Yokai Watch’s 10th Anniversary Drives the Success of its Mobile Titles

Yokai Watch, a popular Japanese franchise, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary in July. This milestone has greatly contributed to the success of the franchise’s mobile game, Yokai Watch Punipuni.

The franchise first gained popularity in 2013 with the release of the original 3DS game, Yokai Watch. Shortly after, a mobile adaptation called Yokai Watch 1 Smartphone was also launched.

Yokai Watch Punipuni, released in 2016, has experienced significant growth from July 1 to July 16, 2023. In comparison to the same period in 2022, the game’s revenue has tripled, surpassing $600 million in total recorded revenue.

Notably, the game has seen a remarkable increase in downloads, with an 800% rise in Japanese store rankings from July 1 to July 16 compared to the corresponding period in 2022.

Following the anniversary event, Yokai Watch Punipuni climbed the charts in terms of revenue and downloads. On June 30, the day before the event, the game ranked at number 29 for revenue and number 14 for downloads. However, on July 1, it jumped to number 12 for revenue and number 2 for downloads. Since then, the game has consistently remained in the top 10 for both categories.

Analyzing Success

According to Sensor Tower data, Yokai Watch Punipuni secured the fourth spot in terms of revenue growth and the second spot in terms of download growth in the Japanese market from July 1 to July 16. The only title that outperformed it in download growth was MLB 9 Innings Rivals, which was released in July.

As part of the anniversary event, developer Level-5 implemented various strategies to drive engagement and revenue. They ran an event where players could receive rewards for inviting friends to play. Additionally, the company targeted players who had not logged in since June 24.

In addition, Level-5 organized a campaign on X (formerly Twitter), offering in-game currency in exchange for reposts. This campaign resulted in over 200,000 reposts and contributed to a revenue jump of $4.5 million from July 1 to July 7.

Earlier this month, Sensor Tower reported that arena and adventure games are projected to generate over $4.7 billion in revenue this year.