AFK Journey Newsletter
01
Executive Summary
02
App Overview
03
User Acquisition
04
Top Creatives
05
Top Creatives (Competitors)
06
User Acquisition Strategy
07
Creative Strategy
08
AFK Journey Strategy
PvP Engagements
Hero Gallery
Fun Game Modes
Open-world Exploration
Evolved Battle Mechanics
Guild Hunts
Passive Progression
Rowan’s Starter Bundle
Mystic Epic Recruitment
Gazette Reward Pack
Travelogue Pack
Special Limited Bundle
Bonus Trek Rewards
Revenue of $42,196,899
Top Tier-1 countries in revenue: USA, Germany, France, Canada, UK, Australia
Total downloads of 6,351,202
Top Tier-1 countries in downloads: USA, France, Germany, UK, Canada
Downloads: AFK Journey experienced a 40.8% decrease in downloads over the last 14 to 30 days, a 22.3% decrease over the last 30 to 60 days, and a 48.7% increase over the last 60 to 90 days.
Revenue: AFK Journey's revenue decreased by 20% in the last 14 to 30 days, increased by 35.7% over the last 30 to 60 days, and increased by 46.8% in the last 60 to 90 days.
Monetization Networks: In the last 14 to 30 days, YouTube's numbers rose by 16.8%, Facebook's by 5.7%, while Fyber and Unity saw drops of 5.8% and 6.9%. In the last 30 to 60 days, YouTube grew by 18.4% and Facebook by 3.52%. In the last 60 to 90 days, YouTube increased by 17.1% and Facebook by 2.1%.
Popular Markets: In the last 14 to 30 days, the USA saw a 14.6% increase, France grew by 11.5%, and Germany by 12.3%. In the last 30 to 60 days, the USA grew by 3.6%, France by 18.5%, and Germany by 16%; and in the last 60 to 90 days, the USA increased by 8.8%, France remained unchanged, and Germany grew by 2.5%.
Unique/New Creatives: Over the last 14 to 30 days, the number of new creatives for AFK Journey decreased by 13%, increased by 6.16% in the last 30 to 60 days, and increased by 4.28% over the last 60 to 90 days.
Monetization Networks: In the last 14 to 30 days, Facebook showed a 10% increase while YouTube saw a 9.2% decrease. In the last 30 to 60 days, Facebook's numbers increased by 12.5% and YouTube grew by 3.28%; and during the last 60 to 90 days, YouTube increased by 7%, Facebook grew by 3.3%, and Fyber increased by 2%.
Popular Markets: Over the last 14 to 30 days, the USA grew by 11.4%, France and Germany both by 3.3%, and the UK by 5.1%; in the last 30 to 60 days, the USA saw a 16.1% increase while the UK and Australia declined by 3% and 7.5%; and during the last 60 to 90 days, the USA increased by 10.5% and the UK and Germany both by 6.6% .
AFK Journey is an immersive idle Role-playing game set in the mythical world of Esperia. The game features a rich narrative where players lead as Magister Merlin explores diverse landscapes and engages in tactical battles. With a focus on strategic team composition, players can enjoy a variety of game modes including PvE, PvP, and cooperative guild battles.
AFK Journey, a free-to-play fantasy RPG published by FARLIGHT, offers nearly 50 heroes with diverse classes and abilities, providing ever-evolving options for your party.
In the game, players need to assemble and upgrade a team of heroes, battle enemies, and collect rewards, making continuous progress through idle gameplay.
Players portray the role of Magister Merlin with amnesia, forming a team to complete quests.
The game transports players to Esperia, where they recruit heroes, combat challenges (Story, Faction-based, and Seasonal) from Non-Player Characters, and earn rewards through active play and idle mechanics.
Players can engage in both PvP and PvE modes for a diverse gameplay experience.
In PvP mode, they can access the Arena for ranking battles and participate in Honor Duels for one-on-one matches to earn accolades.
In PvE mode, players can participate in the Arcane Labyrinth to defeat bosses, take on daily challenges in Dura's Trials, engage in Battle Drills, and complete the multi-floor Legend Trial for rewards.
