Why Monster Strike Stays Popular After 10+ Years: Long-Term Success Secrets

Since its release in October 2013, over a decade has passed. The Japanese mobile game market is a tough world where countless hits are born and disappear, but amidst this, 'Monster Strike' (hereafter, MonSt), provided by MIXI, Inc., continues to maintain top-class popularity. Although there was a period when monotony in gameplay and user attrition were pointed out, its momentum shows no signs of waning, recording the highest sales in the domestic mobile game market in 2022. Why has MonSt been able to be loved by users for so long and continue to generate revenue? This article will delve deeply into the secrets of its strength from four perspectives: “Game Design,” “Monetization Strategy,” “Retention Measures,” and “KPIs,” dissecting the strategies that enable long-term operation.

The Art of Simple Yet Profound "Game Design"

When discussing MonSt's success, the excellence of its fundamental game design is indispensable. While seemingly simple in operation, it harbors a depth that keeps players engaged, forming the basis of its long-term popularity.

The Thrill of "Slingshot Hunting" with a Single Finger

MonSt's most significant feature is its intuitive and simple operation: “pulling a friendly monster and hitting enemies.” It has excellent compatibility with smartphone touchscreens, allowing even light users unfamiliar with games to quickly understand the rules and experience a refreshing thrill. However, simply flicking aimlessly won't lead to victory. Strategic thinking is required with each move, such as increasing the number of attacks by bouncing off walls or enemies (“Kankan”), or hitting allies to trigger “Friendship Combos.” This exquisite game balance—“easy for anyone to start, but deep when trying to master”—captures the hearts of a wide range of users and keeps them engaged.

"Multiplayer" that Fosters Communication

From its initial development, MonSt was designed with an emphasis on “having fun together,” leveraging the communication know-how cultivated through the SNS “mixi.” The multiplayer feature, allowing up to four players simultaneously, embodies this philosophy. The sense of unity experienced when bringing smartphones together to challenge high-difficulty quests is a unique charm of MonSt, not found in other games. The sense of accomplishment when cooperatively clearing difficult quests invigorates communication with friends and family, serving as a mechanism to deepen engagement with the game. There is no doubt that the joy of this “co-op play” greatly contributed to user expansion through word-of-mouth and community formation.

Diverse Characters that Stimulate Collection Desire

Another core aspect of MonSt is its thousands of unique characters. Attractive characters, themed after myths, historical figures, and fairy tales, each possess unique “Strike Shots (special moves)” and “Friendship Combos.” The strategic depth of forming optimal teams based on quest mechanics offers a puzzle-game-like enjoyment. Furthermore, characters have growth elements such as “Evolution,” “Divinization,” and later added “Beastification” and “Beastification Kai,” allowing for the long-term enjoyment of developing a single character. This vast array of characters and the development system strongly stimulate users' desire for collection, serving as a motivation for continuous play.

Skillful "Monetization Design" Balancing Profitability and User Experience

To achieve long-term operation, a monetization design that ensures stable revenue without overly stressing users is essential. MonSt demonstrates a very skillful sense of balance in this regard.

"Gacha" Combining Chance and Strategy

The primary revenue source is “gacha,” used to acquire characters. Particularly during the “Geki-Jushinsai” and “Cho-Jushinsai” events held at the end and beginning of each month, powerful limited characters are released, leading to a significant rise in sales rankings. Limited gachas implemented during collaboration events with popular anime and other IPs also serve as major revenue pillars. However, MonSt's gacha isn't merely about stimulating speculative desire. Because “suitable characters” that are extremely effective in specific quests exist, users are compelled to strategically pull from gachas. This “necessity” motivates monetization and makes it a viable business model.

