brawl Stars
Supercell · MOBA battle royale
Fast-paced 3v3 and 5v5 MOBA and battle royale battles in under three minutes.
Read the teardown - #27 grossing4.6
Clash Royale
Supercell · Strategy / Real-time PvP card battler
A 3-minute tower-duel card game that turned Clash of Clans troops into a competitive esport, and a spending machine.
Read the teardown - #28 grossing4.23
Genshin Impact
COGNOSPHERE PTE. LTD. (HoYoverse) · Adventure (open-world action RPG, gacha)
A console-grade open world handed out for free, then paid for one wish at a time.
Read the teardown - #29 grossing4.65
Subway Surfers
SYBO Games (Sybo Games ApS) · Arcade / Endless Runner
The 2012 endless runner that refused to die: one swipe, a train to dodge, and a new city every few weeks.
Read the teardown - #30 grossing4.41
Honkai: Star Rail
COGNOSPHERE PTE. LTD. (HoYoverse) · Turn-based gacha RPG
A gorgeous, generous turn-based gacha RPG that lives or dies on the six-week banner cycle.
Read the teardown - #31 grossing4.69
EA SPORTS FC Mobile
Electronic Arts · Sports
The licensed football giant on mobile: build an Ultimate Team, chase real players, and grind an economy that quietly asks for your wallet.
Read the teardown - #32 grossing4.7
Hay Day
Supercell · Casual / Farm Simulator
The farm sim that turned patience into a 14-year habit, harvest, trade, decorate, repeat.
Read the teardown - #33 grossing4.81
Travel Town - Merge Adventure
Moon Active · Merge puzzle
The merge-two-to-make-one game that turned a relaxing loop into an energy meter you keep topping up.
Read the teardown - #34 grossing4.7
Dice Dreams™️
SuperPlay. · Board game simulation
A dice-based board game where players roll, collect coins, and build kingdoms.
Read the teardown - #35 grossing4.66
Board Kings
Playtika (Jelly Button) · Board / Casual social dice game
Roll the dice, build your board, and raid your friends' boards in a cute bunny-themed spin on Monopoly-style social gambling.
Read the teardown - #36 grossing4.72
Bingo Blitz
Playtika Santa Monica · Board (social casino bingo)
Comfort-food bingo for grown-ups, wrapped around a credit economy quietly engineered to make you pay.
Read the teardown - #37 grossing4.69
Solitaire Grand Harvest
Supertreat - A Playtika Studio · TriPeaks solitaire puzzle
A TriPeaks solitaire game with farm customization and daily rewards.
Read the teardown - #38 grossing4.64
June's Journey: Hidden Objects
Wooga (Playtika) · Hidden Object / Casual Adventure
A 1920s murder-mystery hidden-object game wrapped around an island you decorate forever.
Read the teardown - #39 grossing4.48
Project Makeover
Magic Tavern, Inc. · Casual / Match-3 Puzzle
A makeover-drama story wrapped around a Candy Crush engine, and the wrapper is the whole point.
Read the teardown - #40 grossing4.83
Wordscapes
PeopleFun, Inc. · Word Puzzle
The word-search-meets-crossword that turned "just one more level" into a nine-year daily habit for tens of millions.
Read the teardown - #41 grossing4.71
Woodoku
Tripledot Studios · Puzzle (Block / Sudoku)
A wood-block drag-and-drop that borrowed sudoku's clearing rule and turned it into a decade-long comfort habit.
Read the teardown - #42 grossing4.88
Block Blast!
Hungry Studio · Puzzle
An 8x8 block puzzle that turned "drop three pieces, clear a line" into one of the most-installed casual games on earth, and monetized it with an ad wall players can't stop complaining about.
Read the teardown - #43 grossing4.4
Stumble Guys
Scopely (Kitka Games) · Action / Party Battle Royale
The 32-player knockout party royale that ate Fall Guys' lunch on mobile.
Read the teardown - #44 grossing4.75
8 Ball Pool
Miniclip.com · Sports (Pool / Billiards)
The default pool game of the internet, still cashing in 13 years later.
Read the teardown - #45 grossing4.57
Hill Climb Racing
Fingersoft · Racing (physics-based driving)
The 2012 physics-driving classic that became a billion-download reflex: two pedals, one hill, gas that never lasts.
Read the teardown - #46 grossing4.66
Match Masters
Candivore LTD · Puzzle (PvP Match-3)
Turn-based match-3 against a live opponent on one shared board, where the boosters you bring, not the tiles, decide who wins.
Read the teardown - #47 grossing4.62
Magic Tiles 3
Amanotes Pte. Ltd. · Music / Rhythm (Casual)
The tap-the-black-tiles rhythm game that turned a licensed song catalog into a decade-long attention machine.
Read the teardown - #48 grossing4.77
Tiles Hop: EDM Rush
Amanotes Pte Ltd · Music / arcade rhythm
Bounce a ball down an endless ribbon of tiles, one tap per beat, across a library of hundreds of pop and EDM tracks.
