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If you’ve not discovered hyper casual games yet, you’re in for a major treat. These games are games that are easy to learn to play and take up little time or attention. The gameplay is consistent or may require a bit of dexterity, depending on where you are in the game. Oh, and the games are incredibly addictive.
The Popularity of Mobile Gaming
Research by Statista shows that the mobile gaming market has grown massively. In 2018, experts estimated that by 2021, we’d be spending 234 minutes per day on our cell phones. In 2014, we’d been spending 152 minutes on them, and in 2018, we’d increased this to 215.
Mobile gaming has helped itself to a large portion of the gaming revenue pie. In the US alone, it’s worth $21.9 billion, and across the world, in 2018, it had been serving itself a 51% share of total gaming revenue.
Why has Mobile Gaming Become so Popular?
One of the main reasons mobile gaming has taken off is accessibility.
Whereas console gaming requires more of an investment by gamers, who hold the game makers to a higher standard, mobile gaming enjoys an escape from this pressure and appeals to a wider audience. This audience doesn’t have to spend much money on the games, and they may not even see themselves as gamers. They see mobile games as a way of passing the time.
The changing use of the smartphone is another major factor. Mobile entertainment, in general, is on the increase, and we can do just about anything on our cell phones. They’ve become ingrained into our daily lives and serve as a highly effective and useful tool to help us get things done. It makes sense for gaming to become one of the options a cell phone offers.
How has Mobile Gaming Led to Hyper Casual Gaming?
Hyper casual gaming has transformed into an even more gargantuan industry. The platform Unity, which powers a considerable amount of mobile and console games, has seen usage jump from 55 million new players a week to 95 million. To put it simply: hyper casual gaming has exploded.
The games are quick, easy, and cheap to make, which enables manufacturers to roll them out for use on cell phones with fewer obstacles. Users can download the games and get playing on them straight away, without having to read lots of instructions first. This is part of their appeal, and in a culture in which social media makes it more acceptable to jump on our cell phones for short bursts of time, these games that require little time have also become part of the culture.
A Few Simple Hyper Casual Mobile Games you Might Like to Try
With all this talk of the games and how good they are, it would be remiss not to discuss a few games themselves, so here are some games you might wish to try:
Acrylic Nails
This game is by Crazy Labs and is a few little games thrown into one. As the player, you’re working in a nail salon and it’s your job to fulfil the orders for the salon’s clients. You’ll perform simple tasks such as painting nails and filing them. You can even get creative by choosing the colors and some accessories to add a little verve to the nails.
Starburst
“Starburst” is a popular online slot, one reminiscent of retro-type slot machine games. It’s fast and furious, and there are many ways to win, including the fact that, unlike a lot of slots, paylines can offer winning combinations from both left to right and from right to left. Just like many other online slots, you can access it easily on a mobile device and play it in short bursts if you wish to. Many mobile slot providers offer free versions of slot games to their players so you can even try out a game of Starburst before depositing your own money!
Blend It 3D
Have you ever wanted to work in a juice bar or wondered what it’s like to work in one? Now you get the opportunity to do so in “Blend It 3D” by SayGames. You’re the one taking care of the orders and earning the money to upgrade your bar. All you have to do is tap and hold the screen to blend the various ingredients, and then place the umbrella in the very best spot to complete the orders and get the most money possible for them.
Perfect Cream
Here we have another food-and-drink-based game… this one is from Playgendary, and you’re making pancakes, waffles, and other niceties. You’re then trying to apply cream to them without getting any on the floor. Again, it’s all about tapping and holding the screen and getting the timing right.
Is Hyper Casual Gaming the Future?
There’s a dispute around whether hyper casual gaming has expanded the market or simply just drawn players away from other genres, but it does seem to be attracting new players to the market.
The next big question has then been around whether these casual gamers will become more committed gamers as a result of playing hyper casual games. Those fearing the decline of the gaming app market may breathe some sort of sigh of relief since casual gamers receive exposure to much more advertising and appear to be downloading more gaming apps than players in other genres.
Hyper casual gaming is becoming incredibly popular. The games are highly accessible and highly enjoyable. If you’re thinking of becoming a more committed gamer, they’re a terrific way to experiment at little cost and decide whether gaming is for you.