October GameRefinery Bulletin: Japan goes wild for Habby’s Capybara Go, Age of Empire’s mobile launch

Capybaras have always been popular animals in Japan, but 2023 took them to new international heights thanks to viral TikTok trends. HABBY saw an opportunity to leverage these quirky animals' popularity in the mobile market with Capybara Go!, a new title that’s become a huge success in Japan and Asia (with a global launch due later in November). The game, which features roguelite elements, is essentially about spinning a roulette repeatedly and progressing through random “encounters” that grant powerups.

One of the most popular real-time strategy (RTS) games of all time debuted on mobile in Age of Empires Mobile. While a 4X game, the influence of the RTS genre can be seen in some game modes where players can freely move units on the battlefield, and the same “rock-paper-scissor” counterplay with archers, pikeman, cavalry, and swordsmen. Despite a strong launch in the top 50, the game has started to fall down the grossing ranks.

October ended with the launch of Pokémon TCG Pocket, which has been dominating the number one spot in the Japanese market in both downloads and grossing ranks. It has also been holding steady in the US top-grossing 10 day after day. The game mainly focuses on collecting cards, including an elaborate gacha that tries to replicate the real-life experience of opening a Booster Pack of Pokémon trading cards, while the actual battling aspect is treated almost like side mode.

Gardenscapes Super Rainbow Blast, an all-new charge-and-sustain type power-up system, confirmed what appears to be a lasting trend in the mobile market. The new system is heavily reminiscent of Royal Match’s Super Lightball win streak, which has also appeared in several other popular puzzle titles since Super Lightball launched in the summer of 2023—including Zen Match, TwistedTangle, and many others. 

Blizzard’s CCG Hearthstone has been relaunched in China after a dispute with its publisher NetEase saw it taken offline in the country along with other popular games. The game’s relaunch featured a major giveaway of past cards in addition to log-in rewards, card backs, and coin skins in a special “China-exclusive return pass”, boosting its performance to impressive heights, peaking in the top 5 in both downloads and revenue.