Top Reasons Why Hyper Casual Games are the Future
Pop goes the bubble! Keep shooting till all the bubbles are busted, but before the seconds run out. Like crushing candies, Bubble Clash is a snackable hyper-casual game best enjoyed between hectic work hours and traveling.
Five minutes of power playing is always better than power napping because hyper-casual games are the perfect antidote to boredom. Maybe that’s why this category of games is considered the future of gaming. Candy Crush managed to hold the top hyper-casual game position in 2021. Let’s take some time to explore the current statistics and understand the future of this gaming category.
Top Grossing Hyper Casual Games Statistics & Figures
Candy Crush might be ruling the top gaming list for players. But, other games falling under the same genre are not left far behind. Overall, hyper-casual games fared well in 2020, with 11.8 billion downloads around the world. The following year, this category of games managed to pull up their download percentage to 20% in Q1, 15% in Q2, and touched 3.6 billion marks at the end of the third quarter.
Besides Candy Crush, games like Coin Master, Homescapes, Township, Project Makeover, and Gardenscapes are some of the top-grossing hyper-casual games of 2021.
It’s not just the downloads that matter; this genre is gradually becoming a treasure-chest for developers and gaming companies. According to experts, the revenue generated from bite-sized hyper-casual games witnesses a $3 billion hike annually.
These figures scream for attention and compel us to understand the reasons for their rising popularity. Let’s explore the possibilities from different perspectives.
What do Developers & Gaming Companies think?
With a one-day retention rate of 32.3%, hyper-casual games show a promising future filled with cash for developers and gaming companies. A few features appealing to game creators are highlighted below –
#1. A Treasure-Chest of Cash
More than 73% of players are inclined towards receiving in-game ads. These casual games offer a platform to mint money when coupled with increasing downloads and retention rates. Hence, in-app purchases, in-game ads, and cross-promotion of other games are best to earn more money. Such in-app ad disturbances rarely bother players, courtesy of hyper-casual games’ engaging and inclusive factor. As long as these avenues for monetization remain open, hyper-casual games will continue as the top-grossing option for gaming developers.
#2. Open to All
Casual games rarely require extra modes, unique gameplay, interactive narration, and other factors contributing to the intricacies of game development. Hence, any fresher can easily design, develop, and launch a hyper-casual game in no time. However, market saturation can be a major roadblock. Nevertheless, catchy titles and a few marketing tricks applied here and there prevent your app from getting lost in the noise.
#3. Rapid Development Cycle
Hyper casual games are easy to build, release, and iterate, with the overall development cost generally lower than other genres. That’s where the USP of casual games lies – develop with minimum time and resource investments.
#4. Huge Target Audience
Players crush on Candy Crush, like literally! From 10 to 60, anybody can easily enjoy playing these games. That removes every entry barrier and allows anyone who knows how to build a gaming app to develop it and release it in the market. These games have the power to draw non-gamers under the same umbrella. A wider reach is always an appealing factor; hence casual games remain popular with developers.
What Gamers Say about Hyper Casual Games?
Now, games are not developed simply because the gaming companies find them easy to make and sell. Games are designed keeping the players’ interests in mind. Since the latter is the King, it becomes simple to understand where hyper-casual games stand from their POV.
#1. Snackable Content & Simple Mechanics
Without a doubt – hyper-casual games are snackable, bite-sized games not lasting more than a couple of minutes. Since there’s no end goal to reach, players can easily fish out their smartphones and start gaming as and when they like. Unlike its sophisticated foster cousins, these games follow simple rules and even simpler mechanics. The tap-and-play approach fits well with new gamers. The latter look for munchable games during tea breaks; hyper-casual games perfectly align with the gamers’ palate.
#2. Infinite Replay
Since there are no levels to cross or goals to achieve, games under this genre allow infinite replay. That’s what gamers prefer these days. They love to return and play the game over and over again.
#3. Humorous Ads Resonating with Gamers
In-app purchases and in-game ads are distracting. But, interactive and funny ads are received well by the players. When you can play the game while viewing the ad, then the ad becomes a part of your gaming regime. Mostly, the ads feature other types of hyper-casual games. So, the players can find an entire universe of interesting, bite-sized games to play with, even without downloading.
#4. A Sense of Belonging
That’s what players expect and are mostly drawn to mobile games, especially for social and emotional reasons. 39% of gamers in the US agree that they enjoy gaming to connect with people they know. Further, reports say over half of hyper-casual games players in the US and the UK have joined the genre’s community and chatted with fellow players. They are also keen on finding out other players’ high scores on the leaderboard.
#5. No Downloading Required
You can always have the same flavour if you play the interactive in-game ads or browse a mobile gaming platform. Hyper casual games occupy minimal space in your phone if you download one, but you can still enjoy them without downloading. Whichever way you choose, this gaming genre will always guarantee unlimited fun in a limited time.
What’s the Future be Like for Hyper Casual Games?
Now, that’s hard to predict – only the future can say. However, the mentioned statistics and points say the future seems favourable for this gaming genre. A future can change anytime, especially when the hyper-casual gaming market is reaching a saturation level. So, it’s up to the developers to keep the appealing factors intact. Contrarily, gamers are in no mood to bid adios to casual games anytime soon! In every likelihood, hyper-casual games are truly the future of the gaming industry.