Gamers Don't Just Play! They Scroll, Chat... and Grocery Shop?

Ariel Ariel
May. 16

This is a single insight from This Week in Apps - Games Are Not the Same. Check out the full article for more insights.


We already know mobile gamers are on YouTube. And TikTok. And Discord. That's nothing new. But if you stop there, you'll miss the real opportunity.

We used a new dataset for this year's report to see which apps have the highest crossover audience with the top 10 highest-earning games of 2024. Think Roblox, Monopoly GO!, Royal Match, Clash of Clans, and others. YouTube, TikTok, Discord, the usual suspects, are all there. But keep scrolling down and the real gems appear.

According to our Appfigures Intelligence, gamers also spend their time in apps like:

  • Duolingo
  • Pinterest
  • Picsart (Photo editor)
  • Fetch (Rewards)
  • Zedge (wallpapers and ringtones)
  • And even Tinder

It's easy to assume your next players hang out in other games or the usual entertainment apps. But what this list really shows is that gamers are everywhere, including some unexpected places.

That means opportunity.

Let's say you're launching a puzzle game targeting casual players. Knowing they also use Zedge or Pinterest opens up placement and creative angles you may not consider if you're just running ads inside other games.

Building a strategy game for mid-core users? The crossover with apps like Paytm or MX Player suggests high engagement in financially active and entertainment-heavy segments, which are great signals for value-driven campaigns.

And these aren't just one-off anomalies. The same apps appear across multiple top games, suggesting consistent behavioral overlap, not coincidence.

So what's the takeaway?

If your UA strategy is still just "run ads in similar games", it's time to expand your lens. Context is everything. By understanding where your users are, what they listen to, watch, shop for, and interact with, you can build more precise, more effective campaigns.

And maybe even find untapped audiences your competitors haven't noticed yet.

The report has the full list. If you're doing UA or planning IP crossovers this year, it's worth a close look, especially below the fold. That's where the hidden opportunities live.

FYI - Crossover intelligence will be available in the competitors report later this summer.

App Intelligence for Everyone!

The insights in this report come right out of our App Intelligence platform, which offers access to download and revenue estimates, installed SDKs, and more! Learn more about the tools or schedule a demo with our team to get started.

Are you a Journalist? You can get access to our app and market intelligence for free through the Appfigures for Journalists program. Contact us for more details.

All figures included in this report are estimated. Unless specified otherwise, estimated revenue is always net, meaning it's the amount the developer earned after Apple and Google took their fee.

Tagged: #games

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