"Orb" Distribution Design Allowing Free-to-Play and Low-Spenders to Enjoy

One reason MonSt is supported by a wide range of users is its game design, which allows free-to-play and low-spending users to fully enjoy it. “Orbs,” the in-game currency used for gacha pulls and stamina recovery, are frequently distributed through login bonuses, quest clear rewards, and various campaigns. This allows users to collect characters and progress through the game without making purchases. Unlike models that rely on heavy spending by a few users, this design retains many light users and contributes to the overall vitality of the game. As a result, small-scale purchases from a large user base accumulate, forming a stable long-term revenue foundation.

Introduction of Video Reward Ads

In recent years, MonSt has also adopted a hybrid monetization model combining in-app purchases (IAP) with video reward ads (IAA). Users can watch ad videos at any time to receive rewards such as stamina recovery or gacha tickets. This mechanism provides benefits to users who are reluctant to spend money while securing a new revenue stream, making it a rational approach. It has been introduced in a way that does not harm the user experience, with data showing that approximately 20-50% of DAU (Daily Active Users) watch video reward ads.

Skillful "Retention Measures" to Keep Users Engaged

To keep users playing the same game for over 10 years, continuous efforts to prevent boredom, in other words, retention measures, are extremely important.

Constant Events and Major IP Collaborations

MonSt adds new event quests and characters almost every week, constantly providing users with new goals and gameplay. Particularly noteworthy are collaboration events with popular anime and manga. Collaborations with nationally popular titles like “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” and “Jujutsu Kaisen” serve as powerful strategies to acquire new and dormant users, reaching even those who don't usually play MonSt. High-quality collaborations not only boost existing user satisfaction but also significantly increase active user numbers and sales.

High-Difficulty Content that Stimulates Challenge

In addition to content enjoyable for light users, there is also an abundance of high-difficulty content designed to stimulate the challenge urges of experienced players. The highest difficulty quests, such as “Bakuzetsu” and “Gouzetsu,” cannot be cleared without assembling the right characters and formulating precise strategies. Such challenging content plays a crucial role in preventing core user attrition and extending the game's lifespan. The sense of accomplishment upon clearing them is exceptional and can even become a status symbol within the community.

"Beastification Kai" Redefining Character Value

In long-running games, the problem of inflation due to new character introductions—meaning older characters becoming relatively weaker—is unavoidable. MonSt addresses this challenge by regularly implementing remedies in the form of “Beastification” and “Beastification Kai,” which significantly enhance existing characters. This allows beloved characters that once shone to be viable on the front lines again, preserving the user's asset value and maintaining satisfaction for users who previously spent money. This can be described as an excellent measure that connects affection for characters to retention.

MonSt's Unwavering Strength as Seen Through KPIs

The results of various measures are also reflected in concrete figures (KPIs). According to MIXI's financial statements, the digital entertainment business, primarily driven by MonSt, has accounted for the majority of the company's revenue for many years. Although sales have decreased from their peak in the fiscal year ending March 2016, the business still recorded sales of 98.8 billion JPY in the fiscal year ending March 2024, clearly indicating that it remains a massive revenue base. Particularly noteworthy is the surge in MAU (Monthly Active Users) and sales during anniversary events and months with major collaborations. There's even a record that active users reached an all-time high during the 3rd-anniversary campaign in October 2016. This is proof that the aforementioned retention measures are indeed linked to KPIs, speaking to the skillfulness of the operation. The cumulative number of users has exceeded 62 million, and this enormous user base supports MonSt's stable strength.

Summary

The reason “Monster Strike” has maintained its popularity for over a decade is not due to a single factor. It is the result of multiple organically intertwined elements: “core game design balancing simplicity and depth,” “balanced monetization generating revenue from a wide user base,” “skillful retention measures constantly offering fresh surprises,” and “stable KPIs” supporting these successes. In particular, the joy of multiplayer centered on “communication” strengthens the community, and continuous updates and major collaborations keep users engaged. It is the accumulation of meticulous operational strategies on this solid foundation that can be called the biggest secret to “Monster Strike's” long-term operational success. This strategy will undoubtedly serve as an important guidepost for many developers aiming for success in the mobile game market in the future.