Merge-2 isn’t a new genre, but the version dominating today’s market isn’t that old either.
The early roots of the genre trace back to simple games like 2048 variants and idle merge experiences like Cow Evolution and Merge Town. While these laid the groundwork introducing merging two objects as a core gameplay, they lacked the depth we now associate with the genre.
A major turning point came with Merge Farm, which more closely resembles modern Merge-2 design. And from that point on, the genre has evolved rapidly, reaching new milestones.
Let’s look at the top-grossing charts over time to understand how the genre evolved and which games shaped it.
2020 – The Beginning
● Merge Mansion quickly rose to the top of the charts after release
● Marked the beginning of narrative-driven, meta-heavy merge games
2021 – Contenders Emerge
● The top charts began to be dominated by deeper experiences
● New contenders like Merge Mayor and Love & Pies reinforced this trend
2022 – Competition Intensifies
● Travel Town climbed to No. 2, briefly surpassing Love & Pies
● Gossip Harbor was released and entered the top 5, signaling a new major contender
2023 – Market Intensifies
● Merge Mansion held its crown for the fourth consecutive year, generating over $100M+ in IAP revenue
● Gossip Harbor rose to No. 3, while Seaside Escape reached No. 4, highlighting Microfun’s growing presence
2024 – A New Leader
● Travel Town dethroned Merge Mansion to take the No.1 spot
● Microfun strengthened its position holding both No. 2 and No. 3
● Combined, Microfun’s revenue exceeded Travel Town by ~$100M
● Merge Cooking climbed to No. 5, marking the entry of another Chinese publisher into the top 5
2025 – Breakout Success
● Gossip Harbor becomes the new leader of the genre: $600M+ IAP revenue with 55M downloads
● It nearly 3x Travel Town’s IAP revenue, while rest of the top 5 remained largely unchanged
2026 (YTD)
● Gossip Harbor shows no signs of slowing down
● Tasty Travels from Century Games is rapidly growing and closing in on Travel Town
But that’s not all. In 2026, Gossip Harbor has already pushed the genre even further by,
● Surpassing Candy Crush Saga in monthly IAP revenue
● Becoming the first Merge-2 title to cross $1B in lifetime IAP revenue
What this kind of growth shows is just how far the genre has come in a short time. And more importantly, how much room it still has to expand. If anything, Merge-2 feels like it’s only getting started.
