This statistic might come as a surprise to many of you, but it shows the immense popularity of mobile games. Long gone are the days where the only game available on your phone was Snake. Gamers now have hundreds of high-definition games to choose from spanning multiple genres, on their smartphones.
Why are mobile games so popular?
PC and console gaming are still huge, but mobile gaming over the last few years has loosened the relentless grip that consoles and PCs had on the gaming market. But why? What makes mobile gaming so attractive? The main reasons are listed below:
Accessibility
Mobile gaming is incredibly accessible, where console and PC gaming isn’t. All you have to do is whip out your smartphone and you can play. This means that gaming is possible from anywhere – your living room, lying in bed or when commuting on the train or bus, for example.
Community/multiplayer aspect
Many mobile games such as Clash of Clans, Call of Duty and Hearthstone have multiplayer aspects. Some games allow you to work together with other players by forming alliances or helping each other with tasks. Alternatively, many games have PvP (player versus player) elements where you can battle directly with others from around the world.
This is possible on console and PC games too, but mobile games often utilize the multiplayer aspects in interesting and unique ways that keep you engaged.
Less time-intensive
With some console and PC games like Elden Ring, Fallout 76 and Warzone, you really need to dedicate at least 30 mins to an hour to have a proper gaming experience. Not everyone has that time available or wants to play games for hours on end.
Mobile games can often be played for as little as five minutes to get some entertainment. For example, you could play a level of Candy Crush or start some upgrades on your base in Clash of Clans. They are far less time-intensive, which makes them ideal for casual gamers.
What are the most popular types of mobile games?
So, you can see why mobile games are so popular, but what games can you play?
Online casinos
Sweepstakes casinos and online casinos generally have a mobile app available on smartphones. These are more convenient to use than the web-browser version of the casinos, and give you access to the complete game library. You can find more info on these apps via sites such as Sweepstakes Casino, but there are usually hundreds of video slots, table games like roulette, and fishing games to play. Sweepstakes casinos are more akin to mobile games as you play using virtual currency.
Match 3 games
Candy Crush Saga is THE original mobile match 3 game and it has created hundreds of spinoffs and similar games from other developers. Match 3 games involved grids of symbols – you have to swap the position of these symbols to match three of the same color or type. This then usually removes the symbols and boosts your score.
Games like Candy Crush have special symbols that have different abilities. For example, the chocolate drop with colored sprinkles removes all the symbols of the same color you match it with from the board. For entertainment, match 3 games are brilliant for casual gamers and those who just want to pass a little time without thinking too much.
Base builders
Travian, Boom Beach, Clash of Clans and Total Conquest are all popular base builders. The underlying premise of these games is that you are the emperor or leader of a tribe, civilization or group of people. You must build a base using in-world resources with an aim to conquer the world map.
These games usually have core resources that you have to collect. You then use these buildings to complete research to unlock new technologies and buildings. There is also often a fighting element, in which you have to train troops and upgrade them to fight against other people.
Games like Clash of Clans also have features where you can join guilds or alliances and work together with other people from around the world to fight against other clans or AI enemies. These games can be incredibly complex and there is an entire esports scene around games like Clash of Clans.
TGC games
TGC or trading card games are incredibly fun to play and there are plenty of well-known examples like Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel, Hearthstone, Magic: The Gathering, Kards, and Legends of Runeterra. With these games, your aim is to build a collection of trading cards and use them to develop “decks”.
A deck is essentially a group of cards that you then use to fight other people with. The cards have different abilities and stats.
You can usually buy packs of cards or earn them via challenges and improving your rank in multiplayer ladders. Many TCG games such as Hearthstone have a brilliant esports scene with regular tournaments and big prize money.
Mobile gaming is expected to continue to grow
Mobile gaming isn’t a fad. It’s here to stay and the popularity of mobile gaming should only increase as smartphone technology continues to improve. Every new release of the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel brings improved processing speeds, battery life and graphics.
As a result, software developers can push the boundaries of mobile gaming, and it’s getting to the point where some games don’t look too dissimilar from their console or PC counterparts. For gamers, this is an exciting time to be a fan as you can engage in a great range of games on a handful of different platforms and devices.