Read the teardown - #49 grossing4.192
Roblox
Roblox Corporation · User-generated multiplayer sandbox
A platform hosting millions of player-created games across every genre, playable for free.
Read the teardown - #50 grossing4.56
Merge Mansion
Metacore Games · Merge Puzzle
A cozy merge puzzle wrapped in a mystery, and a monetization engine wrapped around both.
Read the teardown - #51 grossing4.415
Kingshot
Century Games PTE. LTD. · Idle strategy MMO
An idle medieval survival game where players govern a town through strategic resource management and combat.
Read the teardown - #52 grossing4.492
Last Z: Survival Shooter
Omnilojo Pte Ltd · zombie survival shooter
A free-to-play zombie shooter where players dodge, shoot, explore, and expand a doomsday shelter.
Read the teardown - #53 grossing4.019
Evony: The King's Return
TG Inc. · Strategy MMO
A real-time strategy MMO where players build cities, train troops, and battle across a world map with historical generals.
Read the teardown - #54 grossing4.653
Jackpot Party Casino Slots
SciPlay · Social casino slots
A free-to-play mobile game offering over 200 Las Vegas-style slot machines with social features and progressive jackpots.
Read the teardown - #55 grossing4.659
Sword x Staff
BOLTRAY GAMES · Idle RPG
An idle RPG with a massive interactive world, deep strategy, and flexible progression.
Read the teardown - #56 grossing4.103
Total Battle: War Strategy
Scorewarrior · Strategy MMO
A multiplayer online strategy game where players build empires, command armies, and battle in real time across ancient, medieval, and discovery-era settings.
Read the teardown - #57 grossing4.709
Lightning Link Casino Slots
Product Madness · Casino slots
A free Las Vegas style slots app with Hold & Spin bonus rounds and a large collection of classic and new slot games.
Read the teardown - #58 grossing4.524
Cashman Casino Slots Games
Product Madness · Casino slots
A free-to-play social casino app offering over 200 slot games with virtual currency and daily bonuses.
Read the teardown - #59 grossing4.578
Candy Crush Soda Saga
King · Match-3 puzzle
A casual match-3 puzzle game with soda-themed levels and booster mechanics.
Read the teardown - #60 grossing4.607
Fishdom
Playrix · Match-3 puzzle
Decorate aquariums by solving match-3 levels to unlock fish and pets.
Read the teardown - #61 grossing4.639
Bingo Blitz™️ - Bingo Games
Playtika Santa Monica · Social bingo game
A free online bingo game where players travel the world, collect souvenirs, and play themed bingo rooms with a global community.
Read the teardown - #62 grossing4.537
Tasty Travels: Merge Game
Century Games PTE. LTD. · Merge puzzle
A puzzle game where players merge identical ingredients to create new dishes while traveling the world.
Read the teardown - #63 grossing4.689
Last Asylum: Plague
37GAMES GLOBAL · City-building strategy
Manage a plague doctor's sanctuary while defending against a rat swarm and rebuilding a town.
Read the teardown - #64 grossing4.836
Lotsa Slots - Casino Games
SpinX Games Limited · casino slots
A free-to-play social casino app offering over 250 slot machine games with bonus rounds and jackpots.
Read the teardown - #65 grossing3.794
Honkai: Star Rail
COGNOSPHERE PTE. LTD. · Gacha RPG
A space fantasy turn-based RPG with optional gacha mechanics and exploration.
Read the teardown - #66 grossing4.767
All in Hole: Black Hole Games
Homa · Puzzle collection
A puzzle game where players control a black hole to collect items and solve color-based challenges.
Read the teardown - #67 grossing4.689
GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE
Level Infinite · Gacha RPG shooter
A post-apocalyptic anime RPG where players command sci-fi weapon-wielding maidens in tactical battles.
Read the teardown - #68 grossing4.506
Yarn Loop
Combo Game · color matching puzzle
A color-based yarn bobbin puzzle game where players manage capacity to complete knitted patterns.
Read the teardown - #69 grossing4.369
Dark War Survival
Omnilojo Pte Ltd · Zombie survival strategy
A zombie apocalypse survival game where players build shelters, recruit survivors, and explore wastelands.
Read the teardown - #70 grossing4.352
DRAGON BALL LEGENDS
Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. · Gacha RPG
An anime action RPG featuring over 400 collectible fighters and a new original story with 3D combat.
Read the teardown - #71 grossing4.749
Cash Frenzy™ - Casino Slots
SpinX Games Limited · Casino slots
A free-to-play mobile casino slots game with over 150 Vegas-style slot machines and regular bonuses.
Read the teardown - #72 grossing4.344
Clash of Critters
FARLIGHT · Gacha collection RPG
Collect, evolve, and battle with over 100 unique Tataris in a strategy-based game.
