Subway Surfers: Lessons from the Record-Breaking Mobile Game

Subway Surfers is a game that needs no introduction. With over 4 billion lifetime downloads to date, it has defied gravity and continues to soar higher in the mobile gaming stratosphere.

But what’s the secret sauce behind this phenomenal success? And more importantly, how can you, as a mobile game developer or publisher, decipher its code to propel your own game to such heights?

Here’s everything you need to know.

Subway Surfers: Endlessly Fun

Subway Surfers was released in 2012, co-developed by SYBO and Kiloo, although SYBO has since taken over full operations and publishing. The game’s widespread success has now lasted for more than a decade, still boasting over 20 million daily active users (DAU) and 150 million monthly active users (MAU) on average.

It belongs to the arcade genre and endless runner subgenre. In fact, it’s one of the classic representations of this subgenre, along with other hit titles like Temple Run. Learn more about the differences between the two games in my Temple Run 2 analysis.

Breaking Records

Subway Surfers’ tremendous success additionally stands out in terms of key metrics like downloads, so much so it broke several records.

Check out these stats:

• Subway Surfers was the most downloaded game of 2022, and the past decade.
• It has more than 4 billion lifetime downloads.
• It was the first game to reach 1 billion downloads on Android.

This is what makes Subway Surfers one of the most successful mobile games of all time.

We’ve talked with Sybo’s CMO Philip Hickey about Subway Surfer’s record-breaking success. He expressed that “2022 was a remarkable year for Subway Surfers, a year I like to call the ‘perfect storm’. We witnessed growth not just in the game’s metrics, but also in our social reach, fan base, and team. The real pride comes from sustaining this momentum well into 2023, a true testament to our dedicated team’s efforts.”

It is without a doubt that the past couple of years were triumphant for Sybo. Now, let’s analyze why players like it that much.

What Makes Subway Surfers’ Gameplay So Enjoyable?

To find out why Subway Surfers is so popular among mobile gamers, we need to examine its gameplay, game mechanics, and features.

Highly-Engaging Core Gameplay

At the core of Subway Surfers is simple, yet highly-engaging arcade gameplay.

The main goal of the game is to keep running on an endless path for as long as possible, get away from the guard, and reach the highest score. To achieve that, players run along subway tracks, collect coins and power-ups, and dodge obstacles.

Like most endless runner games, Subway Surfers features a third-person view.

Intuitive Controls

Subway Surfers features simple and intuitive controls one would expect from a casual arcade game. The swiping mechanics allow players to turn left, right, duck, and jump.

Additionally, tapping is used to activate the hoverboard (protects from crashing for 30 seconds) or power-ups (give special abilities).

That makes the game accessible to all types of players. Subway Surfers perfected the endless runner category with satisfyingly smooth controls, intense action, immersive environments, and beautifully animated characters.

Unlike previous endless runner games, the path in Subway Surfers is straight and there are three tracks players need to move between, which significantly simplifies gameplay.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not challenging.

Progressive Difficulty

Subway Surfers is a good example of a game that’s easy to play, but difficult to master. As you play, it gets faster, which makes it more challenging. That, in turn, motivates players to keep playing and beat their high scores.

Power-Ups and Boosters

To achieve the goal of increasing their score in runs, players can use various power-ups and boosters. For example, the coin magnet attracts coins from all tracks, while the jetpack lets players fly through the sky.

Players can pick up these power-ups during runs. Some of them are purchasable in the game’s store. Upgrades permanently increase the duration of power-ups – players can purchase them with coins or get them for free by watching an ad.

That makes power-ups essential for the game’s monetization strategy, but more on that later on.

Progression Systems

If Subway Surfers was just about running along tracks and the only goal was to beat your high score, it would get boring after constant repetition. No matter how fun and addicting the core gameplay is, players need new challenges as well as short-term and long-term goals to continue playing.

To achieve that, Subway Surfers features many progression systems that drive engagement and keep players busy. The main ones are based on completing various tasks and challenges.

Primarily there are missions, quests, and achievements. Each offers challenges of varying difficulty and different rewards. That way, there’s always something to do and players get rewarded often, which leads to a more enjoyable experience.

Missions

Missions are fun challenges players need to finish to increase score multipliers. For example, collect a certain amount of coins or use a certain amount of hoverboards. Each mission has three tasks and completing them gets players a point multiplier.

