Other popular entries in the genre include Fishdom, Project Makeover, Matchington Mansion, and Homescapes, which led the field in earnings for the first half of 2021. “These titles also feature a strong narrative focus, using storytelling as the motivation for the player to complete puzzles and stay engaged for the long-term.” “By adding the decorate aspect, these titles encourage the player to progress by showing a visual progression, such as bringing an old garden or house out of a state of neglect and disrepair,” he explained. It’s a sort of visual progression that Chapple said adds a new layer of engagement on top of traditional puzzle mechanics.

Gardenscapes is part of a genre Sensor Tower is calling “puzzle and decorate,” a mashup that sees the player completing puzzles to gain rewards which are used to upgrade the look of some kind of home base. The report notes that 2020 was, by far, the most lucrative year for Gardenscapes–the game generated around $959 million last year, nearly doubling 2019’s $537 million. “There are a few games that have achieved a similar feat to Gardenscapes in crossing the $3 billion mark within five years of release, but it certainly remains a rare achievement,” Craig Chapple, mobile insights strategist at Sensor Tower, told GameDaily. It’s a figure that places the Playrix-developed mobile title among some esteemed company, including juggernauts like Honor of Kings, PUBG Mobile, and Pokémon Go. Popular match-three puzzle game Gardenscapes has generated $3 billion since it’s launch in 2016, according to new data from mobile analytics provider Sensor Tower.

Gardenscapes game engine