What’s going on with mobile games in early 2025? Spoiler alert: puzzles are eating the competition alive. And not just any puzzles—we’re talking about Hybridcasual titles that blend that easy, pick-up-and-play vibe with deeper layers, clever monetization, and some serious staying power.
If 2024 was the year of the great shift from hyper to hybrid, then 2025 is when that shift hit full throttle. And with $87 million in IAP revenue in Q1 alone—up 67% from last year—it’s clear this isn’t just a passing trend. It’s a full-on takeover.
Let’s dive into the 10 biggest names of Q1, spotlight what makes them tick, and see why Puzzle games are absolutely crushing it right now. All data and original article was taken from AppMagic.
The Hybridcasual Boom: From Hyper Roots to Puzzle Power
Remember when Hypercasual was all the rage? Simple mechanics, short sessions, massive install numbers. But monetization? A bit wobbly. That’s where Hybridcasual steps in—keeping that snackable core but dressing it up with meta systems, progression mechanics, and smarter monetization tools. Think boosters, coin packs, event grids—you name it.
In Q1 2025, the top 10 Hybridcasual games didn’t just rake in downloads. They banked $87M in net revenue from in-app purchases. Almost half of that came from Puzzle games. Arcade titles were close behind with 45%. But let’s be real: this quarter belonged to the puzzlers.
Let’s Talk Subgenres: Who’s Really Winning?
Puzzle titles made up 48% of Hybridcasual revenue in Q1. Within that, Block Puzzle games (like Color Block Jam and Bus Escape) led the charge, scooping up 71% of all puzzle revenue.
Screw Puzzles (hello Screwdom) grabbed another 20%, and the fast-rising Sort Puzzle games—think Block Jam 3D—claimed the remaining 9%. Sort Puzzles might be small, but they’re scaling fast, with 5.6x YoY revenue growth. That’s not a fluke—it’s a signal.
Meanwhile, Arcade still flexed its muscle with titles like Mob Control, All in Hole, and Alien Invasion, all building on familiar hyper loops with smart hybrid spins.
The Headliners: 4 Games That Made the Quarter
Let’s zoom in on the top performers—these four titles didn’t just top the charts, they helped redefine what Hybridcasual means in 2025.
🧱 Color Block Jam by Rollic
Revenue: $25M in Q1 2025
This one’s the poster child of Hybridcasual done right. In just a few months, Color Block Jam went from a $175K Q4 title to a $25M juggernaut. No LiveOps wizardry here—just a tight core loop, deterministic puzzle levels, and perfectly tuned difficulty.
Players move blocks through color-matching gates on a grid, solving increasingly tricky puzzles that make you want to keep trying. The first 20–30 minutes? Completely ad-free. After that, ads and IAPs (like coin packs or life refills) roll in smoothly.
No time-limited offers, no teams, no wild events. Just gameplay that grips and won’t let go. Throw in viral social media clips and a savvy UA strategy? You’ve got a winner.
🎯 Takeaway: You don’t need LiveOps overload—just a smart core, good pacing, and rock-solid monetization.
🕳️ All in Hole by Homa
Revenue: $17.7M in Q1 2025
Imagine Hole.io but deeper. All in Hole expands the classic Eat & Grow mechanic with short, goal-based levels and a meta layer that keeps players coming back. Players don’t just eat everything—they hunt specific targets, chase objectives, and push progression.
What really takes it up a notch? LiveOps. Think limited-time events, boosters, cosmetics, and yes, a battle pass. The IAP-first model pays off big, echoing hits like Royal Match and Monopoly GO!—but with its own unique flavor.
🎯 Takeaway: Add a bit of event sauce to a classic core loop, and you’ve got yourself a trendsetter.
🧍 Mob Control by Voodoo
Revenue: $7.9M in Q1 2025 | 21M+ downloads
Still alive and kicking since 2021, Mob Control hit an all-time high this March. And the secret sauce? Brilliant monetization.
Buy anything once—even a $1 pack—and you’ll never see forced ads again. Want to skip rewarded ads too? Use "Skip’its", a special currency that lets you keep the perks without watching the videos. They come bundled in IAPs and subscriptions, or you can earn them.
This approach keeps both IAP and IAA revenue flowing without burning out users. Smart, right?
🎯 Takeaway: Treat your users with respect, and they'll pay you back—literally.
🔩 Screwdom by iKame Games - Zego Studio
Revenue: $3.6M in Q1 2025 (and rising fast!)
From flat puzzles to 3D complexity, Screwdom is turning heads in the Screw Puzzle space. The move to 3D isn't just eye candy—it’s tactile, immersive, and makes mistakes feel personal. Add in rotating camera angles and you've got a whole new level of challenge.
Backed by a studio that knows the genre inside out (they’ve launched 9 screw titles already), Screwdom capitalizes on well-tuned fail states. The cost of failing is high enough that players don’t want to retry—they’d rather spend to move forward.
🎯 Takeaway: Give players something they can feel—and a reason to care when they mess up.
The Big Picture: What’s Driving the Surge?
Let’s not kid ourselves: Hybridcasual is no longer just the “next big thing.” It is the big thing. Q1’s 67% YoY growth shows a market that’s not just expanding, but evolving.
And at the heart of that evolution? Puzzle games. They offer the perfect mix of approachability and monetization potential. But it’s not just about puzzles—Arcade games, Eat & Grow, and even Strategy titles like Tower War are finding success by reimagining the Hypercasual core.
The blueprint is becoming clearer:
- Take a simple mechanic.
- Layer in meta and monetization.
- Avoid overcomplicating.
- Let gameplay and smart systems do the heavy lifting.
Why This Quarter Matters
Q1 2025 gave us a clear message: the future of Hybridcasual is layered, clever, and—yes—puzzling in all the right ways.
Whether it’s the viral charm of Color Block Jam, the meta depth of All in Hole, the monetization masterclass in Mob Control, or the 3D brain twist of Screwdom—each title proves that Hybridcasual isn’t just surviving. It’s thriving.
So if you're in the game biz? Maybe it’s time to put your chips on puzzles.
Or at least, stop pretending they’re not running the show.