As of October 2024, Royal Match by Dream Games has surpassed $2 billion in total revenue, making it the highest-grossing match-3 game of 2024.
In just the past week, its estimated global revenue from the App Store alone has exceeded $12 million, and in the last 30 days, it has raked in over $58 million. 
Let’s look at its estimated downloads: in the past 7 days, Royal Match was downloaded over 100,000 times on the App Store, and in the past 30 days, that number has exceeded 500,000. (Screenshots and data source: FoxData — Your go-to platform for app intelligence and monitoring.)
In fact, in 2023, Royal Match broke multiple revenue records at a staggering pace. Within just 5 months, it reached its third $1 billion milestone, making it the fastest game to hit this achievement in history. It quickly claimed the top spot in the global match-3 casual game category, with 2023 annual revenue exceeding $2 billion, and remained a consistent presence at the top of both iOS and Google Play charts. Launched in 2021, Royal Match has truly been a dark horse in the casual gaming world.
So how did Royal Match manage to rise above the competition in such a crowded puzzle game market, and what keeps it thriving even two years after its release? In this article, we’ll dive into the game’s core mechanics and innovative marketing strategies to uncover the key to its success. Let’s get started.
Royal Match takes place in a royal-themed setting, immersing players in a rich, regal atmosphere. The game features 2D visuals as the base design, with 3D effects applied to characters and items to give each element a vivid, lifelike appearance. From the king to the objects that need to be matched, everything looks dynamic and engaging. The visual style is gender-neutral and emphasizes a clean user experience (UX) and user interface (UI), offering both a pleasant visual experience and smooth gameplay.
The core gameplay of Royal Match blends the classic match-3 mechanics with elements of city-building. Players not only complete match-3 challenges to progress through levels, but also accumulate resources to build and decorate their own kingdom. The game features a variety of PvE modes and challenge levels that provide players with a diverse and engaging experience.
Additionally, the game incorporates reward systems and task-driven events, which both incentivize players and propel the story forward. The level design is tightly intertwined with the narrative, enhancing the player’s sense of immersion. Social features like guilds and team battles further strengthen player interaction and cooperation.
A key element of Royal Match’s success is its social features, which transform the game from a solo experience into a shared one. One of the most important and common social features is the leaderboard, which includes friend rankings, player rankings, and team rankings. These leaderboards motivate players to compete and deepen their involvement in the game.
After unlocking level 21, the team feature is introduced, offering additional interactions and rewards. Players who join teams can receive free lives and team-exclusive bonuses. These teams aren’t just for socializing—they provide functional rewards too. Team activities like treasure hunts and team battles encourage players to collaborate and earn rewards, while the player assistance feature adds a community feel to the game by enabling players to ask for help with tasks.
Royal Match’s user acquisition marketing and ad creatives have been remarkably successful in attracting new players. Within just six months of launch, the game’s advertising spend reached $150 million, with 61.5% of its downloads coming from paid ads.
Unlike many other match-3 games, Royal Match’s ads showcase the actual gameplay, without relying on misleading tactics, which builds trust with players. Many ads are playable, allowing potential players to experience the game while watching the ad. This interactive ad format boosts both the appeal and conversion rates.
Additionally, Royal Match uses a popular strategy in match-3 game ads: the failure ad. By showing a failed gameplay attempt, the ads spark curiosity and a competitive desire in viewers, motivating them to try the game themselves and improve their skills, which enhances ad conversion.
There are three main types of ads for Royal Match:
1. Playable Ads: Most of the ads are interactive, offering a brief gaming experience that helps potential players quickly understand the gameplay. These ads accurately reflect the game’s match-3 mechanics, where players need to match colored blocks to complete objectives. This gives players a clear sense of the game’s simplicity and fun, prompting them to download the game.
2. Failure Ads: While many mobile game ads focus on showcasing success or rewarding gameplay, Royal Match takes a different approach with ads that highlight failures. By showcasing players’ failed attempts, these ads engage viewers’ problem-solving instincts, encouraging them to think about how they would overcome these obstacles. This appeals to players’ competitive nature and increases ad conversion rates.
3. Mini-Story Ads: These ads entice players by presenting an ongoing narrative. Instead of revealing full gameplay, Royal Match uses ads with storylines where the king faces various challenges that require players’ help. This clever narrative hook captures the attention of players and motivates them to download the game to see how the story unfolds.
Overall, Royal Match uses a mix of creative ad strategies to effectively attract millions of new players, ensuring high download conversion rates.
Royal Match’s innovative systems and operational strategies have successfully converted many players into loyal fans. The game continuously evolves through trial and error, keeping the content fresh and players satisfied.
1. Incorporating Social Elements: Turning the game into a “multiplayer competition.” The competitive leaderboards in Royal Match motivate players to keep playing, especially with the time-limited mechanic, where players must complete 7 levels within 1 hour. This quick and challenging gameplay triggers players’ competitive drive, increasing both playtime and frequency.
2. Short Play Sessions: The game is designed for players to enjoy quick sessions during their fragmented time. Each level lasts between 1 to 5 minutes, making it ideal for players to enjoy the game during short breaks, boosting gameplay frequency.
3. Timed Events and Special Rewards: Royal Match includes limited-time events and challenges that encourage players to reach specific goals for exclusive rewards. The ladder task system, which has its own activation conditions and time limits, keeps players active, with big rewards waiting at the end of the challenge.
4. Diverse Themes: The game features a variety of themed environments, each with its own unique visual design and background story. From luxurious palaces to enchanting gardens and mysterious castles, each theme offers a fresh artistic experience, making every gameplay session feel new and exciting.
Royal Match’s success story offers profound lessons for game developers and marketers looking to thrive in a competitive landscape. The game’s meteoric rise can be attributed to its deep understanding of player psychology, seamless integration of gameplay with social features, and the ability to engage users through strategic advertising. More importantly, its ability to evolve continuously, adapting to player feedback and market demands, ensures long-term player retention and sustainable success.
For game developers, the real challenge lies in creating a balanced experience that is both innovative and player-centric. Success isn’t just about launching a game; it’s about how you nurture it through its lifecycle, refining features, expanding user engagement, and using data-driven insights to optimize every step.
We understand that every game has its own unique potential, and the right marketing strategy can unlock that potential. If you have questions about optimizing player retention, boosting in-game revenue, or enhancing your marketing efforts, we’re here to help.
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