Quests

Quests are divided into two parts – daily and seasonal quests. The former provides players with short-term goals, while the latter requires more time and work to complete.

Some examples of quests are to spend 3 keys, claim 2 daily gifts, or win a gold medal.

But quests are not available right away – players need to reach a score multiplier 4 to unlock. It’s a great example of gradually introducing and unlocking additional features and progression systems. That way, players are not overwhelmed and have the chance of getting familiar with each game mechanic.

Achievements

There are also various achievements players can work towards. They represent long-term goals, as they’re not as easy to achieve as missions and quests. However, the reward is also greater – players get keys, which are the game’s premium currency.

Social Features

Subway Surfers incorporates social features to enhance player engagement and retention. These features include leaderboards, weekly challenges, AR content creation tools, social sharing, friend interaction, and events/tournaments.

• Leaderboards display the highest scores achieved by players, fostering competition and a sense of accomplishment.
• Weekly challenges provide objectives within a specific timeframe, offer rewards, and motivate players to return regularly.
• AR content creation tools are a new addition to the game, with the recent launch of Subway Studio in June 2023. The feature allows players to create photo and video content with the Subway Surfers crew in their real-world environments and share across social media.
• Social sharing enables players to showcase achievements and compete with friends on social media platforms. To incentivize players to connect their Facebook, the game rewards players.
• Friend interaction allows players to connect, compare scores, challenge each other, and exchange in-game gifts.
• Events and tournaments with limited-time rewards create excitement and encourage regular play.

Subway Surfers Characters

More and more casual games have started utilizing character collection. It’s a huge trend among games of all genres, even though it was traditionally utilized by core games.

In most games, it’s incorporated as a meta-layer and doesn’t affect core gameplay, but rather adds another layer of content.

Subway Surfers has been one of the early adopters of this trend. So much so that game characters are one of the most popular and recognizable aspects of this game.

In 2012, Subway Surfers started off with only 17 characters. Do you know how many Subway Surfer characters are there now?

More than 160 characters!

All of these characters are playable and have different outfits, but collecting all of them is not an easy task. While some are available all the time, many of them are limited characters, meaning players have a limited time to buy them.

Players can buy characters with coins, event coins, character tokens, and keys.

But why would players invest so much time, and oftentimes real money, to collect virtual mobile game characters? It’s not like these characters give them a significant advantage in the game, so what is it then?

Why do People Collect Things?

According to the Journal of Consumer Marketing, as much as 40% of households in the US engage in collecting behaviors. Oftentimes, the items people collect are not even physical, so it’s not always about acquiring material possessions.

Collecting is more of an intellectual and emotional process. Different people have different motivations for it – some people signal their wealth and power, while others have a sentimental attachment to objects. Whatever it may be, it gives people joy and satisfaction to own these things – they feel excited about it.

The motivations behind it are the same as for any type of collecting, including items like characters or skins in a mobile game.

Some players like to show off to other players. Others derive satisfaction from owning exclusive characters and completing their collections. Many of them develop emotional attachments to characters because each of them has a unique personality and style.

For some players, it’s about representing their unique personalities and interests through the characters and outfits they collect. This is one of the reasons why characters in this game are so diverse.

According to Philip Hickey, Sybo’s CMO, “Character collection is a key driver of player engagement and retention. Depending on the update’s location, players can unlock and collect new characters, which fosters a deeper connection and encourages continued play. Of course, different players are motivated by various aspects like progression and mastery, but character collection remains a significant factor.”

Diversity and Inclusivity

Subway Surfers demonstrates a commitment to character diversity and inclusivity. It features a diverse cast of playable characters from various cultural backgrounds, representing different ethnicities, nationalities, and even fictional personas.

This diverse representation contributes to a more inclusive gaming experience and promotes a sense of relatability and representation for players from various backgrounds.

Furthermore, Subway Surfers often releases special editions and updates tied to

real-world events and locations. These updates incorporate characters specific to those regions, celebrating the cultural diversity of different cities and countries.

By doing so, the game embraces a global audience and highlights the richness and variety of cultures worldwide. It also keeps game content fresh and exciting, which helps developers avoid low engagement and churn.

