Frederick Jace
The gaming industry is one of the fastest-growing businesses today. The number of gaming devices – PCs, consoles, and smartphones – is constantly growing, and so do game sales and revenues. It may surprise you to know, in turn, that it’s not the big-budget productions that bring in the most revenue: it’s casual games. Especially on smartphones.
Casual games are those games that require very little dedication and they are easiest to learn. You can start playing a casual game in seconds – and stop playing just as fast. Perhaps unsurprisingly, casual games are among the most popular ones ever created. But they are not created equal – there are some that are more popular than others.
Casino games
Slot machines, blackjack, roulette – these are not games you can only play in an online casino. Casino games have been played casually almost since the invention of video games. And since then, they have developed quite a following.
Social casinos have seen a major boom a few years ago, with apps like Slotomania and Big Fish Casino constantly staying among the most downloaded apps worldwide. Today, the casino madness has subsided but there are still millions around the world playing them on a daily basis.
Hyper-casual games
“Hyper casual games” is not a genre but a game mechanic. The games that fit this category are simple, almost rudimentary, with minimal interfaces, a very steep learning curve, and a very simple premise. Most of them have a simple design, a basic colour scheme, and they are self-explanatory: they don’t even need a tutorial.
Hyper-casual games have become especially popular in 2017 thanks to developers like Ketchapp, responsible for titles like 2048 and Stack. But the first hyper-casual game to go viral was Flappy Bird, generating 50 million downloads in less than a year.
Puzzles
The “puzzle” genre covers a variety of mechanics and involves a series of highly successful games. Think Candy Crush, Stardew Valley, and everything in between. These puzzle games always come with an element of skill and lots of powerups, features, and bonuses to unlock – no wonder so many love them around the world.
Action games
You don’t have to dive deep into a mission in PUBG or a session of Fortnite for a bit of action. There are many casual games that can give you the fix. Apparently, others know this well: action games are among the most beloved casual games today.
The action genre includes titles like Brawl Stars, Marvel Contest of Champions, endless runners and others. And they run perfectly well on smartphones, too.
Other casual games
The best thing about casual games is that they can be more diverse than you can imagine. Among the most popular titles, you’ll find ones that don’t fit any genre. Take “Project Makeover”, for example, where you become a stylist. Or “Township”, where you have to manage a town covering everything from food production to deliveries. Whether it’s farming, finance, or fashion you’re into, you’ll find a casual game that fits your needs – and has thousands of other players as well.