Players must gather materials like Gold, Training Manuals (These are an in-game resource in AFK Journey used to level up heroes, their progression and performance) and Hero Essence, for upgrades, earned through game modes, questing, or increasing their in-game ranking.
Each season (regular content updates to introduce new stories, challenges, and progression systems to keep the game fresh every 4 months) in AFK Journey offers unique skills unlocked at Level 51 of that particular season. End-of-season rewards are based on players' season level and their progress in seasonal modes.
Magic Charms (in-game feature introduced in the Song of Strife season), available seasonally, enhance heroes with stat bonuses and special effects and expire at the season's (Song of Strife season) end. Higher-quality charms offer stronger bonuses.
In AFK Journey, community interaction is possible through battle sharing. Players join guilds for Battle Drills to complete challenges, defeat final bosses, and compete in server-wide rankings.
PvP Engagements
Hero Gallery
Fun Game Modes
Open-world Exploration
Evolved Battle Mechanics
Guild Hunts
Passive Progression
1. Rowan's Starter Bundle
The Rowan's Starter Bundle in AFK Journey capitalizes on the support hero Rowan, celebrated for his healing and energy-boosting skills to other in-game characters. It’s the first bundle offer introduced after 45 minutes of continuous gameplay.
Availing of this deal allows players to leverage Rowan’s skills like "Fatal Greed," which provides surrounding allies with energy boosts and secure victory through increased game progress speed.
With this pack, players can access in-game assets like Lightbearer, Support Class, Magic and Range, level 1 Rowan Card, Ironwall Echo, and Invite Letter to boost individual player performance and enrich the overall team dynamics.
The specific ‘Purchase’ button on the deal is designed to initiate a streamlined purchase flow that directly highlights Rowan's Starter Bundle for immediate review and confirmation.
The colorful and lively design featuring the character Rowan appeals to players' affinity for narrative and character development.
2. Mystic Epic Recruitment
AFK Journey introduces the ‘Mystic Epic Recruitment’ pack to offer a guaranteed 10 times (x10) Epic Invite Letter which can be used to summon in-game heroes and strengthen the team.
Players receive this pack as a congratulatory reward upon completing in-game hero recruitment.
This time-limited offer concluding in 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 50 seconds has a permanent purchase limit of 1, making it an exclusive purchase.
The price point of ₹89.00 is discounted and specially priced compared to the usual cost of Epic-level rewards in the game.
The countdown timer and purchase limit create urgency and scarcity, while the exclusive reward enhances the offer's desirability and perceived value, making it attractive to hesitant spenders.
3. Gazette Reward Pack
On completing the first chapter of the gameplay narratives, the AFK Journey offers two in-app purchase options titled "Classic Gazette" and "Premium Gazette", which are designed to provide players with daily rewards over 30 days.
The "Classic Gazette" offers a value of 3500%, while the "Premium Gazette" provides a 3000% value increase.
Upon activating Classic Gazette, users receive an initial reward of 3000 Diamonds (primary in-game currency) and 120 Summoning Scrolls (an in-game currency used to recruit heroes via a gacha mechanism, which is a core system of the game’s character acquisition). Additionally, they are entitled to daily rewards of 300 Diamonds for 30 days.
At the initial level, the bundle pack of Premium Gazette grants users 450 Summoning Scrolls and 10 Advanced Hero Tokens (lets players participate in summoning events where they can unlock higher-tier heroes). Daily rewards of the bundle offer include 2 Advanced Hero Tokens each day for 30 days.
Priced at ₹449.00, Classic Gazette offers daily rewards at a highly cost-effective rate. While available for ₹1,299.00, Premium Gazette provides premium-level rewards like rare Advanced Hero Tokens, justifying its exceptional value of 3000%.
The daily rewards structure encourages daily logins and consistent engagement with the game, fostering a habit-forming loop that benefits both players and the game's revenue model.
The limited-time nature of the initial activation rewards leverages scarcity, motivating players to act quickly to maximize their benefits.
4. Travelogue Pack
Three days into their gameplay, AFK Journey players are introduced to the ‘Travelogue Pack’, which offers a choice between two upgrade paths: the “Secret Travelogue” and the “Legendary Travelogue” for a boost in the in-game adventure.
