Hyper-Casual Games: A New Trend in Mobile Gaming

30 December, 2024
Hyper-Casual Games: A New Trend in Mobile Gaming

In today’s rapidly developing entertainment technology industry, numerous new games are emerging, attracting millions of players worldwide. Among them, the hyper-casual game genre has risen to prominence, quickly dominating the mobile gaming market. What has made this genre a new trend among players? Let’s explore in the article below.

Definition and Characteristics of Hyper-Casual Games

Definition

The hyper-casual game genre, temporarily understood as popular casual games, inherits ideas from games of the 1970s, possessing very simple content, storylines, and gameplay, yet extremely captivating. Simply by downloading the game, players can easily grasp the rules and participate in the game without requiring much complex guidance.

Key Features

Hyper-casual games are primarily developed on mobile platforms due to the convenience and intelligence that smartphones offer. A highlight of this genre is its simple interface, user-friendly sound, and graphics. In particular, hyper-casual games also have infinitely repetitive gameplay, easily addictive to players, and suitable for all ages.

However, hyper-casual games often contain many advertisements, which can sometimes be annoying for players.

History and Reasons Why Hyper-Casual Games Are a Mobile Gaming Trend

History of Hyper-Casual Game Formation

The hyper-casual game genre originated from the famous game Flappy Bird, developed by Nguyen Ha Dong. In 2014, Flappy Bird received millions of downloads and made a strong impression on the mobile gaming market, paving the way for the development of the hyper-casual genre.

In 2017, Google Play and the App Store saw the emergence of many attractive hyper-casual games, attracting a large number of players. This development of hyper-casual games caught the attention of giant game companies like Ubisoft. They acquired Ketchapp – one of the pioneering companies in developing hyper-casual games.

Reasons Why Hyper-Casual Is a New Trend in Mobile Gaming

One of the main reasons why hyper-casual games are a current trend in mobile gaming is the rapidly increasing number of users in the rankings. According to data from Sensor Tower as of 2020, hyper-casual games accounted for 31% of total global mobile game downloads, equivalent to 6.3 billion downloads. This is clear evidence that hyper-casual games are an indispensable part of the mobile gaming landscape.

The strength of hyper-casual games, with their simple yet engaging gameplay, has resulted in a relatively high user retention rate, with approximately 32.3% of players continuing to play after the first day. According to a Facebook report, more than 73% of players agree to watch ads for a free gaming experience, which is particularly suitable for the business model of hyper-casual games.

Top 6 Most Popular Hyper-Casual Games Today

1. 2048: 2048 is a puzzle game with a straightforward gameplay method of merging number tiles to reach the number 2048. This is a quite famous game, simple yet challenging the player’s patience and skillful strategy.

    2. Helix Jump: With bright graphics and simple gameplay, Helix Jump attracts players with the swipe action to guide the ball through the tower floors, overcoming in-game challenges such as rock platforms… to reach the finish line.

      3. Johnny Trigger: Johnny Trigger is also a game that attracts players with simple gameplay and dramatic shooting scenes, requiring players to use their intuition to skillfully eliminate enemies.

        4. Doodle Jump: The character The Doodler is no longer new to players in the mobile gaming world. Players need to control The Doodler to jump over platforms, avoid obstacles, and use support items to achieve the highest altitude and score.

          5. Candy Crush: Candy Crush – a famous hyper-casual game with a combination of sweet colors and cheerful sounds is still a very attractive game due to its addictive and simple gameplay.

            6. Crowd City: Crowd City is also a simple yet extremely attractive simulation game. Players must control their character to gather crowds and compete with opponents.

              Hyper-casual games are gaining a significant advantage among fans due to their simplicity, ease of understanding, yet still challenging nature. Therefore, this is an opportunity for game developers to have more motivation and creative opportunities, bringing interesting experiences to players.