Sort Express is a sort puzzle game by Circle Games, released in February 2025, and it has scaled to nearly $40K in daily IAP revenue, according to AppMagic.
This is another match-3 shelf sort puzzle, a space currently led by Goods Puzzle from Falcon Games, which is still generating over $50K in daily IAP revenue and ranks as the 4th highest-grossing sort puzzle game.
Let’s take a closer look at the design behind Sort Express.
Proven Design
The game builds on an already proven concept with a largely ad-monetized audience, but seems to be taking an approach similar to what Grand Games and Spyke Games have done in other puzzle categories: combining a familiar core with higher-quality execution and a strong focus on IAP monetization. This also involves two fail conditions, limited time and stuck states, creating multiple monetization opportunities.
Rich Progression
The game introduces new mechanics fairly quickly, including boosters, blockers, pre-level boosters, and win streaks, helping keep the experience fresh. Unlike Goods Puzzle and many other games in this category, Sort Express uses deterministic puzzle levels, letting players improve on past attempts. There are also UX features like auto-hints and difficulty labels to help set player expectations. On the meta side, the game features leaderboards, different item packs that players unlock as they progress, and a rich LiveOps system that is introduced early.
Hybrid Monetization
The game uses both IAP and IAA monetization, but interestingly, interstitial ads are delayed until around level 40, giving players a smooth onboarding experience, while RV ads can be seen in level reward multipliers and life refills. On the IAP side, the in-game shop features a wide variety of packs and bundles including ad removal offers. Additionally, there are different time-limited offers, passes, while all boosters and revives are tied to soft currency, nudging players further toward IAPs.
Original Post: Kavindu Priyanath-LinkedIn