The Secret Travelogue offers in-game rewards (Epic Invite Letters and a selector box for choosing an S-Level character) and an increase in one milestone level. At the same time, the Legendary Travelogue provides an instant boost by increasing the player's milestone level by 20.
Both versions of the Travelogue Pack offer rewards with over 4000% added value, specifically designed to accelerate progression and enhance gameplay by increasing milestone levels.
The pricing of Secret Travelogue is ₹899.00, while that of the Legendary Travelogue costs ₹1,799.00 with the latter deal offering more value for a higher price.
Once the player unlocks the Travelogue Pack in AFK Journey, it remains permanently available in the in-game store and allows the player to purchase it at any convenient time to boost their gaming experience.
The two-tier pricing strategy designed disproportionately for higher rewards caters to different spending thresholds, allowing players to choose based on their willingness to pay.
5. Special Limited Bundle
The “Special Limited Bundle” is an exclusive, time-limited offer designed to provide players of AFK Journey with a bonus of 1200% more value than standard in-game purchases.
Introduced after completing two game zones, this deal offers 300 Gemstones (used to obtain Invite Rolls at the Nobel Tavern, which is essential for recruiting new heroes). and 60 Energy Potions (replenish heroes' energy and continue battling without waiting for energy to regenerate naturally) for free for extended gameplay sessions.
The paid tier grants gold coins and Hero Summoning Cards for building higher-tier heroes and acquiring valuable in-game assets.
Offering free initial rewards motivates players with a taste of the benefits and lowers the psychological barrier to making the purchase. This sampling strategy enhances the perceived value of the paid bundles.
6. Bonus Trek Rewards
AFK Journey provides two combined offers (Secret Trek and Heroic Trek) under the ‘Bonus Trek Rewards’ after two days of consecutive game login and is designed to initiate an exciting in-game adventure.
Secret Trek allows players to increase their trek level by 20, granting them a 3500%+ value in rewards which include game assets. While "Heroic Trek" offers all the rewards from "Secret Trek" along with rewards, enhancing the value proposition.
Higher trek levels unlock added game content, boost hero stats (attack power, defense capabilities, and resource generation), and enhance the gaming experience.
“Secret Trek" is priced at ₹599.00, while "Heroic Trek" is priced higher at ₹1,299.00. The differentiation between the two lies in the added benefits and level increases offered by "Heroic Trek”.
By highlighting a comparison between the two tiers, players can perceive the higher-priced deal as more valuable, which will motivate them to opt for the more expensive option.
The higher cost of "Heroic Trek" comes with greater rewards. The offer leverages the principle of 'more for more'—where players feel they are getting a proportionately larger reward for their higher investment.
In-game currency
1. Gold
Gold is a primary currency in the AFK Journey, required for in-game transactions.
The currency is used for leveling up heroes, crafting gear for team strength, and as an investment in-game artifacts.
Gold in AFK Journey is primarily accumulated through AFK progression, where the quantity of this currency increases with the player's AFK stage.
Players can earn gold coins Gold by participating in PvP game modes, exploring maps, opening chests, completing world quests, and attaining higher VIP levels.
2. Diamonds
Diamonds are the secondary and versatile currency in AFK Journey.
The currency can be used for purchasing Acorns, Hero Essence, Arena Tickets, Invite Letters, Stellar Crystals, and daily instant AFK progression rewards to upgrade heroes, fight battles, and acquire powerful hero stats for the team.
Players can acquire diamonds by completing story missions and unlocking chests, participating in Dream Realm boss battles with a guild, and engaging in PvP modes like the Arena.
3. Dragon Crystals
Dragon Crystals are a secondary currency required for AFK Journey’s game progression.
This currency, in the form of crystals, is used for purchasing high-value packs like hero upgrade materials and trolley items like Stellar Crystals for hero development and equipment upgrades.
Dragon Crystals are primarily acquired through real-money transactions. Players can purchase them via the official purchase platform, PlutoMall (officially acclaimed payment platform for Farlight games), which offers a 5% bonus on purchases.
Occasionally, special promotions and events may offer additional discounts or bonuses on Dragon Crystal purchases.
4. Invite Letters
Invite Letters are a secondary in-game currency in the AFK Journey required for strengthening a player's roster. There are two types, namely Normal Invite Letters and Epic Invite Letters.
