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A hyper-casual game is a type of casual mobile video game which known for its accessibility and simple gameplay. Hyper-casual games are typically free-to-play, and include minimalistic user interfaces. Popularized in 2017 by game makers such as Kwalee, Ketchapp and Voodoo, these games can be quickly played after downloading, usually without any tutorial or instructions. They also often use a 2D design with a simple color scheme, adding to their simplicity. Usually featuring infinite looped mechanics, hyper-casual games are playable for an infinite amount of time, leading to their addictive nature. These games are often played while multitasking, which is why their simple user interface is essential.

Gameplay

There is no definitive video game genre that hyper-casual games as a whole can neatly fit into. All hyper-casual games contain gameplay that are fundamentally accessible but difficult. All hyper-casual games go on forever; there is no win condition, but there is a lose condition that will end the game. All hyper-casual games implement a high score system to some extent, which incentivizes playing the game until the current high score is beaten. The accessibility and short duration of hyper-casual games also encourages players to play the game whenever they want in short bursts.

Hyper-casual games do share similar gameplay elements, such as:

Tapping

A game session for a tapping game will only rely on a single tap, and the accuracy of said tap determines how far a player object will be launched. The game stops when the player's object cannot move any further, and the player's score is determined by how far the object went. Tapping games incentivize perfectly timed taps, mainly because perfect taps will ensure the maximum possible score, but also because singular-tap-oriented games use visual emphasis as a form of encouragement. In other words, tapping games utilize game feel to get players to optimize their gameplay. These are otherwise known as timing games due to the exact timing required for an optimal score and how precisely the player is incentivized to tap.

Stacking

Stacking games are a variation of tapping games. The objective is to build the tallest tower out of an infinite supply of objects one at a time. Stacking games are similar to tapping games in which the timing of an action is emphasized and incentivized, but here multiple taps influence the ultimate outcome of a gameplay session, whereas a single tap in the latter is the outcome. For these reasons, stacking games are generally less punishing.

Turning

Turning games are a variation of tapping games. Turning games take advantage of the human brain's natural difficulty at determining the length between two objects in a 3D space, and are thus more difficult. Players tap and hold on the screen to create a platform between two objects, where the length of the platform increases as the player continues holding; the platform is released when the tap is released. If the player overshoots or undershoots the platform, missing the next object, then the player loses.

Dexterity

Dexterity based games are fundamentally based on a simple, infinitely repeatable action. Players accumulate points towards a high score by repeating these actions ad-nauseum. The game gradually speeds up as the gameplay session goes on, which pressures the player into concentrating further, which counter-intuitively causes players to make a mistake. Players are typically allowed only one mistake. A high score is determined based on the amount of time passed or the amount of said action that the player performed over the course of the session. High scores as such indicate a high level of dexterity, hence the name.

Dodging

Players use their finger (primarily dragging) to move an object back and forth to avoid obstacles. Dodging games are similar to verticality games as they rely on the same fundamental idea, though the implementation is different between the two. Players lose the game when hit by an obstacle. The game speed and player score increases as the player progresses through the infinite levels.

Verticality

Players will move across a vertically spanning level and periodically dodge obstacles which spawn randomly. A score is accumulated the further the player goes. The game speeds up as the score increases. Players lose the game when hit by an obstacle.

Also referred to as rising/falling games, most vertical games require the player to protect an object from obstacles on a strictly vertically defined, infinite level. The levels develop as gameplay continues, which gives the feeling of progression, though the goal remains the same.

Merging

Merging games operate on the fundamental idea that similar objects combine with only each other to form a greater object. This makes merging games especially accessible due to their intuitive gameplay. Merging games also rely on visual feedback (game feel) to emphasize progress.

Idling

Idle games vary wildly in terms of design additions, but fundamentally all idle games do not require player interaction in order to progress. Idle games function via a self-incrementing currency that the player can use to purchase goods or upgrades which boost the rate of growth.

Growing

Usually multiplayer player-versus-player games, players start off small and weak. Players can become bigger and stronger by accumulating a score (usually through collectibles) or by eliminating other players. Growing games are fundamentally based on a positive feedback loop, where larger players can kill weaker, smaller ones, which in turn makes the larger player stronger. Winners in growing games are always the largest. Growing-oriented hyper-casual games often have a .io at the end of their name.

Puzzle

Whereas other puzzle mobile games have a set amount of levels that are usually created manually by a developer, hyper-casual puzzle games feature only one infinitely playable puzzle. These games will provide the player with a few fundamental rules as well as a lose condition. The difficulty of puzzles are not determined by the game itself. Difficulty and level complexity increase the more mistakes are made throughout a play session until the player can no longer make a move.

