The mobile gaming industry has the largest number of players. Therefore, we witness many genres and game niches developed for the mobile gaming audience. One genre that stands out is the hyper-casual game. And unlike many other genres, these games are here to stay. With their addictive gameplay, simple mechanics, and minimalist design, these games have dominated the market, much like retro games once did.
If you are skeptical about investing in these games, you should not be. There are so many games circulating in the market, and most of them are doing well. Hence, the success ratio is too high for this genre. This blog aims to help you understand how investing in hyper-casual game development can be a fruitful venture.
Benefits of Hyper-Casual Games for Investors
Let’s dive into the factors that suggest investing in the development of hyper-casual hits such as Paper.io or Helix Jump can be a viable business opportunity.
1. Massive Audience Reach
Hyper-casual games have an enormous reach in the world. These games have a way of fitting into the list of your favorite games. Also, the accessibility feature of such games makes it reach a broader audience. Some of the reasons why they have an enormous player base:
- Highly accessible
- Very addictive
- Light on the phone’s disk space
Other reasons for hyper-casual games having a massive audience reach are their global appeal, low barriers to entry, and their USP of targeting everyone.
Hyper-casual games are not influenced by cultural factors. Hence, its audience is not limited. On the contrary, hyper-casual games are relevant in every culture, race, and country.
Since hyper-casual games are basic in terms of playability and have simple mechanics, anyone can start playing the game despite their gaming skills. These games have a soft learning curve, allowing players with different skills to hone their skills easily.
Hyper-casual games do not have a target audience, meaning it does not target a selective group of people. Because of its simplicity and minimal design, anyone can play it at any time. Whether it’s a 5-year-old or a 55-year-old, people of all ages can have fun while playing hyper-casual games.
- Not limited to a certain region
- Works on universal game mechanics
- Can be played by anyone
- Any age group can participate and enjoy
- Works on simple game mechanics
- Soft learning curve
- Minimalist design
- It can be played by a kid or an adult
- Does not require any pre-requisite game knowledge
2. High Engagement and Retention Rates
The high engagement and retention rates of hyper-casual games are due to their addictive gameplay. Even though the gameplay is simple, it manages to capture users’ attention. The play sessions in the game are short and sweet, and repetitive loops do not bore the players.
Most of the players crave breaking their high scores. The feeling of playing just one more time that you experience makes hyper-casual games so popular and increases engagement. The high engagement and retention rates are factors only possible because hyper-casual games are:
- Challenging But Accessible
- Provide Instant Gratification
- No beating around the bush, straight-up gameplay
Hyper-casual game, being a simple one, does not imply that it becomes boring. As you keep playing it and invest time, you realize that the levels gradually become harder, making the game more and more challenging as you progress.
The quick gameplay loops provide a sense of gratification to players. Hyper-casual games know how to satisfy their audience and cheer them in short periods.
3. Monetization Opportunities
Hyper-casual games hold a lot of potential for revenue generation. With the right monetization strategies, you can open up a plethora of revenue opportunities. These games follow a freemium model, so you must be wondering what we can do to achieve a successful revenue stream.
The fundamental method of monetizing hyper-casual games is through in-game ads. These methods include the usage of banner ads, interstitial ads, rewarded videos, and playable ads. These ads rarely interfere with the gameplay.
Another method is in-app purchases of characters, skins, and themes of the environment. If you are stuck at a certain level or need coins to unlock it, you can purchase the coins. These microtransactions help hyper-casual games generate revenue. You can also include the option for removing ads by paying a certain amount.
4. Faster Development Cycle
Since hyper-casual games define simplicity, the development cycle of these games is significantly lower than complex mobile, console, or PC games. The features incorporated in hyper-casual games are fewer and simpler.
The game mechanics are also straightforward with one-touch controls, swipe, and tap. These factors highly contribute to the faster development cycle of the game. A faster development cycle happens due to 2 major reasons:
- Rapid Prototyping
- Lower Costs
The game’s prototype gets developed in no time. Developers hold the liberty to test the game through a prototype even before beginning the development process. Moreover, due to the fast-paced development process, the cost of deploying hyper-casual games gets reduced compared to other traditional games.
5. Easy to Scale and Update
As mobile gaming trends are dynamic, integrating new features is necessary and comparatively easy into hyper-casual games. This ease-of-updation helps developers retain the players and keep them coming back for newer surprises.
The updates include the addition of new levels and challenges. It can also include in-game assets like characters and skins, apart from adding seasonal events. The difficulty levels can also be tweaked accordingly by the developers.
