In November 2023, Data.ai's monthly gaming pulse delivered insights into the gaming landscape, offering a comprehensive analysis of new releases and spotlighting the emerging stars of the gaming world. PocketGamer.biz, ahead of the official release, provided an exclusive preview of the latest facts, figures, and discoveries.

The data encompassed trends and movements in the top charts across major gaming markets, providing a comparative analysis of how each game and its respective publishers were faring. These findings not only shed light on current performance but also offered predictive insights for the months ahead.

The month of November marked the beginning of Q4, unveiling a lineup of notable new releases for anime-based games, the return of popular franchises, and a notable shift of games from PC to mobile platforms. Let's delve into the breakout games of November 2023, focusing first on the most downloaded games.

Black Clover M, a mobile game debut for the popular TV anime series, claimed the top spot for both the most downloaded game and the breakout game by downloads. Remarkably, it amassed 21 million downloads within the brief three days following its release. The Western markets, including Brazil, the United States, Mexico, France, and Spain, were instrumental in driving these impressive download numbers.

Soul Knight Prequel, another breakout RPG from Asia, secured the fourth position for breakout games by worldwide downloads. Published by ChillyRoom in China, this roguelike ARPG gained traction across the Americas and Asia, with Asian markets leading in initial consumer spend.

Tencent's Popular Music Game Rhythm Master made a notable return in November, claiming the tenth spot for breakout games by downloads. The resurgence, fueled predominantly by the Chinese market, resulted in an additional 4.2 million downloads, bringing its lifetime downloads to an impressive 71 million.

While rising stars showcased high growth sectors, the familiar top charts revealed enduring consumer demand. In November 2023, Roblox ranked fourth globally, approaching the 1 billion download milestone with a total of 977 million downloads to date. Spider Fighting: Rope Game, an open-world action game, stood out at the seventh position by global downloads, with 19 million downloads in just two months.

Shifting the focus to consumer spend, anime series-turned-games took the spotlight. Jujutsu Kaisen: Phantom Parade, an RPG game based on the hit anime series Jujutsu Kaisen, topped the global breakout spend chart. Published by Sumzap in Japan, the game garnered over four million downloads, generating an impressive $59 million, with an average consumer spend per download reaching close to $15.

Warcraft Rumble claimed the third spot in the breakout games by global consumer spend chart, moving up 364 places since its launch. With nearly seven million downloads globally, the game generated almost $27 million in consumer spend, primarily driven by users in the US, Brazil, Germany, France, and Taiwan.

Marvel Contest of Champions, a long-standing favorite since 2014, secured the sixth rank for breakout consumer spend, moving up 93 places. With 214 million lifetime downloads and $2.1 billion in consumer spend over nine years, the game experienced a surge in revenue during the last week of November, driven by the Baron Zemo’s Underground Market sale event.

The top charts for consumer spend remained stable, with player loyalty playing a significant role in the staying power of top games. Royal Match and Monopoly GO retained the top two slots for consumer spend, while Genshin Impact experienced a significant boost, climbing six slots to number five. Genshin Impact surpassed $4.9 billion in spend to date and is predicted by Data.ai to surpass $6.3 billion by the following year.

Gardenscapes by Playrix, another long-standing member in the top grossing games, secured the seventh spot for top games by global consumer spend in November 2023, marking an upward movement from the previous period. Similar to Genshin Impact, Gardenscapes has surpassed $4.9 billion to date, with multiple sale events contributing to its robust financial performance.

In summary, November 2023 showcased a dynamic gaming landscape with a blend of new contenders and enduring favorites. The synergy of breakout games, consumer spend dynamics, and the ongoing success of established titles set the stage for a vibrant and competitive gaming ecosystem.

Source: adapted from an article by Daniel Griffiths, Editor for PocketGamer.biz.