November was a big bounce back for one of mobile gaming’s most successful companies.
King jumped back to the top of the download charts on iOS and Android with its most recent release, Candy Crush Soda Saga, according to industry-tracking firm App Annie. As part of its monthly report, App Annie found that the new social-puzzle game was able to draw on the success of the original Candy Crush Saga without knocking it out of the top 10.
“Candy Crush Soda Saga retains the familiar match-3 gameplay and Saga Map that made the original so popular,” reads App Annie’s report. “[And the game] adds new game modes, characters, and candy combinations to bring new elements to the franchise. King thinks of Candy Crush Soda Saga as a sister title rather than a sequel to Candy Crush Saga, noting that they will continue to update both games.”
King wasn’t alone in finding success by expanding on a popular franchise. Glu Mobile, the makers of Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, broke into the top of the downloads chart on iOS with Contract Killer: Sniper, which is a sequel to the Contract Killer series.
To increase the game’s social aspects, Glu added a new PvP feature to its fundamental design, allowing players to attack other player’s bases and steal their resources. This type of social gaming can be an effective way to drive user engagement as it pulls players back to the game when they come under attack.
Here’s the full top 10 for downloads on iOS in November:
- Candy Crush Soda Saga
- Stick Hero
- Dumb Ways to Die 2
- Wind Travel
- Candy Crush Saga
- Words With Friends
- Crossy Road
- Clash of Clans
- Contract Killer: Sniper
- FIFA 15 Ultimate Team
Another game that jumped into the top 10 includes Wind Travel. The endless runner was No. 5 on iOS, and the game helped Tencent claim the No. 1 spot on the top-grossing publisher’s list on Apple’s mobile platform.
Publisher Electronic Arts maintained its spot at No. 2 with continuing contributions from its FIFA 15 Ultimate Team game.
Here’s the full list of top publishers:
- Tencent
- Electronic Arts
- Gameloft
- King
- Ketchapp Studio
- Glu
- Zynga
- Rovio
- Supercell
- Line