Mobile gaming has been around since 1997, being a staple of what was once the most popular collection of mobile devices in the UK – Nokia phones. The classic game later evolved even through other buttoned devices, and there was even a FIFA Street mobile game at one point. Then came the iPhone in 2007 with its touch-screen controls, followed by the ability for developers to cater to in-app purchases in 2009, forming a whole new beast.
Gradually, premium mobile games faded by the wayside – with a few key exceptions over the years – while free-to-start games rose to the fore. The most successful of these file themselves under the broad category of casual or hyper-casual, and they are wildly popular in the UK. This is despite the continued flow of incredibly advanced, high-tier games coming out on other platforms. The success of casual games, however, speaks to fundamental draws.
Casual Games Reeling in Stacks of Cash
Across the top-grossing apps in the UK, as recorded by Similar Web, four of the ten are casual games, two are forms of entertainment media streaming platforms, and one is a social media app. Of those four top-grossing apps that are casual games, while one of them does encourage players to be out and about a bit, the other three are long-standing UK favourites that could easily fit into the category of hyper-casual.
According to a Sensor Tower report, in September of 2024 alone, the four app games combined made over £2.15 million ($2.9m). One of them, top-ranked by the name of Coin Master, enjoyed a supreme July by collecting £970,000 ($1.3m) from UK players. Across Q3 of 2024, however, the four combined to make over £25 million ($33.9m) alone. For context, also in 2024, the hit game Space Marine 2 sold nearly 320,000 units for around £55 apiece to earn £17.6 million.
Tapping into What People Want
The key to the success of mobile gaming has been convenient entertainment. While mobile devices themselves are convenient, the games also have to be convenient to play. To do this, they draw from elements that have long made other games popular: simplicity, accessibility, and the ability to pick up and play.
Several games beyond mobile apps have enjoyed enduring success by tapping into these key elements. This even extends into the world of online slots. They’re inherently accessible with a few buttons, but one of the most popular, Fluffy Favourites, leans further into offering straightforward gameplay. The classic slot has a simplistic aesthetic to it, intuitive features, and a clear-cut payline count of just 25.
The enduring popularity of Fluffy Favourites is a testament to the appeal of gaming entertainment that’s made to be clear-cut and accessible. Even in more complex game types, these three elements underpin some modern indie hits. Balatro, for example, uses the accessible hands of poker for scoring, is simple in its stated goals, and can be picked up and played for a few minutes at a time. Dave the Diver is similar, with depth and variety building on the simplicity and relatively short game segments.
Casual games like those raking in millions in the UK have taken three very appealing aspects of gaming to the extreme, making very simple, accessible games that can be picked up and played for just a couple of minutes at a time.