Aarki recently released its Mobile Retention Radar Report for 2025, in which it details the difficulties that app and mobile game developers face in the oversaturated attention economy. It also provides insights into how marketers can best promote their new mobile titles in spite of the difficulties — namely, how to retain players and keep them interested in spite of the deluge of competition.

The report covers all sectors of the mobile industry, not just gaming. However, for gaming specifically, the report noted the importance of understanding user thought patterns. Gaming, it says, is the cornerstone of the so-called “App Hive,” driving 41% of all downloads. From there marketers can map patterns of behavior across multiple types of apps, including where they go after they leave the game, and make “more precise cohort-based targeting.”

Avi Das, Aarki CRO, said, “This report highlights a simple truth: it’s not just about keeping users in one app—it’s about understanding where they go next… The secret is in creating connections. By aligning your campaigns with user preferences and timing, you transform moments of engagement into long-term loyalty.”

“Stickiness” in games

The report also highlights how different games perform as far as retaining active users — the “stickiness” of the game, to use Aarki’s word. Strategy games and RPGs, they say, have high stickiness, indicating sustained interest by meeting users’ emotional needs. Puzzle and arcade games, on the other hand, have low stickiness, as simpler gameplay can fail to engage players for a prolonged period.

Aarki covers each of the mobile genres in greater detail, detailing more the typical users’ habits and whether they are primarily genre-loyal or not. By connecting with certain other apps, the report proposes that developers can keep players coming back to their game for a longer period of time. The report also notes that global app installs are down by 2.3%, meaning that attention is a more finite resource than ever.

Aman Sareen, Aarki CEO, said in a statement, “Success in the mobile app ecosystem depends on more than just acquisition. It’s about fostering loyalty and driving meaningful, long-term engagement within the App Hive. In 2025, our mission is to help marketers navigate this intricate network by understanding users’ natural app-hopping behaviors and leveraging data-driven insights for cohesive and effective retention strategies that maximize ROI.”