Crash‑revolution in India: one IP takes nearly half of player interest

Intro

India’s game charts in H1 2025 were defined by a single hybrid title. Chicken Road led the entire market at about 43.9% Share of Interest (SOI), outpulling both liveshow formats and the anchor crash titles that have historically dominated the genre landscape.

The franchise is already extending its reach. A sequel is scaling from a low base with about 0.95% SOI and month‑over‑month growth of roughly 145%, a clear sign of brand elasticity on India’s mobile‑first, UPI‑driven funnel.

What has changed

The most striking shift is the tilt of market attention toward a single hybrid IP. Measured by SOI, Chicken Road’s roughly 43.9% lead sits well ahead of the live‑show cluster at roughly 24.9%, and far beyond the anchor crash titles at about 6–7%. In other words, one game now commands more player interest than entire categories.

This is not a one‑week spike. The report frames India’s movement as part of a broader hybrid trend in which lobby visibility and easy payments convert short‑session mechanics into durable share, provided that execution focuses on the right operational levers.

Why Chicken Road is winning

Three ingredients sit behind the outperformance. First, short sessions and a readable loop: the core mechanic is easy to understand and rewards frequent, brief play windows, which fits India’s mobile usage patterns. Second, creator‑ready content: the format works naturally for short clips and streams, making it simple to explain and promote without long tutorials. Third, UPI compression of the first‑time user experience: India’s local payments rail reduces friction in onboarding and first deposits, supporting quick trials that compound into share.

How to execute: an operator playbook

Own the lobby, then hold it. Lobby visibility drives SOI. Timed boosts can create short‑term step‑ups, but durability arrives only when Average Lobby GVR (lower is better) falls and placements widen across rows, carousels and pages. Set explicit GVR targets by market type, widen distribution, and then hold positions for at least four weeks before re‑allocating spend.

Package content for fast comprehension. Use ten‑ to twenty‑second tutorials and creator‑cut snippets that teach the loop without adding friction. Keep the “how to play” message consistent across placements and partner channels.

Leverage UPI for micro‑bundles. Where appropriate, deploy small starter offers and instant local payments to encourage safe first trials; this aligns with the user flow described for India’s mobile‑first audience.

Run the Blask funnel weekly. Track Blask Index for demand, APS (Acquisition Power Score) for conversion power, and CEB (Competitive Earning Baseline) for durable earning capacity. Lift budgets when Index and APS rise together, then verify that CEB follows; if APS stalls while Index climbs, fix funnel mechanics before spending more.

Risks and readings

Avoid confusing hype with habit. Use Blask Trends and Average Lobby GVR to separate event‑driven spikes from structural share. Trends provides a noise‑reduced reading of direction, while GVR shows whether visibility has actually improved across placements. Finally, remember that SOI is not revenue; read it alongside APS and CEB to understand commercial impact.