What are Active Users?

In game analytics, active users are the heartbeat of your game. They show who is playing, how often, and whether your systems keep them coming back. It’s not just about counting — it’s about understanding behavior patterns and making better design decisions.

1️⃣ Definition

Active Users are the number of unique players who interact with your game in a given time window.

There are three core variants:

Metric	What It Tracks
DAU – Daily Active Users	Unique players who launched the game today
WAU – Weekly Active Users	Unique players who played in the last 7 days
MAU – Monthly Active Users	Unique players who opened the game in the last 30 days

📍One player logging in every day = 7 DAU, 1 WAU, 1 MAU. One player logging in once = 1 DAU, 1 WAU, 1 MAU.

2️⃣ Why Active Users Matter

Use Case	What It Enables	Design Insight
Engagement tracking	Measures habit and daily behavior	Are players hooked or just sampling?
Retention health	Reveals drop-off points	Is your FTUE strong enough?
Monetization metrics	Base for ARPU/ARPPU	How much does each user contribute?
LiveOps performance	Shows event impact	Did your new feature spike DAU?
Strategic signals	For stakeholders, partners, funding	Is your game alive — or stagnating?

📍High MAU but low DAU? Your players like your game, but don’t feel the need to play daily. Why?

3️⃣ Related Metrics

Active users rarely live alone — they connect directly to these core indicators:

Metric	Formula / Insight	What It Reveals
Retention Rate (D1, D7, D30)	% of users returning after install	Do players stick around?
Churn Rate	% of users who leave over time	Where do you lose them?
ARPU / ARPPU	Revenue ÷ (active or paying users)	Value of each user
Stickiness	DAU / MAU	How often players come back

📍Stickiness of 0.2 = most users log in 1–2 days a week. Stickiness of 0.5+ = strong daily loop.

4️⃣ How to Use Active User Data

Signal	Possible Cause	Design Action
Low DAU + High MAU	No daily incentive	Add dailies, social loops
High DAU spikes	Good LiveOps or marketing	Study the spike, reuse
Drop in WAU	Event fatigue or meta stagnation	Refresh mid-term systems
Flat MAU	No growth	Diagnose acquisition & onboarding

📍Never track DAU in isolation. Combine with retention and revenue to understand value, not just volume.

5️⃣ Game Examples

Game	Metric Trend	Design Reason
Genshin Impact	Stable DAU via daily commissions	Reinforces short daily sessions
Clash Royale	DAU spikes during season resets	Events reset goals + rewards
Among Us	Viral DAU surge, quick MAU decay	Social loop without long-term progression

✅ Active Users Checklist

Do you track DAU, WAU, and MAU separately?

Do you analyze spikes and dips — not just totals?

Are your systems designed to boost repeat visits?

Is your stickiness ratio within expectations?

Do you connect activity with retention and monetization?

📍DAU is not about “popularity” — it’s about consistency. What keeps players coming today?

Summary

Term	Meaning
DAU	Measures daily return and stickiness
WAU	Reflects mid-term loops and social hooks
MAU	Shows reach and long-term interest
Used For	Retention, LiveOps, monetization analysis
Paired With	Retention rate, churn, stickiness, ARPU

📍In short, active users tell you if your game is alive — and how it breathes. Track them with care. Interpret them in context. Design to move the needle, not just admire the numbers.