Hit the Spot: Top Best Hyper-Casual Games

Projects in this genre do not require prior training from gamers

Games in the hyper-casual genre have been popular over the past few years. They involve simple, story-less playthroughs. The entire hyper-casual games market generates $2.5 billion in revenue per year from 17 billion downloads.

Specifics Of the Genre and Market Conditions

Hyper-casual games are characterized by simple game mechanics. Unlike other genres, projects of this type have very few functions. They must be so simple that they can be understood without prior training. A distinctive feature is also that the target audience of the projects is quite broad. These games are designed for people who need a quick distraction. Such as when they are on a plane, in line, or just want to pass the time.

The genre began with the mobile game Flappy Bird, released in 2013. It was created by Vietnamese developer Don Nguyen, who gained worldwide fame after the success of the project. At that time, the popularity of Flappy Bird showed other developers that it is not necessary to spend a lot of time and resources during the development process to gain worldwide recognition. By January 2014, Flappy Bird had been downloaded 50 million times, making it one of the top free games in the Android and iOS app stores.

A Wide Branch In the Game Industry

Hyper-casual games are one of the largest segments in the gaming industry. This type attracts millions of players around the world with its simplicity and accessibility. Such games are becoming increasingly popular among mobile device users. They represent enormous potential for developers and publishers.

The majority (54.6%) of gamers have experience in playing hyper-casual games. Moreover, 21% of the total plays such games on a regular basis. Interestingly, 22% of respondents plan to gain experience playing hyper-casual games in the near future.

The business strategy of publishers working in this genre is to develop and publish quickly. After publication, the key goal is to attract as many users as possible. After which the publisher begins to make a profit through internal advertising. These could be interstitial ads that take up the entire screen for a certain period of time, banner ads, small ads that sit at the top or bottom of the screen throughout the game, or rewarded video ads that players can watch at will and receive bonuses.

The market for casual and hyper-casual games is huge and only growing. It was around $15.6 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow to $24.7 billion in 2027, a compound annual growth rate. The entire hyper-casual games market annually generates $2.5 billion in revenue per year from 17 billion installations. With at least 10.5% of downloads coming exclusively from the United States.

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Subway Surfers

The most popular hyper-casual game is Subway Surfers. It has over 278 million downloads. The project was developed by Kiloo studio in 2012 and after 11 years it is still very popular. The goal of the game is to escape from the inspector and collect as many coins and artifacts as possible. In total, three lanes of traffic are open to users - these are railway tracks that are filled with obstacles. The longer players manage to remain invulnerable, the greater the character's speed becomes. As a result, the difficulty of the passage increases. Coins that accumulate during the gameplay can be spent on skins, attributes and other elements that upgrade your character.

Flappy Bird

Second place in the ranking goes to Flappy Bird, which started the genre. However, it was removed by the developer himself a year after release. According to him, he felt guilty before the gamers who became dependent on his project. The removal of the original project did not prevent many parodies from appearing on the market. Super Bird, Flappy Dunk, Flappy Copter and others. In the original and similar games, users will have to tap the screen to control the flight of a bird (or other objects) between rows of green pipes, avoiding collisions with them. Despite the apparent simplicity of the gameplay, the game requires high concentration and reaction speed from gamers. It is worth noting that at the time the game was released. Stories appeared in the media about users breaking their phones due to unsuccessful attempts to complete the level.

Cut the Rope

Puzzle game Cut the Rope ranks third among the best hyper-casual games. It turned out to be so popular that the animated series “The Adventures of Om Nom” was released based on it. The project has existed for more than 13 years. The story centers on a small green creature named Om Nom, and users go through level after level to get candy for him. In total, the game has more than 400 levels, in addition, several additions have been released, as well as full-fledged individual parts.

This Year's Favorites

In 2023, many projects appeared that were able to attract the attention of gamers. Homa Games' Attack Hole launched earlier this year and has quickly risen to the top of the hyper-casual gaming charts. Already in the third quarter of 2023, downloads exceeded 73 million. The game combines intuitive gameplay and exciting levels. Clean and concise graphics do not overload the interface and allow users to concentrate on the gameplay.

The second place in terms of downloads this year was taken by Going Balls from Supersonic, their number exceeds 65 million. In this game, gamers control the trajectory of the ball, overcoming obstacles. The creators have integrated a system of in-game rewards and bonuses into the gameplay. These elements add strategic elements to the gameplay and increase engagement, encouraging continuous play.

The third place in the ranking of the most downloaded hyper-casual games this year goes to Supersonic's Bridge Race. The goal of the players is to assemble blocks of a certain color and then build bridges across the chasms. The multiplayer element, in which players compete with each other in real time, significantly increases audience interest in the project.

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