Monetization

Hyper-casual games differ from other mobile games through in-app advertisements, and high downloads, whereas more hard-core mobile games focus on in-app purchases and robust economies. In-app purchases are common for hyper-casual games, but because of the lack of a robust in-game economy and free download cost of most hyper-causal games, revenue is mostly generated from ads. Though other mobile games aim for high retention rates to make sure players keep coming back, hyper-casual games do the opposite, opting to take advantage of typically low-retention rates by incorporating many advertisements in a single gameplay session.

One monetization approach maximizes advertisements through rewarded daily play. This incentivizes players to continually play and invest in hyper-casual games for long periods of time, which exposes the player to more ads the more time they invest. Rewarded daily sessions have grown from being used in 25% to 34% of the 100 top grossing mobile games as of 2019.

Unlike other genres of mobile games, hyper-casual games cross-promote with one another via in-game advertisements. Their short gameplay sessions do not require players to invest time into one specific title. As such, hyper-casual games can cross-promote players to other titles without a significant loss in revenue.

Whereas other mobile games generate revenue through premium currencies or by requiring payment to download, hyper-casual games generate the majority of their revenue through in-game advertisements.

There are multiple types of in-game advertisements:

Rewarded Videos

Players can choose to watch video advertisements (typically 30 seconds) in exchange for in-game rewards. Players are prompted to watch these advertisements in losing situations (e.g: losing a game or running out of a currency). Consequently, watching these video advertisements in their entirety rewards the player with an appropriate award (e.g: extra time, an extra in-game life, or extra in-game currency) corresponding to their situation. Quitting out of these ads before they have finished will result in no rewards. Rewarded videos are often represented as an alternative to otherwise purchasing in-app goods. Players are thus encouraged to watch rewarded videos as the former is the cheaper (free) option compared to the latter.

Banner Advertisements

Banner advertisements are small images that appear in a non-intrusive area on the user's screen.

Interstitial Advertisements

Interstitial advertisements appear between gameplay sessions. Often these advertisements are videos that can be exited after a few seconds.

Native Advertisements

Native advertisements are the least intrusive form of in-app advertisements. These show up during normal gameplay in the form of background objects, which allows the player to see the advertisements without halting gameplay abruptly.

Retention

Player retention in hyper-casual games is low. 40% to 60% of players will stop playing games for good in the first 24 hours upon initial download. As hyper-casual games are free, players can switch or try out another mobile game without a financial loss. Advertisements may negatively affect the retention rates if they negatively affect the gaming experience.

Hyper-casual game developers can increase retention rates by creating a balance between players' hedonistic and utilitarian needs. This includes:

• focusing more on high fidelity visual and acoustic design (game feel)
• integrating social media
• encouraging social interactions in-game either by cooperative or competitive mechanics between groups of players
• implementing surprises or better rewards for players the more time that they invest or for the longer that they play
• fundamentally designing hyper-casual games such that players feel that it improves the quality of their life, such as acting as an outlet for boredom or a way to hone specific skills
• making hyper-games as accessible as possible

History

Hyper-casual games gained traction in 2017 in mobile gaming, but are often seen as a genre similar to the 1970s video games that lacked detailed design and gameplay. The first hyper-casual game that gained wide popularity was Flappy Bird, which saw over 50 million downloads and generated around $50,000 a day in its prime. Since then, hyper-casual games have dominated top-charts in multiple mobile game stores such as the Google Play Store and the App Store (iOS). According to the EEDAR, the majority of mobile video-game users play while multitasking, and because of their simplicity, hyper-casual games have become increasingly popular among these users. In 2016, popular gaming company, Ubisoft, bought Ketchapp (one of the hyper-casual gaming company pioneers). In 2017, Goldman Sachs invested $200 million in hyper-casual gaming company Voodoo. 71% of adult video game players in the United States are reported to play hyper-casual mobile games as of 2020.

In foreign markets, India has seen a surge in their mobile video games industry thanks in part due to hyper-casual games. This is partly due to the high cost of hardcore gaming consoles in India, as well as smartphones and data plans that only recently has begun to become cheaper. Whereas other countries have already become accustomed to hardcore gaming, India has yet to reach that stage, and new gamers frequent their phones to play hyper-casual mobile games instead. Yoozoo Games India Anuj Tandon states that "we cannot expect them [India] to be serious gamers in these initial years." According to Netscribes, the annual growth rate of India's mobile gaming industry is 19 percent; in 2022 India's mobile gaming industry is estimated to be worth $275 billion. Research agency Frost & Sullivan estimate that revenue will increase from $338.4 million in 2017 to approximately $1.1 billion in 2021; mobile game consumers will grow from 160 million to 380 million in that timespan. However, India's market is set to shift away from hyper-casual mobile games in lieu of more hardcore titles.