A design strategy for Geo AR mobile game sustainable success emphasizing game completeness.

•Specific updates in Geolocation Augmented Reality mobile games (Geo AR mobile games) co-occur with the transition into increase and cease of decrease in the game’s monthly active user base.•Game updates can be put into two types (i.e., “feature” and “quality of life”), but each type of update impacts the active user base differently.•Game updates can contribute to different game design components that attract players to the game, keep players in the game or smooth the playing experience.•A theory of the sustainable success of Geo AR mobile games is proposed, illustrating the enabling chain reaction between game updates, game design components, impact on the monthly active user base, and sustainable success.•Accordingly, a “complete game strategy” has been proposed, implying what game designers are recommended to do at different game development stages.