Adding new updates in the game at short intervals helps developers connect with the players and provide them with something new. This technique helps in improving user retention.
6. Viral Potential
The probability of hyper-casual games becoming viral remains high. This factor of the genre makes it interesting for the developers. This helps them cash in on these projects without spending a lot of resources.
The games are simple, addictive, and extremely accessible, which makes them easy to go viral. Anyone can instantly access it because of its lightweight nature, and it does not require any high-end system requirements. Social sharing also accounts for the game’s viral growth, and hyper-casual games work on the principle of social sharing.
Once they pick up the pace, you can see their downloads in millions. Take the example of Helix Jump by Voodoo, the game broke the internet with its craze and became a sensation in no time, just by word of mouth.
7. Quick Return on Investment (ROI)
You do not have much to lose while investing in the development of a hyper-casual game. Since the game can be developed and deployed in no time and with a fraction of the cost that is required in AAA games, you are in a win-win situation. These games can provide you with the quickest return on your investment as compared with other investments, especially in the gaming industry.
- Developed in no time
- Requires less amount of money
- Provides the quickest returns
AAA game development requires a budget similar to that of a Hollywood blockbuster, and still, there’s a risk of the game not getting the attention. You can take the example of Cyberpunk 2077; the game was so hyped, and players had huge expectations from the game. However, the game had suffered massive criticism and could not perform the way it was expected.
Also Read:- Top Hyper-Casual Game Engines: Which One’s Right for You?
Why Hyper-Casual Game Development is Ideal for Startups and Indie Devs?
Hyper-casual games not only benefit big gaming studios but also entrepreneurs. These games are ideal for startups and indie developers who are finding their way in the vast game development industry. These games also allow small developers to showcase their potential and establish themselves in the game development domain.
Low Risk, High Reward
Hyper-casual games do not come with risks like traditional games. The development process and cost being simple and low, these games provide high rewards with low risks. They can generate millions, and the investment required in these games is peanuts.
Innovation Over Complexity
The modern games are intricate and focus a lot on their world-building and graphics. Those games are way more complex compared to hyper-casual games. However, these games might not be complex, but that doesn’t mean they are not innovative. These games stand out because of their unique gameplay mechanics and concepts.
Mobile-First Gaming Market
Mobile gaming is the newest trend in the gaming industry, and hyper-casual games are at the forefront of that trend. If you are developing a hyper-casual game, it is definite that you are tapping into a highly lucrative market.
App Store Visibility
With the advent of app store optimization, hyper-casual games can outperform other apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. These games can easily become visible on the gamers’ phones, eventually allowing them to be discovered by a wider audience.
Easy to Retrieve Data
The development of such games is supported by multiple frameworks and game engines like Unity and Cocos2d. You can also get the help of marketing tools like Google Ads and Facebook Ads to analyze the market.
Also Read:- Hyper Casual Games vs HTML5 Cross-Platform Games
Competition in the Hyper Casual Gaming Market
There is one catch to the hyper-casual gaming business: the market is highly competitive. You won’t be the only one who will be releasing a hyper-casual game when you will be deploying one. Tons of games are deployed and flopped, and they do not even make it to the global audience before they vanish. But this can also work to the benefit of developers as they can find multiple resources and study why hyper-casual games fail.
Conclusion
If you want to start a business in the mobile gaming industry, nothing can beat investing in a hyper-casual game, as it can provide high rewards with low risks. These games hold the potential to penetrate the global gaming market, resulting in high user engagement. These games also boast low development costs with humongous monetization opportunities.
Hyper-casual games have not only emerged as a trend, but they also contribute a lot to the gaming industry. It has a bright future, with its simple gameplay and addictiveness, the hyper-casual game trend is here to stay.
BR Softech can help you capitalize on your game idea, given that your idea stands out. We can also help you refine your idea and convert it into something incredible.
FAQs
Hyper-casual games are mobile games, or simple games that can be played on a web browser, that have one-touch controls. The fundamental role of these games is to provide gratification in less time through short levels.
The development of hyper-casual games comes with a lot of benefits. They require minimal investments and, in return, provide several revenue streams through multiple monetization strategies.
Hyper-casual can easily generate revenue through monetization models included in the game, like interstitial ads, banner ads, and purchasing in-game assets.
Yes, hyper-casual games are still in trend in 2025, and they are planning to stay in the market for a long time. And the genre is still profitable because of its trending nature.
Developing a hyper-casual game can take up to 12 weeks. Smaller games can also be built in a month. Hence, the development time can vary between a month and 3 months.