From Collectible Craze to Gaming Success
Labubu originated as part of The Monsters toy line by Hong Kong–born artist Kasing Lung. With sharp ears, wide eyes, and a trademark grin showing nine teeth, the character’s unusual design quickly stood out. Loved by some and seen as odd by others, this mix of charm and strangeness helped Labubu gain viral recognition and strong brand visibility.
What began as a collectible craze soon evolved into a cultural wave. Mentions of Labubu grew from just a few hundred a week to more than 600,000 at peak in mid-2025, according to Talkwalker. Limited editions, blind boxes, and exclusive drops created scarcity and urgency, pushing demand even higher.
Social media amplified the momentum with unboxing videos, influencer features, and endless streams of user-generated content. For younger audiences, especially, Labubu became a viral symbol that seamlessly transitioned into gaming.
For publishers, Labubu games are a proven way to attract younger audiences, spark engagement, and expand visibility in competitive markets.
Proven Performance Across Top Titles
GameDistribution data indicates that Labubu games achieve strong engagement following their launch. Within the first week, total playtime hours for leading titles typically grow by 40–50 percent, signaling both retention and replay value.
Five standout titles illustrate how Labubu enhances evergreen gameplay:
- Labuba Merge: Combines merge mechanics with Labubu collectibles, keeping players engaged as they unlock new creatures.
- Labubu Coloring Adventure: A creative, casual title where players color and customize Labubu characters, fueling personal expression.
- Labubu Adventure: A platform-style journey that rewards exploration and progression.
- Labubu and Treasures: Fun Adventure: Adventure gameplay centered on treasure hunting and rewards, appealing to discovery-driven players.
- Labubu Doll Mukbang ASMR Unblocked: A quirky ASMR-inspired game featuring labubu dolls in a mukbang setting, resonating with trend-focused audiences.
The strongest markets for Labubu games are Poland, the United States, Turkey, France, and the Netherlands. This mix shows both regional popularity and broad international appeal. Publishers focusing on casual and hyper-casual segments can rely on Labubu titles to resonate across diverse audiences, from kids and teens to trend-savvy young adults.
Player Journey Behind Labubu Games
As Finy Pham, Content Team Lead at GameDistribution, explains, the success of Labubu games can be understood as a four-stage journey:
- Curiosity: Players are first drawn in by Labubu’s distinctive look. These quirky, widely recognized characters spark intrigue with their “unexpected experiences” and customization potential. Players want to see how Labubu acts in a game setting.
- Engagement: Once inside, gameplay becomes the hook. Some expect blind boxes or unique character personalities. Even when those are not present, proven genres such as Merge, Match-3, and Adventure quickly capture attention, allowing players to settle in and enjoy the experience.
- Progression: As players move forward, they unlock new characters, collect rewards, and explore levels. This steady sense of advancement creates motivation and makes it difficult to step away from the screen.
- Retention: Over time, players return for repeat sessions, look for other Labubu titles, and share them with friends. Labubu serves as a visual magnet, but the true driver of retention is the gameplay depth that keeps audiences invested long term.
Finy emphasizes that the point is not Labubu alone, but the way it works as an entry point to deeper play. By refreshing evergreen genres with trend-driven visuals, publishers can transform initial curiosity into sustained engagement and retention.
Labuba Merge as a Standout Title
GameBerry studio recently launched Labuba Merge, a title designed to put these insights into practice. It combines the viral appeal of Labubu with the simplicity of merge mechanics, resulting in quick engagement and strong replayability.
Labuba Merge also mirrors the mystery and unboxing dynamic that made the collectibles famous. Players never know which variation they will unlock next, creating unpredictability and excitement. Because Labubu figures are often scarce or expensive in real life, the game provides an accessible way to enjoy them virtually, while also fueling progression through surprise and collection.
As producer Diana Kuzmina highlights, the game also benefits from the Construct engine, which offers a small build size, rapid prototyping, easy updates, and effortless trend testing. This agile pipeline enables the alignment of gameplay with fast-moving trends while maintaining optimized performance for web portals.
Publisher Takeaways from the Labubu Trend
For portals targeting young audiences, Labubu is both a trend advantage and a long-term retention driver. It boosts SEO visibility through high search demand while pairing with evergreen genres that guarantee consistent playtime. Publishers who act quickly can capture both the short-term lift of trend-driven traffic and the sustainable value of proven casual mechanics.
