'Subway Surfers' was the most downloaded mobile game of the decade. See the top 10 here.

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'Subway Surfers' was the most downloaded mobile game of the decade. See the top 10 here.
holding iphone

Adnan Abidi/Reuters

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  • Mobile data and insights firm App Annie recently released data about the most downloaded apps of the decade.
  • Games with simple objectives, like running a race or taking care of a virtual pet, made up the top downloads.
  • Mobile gaming is clearly popular, and the top ten games were downloaded a total of 7.4 billion times.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Now that smartphones are standard accessories, consumers want simple, entertaining games to play on their devices. The ten most popular mobile games were downloaded more than 7 billion times over the past decade, and there's no reason to think the trend will slow down.

Games that proved most popular shared simple, easy to understand game play with clear objectives and rewards. Racing games had the most downloads, claiming three of the top ten spots. Most of the games on the list are low stakes and low commitment, so people can just jump in and play them for a few minutes. However, some people are clearly dedicated, like players who log 16 hours a day on "Clash of Clans," or people who watch a Subway Surfer animated series.

Here are the top ten most downloaded games of the past decade:

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10. The game "8 Ball Pool" was downloaded 600 million times, and it stayed on top from its place as one of the most downloaded games in 2018.

10. The game "8 Ball Pool" was downloaded 600 million times, and it stayed on top from its place as one of the most downloaded games in 2018.

Source: Business Insider

9. "Fruit ninja" was also downloaded more than 600 million times, and in 2012 one in three iPhones had the game installed.

9. "Fruit ninja" was also downloaded more than 600 million times, and in 2012 one in three iPhones had the game installed.

Source: Business Insider

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8. "Minion Rush," which tied with several other games at 600 million downloads, lets users play as characters from the "Despicable Me" films.

8. "Minion Rush," which tied with several other games at 600 million downloads, lets users play as characters from the "Despicable Me" films.

7. "Hill Climb Racing" also had 600 million downloads, and in 2012 Business Insider called it an "eccentric but lovable physics racing game."

7. "Hill Climb Racing" also had 600 million downloads, and in 2012 Business Insider called it an "eccentric but lovable physics racing game."

Source: Business Insider

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6. "Pou" tied with the preceding four games for the No. 6 spot, with 600 million downloads. The app is in the style of Tamagotchi, where Pou is a virtual pet that must be fed and played with.

6. "Pou" tied with the preceding four games for the No. 6 spot, with 600 million downloads. The app is in the style of Tamagotchi, where Pou is a virtual pet that must be fed and played with.

5. "Clash of Clans," which you might recognize from countless ads, is a game about defending a fortress and attacking other clans, and it has dominated the App Store since its 2012 release. It was downloaded 700 million times this decade.

5. "Clash of Clans," which you might recognize from countless ads, is a game about defending a fortress and attacking other clans, and it has dominated the App Store since its 2012 release. It was downloaded 700 million times this decade.

Like many games on this list, Clash of Clans is a "freemium" game, meaning it's free to download and play, but there are paid upgrades within the app. Notably, some wealthy players reportedly spent over $1 million on in-game purchases.

Source: Business Insider

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4. "My Talking Tom" has over 800 million downloads. In 2014, the app had nearly 50 million more users than Twitter, and fans played an enormous 3.42 billion hours between May and July of 2018 alone.

4. "My Talking Tom" has over 800 million downloads. In 2014, the app had nearly 50 million more users than Twitter, and fans played an enormous 3.42 billion hours between May and July of 2018 alone.

Source: Business Insider, Business Insider

3. "Temple Run 2," which also had 800 million downloads, was similar to its predecessor "Temple Run," but with improved graphics.

3. "Temple Run 2," which also had 800 million downloads, was similar to its predecessor "Temple Run," but with improved graphics.

Source: Business Insider

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2. An easy concept and random rewards kept players coming back to "Candy Crush Saga," which has 1.2 billion downloads.

2. An easy concept and random rewards kept players coming back to "Candy Crush Saga," which has 1.2 billion downloads.

Source: Business Insider

1. Finally, "Subway Surfers" was the most downloaded mobile game of the decade, with 1.5 billion downloads. The game was so popular that developer SYBO Games even launched an animated series based on the game.

1. Finally, "Subway Surfers" was the most downloaded mobile game of the decade, with 1.5 billion downloads. The game was so popular that developer SYBO Games even launched an animated series based on the game.

Source: Markets Insider

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