Top Games in 2025: Guo Yaoqi continues to lead the way, making even bigger strides in mobile gaming

These days, it feels like everyone’s glued to their phones more than ever. It’s like our phones have become part of us—almost like a “third hand”! In 2024, in-app purchase (IAP) revenue from mobile games hit a staggering $81 billion, a 4% increase from last year. This isn’t just a number; it shows the resilience of the mobile gaming market. So, where’s the money in this booming space? The answer’s clear—America remains the biggest market in 2024, pulling in $52 billion in IAP revenue, making up over a third of the global total. Even more impressive, it grew by 16% year-over-year, faster than the global average. The U.S. market still has a lot of room to grow.

But here’s a plot twist: Europe actually outpaced the U.S. in growth! In 2024, Europe’s IAP revenue grew by 24%, nearly double the global growth rate. Countries like the UK, Germany, France, and Italy are leading the charge, with games like MONOPOLY GO! and Egg Party making waves. Plus, the return of classics like Royal Match, Travel Town, and Gossip Harbor® has boosted spending on casual mobile games. One noticeable trend? The rise of hybrid casual games. For example, Royal Match, a Match-3 adventure game, is attracting tons of players. Top Games jumped on the bandwagon too, launching their own Match-3 adventure game, featuring adorable cartoon fish. Players unlock rare fish and decorate beautiful ocean worlds, growing bigger by gobbling up the small ones—it’s basically a foodie’s dream come true!

Strategy Lovers - Evony: The King’s Return

Of course, if you think this is just for casual players, think again. For strategy lovers, Evony: The King’s Return, a real-time strategy (SLG) game, is a big winner. Top Games brought in $355 million from the game in 2023, and in 2024, it generated nearly $300 million, proving its strong performance and solid IAP revenue.

Focus on Top Games Features

At the helm of this success is Guo Yaoqi, aka David Guo, co-founder and CEO of Top Games. Guo focuses heavily on player experience and believes innovation is the key to staying ahead. “We’re constantly testing and iterating,” Guo says. “Every idea is worth exploring to make sure we meet player needs.” This mindset is exactly why Top Games continues to outdo itself.

Guo also cares deeply about nurturing his team’s creativity. “We have an exploration bootcamp for new hires,” he shares. “It lets them get creative and test out new ideas that could lead to breakthroughs.” For them, it’s like giving employees a sandbox to experiment and turn their ideas into reality.

On top of that, Top Games is always quick to adopt emerging tech and adapt to market shifts. This open mindset is key for indie developers to thrive in a constantly changing landscape.

Speaking of player engagement, Evony really nails it. With weekly events and fresh content, they keep both new and longtime players coming back. Recently, they launched a Spring Festival event, offering rewards like new historic generals Zhang Fei and Zhu Di, and special items like the Golden Ship Wheel. Players can earn exclusive rewards like Panda Town—sounds pretty tempting, right?

Thanks to a large, loyal player base and “whale” players—those big spenders—Evony has seen a significant increase in player lifetime value and ARPPU (Average Revenue Per Paying User), which drives stable revenue growth.

Guo Yaoqi has over 25 years of experience in software, game development, network security, UX, and more. He’s all about simplicity and clarity, turning complex ideas into user-friendly designs. His attention to detail has helped Top Games stay on top of the game.

Mr Guo also shared that he got into the industry because he noticed many companies weren’t focusing enough on user experience. “I decided to jump in and change that,” he says. After joining Top Games, he helped lead the development of multiple top-selling titles on Google Play and the Apple App Store.

“Mobile gaming is now pivotal, in fact, to everything we do at Top Games Inc.,” Mr Guo says.

Looking ahead to 2025, Guo Yaoqi’s optimistic about the future. “I’m grateful for the hard work of every team member,” he says. “We’re always user-focused, innovative, and committed to quality. I’m confident we’ll make even bigger strides in the coming year.”