Mobile game analytics doesn't require player tracking. Session-based analytics lets you measure level completion rates, session lengths, monetization events, and engagement patternsโall without persistent player IDs. You track what players do in a session, not who they are across sessions.
Mobile game analytics has traditionally meant building detailed player profilesโtracking every action across sessions, devices, and months of play. But what if you could optimize your game without knowing who your players are?
Session-based analytics offers a privacy-first approach that still answers the questions game developers actually needโwithout the privacy overhead of persistent player tracking.
๐ฎ Why Session-Based Analytics for Games?
Traditional game analytics platforms build comprehensive player profiles. Every tap, every purchase, every session is tied to a persistent identifier. This enables powerful analysisโbut it also creates privacy risks and complexity. Here's why session-based analytics makes sense for many games:
Kids' Games & COPPA
Games targeting children under 13 face strict restrictions on data collection. Session-based analytics sidesteps persistent identifier requirements entirely.
Global Privacy Laws
Games ship worldwide. Session-based analytics avoids the complexity of managing consent across different jurisdictions with varying requirements.
Data Breach Protection
If your analytics database leaks, session data reveals aggregate patterns. Player-tracked data reveals individual gaming histories tied to real people.
Simpler Architecture
No identity resolution, no cross-device tracking, no account linking complexity. Ship faster and maintain less infrastructure.
The Core Question
Most game optimization questions are about the game, not the player: "Is level 7 too hard?" "Do players find the shop?" "Where do sessions end?" These questions don't require knowing who is playingโjust what's happening.
๐ Essential Game Events to Track
Every mobile game should track these core events. They answer the fundamental questions about player engagement and game health.
๐ Session Events
game_session_started
Fired when app opens. Captures platform, app version, device type.
game_session_ended
Fired on app background/close. Calculates session duration.
๐ Progression Events
level_started
Player begins a level. Track level number/name.
level_completed
Player finishes a level. Track completion time, score, stars earned.
level_failed
Player fails/quits a level. Critical for difficulty tuning.
๐ Onboarding Events
tutorial_started
Player enters tutorial. Baseline for completion funnel.
tutorial_step_completed
Each tutorial step completion. Find where players drop off.
tutorial_skipped
Player skips tutorial (if allowed). Track skip rates.
๐ฐ Monetization Events
iap_screen_viewed
Player opens store/shop screen. Measures store discovery.
iap_item_selected
Player taps on an item. Track item category (not price).
iap_purchased
Purchase completed. Track item category, not user-linked amounts.
ad_opportunity_shown
Rewarded ad prompt displayed. Baseline for ad engagement.
ad_watched_complete
Player watched full rewarded ad. Track ad type.
๐ฏ Events by Game Genre
Beyond the universal events, each game genre has specific events that matter. Here are recommendations by genre:
๐งฉ Puzzle Games
Key Events
hint_usedโ Track hint economypuzzle_resetโ Frustration indicatorundo_usedโ Difficulty signaltime_bonus_earnedโ Engagement depth
Key Questions
- โข Which levels have highest fail rates?
- โข Where do players run out of hints?
- โข How long before players use hints?
๐ Casual / Hyper-casual
Key Events
run_startedโ Session engagementrun_endedโ With distance/scoreobstacle_hitโ Difficulty mappingrevive_usedโ Monetization pointhigh_score_achievedโ Milestone tracking
Key Questions
- โข Average runs per session?
- โข Which obstacles cause most deaths?
- โข Revive ad conversion rate?
๐ฐ Strategy / Builder Games
Key Events
building_placedโ Construction activityupgrade_startedโ Progression depthresource_collectedโ Economy flowtimer_skippedโ Impatience monetizationquest_completedโ Guided engagement
Key Questions
- โข Where do players wait longest?
- โข Which buildings get built first?
- โข Quest completion rates?
โ๏ธ RPG / Action Games
Key Events
battle_startedโ Combat engagementbattle_won/battle_lostcharacter_leveled_upโ Progressionitem_equippedโ Gear engagementskill_unlockedโ Build diversityboss_defeatedโ Milestone tracking
Key Questions
- โข Which bosses have lowest win rates?
- โข Battle win/loss ratios by area?
- โข Average level before first IAP?
๐ Card / Gacha Games
Key Events
gacha_pull_singleโ Pull behaviorgacha_pull_multiโ Bundle preferencecard_obtainedโ Rarity distribution seendeck_modifiedโ Collection engagementpity_counter_shownโ Monetization hook
Key Questions
- โข Single vs multi-pull preference?
- โข Pull frequency per session?
- โข Free vs paid pull ratios?
๐ Key Metrics Without Player IDs
Here's what you can measure with session-based analyticsโand how it compares to player-tracked metrics:
| Metric | Session-Based | What It Tells You |
|---|---|---|
| Session Duration | โ Full support | How engaging is each play session? |
| Level Completion Rate | โ Full support | Which levels are too hard/easy? |
| Tutorial Funnel | โ Full support | Where do new players drop off? |
| Feature Discovery | โ Full support | Are players finding key features? |
| IAP Conversion (Session) | โ Full support | What % of sessions include a purchase? |
| Ad Engagement | โ Full support | What % watch rewarded ads? |
| Sessions Per Day | โ Aggregate | Is overall engagement growing? |
| DAU/MAU Ratio | ~ Approximate | Session patterns indicate stickiness |
| D1/D7/D30 Retention | โ Not available | Requires persistent player IDs |
| Individual LTV | โ Not available | Requires cross-session tracking |
๐ฐ Monetization Analytics
Monetization is where most developers worry about losing visibility. Here's how to measure what matters without tracking individual spending:
Session IAP Funnel
This funnel shows your session conversion rateโwhat percentage of play sessions result in a purchase. Optimize each step to improve monetization.