Sybo’s CMO Philip Hickey confirms that diversity and inclusivity are core values at Sybo – “Embracing diversity is a cornerstone of our company’s values. We’re committed to celebrating and representing people from all walks of life, both within our team and among our fan base. This commitment extends to Subway Surfers, where we strive to represent a diverse range of characters to promote global understanding and respect.”

Subway Surfers Marketing Strategy

Subway Surfers’ marketing strategy hinges on its understanding of its audience and their needs, its constant gameplay updates, and its clever utilization of social media and collaborations.

This potent combination has propelled the game to achieve a record-breaking number of downloads.

Ad Creatives

Subway Surfers employs a variety of ad formats to ensure a broad reach across different platforms. These include banner ads, interstitials, and other types of video ads. By using a mix of formats, the game caters to different user preferences and consumption trends, increasing its chances of attracting potential players.

The game’s ad creatives are as dynamic and vibrant as the game itself. They often feature short gameplay clips or animations showcasing the game’s main characters and theme. This serves to give potential players a taste of the exciting, fast-paced gameplay they can expect.

They also highlight key features of the game, like various characters, power-ups, and the ever-changing World Tour locations.

The ads also emphasize the competitive element of the game by featuring high scores and player achievements to spark potential players’ competitive spirit. This approach not only shows what the game is about but also entices new users to challenge themselves within the game.

Limited-Time Events

Subway Surfers also capitalizes on its limited-time events and collaborations for its advertising strategy. By featuring these unique aspects in their ads, the game creates a sense of urgency and exclusivity, which compels users to download the game to not miss out on the fun.

TikTok Presence

TikTok is another piece of the game’s user acquisition puzzle.

Subway Surfers has managed to harness the power of TikTok and user-generated content (UGC) to reach new heights in user acquisition.

By doing so, the game taps into a demographic that aligns perfectly with its target audience. TikTok’s format of short, catchy videos perfectly suits the fast-paced, vibrant aesthetic of Subway Surfers. It’s a match made in marketing heaven.

Subway Surfers’ TikTok account features a variety of content, including gameplay clips, updates about World Tour locations, in-game challenges, and, most importantly, user-generated content. By creating a dedicated space for Subway Surfers on TikTok, the developers can engage with potential users in an environment they’re familiar with and enjoy.

User Generated Content

User-generated content plays a pivotal role in Subway Surfers’ user acquisition strategy. Encouraging players to create and share their content, like high-score videos or fan art, generates a sense of community. This engagement fosters a connection between players and the game, enhancing user retention.

Moreover, user-generated content acts as an organic marketing tool. When Subway Surfers players share their experiences and achievements on their personal social media platforms, they expose their followers to the game. This word-of-mouth marketing has a high trust factor, which drives downloads.

Also, by featuring user-generated content on their official TikTok account, which boasts over 7.8 million followers, the game showcases real players’ experiences. Potential users get to see authentic, relatable gameplay, which significantly boosts the chances of user acquisition.

Considering how many downloads this game gets, it’s clear that all of these user acquisition strategies are working. But how does SYBO monetize this global community?

Let’s find out.

Subway Surfers’ Monetization Approach

So, we’ve learned that Subway Surfers has mastered user acquisition. But having billions of downloads doesn’t necessarily equal profit. A well-thought-out monetization strategy needs to be put in place to maximize the game’s earning potential.

Here’s how monetization works in Subway Surfers.

Game Economy

In terms of in-game currency, players collect coins as they run through the subway tracks. These coins can be used to purchase power-ups, hoverboards, character upgrades, and instantly complete missions. Players can get them through daily challenges, missions, and by finding them during gameplay.

This in-game currency system allows players to progress and enhance their gameplay without spending real money. In terms of a game economy, we call it soft currency.

The game also has a special currency called event coins. Players can collect them by playing the game or watching ads and using them to buy special event characters and items. While event coins offer a shortcut to certain exclusive items, they are not essential for gameplay progression, which ensures a fair playing field for all players.

Additionally, Subway Surfers incorporates a premium currency – keys.

Players obtain them through gameplay milestones, daily login rewards, and completing specific objectives. They can be used to continue playing, as well as unlock exclusive content, characters, and special events. Keys can be purchased directly using real money or by watching ads.

This brings us to Subway Surfers’ monetization approach – in-app purchases, combined with ads, which is known as hybrid monetization.

Ads in Subway Surfers

Originally published at https://www.blog.udonis.co on January 31, 2024.