These snapshots are for developers entering a new segment without deep audience intuition yet. The goal is knowledge sharing. Use this to build better games, design smarter creatives, and reduce wasted iteration.
Covered genres include board games, block puzzles, and number match puzzles.
Methodology
The profiles are based on top-performing titles from Appodeal’s gaming division and its multi-million-user base across Google Play and the App Store. They draw on internal performance data, user reviews, support tickets, community discussions, playtesting notes, and qualitative genre expertise. This is a reference for product, UA, and creative teams, meant to be extended and adapted using their own cohort analysis, surveys, and ongoing validation.
Genre: Board games with classic tabletop mechanics
Core demographic
- Age 35–65+, with a smaller but meaningful 25–34 segment
- All genders, approximately 57% male and 43% female
Primary markets
- United States, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia
Design implications
Design should prioritize midlife and silver audiences: readable tiles, low cognitive friction, and clear, predictable flows. It is far easier for a mature, calm product to appeal downward to 25–34-year-olds than to force older players into noisy UX.
Red flags for board game players
- Perceived unfairness: impossible bot moves or rigged outcomes
- Long waits for matchmaking
- Overcomplicated meta that buries the classic game (currencies, loot boxes, noisy progression)
- Forced social mechanics that don’t match real play patterns
Mindset and habits
- Enjoy light to medium competition and the satisfaction of outsmarting an opponent
- Prefer stability and predictability over constant novelty
- Often have strong cultural attachment to the game, making rule, scoring, and visual authenticity critical
- Willing to play the same title for months or years if it respects their time and avoids aggressive monetization
Playtime
- ~1 hour per day, typically split into ~4 sessions of ~15 minutes
- Multiple short drop-ins rather than long marathons
- Coffee-break and evening-sofa play
Cross-genre behavior
Board game players often also engage with other classic, turn-based games.
- Card games like Solitaire, Hearts, Spades, or Rummy
- Board games such as Backgammon or Checkers
- Light casino-style titles in some regions (slots, bingo, simple poker)
- Puzzle and word games that reward patience and forward thinking
Social connection layer
- Gaming as a way to connect with family, friends, or like-minded adults
- Prefers text chat or emotes over voice chat
Ad logic
Players tolerate ads when they’re predictable and feel like a fair trade for free play. Poorly timed or disruptive interstitials, especially during or after a tense hand, drive churn. Rewarded ads work when they support core motivations (extra coins, rematches, rejoining a table, cosmetic tile sets). Purchase flows should be simple and transparent; this audience is sensitive to dark patterns and surprise charges.
Genre: Block puzzles with blast mechanics
Core demographic
- Age 16–35
- All genders
Primary market
- United States
Design implications
44% are under 25. If you build a block puzzle game, design for that cohort. There is a difference between “young people play it” and “it is made for young people”, so fill that gap.
It’s easier to age up than to age down. A title that feels sharp, fast, and a little electric will still attract players up to 35. Design for “everyone” and you’ll end up with a less viral version of what already exists, because virality comes from younger audiences. They drive social trends, share gameplay clips, and create the organic momentum that makes games blow up.
Red flags for block puzzle players
- When gameplay feels luck-based rather than skill-based
- Mismatch between gameplay and ad creatives
- Friction across devices or platforms
- Poor quality or badly timed ads
Mindset and habits
- Enjoy social and light competitive gaming
- High time on social media
- Follow cultural trend cycles
- Play and share games with friends
Playtime
~1.5–2 hours per day
Cross-game behavior
Many younger block puzzle players also engage with social open world games like Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft.
Social connection layer
- 58% see gaming as their main social space
- 67% use voice chat
- 70% have met people through gaming
Ad logic
This audience tends to prefer ads over IAPs, especially rewarded videos that offer valuable rewards and feel fair. Double down on that. Mind the timing, because they’re more sensitive to interruptions.
Genre: Number match puzzles
Core demographic
- Age 25–45, with strong regional variation
- All genders
Primary markets
- United States, Germany, United Kingdom
The audience diverges sharply by geography. Globally, the install base skews younger and male, primarily ages 18–34. In contrast, the revenue core is concentrated in the US and driven by women 35+, with the strongest cohorts at 35–44 and 55+. These are distinct player segments drawn to the same core mechanic for different motivations.
Red flags for number match puzzle players
- Technical instability, especially on iOS, and progress loss. The core 35+ audience has zero tolerance for bugs.
- Poorly timed ads that break focus. Players accept ads when the value exchange is clear and honest, but will not tolerate interruptions that disrupt a flow state.
Mindset and habits
- Solo, meditative play
- Not social or competitive. No clip sharing, no trend creation. They install from ASO, play quietly for months, and tell no one.
- Used as a mental reset during commutes, waiting periods, or wind-down routines
- Not binge players
Playtime
Typical session length ~20 minutes. Non-daily, ritualized engagement every few days.
Design implications
Around 90% of players churn within the first month, with Day 1 retention at ~25% and Day 30 at ~10%. The first 3–5 sessions act as a qualification phase, where players quickly decide if the game fits their needs. Design should therefore prioritize stability, clarity, and uninterrupted flow early on, optimizing for the small cohort that will turn the game into a long-term habit.
Cross-genre behavior
Number match puzzle players are solo, non-grinding users. They overlap with logic puzzles, calm or meditative games, and habit-based apps. The real competition is not other games, but news, social feeds, podcasts, and Kindle in “waiting room” moments.
Ad logic
Revenue is primarily ad-driven, with IAP playing a secondary role.
Players are not price-sensitive; they simply lack strong enough pain points to justify spending in a casual puzzle context. Meaningful IAP requires clear value differentiation, not the removal of minor friction.