Read the teardown - #73 grossing4.629
Merge Cooking®
Happibits Game · Merge simulation
A merge-based cooking simulation where players combine ingredients to prepare dishes from global cuisines.
Read the teardown - #74 grossing4.565
Travel Town - Merge Adventure
Magmatic Games LTD · Merge puzzle
Combine objects to restore a storm-damaged town while meeting villagers and upgrading buildings.
Read the teardown - #75 grossing4.483
Flambé®: Merge & Cook
Microfun Limited · Merge cooking simulation
A cooking game where players merge ingredients to unlock recipes and build a restaurant.
Read the teardown - #76 grossing4.475
Puzzles & Survival
37GAMES · Match-3 strategy
A free-to-play mobile game combining match-3 puzzles with strategy elements in a post-apocalyptic setting.
Read the teardown - #77 grossing4.673
Quick Hit Casino Slots Games
SciPlay · Casino slots
A free-to-play mobile app offering classic Vegas-style slot machine games with frequent updates and bonus rewards.
Read the teardown - #78 grossing4.66
Slots: Heart of Vegas Casino
Product Madness · Casino slots game
A free-to-play social casino slots game with Vegas-style machines and daily bonuses.
Read the teardown - #79 grossing4.834
Bingo Voyage - Live Bingo Game
VERTEX GAMES PTE. LTD. · Social bingo game
A free-to-play bingo game with global travel themes and social features
Read the teardown - #80 grossing4.345
Wuthering Waves - To Xuanfang
HK KURO GAMES LIMITED · open world gacha RPG
An open-world action RPG where you explore a desolated world, recover lost memories, and fight alongside Resonators in fast-paced combat.
Read the teardown - #81 grossing4.704
Coin Master - Board Adventure
Moon Active · Board strategy game
A dice-based board game where players collect coins, attack villages, and build empires.
Read the teardown - #82 grossing4.188
Puzzles & Chaos: Frozen Castle
37GAMES · Match-3 strategy
A match-3 fantasy strategy game set in a frozen land where players awaken a dragon and rebuild their homeland.
Read the teardown - #83 grossing4.575
Pokémon TCG Pocket - Card Game
The Pokémon Company · digital trading card game
A mobile trading card game where players collect, trade, and battle with Pokémon cards.
Read the teardown - #84 grossing4.851
Matching Story - Merge & Match
VERTEX GAMES PTE. LTD. · Match-3 merge puzzle
A free puzzle game combining match-3 mechanics, a story adventure, and merge gameplay with garden decoration.
Read the teardown - #85 grossing4.572
DRAGON BALL Z DOKKAN BATTLE
Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. · Gacha RPG
A Dragon Ball action puzzle game with gacha summoning and anime-style battles.
Read the teardown - #86 grossing4.723
Mystery Town: Merge Games
Cedar Games Studio · Merge puzzle
A merge puzzle game where players restore a town by upgrading items and solving mysteries.
Read the teardown - #87 grossing4.315
Minecraft: Dream it, Build it!
Mojang · Sandbox survival crafting
An open world sandbox game where players gather resources, build structures, and survive in a block-based universe.
Read the teardown - #88 grossing4.644
RAID: Shadow Legends
Plarium Global Ltd · Gacha RPG
A turn-based dark fantasy role-playing game where players summon and train over 800 Champions from 16 factions to battle bosses and other players.
Read the teardown - #89 grossing4.269
Golf Clash - Golfing Simulator
ELECTRONIC ARTS · Sports simulation
A free-to-play online multiplayer golf simulator with real-world courses and competitive tournaments.
Read the teardown - #90 grossing4.43
June's Journey: Hidden Objects
Wooga · Hidden object adventure
A mystery adventure game set in the 1920s with hidden object puzzles and estate decoration.
Read the teardown - #91 grossing4.74
Hole Stars: Puzzle Game
Moon Active · Puzzle collection game
A puzzle game where players guide a growing black hole to collect items and clear levels under time pressure.
Read the teardown - #92 grossing4.719
Jackpot World™ - Slots Casino
SpinX Games Limited · Casino slots
A free-to-play mobile casino slots game with weekly new releases and jackpot features.
Read the teardown - #93 grossing4.16
eFootball™
KONAMI · sports simulation
A free-to-play soccer game with real-world updates and player development.
Read the teardown - #94 grossing4.412
Slotomania™ Slots Casino Games
Playtika · Casino slots
A free-to-play mobile slots game with over 200 themed slot machines and social features.
Read the teardown - #95 grossing4.839
Bingo Frenzy: Live Bingo Games
VERTEX GAMES PTE. LTD. · Casual bingo game
A casual bingo game with cooking crossover elements and live multiplayer rooms.
Read the teardown - #96 grossing4.767
POP! Slots™
PLAYSTUDIOS US, LLC · social casino slots
A free-to-play social casino game featuring Vegas-style slot machines and live tournaments.
Read the teardown