The currency is used for summoning heroes from the game's gacha system, the Noble Tavern (the central hub in AFK Journey for players to expand their hero rosters through summoning).
Players can earn Invite Letters by looting chests and completing puzzles in the game world, progressing through the Growth Path and AFK stages, participating in events like Journey's Gift, and purchasing them in the Guild Store with diamonds.
Further, these can be acquired by defeating World Bosses, participating in battle modes, and using promotional codes released by the game developers.
5. Dolly Tickets
Dolly Tickets are considered a secondary in-game currency in AFK Journey.
Unlike primary currencies like Diamonds, Dolly Tickets are specifically used within the Recruitment Store to purchase Invite Letters and Stellar Crystals.
Every time a player recruits a hero and engages with the Noble Tavern’s recruitment system, they receive Dolly Tickets as a reward.
Participating in various game modes, and events, and completing quests also grants Dolly Tickets.
Other secondary in-game currencies of the AFK Journey include Training Manual, Hero Essence, Arena Coin, Dream Fragment, Guild Medal, Pal-Coin, and Holistone Coins.
Social Integration
In AFK Journey, players can earn valuable in-game rewards, such as 300 diamonds, Hero Essence, and Gold, by following the game's official accounts across various social platforms like Discord, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit.
Players can connect with friends across different servers to participate in cooperative battles, proxy battles, and collaborative fights, fostering teamwork and strategic gameplay.
The game's interactive map allows players to see each other, access profiles, send friend requests, exchange messages, and manage their friend lists, enhancing overall communication and social interaction.
Additionally, AFK Journey features the Proxy Battle function, enabling players to lend their characters to friends on the same server for joint efforts in challenging battles, promoting tactical coordination and mutual assistance.
1. Journey’s Gift
During the Journey's Gift event (a 7-day login event) in AFK Journey, players are encouraged to log in daily for seven days to earn consistent rewards. The event culminates with the opportunity to choose an Epic Hero on its final day.
Over the first six days, players receive Invite Letters as rewards. These letters can be accumulated to unlock heroes of higher rarity within the game.
By gathering more Invite Letters, players expand their selection of recruitable heroes, enriching their strategic possibilities and overall gaming experience.
This event caters to dedicated players who value regular logins to maximize rewards, and it also appeals to collectors seeking specific Epic Heroes to enhance their gameplay strategies.
2. Hero Drills
The Hero Drills event lasts for four days and features multiple stages that require players to win battles for progression.
Players earn 75k Gold Coins by completing stages, which can be exchanged for rewards like Tidal Essence, Temporal Essence, and Omni-Acron.
These rewards are significant in-game items that enhance characters and unlock special features, aiding player progression and customization.
3. All Heroes
The “All Hero Event” a login reward event allows players to claim daily rewards simply by logging into the game each day.
By logging in consecutively, players earn chances to flip invitation cards, which grant them random S-Level heroes.
S-Level heroes are rare and considered more valuable than A-Level heroes, featuring characters like Cassadee, Vala, Rowan, Atalanta, Temesia, Brutus, and others.
Every 4th, 8th, 12th, and 16th flip guarantees players a random S-Level Celestial or Hypogean hero, enhancing the excitement and reward potential of the event.
4. Trial of Abyss
The Trial of Abyss in AFK Journey is an advanced live event designed for players who have completed Main Story Chapter 4 and reached AFK Stage 1125. This event is available on servers that have been active for at least 18 days.
Players can earn rewards by clearing floors in the Trial of Abyss. Notable rewards include Forging Stones V, Hero Essences, and other in-game assets.
Success in the event requires careful selection and deployment of heroes. A balanced team composition, typically consisting of two DPS heroes, two Tank heroes, and one Support hero, is recommended.
The event encourages collaboration by granting server-wide rewards when floors (e.g., 330, 370, 410, 450) are first cleared by any player. These rewards, including hero-summoning items, are distributed to all players for a sense of collective achievement and strategic team building.
5. Primal Lord
In AFK Journey, the Primal Lord event features two powerful bosses, Alpha Bear, and Lone Gaze, that appear one at a time per server. These bosses have massive HP and require collective efforts from all players on the server to be defeated within a week.
