Sleep-assistance app Pokemon Sleep has managed to rake in $100 million in revenue in just under a year of service. Mostly coming from Japan, Pokemon Sleep proves that anything with Game Freak’s cute little creatures can make more money than you’ll ever see in your life.
Initially revealed in 2019, it took Pokemon Sleep years to release on Android and iOS. The cutesy sleep-tracking game rewards the user by giving them new sleepy Pokemon to collect if they have a good night’s sleep. For those who sleep too much or sleep too little, it can be a frustrating experience.
According to data gathered by mobile revenue tracker AppMagic, and published by Pocket Gamer, Pokemon Sleep revenue has crossed over $100 million in revenue before its first birthday. Surprisingly, most of the game’s revenue comes from Japanese gamers with the United States in a far behind second place.
At the time of writing, Japanese players have spent a total of $74 million on Pokemon Sleep microtransactions with US players spending just $15 million. In third place come Taiwanese gamers who’ve spent a collective $4 million on the sleep-tracking app.
All of this money has been spent between an estimated player count of 9.8 million lifetime users, although the game is likely being kept alive by a small number of dedicated whales.
Pokemon Sleep microtransactions allow dedicated players with too much disposable income to buy in-game biscuits, stones and item bundles to increase their likeliness of encountering rarer Pokemon. There’s also a premium pass that costs $10 a month which gives players access to unlimited sleep records, a sleep diary, extra rewards, and a monthly supply of in-game currency to buy items with.
None of these items are needed to enjoy Pokemon Sleep. In fact, the majority of Pokemon Sleep’s gameplay takes place while you’re not even conscious. Nevertheless, the massive revenue of the sleep-tracking app proves that anything will make money if you just slap a Pikachu on it.