(Yicai Global) Jan. 23 – Travel Frog, a mobile game from Japanese developer HitPoint Studios Co., is a hit in China, ranking number one among free games on Apple's App Store.

Especially popular with female players, the game involves looking after an adventurous amphibian by preparing meals for journeys it undertakes. It then brings back gifts from its travels and also sends selfies taken at scenic spots.

Although the game is only available in Japanese, Travel Frog has proved to be more popular in China than in its native country where it ranks 13th in the App Store. Hit Point's last release Kitty Collector achieved 15 million downloads worldwide.

This new take on the classic Tamagotchi is thought to be especially popular with female users as it evokes maternal feelings for their virtual son. However, it is also indicative of the rise of female mobile gamers in the Chinese market. The number of female players began to soar after the release of Suzhou Papergames Network Technology Co.'s Love & Producer, which previously topped the iOS charts.

Despite rising demand, there remains a significant shortage of games tailored for female players in the country.