To participate, players must meet specific Resonance level requirements: at least 90 Resonance and access to Dark Forest Five for Lone Gaze, and over 150 Resonance with Vaduoso Mountains Five unlocked for Alpha Bear. Fast travel to these bosses is available through the Primal Lord button on the map.
Players can challenge the Primal Lord three times daily, with attempts resetting at 00:00 UTC. Rewards, like Equipment Chests, Diamonds, and Hero Essence, are based on the damage dealt.
Once a Primal Lord is defeated, an Eternal Inscription records the top 20 players who dealt the most damage, providing them with exclusive titles and rewards such as Twilight Essence and the coveted Bear Hunter title.
The in-game store, known as the Trolley in AFK Journey, offers a variety of items including Invite Letters, Diamonds, Omni-Acrons, Soulstones, and others. These items aid players in recruiting new heroes and enhancing their abilities through upgrades.
The trolley (in-game Store) updates new items and deals daily, including bundles and special offers, to encourage regular visits.
1. Limited Bundle
The "Limited Bundle" section in AFK Journey features bundles containing valuable in-game items such as Epic Invite Letters, Diamonds, Hero Essence, Rate Up Invite Letters, and Omni-Acron.
These bundles are categorized into Monthly and Biweekly options, each with distinct refresh rates. The Monthly Bundle refreshes every 29 days, while the Biweekly Bundle refreshes every 5 days.
The Monthly Bundle is priced at approximately 1500 Dragon Crystals (in-game currency), whereas the Biweekly Bundle ranges from 85 to 1250 Dragon Crystals, providing a value equivalent to 650%.
By offering high-value items like Diamonds and Epic Invite Letters, these bundles incentivize players to seek faster progression, thereby encouraging continued purchases.
2. Cosmetics
The cosmetics section enables players to personalize their heroes according to their preferences, featuring a range of options such as the Monolith Set, Shapeshifting Scroll, and Scarlet Vow.
This section, featuring a variety of cosmetics available for exchange with Dragon Crystals (the in-game currency) ranging from 450 to 560, expands dynamically in response to gameplay.
Players have the flexibility to mix and match various cosmetic pieces to achieve their desired hero appearance, enhancing character customization within the game.
3. Loyal Patronage
The Loyal Patronage section in AFK Journey functions as the game's VIP system, accessible through the Trolley (in-game store), and offers rewards and bonuses exclusively to players who make purchases, providing them with exclusive benefits.
Players can unlock multiple VIP levels by reaching specific spending thresholds. Higher levels offer bonuses like diamonds, character cosmetics, soulstones, and more.
Advancing to higher VIP levels requires players to accumulate Mithril Points. These points are earned by purchasing Dragon Crystals and items such as the Noble Path and Esperia Monthly, and by completing specific quests in the Growth Path.
Top Countries Tier:1
USA
🇺🇸 (60%) : $25,100,667
Germany
🇩🇪 (5%) : $2,252,851
France
🇫🇷 (5%) : $2,251,179
Canada
🇨🇦 (4%) : $1,579,043
UK
🇬🇧 (4%) : $1,506,938
Australia
🇦🇺 (3%) : $1,405,751
Other Countries:
Singapore 🇸🇬 (3%)
Spain 🇪🇸 (1%)
Top Countries Tier:1
USA
🇺🇸 (30%) : 1,909,519
France
🇫🇷 (6%) : 351,479
Germany
🇩🇪 (4%) : 265,035
UK
🇬🇧 (3%) : 214,966
Canada
🇨🇦 (3%) : 209,162
Other Countries:
Brazil 🇧🇷 (6%),
Russian Federation 🇷🇺 (6%)
Top Monetization Networks (Last 30 days)
RpD
Tier-1 West: $11.07
Global: $6.64
Mar 29, 2024
11,094,636
USA (44%)
Brazil (36%),
India (17%)
Mar 28, 2024
10,610,930
USA (59%),
Austraila (26%),
Canada (3%),
UK (2%)
Russian Federation (6%),
Pakistan (1%)
Mar 31, 2024
8,503,162
USA (44%)
Brazil (36%),
India (17%)
Mar 13, 2024
6,116,029
Canada (52%),
Australia (24%),
France (15%),
Germany (6%),
UK (3%)
N.A
Mar 22, 2024
1,288,592
USA (22%),
Germany (11%),
Canada (10%),
France (10%),
UK (7%)
Italy (9%),
Finland (9%)
May 18, 2024
2,075,205
Germany (17%),
UK (7%),
France (4%)
Turkey (24%),
Italy (21%)
Change in %
% change = ((new value - old value) / old value) * 100
1. Change in Downloads
In the last 14 to 30 days, AFK Journey experienced a 40.8% decrease in downloads.