โ What You Can Measure
- โข % of sessions with store views
- โข Store โ Purchase conversion per session
- โข Most viewed item categories
- โข Purchase triggers (what happens before buy)
- โข Ad watch rates and completion
- โข Revenue per session (aggregate)
- โข Purchase timing within session
โ What You Can't Measure
- โข Individual player lifetime value
- โข Whale identification
- โข First-purchase timing per player
- โข Spending velocity trends per player
- โข Cross-session purchase patterns
The Trade-off in Practice
Without LTV tracking, you optimize for session monetization rather than player exploitation. Some would argue this leads to healthier game designโyou're incentivized to make each session valuable rather than maximizing extraction from individuals over time.
โ๏ธ What You Trade Off
Session-based analytics isn't right for every game. Here's an honest look at what you give up:
Capabilities You Lose
Traditional Retention Metrics
D1, D7, D30 retention requires knowing if the same player returns. Session-based analytics shows aggregate session patterns but can't track individual return rates.
Individual Player Journeys
You can't follow a specific player's progression from install to churn. Instead, you see aggregate paths through your game.
Cohort Analysis
"Did players who installed during the holiday event retain better?" requires persistent IDs to answer definitively.
Personalization
Dynamic difficulty adjustment based on player history, personalized offers, or behavior-based targeting require player identification.
When Player Tracking Makes Sense
- โข Competitive multiplayer: Matchmaking and rankings require player identity
- โข Cloud saves: Progression syncing needs account linking
- โข Social features: Friends, guilds, leaderboards need identity
- โข Whale optimization: If maximizing LTV from high spenders is core to your model
Note: You can have player accounts for gameplay features while keeping analytics session-based. Authentication and analytics are separate concerns.
๐ง Implementation Guide
Here's how to implement session-based game analytics:
1. Initialize on Game Launch
// Swift example
import Respectlytics
class AppDelegate: UIApplicationDelegate {
func application(_ application: UIApplication,
didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: ...) {
// Configure with your API key
Respectlytics.configure(apiKey: "your_api_key")
// Session automatically starts - track game open
Respectlytics.track("game_session_started")
}
}2. Track Progression Events
// When player starts a level
Respectlytics.track("level_started")
// When player completes a level
Respectlytics.track("level_completed")
// When player fails
Respectlytics.track("level_failed")Note: Event names only. Level number, score, and other context would traditionally go in event propertiesโcheck your analytics approach for what's appropriate.
3. Track Monetization
// Store opened
Respectlytics.track("iap_screen_viewed")
// Item purchased (track category, not amount)
Respectlytics.track("iap_purchased")
// Rewarded ad completed
Respectlytics.track("ad_watched_complete")4. Handle Session End
// Track when app goes to background
func applicationDidEnterBackground(_ application: UIApplication) {
Respectlytics.track("game_session_ended")
Respectlytics.flush() // Ensure events are sent
}Keep It Simple
Start with 10-15 core events. You can always add more later. The goal is to answer your most important questions: Where do players quit? What features get used? Where does monetization happen?
โ Frequently Asked Questions
Can I measure daily active users without player IDs?
You can measure daily sessions, not unique daily users. If you see 10,000 sessions on Monday, that could be 10,000 players playing once or 5,000 players averaging two sessions each. For many optimization decisions, session counts are sufficient.
How do I know if my game is retaining players?
Watch session patterns over time: Are daily sessions stable or growing? Is average session duration increasing? Are more sessions reaching deeper content (higher levels, later game areas)? These aggregate signals indicate healthy retention even without individual tracking.
What about A/B testing without user IDs?
Session-level A/B tests work well: randomly assign variants per session and compare completion rates, engagement, or monetization within those sessions. You lose the ability to track if the same user converts later, but you can measure immediate impact reliably.
Should I use session-based analytics for a multiplayer game?
For competitive multiplayer, you likely need accounts for matchmaking and rankings anyway. However, you can still use session-based analytics for general game health metrics while keeping competitive features in your game backend. The analytics and gameplay systems don't need to share identity.
What if my publisher requires D7 retention metrics?
If stakeholders require traditional retention metrics, you may need player-level tracking for those specific KPIs. Consider whether you can satisfy requirements with session patterns, or if you need a hybrid approach with explicit consent for persistent tracking.
Key Takeaways
Most game questions can be answered with session data
Level difficulty, feature discovery, and funnels work fully
Monetization per session replaces individual LTV tracking
D1/D7/D30 retention requires persistent player IDs
Game accounts and analytics identity are separate concerns
Start simpleโ10-15 core events answer most questions
Related Resources
- Analytics Events Every App Should Track โ Essential event templates for different app categories including games
- Session IDs Are Not User IDs โ Understanding the key distinction between session and user identifiers
- Event Naming Best Practices โ Design a scalable event naming system
- SDK Documentation โ Integration guides for Swift, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native