The mobile gaming world is known for its rapid change, but the recent spread of COVID-19 continues to affect it in unpredictable ways. As more companies direct employees to work from home, it seems mobile gaming has become a more frequent pastime. Certain mobile game categories have seen surges in downloads and sessions in the past month. Apptopia, our trusted data partner, shared with us some key data to show the growth in mobile gaming that could be successful channels for user acquisition campaigns.
Word Games
Users looking for a fun way to exercise their brains can look no further than word games. This type of game is usually simple enough for tech novices to learn so users from all demographics could play. Peoplefun’s widely popular world puzzle game, Wordscapes has an audience with an almost even gender split and the average ages of users are 37 (male) and 38 (female).
Word games hit a low point on March 7 for downloads and sessions but then drastically increased for the next week and a half. Word games have previously been an easy way to pass the time but now, those working from home and social distancing can now make it a more frequent hobby.
Trivia Games
Similar to word games, trivia games offer a chance to test knowledge and exercise the mind. The two categories also have similar demographics. Trivia Crack’s average trivia player is aged 34 and the audience is 46% male and 54% female. Games in this category took a dip in downloads at the beginning of March but have since been going up. Sessions, on the other hand, have been steadily rising with a significant jump on March 1.
Casual Games
Casual games have been a hot topic in mobile gaming for its fast rise among users and its opportunities for brand advertisers. This category is mobile-first, easy to learn, and does not require a lot of commitment. Wood Shop from Rollic Games has 56% male and 44% female players with average ages of 31 and 29 respectively.
Both sessions and downloads for casual games had been steadily decreasing until March 10 when downloads had a big jump until reaching a higher peak two days later. As downloads go up, it is possible that sessions will also increase as people continue to stay at home.
Family Games
A major adjustment for many people during this time is having children present while parents are working at home. Parents are having to balance school work and recreational activities without to crowded public places. Naturally, families are using mobile apps to stay occupied. Minion Rush (based on the popular animated films) has an average player age of 33 but it should be noted that many of these users could be parents allowing their kids to play on their phones. Additionally, approximately 30% of the audience is under 20 years old.
In the past month, family games have seen some highs and lows in downloads. After hitting a low on March 4, downloads start making big jumps on March 8 and 9. Simultaneously, sessions have been steadily increasing throughout the month.
Additional Highlights
Educational games have been rising steadily in both downloads and sessions. Like family games, this category could continue to see increases as parents use it as a tool for both learning and fun for kids stuck indoors.
Hardcore categories like action, adventure, and racing have slowed in sessions but role-playing games have not. RPG downloads have been steady while sessions have been on the rise. While other hardcore game players may be turning to their consoles, those playing RPGs on mobile are invested in those titles are using their smartphones as their primary gaming devices.
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