Over the last 30 to 60 days, downloads decreased by 22.3%.
In the last 60 to 90 days, AFK Journey saw a 48.7% increase in downloads.
2. Change in Revenue
AFK Journey's revenue decreased by 20% in the last 14 to 30 days.
The revenue increased by 35.7% over the last 30 to 60 days.
In the last 60 to 90 days, AFK Journey experienced a 46.8% increase in revenue.
3. Change in Monetization Networks
In the last 14 and 30 days, YouTube experienced a 16.8% increase, Facebook had a 5.7% increase, while Fyber and Unity saw decreases of 5.8% and 6.9%, respectively.
In the last 30 to 60 days, YouTube's numbers increased by 18.4%, Facebook's by 3.52%, Fyber's by 11.2%, and Unity's decreased by 5.8%.
During the last 60 to 90 days, YouTube grew by 17.1%, Unity by 16.1%, Facebook by 2.1%, AppLovin by 15%, and Fyber by 3.3%.
4. Change in Popular Markets
In the last 14 to 30 days, the USA saw a 14.6% increase, France grew by 11.5%, Germany increased by 12.3%, Australia decreased by 3%, and the UK increased by 10%.
In the last 30 and 60 days, the USA grew by 3.6%, Canada saw a 17% increase, Australia and France increased by 18.5%, Germany rose by 16%, and the UK remained unchanged.
Over the last 60 to 90 days, the USA saw an increase of 8.8%, Canada saw a 15% increase, Australia showed a 7.5% increase, France remained unchanged, the UK increased by 7.5%, and Germany grew by 2.5%.
Change in %
% change = ((new value - old value) / old value) * 100
1. Change in Unique/New Creatives
Over the last 14 to 30 days, the number of new creatives for AFK Journey decreased by 13%.
In the last 30 to 60 days, the number of new creatives increased by 6.16%.
Over the last 60 to 90 days, the number of new creatives increased by 4.28%.
2. Change in Monetization Networks
In the last 14 to 30 days, Facebook showed a 10% increase while YouTube saw a 9.2% decrease.
Over the last 30 to 60 days, Facebook's numbers increased by 12.5% and YouTube grew by 3.28%.
During the last 60 to 90 days, YouTube increased by 7%, AppLovin showed a 2.1% increase, Facebook witnessed 3.3% growth, and Fyber increased by 2%.
3. Change in Popular Markets
Over the last 14 to 30 days, the USA registered a growth of 11.4%, France and Germany both showed an increase of 3.3%, the UK grew by 5.1%, and Australia by 13.3%.
In the last 30 to 60 days, the USA witnessed a 16.1% increase, France had a 15% increase, Germany experienced a 16% increase, while the UK and Australia saw downturns of 3% and 7.5%, respectively.
During the last 60 to 90 days, the USA demonstrated a 10.5% increase, Canada saw an 8.8% growth, the UK and Germany experienced a 6.6% increase, Australia grew by 5%, and France by 10%.
AFK Journey sends 1 to 2 push notifications strategically to engage players without overwhelming them.
Notifications are timed to coincide with moments when players are likely active, such as after an energy refill or when rewards are available. They focus on relevant game events and player achievements, such as leveling up heroes or customizing avatars.
Personalization is employed by addressing players by their usernames, fostering a personalized connection, and enhancing engagement.
Notifications generally target all players based on common game activities, such as leveling up or customizing avatars, rather than specific demographic or behavioral segments.
The notifications aim to motivate players with direct CTAs such as "Level Up Your Heroes" and "Ascend them to new heights," encouraging them to participate in quests and enhance their gameplay experience.