Japan’s top apps of 2014: games, Line, and games by Line

It’s no secret that the Japanese love mobile gaming, RPGs in particular. Tech in Asia rounded up the 10 top-grossing free apps on both iOS (iPhone only) and Android based on data provided by AppAnnie. Nine of the top 10 are games – many being RPGs outright or having RPG elements.

Japan’s blockbuster messaging app Line, with more than 170 million monthly active users, is the only non-game app on either list. It’s also the most common publisher on the list, with kawaii Disney tie-up Line: Disney Tsum Tsum and puzzle game Line PokoPoko also landing in the top 10 for both stores.

While Gungho’s smash hit Puzzle & Dragons retained the top spot on iOS year-on-year, Mixi savior Monster Strike topped the Android charts. A new challenger, J-RPG White Cat Project, performed exceptionally well since its relatively recent release in July (Puzzle & Dragons, by comparison, was released back in February 2012 while Monster Strike dropped in August 2013 for iOS and December 2013 for Android).

Note: Parenthesis indicate publisher and brackets indicate the app’s standing relative to AppAnnie’s 2013 data.

App Store Japan top 10 free apps (2014)

1. Puzzle & Dragons (Gungho) [Same position as last year]


2. Monster Strike (Mixi) [New]


3. Line: Disney Tsum Tsum (Line) [New]


4. Line (Line) [Up from 6th last year]


5. White Cat Project (Colopl) [New]


6. Final Fantasy Record Keeper (DeNA) [New]


7. Line PokoPoko (Line) [New]


8. Love Live (KLab) [New]


9. Clash of Clans (Supercell) [Down from 7th last year]


10. Sengoku Enbu Kizna (Sumzap) [Down from 5th last year]

Google Play Japan top 10 free apps (2014)

1. Monster Strike (Mixi) [New]


2. Puzzle & Dragons (Gungho) [Down from 1st last year]


3. Dragon Quest Monsters Super Light (Square Enix) [New]


4. White Cat Project (Colopl) [New]


5. Line: Disney Tsum Tsum (Line) [New]


6. Line (Line) [Down from 5th last year]


7. Quiz RPG: World of Mystic Wiz (Colopl) [Down from 2nd last year]


8. Line PokoPoko (Line) [New]


9. Chain Chronicle (Sega) [Down from 4th last year]


10. School Girl Strikers (Square Enix) [New]

See: Wanna sell your mobile game in Japan? You better make a TV commercial

This post Japan’s top apps of 2014: games, Line, and games by Line appeared first on Tech in Asia.

Japan’s top apps of 2014: games, Line, and games by Line