Special Report

Mobile Gamers of Germany 2023: Who’s a Heavy Player?

adjoe and Appinio report reveals that over a quarter of German mobile gamers play for more than five hours per week

Mobile Gamers of Germany 2023: Who’s a Heavy Player?

How do you tap into one of the top tiers in mobile gaming?

adjoe has teamed up with fellow Hamburg-based global market research institute Appinio for its latest Mobile Gamers of Germany 2023 report, which dives into the demographics and behaviors of German mobile gamers.

Android or iOS, gameplay durations, favorite gaming category, ad preferences – the report asks 1,000 German mobile players aged between 16 and 65 about themselves and their mobile gaming behaviors.

Flick (or click) through these fresh findings as part of adjoe’s latest ready-to-digest report.

Frequent Fun Is the Focus

In times when session durations in mobile apps across the global app economy are only increasing minimally, adjoe explores the mobile gamers in Germany who rack up significant screen time in gameplay – the “heavy players.”

In Mobile Gamers of Germany 2023, the adtech company defines heavy players according to two criteria:

1. These gamers play mobile games multiple times a day

In total, 53% of all mobile gaming survey participants play multiple times a day. adjoe considers these “heavy players.”

The age groups most stuck to their screens are the 25- to 34-year-olds, followed by the 55- to 65-year-olds.

2. These gamers play over 5 hours per week

When the participants were asked about how many hours they dedicate to their pastime of playing games:

  • 40% play between 1 and 3 hours per week
  • 26% play 3 to 5 hours per week
  • 26% play 5+ hours per week

To join the heavy player club, you also need to be able to tick the box “a user who spends 5+ hours in gameplay per week.”

Who Are These Heavy Gamers: 5 Findings

Open to New and More Games

The report unveils that one game is not enough for German gamers – especially, for heavy players. Of those who play over 5 hours per week, 22% play 4 to 5 games, and 13% play more than 5 games at a time.

Fans of Casual

When Appinio and adjoe sifted through the heavy players who engage with games for 5+ hours a week, they discovered that an impressive 46% play casual games.

The following top-3 genres for this group are strategy games at 42%, puzzle games at 39%, and word games at 31%.

In-App Ad-vocates

The report reveals that 56% of heavy players in Germany engage with in-game ads – 39% engage with them to unlock attractive features and 21% intentionally engage with ads to discover their new favorite game.

Discoverers of New Games

Mobile Gamers of Germany 2023 also reveals that these in-app ads are a powerful mechanism for reaching and retaining these users: 61% of German players who discover new games via in-app ads play multiple times a day.

Eager to Pay Less, Earn More

Over the past six months – in the face of greater inflation and financial pressures – 62% of heavy players’ IAP behaviors have shifted.

When asked, 22% of them said they no longer make in-app purchases, and 14% make fewer purchases. On the flipside, instead of spending money, 22% of them spend more time engaging with rewarded ads to help them gain an advantage in gameplay.

What Does This Mean for App Publishers and Developers?

At a time when the gaming segment is seeing consumer spend cool but downloads climb, publishers and developers should take advantage of the globe’s gaming powerhouse, home to this Tier 1 audience.

They need to know how these high-quality users interact with their favorite gaming titles – and equally how they interact with in-game ads in these titles. If they get their monetization and targeting tactics right here, publishers and advertisers could enjoy a heavily ever after for their apps in Germany.

Heavy gamers aside, explore the narrative of the nation. Who are these gamers – what is their age, gender, relationship status – and what is their attitude toward in-app ads and rewarded ads? It’s all there in Mobile Gamers of Germany 2023.

You can view the full Mobile Gamers of Germany 2023 report - powered by adjoe and Appinio - here for free.

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