We all do remember how Flappy Bird became viral in 2014 right? For the longest time, it was one game that stood in the lead in terms of downloads. That’s the power of hyper casual games. They are designed in such a way that they are easy to download, much easier to play, and can be created with less turnaround time.
Every year experts would predict the fall of the hyper casual gaming sector. But even in 2020, it witnessed a drastic increase, despite the pandemic, in terms of market size and downloads. This has opened up arenas for the experts to ramp up the speed of publishing hyper casual games. Studies have revealed that in 2020 alone the hyper casual game downloads almost grew to 103% with 1.2 billion games in a month.
With these numbers, there’s no doubt that hyper casual gaming will boom like none other. Let’s now explore the top trends expected to define the hyper casual gaming genre in 2021.
Several experts of the gaming industry have predicted that hyper casual gaming will see unique yet two distinct ways of casualization. On the one hand, the experts say that casual games will be more hyper casualized. It simply means that the games would become heavier having higher complexity in the mechanisms and several other features that have a combination of various genres like mid-core and other genres at the same time incorporating hyper casual gameplay as well.
Contrary to this, experts say that hyper casual gaming or just casualization of games is going to the other extreme as well. Games will be devised in a more casual format. It would require the players to be highly skilled and the nature of the game would turn out to be more reflexive. Even if this goes against the original notion of hyper casual gaming, it is said to become more accessible and easier for everyone.
These two different kinds of hyper casual and casual games are expected to rise than usual. Several games like Trivia and Puzzle will become more complex and rich, yet they would still have the foundational features.
Another important trend that the entire industry of hyper casual gaming is eagerly awaiting is the use of IP/Intellectual Property in developing new hyper casual games. Until 2020, only 5% of the hyper casual games made use of third party IPs, but there is going to be a spike this year. Experts say that many familiar and popular players will join the hyper casual gaming industry this year.
For many IPs, it can be their first time entering the hyper casual gaming club. For several IPs that are already in the casual gaming sector, a simple gameplay option would be introduced bringing a wider appeal to the game and push the game to a larger audience. Several powerhouse IPs like Family Guy, Harry Potter, Frozen, and all other genres of games will break the gaming market this year. The new IP-based brands with the easy to play format will increase awareness, brand loyalty and can also increase sales.
Another trend the industry is expecting in hyper casual gaming is realistic gameplay. With the introduction of more complex game designs, hyper casual gaming will now move towards realism. It will now motivate developers to design more realistic games. We can also expect games to be revamped to suit realism. Games that are developed now will move away from the regular cartoon-like feel they provide. They will become more refined and have an element of realism. Mobile Game developers in the hyper casual gaming sector will make use of several visuals that replicate life-like scenarios into games this year. This is one way that will allow everyone to design games more realistically. The best example of this is the real-life destruction art game Demolish. It creates an unbelievably realistic destruction experience.
One of the most creative game genres is hyper casual gaming. Several games in the past year moved from traditional graphics and brought our many wacky and strange creative ideas that quickly grabbed user attention. Moving away from the stereotypical visuals the new norm is to seek something new. In 2021, the gamers now expect these zany, quirky, weird, and eccentric themes and designs to highly engaged users. We hope that gamers will become more curious and interested in playing and discovering.
With the seemingly new trends, hyper casual games will see increased popularity with over a whopping 50% growth. The reasons for which include;
The hyper casual gaming sector is growing quickly for the most obvious reasons. Since it is simple, fast to develop, and highly compatible there is going to be a rise in the number of games published. This will enable all players to have access to different games at a quick pace.
Several publishers like Good Job Games and Crazy Labs are topping the charts out of the blue. Since there are low barriers to entry, it creates a race for publishers to compete against each other. This freedom will drive the growth of the hyper casual game genre as time passes by.
The nature of hyper casual gaming is simple yet straightforward. The players do not need any tutorial since it’s made on an effortless platform. They are chalked out innovatively by engaging mechanics to stand out and stay at the top. However, they lose their essence quickly and fall at the same time they rise. This calls for game publishers to constantly churn in games to rank first.
Based on the above trends, hyper casual games are a safe bet. If you are looking for the Game Development Company to develop a hyper casual game and make a profitable business out of it, contact Juego Studios. They have conceived popular games like Adventure Quest Battle Gems, Pro Feel Golf, Super Club Soccer, and Story Of Ancients. Explore their website to know more about the services they offer, their long list of clientele, and other accomplishments!