When judging which Facebook games are the most successful, many people look at total monthly active users or daily active users. While both metrics are important, daily active users as a percentage of monthly active users is another relevant metric for ballpark-estimating the retention and monetization rates in social games. Let’s look at the top five games on Facebook by DAU as a percentage of MAU.
As supported by data from Inside Virtual Goods, games with a DAU/MAU of 20% or higher have strong user retention and monetization rates. The most successful Facebook games tend to maintain a DAU/MAU somewhere between 10% and 20%, while also enjoying a large total userbase in the millions. There are a number of games with a far higher DAU/MAU percentage, some even exceeding 50%, but do not enjoy large audiences. Even so, these games are likely still performing well in terms of monetization — otherwise we can assume a developer would eventually sunset the game to save on resources. From that perspective, apps like those on our list could be called Facebook gaming’s hidden gems of high engagement.
[Editor's Note: Games which launched in the last couple months or had fewer than 20,000 monthly active users were excluded. This list also excludes game apps that are actually non-game utilities, extensions, or promotions for other games.]
Empire Avenue – by Empire Avenue: 80% DAU/MAU
A business simulation in which each player becomes a stock that can be bought and sold by other players on a trading exchange, the goal of Empire Avenue is to drive up your Share Price with in-game activity, and activity on social media sites that other players are connected to. This latter feature encourages players to follow and engage with the stocks (i.e. other players) they are invested in.
“So aside from having fun by playing the investment game, it actually enhances how you meet and engage with people online,” says Empire Avenue VP Tom Ohle. “As new people arrive on the site, they’re introduced them to new people quickly, and discover new content that lines up with their own interests.”
The game is monetized with the sale of the in-game currency “Eaves,” which can be purchased with cash or offers. (Empire Avenue is also playable on a standalone website.)
Earlier this year, the game enjoyed strong growth on Facebook, which then plateaued to around its current level of user activity, with 40,000 DAU and 50,000 MAU.
“[W]e’re starting to roll out some more features, which will see us start to focus once more on new-user acquisition,” Ohle says. “It’s just something we haven’t spent a ton of time on lately.” These new features include a mission system “which allows users to earn virtual currency by engaging with other players’ online content.” With additions like that, the company hopes to see user growth return.
無限德州撲克 (Chinese Poker) – by 6Waves Lolapps: 55% DAU/MAU
As the title suggests, Chinese Poker is a Chinese-language poker app similar to such successful apps as Zynga’s Texas Hold ‘Em, with turn-based, timer-driven multiplayer games of poker played around a casino table. While the game icons and UI are in Chinese characters, the gameplay is similar enough to other poker games for non-Chinese users to understand and play
According to Jim Ying, Senior Vice President at 6waves, the game’s high DAU/MAU is due in great part to being among the first poker games in Chinese. In the last year, the game’s total number of MAU has been dropping, as DAU/MAU has risen.
Ying attributes this to the game’s life cycle: “DAU/MAU will naturally rise for high-quality, older games as the people who just try out the game stop playing and you’re left with the ‘stickier’ people who keep playing the game.”
Fairyland – by Play and Connect Ltd: 55% DAU/MAU
A gardening sim with modest graphics and complex gameplay options, Fairyland was launched in 2008 and still maintains a relatively small but very engaged following. Players customize and expand their gardens with a wide array of plants and flower types, and earn in-game gold by leveling up their garden and through various mini-quests. (Gold can also be purchased for cash and Facebook Credits, the game’s most evident monetization channel.)
Fairyland enjoyed a high of 800,000 MAU in late 2009, but has steadily dropped to its present-day traffic of just 110,000 MAU. At the same time, its DAU/MAU rate has risen, going from a low point of under 20%, to nearly 55% now. This is indicative of a game that’s managed to retain a core userbase of very active players, even three years into its life cycle. The game is still being refreshed with new content, such as “Limited Edition Poppies” added to the game’s store in early November. (The developer, Play and Connect, did not respond to request for comment as of press time.)
Lexulous – Word Game – by Rajat and Jayant Agarwalla: 52% DAU/MAU
Created by Rajat and Jayant Agarwalla of Calcutta, Lexulous is a variation of the Agarwalla’s Scrabulous, which was launched in 2007. This was one of the very first Facebook games to show strong engagement rates. Strikingly similar to the classic boardgame Scrabble, a lawsuit from copyright holder Mattel forced the brothers to change the game’s name. (Wordscraper, another Agarwalla game similar to Lexulous, but with customizable playing boards, also has a very high DAU/MAU rate of 50%.)
Jayant Agarwalla says that the game enjoys high engagement for several reasons: Users can play many matches simultaneously, and also play matches asynchronously. At the same time, there is a time penalty for taking too long to make a turn, so players tend to return to the app on a regular basis, to finish ongoing games. In addition, Lexulous has a chat/messaging feature, and Agarwalla says Facebook friends use the game as a context for general socialization.
At the moment, Lexulous is monetized with display ads. “Our DAU count has been pretty consistent, so it’s easier to predict daily ad impressions and thus strike deals with ad networks,” Agarwalla says, adding that they plan to add Facebook Credits as a revenue stream soon.
Over the last few months, the total MAU of Lexulous has been trending down, while DAU/MAU has risen. In the next few weeks, Agarwalla says they will overhaul the game to better attract and retain new users.
Legacy of a Thousand Suns – by 5th Planet Games: 50% DAU/MAU
A turn-based role-playing game with a deep story and high quality game assets, Legacy of a Thousand Suns see a very high DAU/MAU rate with just 40,000 MAU. Even so, 5th Planet Games’ Chief Business Officer Braden Moulton says that the game is very cash flow positive for the company, attributing this and the game’s high engagement levels to the game’s passionate community of users. For this reason, he says any new design decision is weighed against how it will impact this community.
As a consequence, says Moulton, the game has strong ARPDAUs. Stamina/energy refills and Expeditions (a gambling mechanic players use to acquire coveted in-game items) enjoy high monetization rates. However, Moulton says players are more likely to spend money helping their in-game guild, than themselves.
In the last six months, MAU and DAU for Legacy have been dropping slowly while DAU/MAU has been rising. Moulton attributes this to the game’s relatively modest launch numbers in the six figures, as opposed to millions. In future upgrades, the game will add new zones for PVE players, and a PvP mode for the game’s guilds, called “Alliance vs. Alliance.” This may increase total users. In addition, the company plans to deploy the game on other major networks in December, which may boost Legacy of a Thousand Suns’ overall userbase.
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