Simple mechanics, quick play sessions, and a minimal learning curve are the defining qualities of hyper-casual mobile games. These qualities are the driving force behind their explosive growth in recent times. In 2024, the top 10 most downloaded games in the UK included 5 casual games, with Subway Surfer at the top with 304 million downloads.
The impact of these hyper-casual games goes far beyond just entertaining millions of users. They are changing the mobile gaming landscape by redefining design, marketing, and monetization of mobile games.
What Makes a Game “Hyper-Casual”?
Any casual game that is easy to pick up and requires minimal tutorials can be considered “hyper-casual”. A major highlight of these types of games is the fact that anyone can learn to play the game within seconds of picking it up. The rules and gameplay are easy to follow.
From kids to people over 60, these games have a broad appeal across various age groups and regions. Some of the popular examples of hyper-casual games are Crowd City, Helix Jump, and Stack.
Monetization Over Complexity
In addition to the minimal learning curve, the monetization model in these games also helps them stand out from the rest. Most of them choose the ad-based revenue models over in-app purchases. As such, the games are free but ad-heavy, which in turn affects the design choices. Since these games offer short sessions of play, user retention is likely to be on the lower side. However, the high volume of users compensates for that, allowing games to rake in good revenue.
The Viral Factor: User Acquisition and Simplicity
Simplicity is the key to virality in casual games. The gameplay is addictive and shareable to let players invite their friends to try out the game and compete for the top position in the leaderboard. The budget and time for developing these games are much lower than traditional video games. This allows developers to use A/B testing and data-driven iteration when a casual game is newly released in the app store. With every iteration, developers gather plenty of useful insights into user behaviour to fine-tune their game for engagement and virality.
Impact on the Mobile Gaming Industry
The growth of hyper-casual games has impacted the mobile gaming industry in more ways than one. And their influence isn’t limited to just gaming. Even the non-gaming apps have drawn inspiration from the design choices in viral casual games.
The big studios are now eager to invest in hyper-casual games and even acquire successful developers with hit casual games. A clear impact on design can be seen in online mobile games, such as slot machines, where graphics, sounds, and mechanics are designed to keep the players engaged.
Slots, like other hyper casual games, offer short bursts of play and are easy to learn. Another popular casino game that has been impacted by the explosive popularity of hyper-casual games is Blackjack. There is a long list of UK online casinos that now offer mobile apps that allow players to enjoy popular slots, blackjack, and roulette games on the go. These apps employ design choices and game mechanics similar to those used in hyper-casual games to improve user engagement and expand their reach.
Conclusion
Mobile gaming is witnessing a huge shift in the approach to UI/UX design, marketing, and monetization. The success of hyper-casual games presents new insights into user behaviour and is shaping the new generation of mobile games. The hyper-casual games have redefined gaming expectations and design priorities. In the future, we can expect these games to have a bigger impact on other non-gaming apps.
