Why Hypercasual Games Still Rule Today
In a nutshell, hypercasual games are essentially titles that super easy and simple to play. They’re so straightforward that players can dive right in and get to it without the need for a tutorial. Usually, their gameplay mechanics require just a tiny amount of input from players. For example, some games, like Stack Ball 3, only require you to hold the screen, while games like Flappy Bird only needs you to make a series of taps.
With that said, even with the rise of countless other games that provide deep, immersive experiences like open-world and grand strategy titles, why do hypercasual ones still claim a large piece of the pie? Let’s take a look at the likely reasons why:
They’re easy to make, and there are lots of them
When you open the Apple and Google Play store, you’ll discover a lot of hypercasual games. You’ll have hundreds of options, and though MMORPGs and attractive-looking games may catch your eye, you’ll likely still end up downloading them because, hey, they look pretty fun. Developers will always opt to create smaller-scale hypercasual titles, which is why they dominate the online stores. Unlike large-scale projects, they may not take as much effort to develop and can quickly reach players’ fingertips.
Everyone can play them
Not everyone has the time nor the effort to play sprawling open-world games and those with rather complicated mechanics. The smartphone is a medium for everyone, but not everyone is into Genshin Impact and Dragalia Lost. Instead, casual gamers might only want to dive into games that don’t require as much of an investment to play. For example, it’s hard to imagine an older smartphone user playing a comprehensive RPG.
Hypercasuals are fun
Despite being relatively easy to play and only requiring minimal input from players, hypercasual games are entertaining and can definitely eat away at your time. The joy of seeing a character manage to dodge an obstacle after you’ve swiped the screen or seeing stacks of blocks reduced to rubble after holding your finger on the screen is rather satisfying. Their gameplay is comparable to old, retro games, which could be one of the reasons why they appeal to an older audience, particularly those on Coonster such as Ninja Up.
Easy monetization
Finally, hypercasual games still take a large piece of the pie because they’re quite easy to monetize. Developers can quickly churn them out and make a decent amount of money even if they make it available for free. Meanwhile, they may also include other forms of monetization, like cosmetics, and double and incentivizing the viewing of advertisements. Although larger games rake in more profits in the long run, hypercasual games are more suited to support smaller development studios.
Overall, hypercasual games will rule the download charts and will continue to do so in the future. Not only are they easy to make, but they’re also what a good chunk of the mobile player base is diving into.