With more than 2 billion gamers around the globe, the gaming industry is definitely one of the most lucrative niches. Gamers love their games and they will do everything to have the latest releases. When it comes to mobile gaming, there are two types of gamers: those who play on their smartphones and those who prefer touchscreens. The first category is made up of people who don’t have a console or a PC but want to play games on the go. The second type includes people who are into hardcore gaming and need all the bells and whistles that come with having a touch screen device.
So, which are the top mobile game genres? Let’s find out!
The UK gaming industry has grown to be worth £5.7bn in 2018 and the mobile gaming sector is expected to grow by a further 4% this year. With the mobile gaming market being so large, it’s important that you know which games are most popular with your target audience – because if you’re localizing your app, you need to make sure that there is a demand for it. We will look at some of the top mobile game genres among UK players.
RPGs
Role-playing games (RPGs) are among the most popular genres in modern gaming. RPGs are distinguished by their reliance on character development and interaction with an environment that is usually fictional and contains elements from medieval fantasy worlds. RPGs are ideal for mobile gaming, as they are easy to pick up and play. They also feature addictive gameplay that encourages players to continue playing in order to progress further in the game world.
This genre can include fantasy, sci-fi or even horror themes and often have an immersive story line and allow players to choose their own adventure from a list of options. There are typically multiple levels within these games and players can often level up to unlock new characters or abilities – Pokémon GO, Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, Star Wars Galaxy Heroes, Summoners War Sky Arena, Dungeon Hunter 5, Order & Chaos 2 Redemption and more.
Casino games
The Mobile casino UK market is growing rapidly – this is partly due to the increased popularity of online gambling in general, but also because these apps can be played without wagering any money, meaning that they can appeal to a wider audience. Many apps provide free slots or Roulette as a way to introduce new users to the game and give them an opportunity to win credits
The popularity of mobile casinos has increased massively over the past few years, due to a number of factors. The first factor is that more people now own smartphones than ever before, which means that more people can access casino games at anytime, anywhere. Another factor is that there are plenty of free casino sites for UK players to choose from, which encourages them to play for free rather than paying real money for games on other sites. However, once a player becomes familiar with a particular site or genre of casino game, they may then decide to pay real money and experience.
Puzzle Games
Puzzle games are among the most popular games in the UK market. Puzzle games are easy to understand and they usually have a small file size which makes them easy to download and install on smartphones. Some of the most popular puzzle titles include Candy Crush Legends, Angry Birds 2, Homescapes and many others. Puzzle games are the most popular genre of mobile games in both iOS and Google Play stores. The average number of installs in puzzle games is around 119 million, and their popularity is increasing.
Strategy Games
Strategy mobile games require players to come up with a strategy on how to beat their opponents. The game requires deep thinking as compared to other types of mobile games. Clash of Clans is one of the most popular strategy games in the UK market. Other popular strategy titles include Game of War – Fire Age, Boom Beach, Clash Royale, Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, Empires and Allies and many others. Strategy games are the second most popular genre in both app stores. However, there is a big difference in the performance of these games in terms of downloads between iOS and Android: strategy games have an average of 462 million installs on Android and only 40 million on iOS.
Key trends and opportunities for Developers
The British gaming industry is worth billions of pounds and is growing at a rapid rate. Gaming in the UK has become more mainstream than ever, with the average age of a gamer being 33 years old.
The UK games market has been booming over the past few years, largely due to the rise in mobile gaming. Gambling companies are also seeing increased annual growth rates for mobile games, especially for mobile casino games such as roulette, blackjack and poker.
According to 42matters statistics, the most popular mobile genre in the UK is Casual, followed by Action and Puzzle. In 2017, Casual genre accounted for 36% of all mobile games played in the UK.
The number of gamers in the UK has been growing rapidly over the years. The mobile game genre generates more revenue than PC and console games. According to a report by SLA Digital, the top mobile game genre in 2019 was casual games, accounting for 30% of all minutes spent playing mobile games. This is followed by strategy (13%), action (12%), and adventure (10%).
The UK is the fifth largest gaming market in the world, according to Newzoo. In 2019, there were 39.4 million gamers in the country. This number is expected to reach 41.2 million by 2023. According to SLA DIGITAL, 56% of the UK’s population are active gamers. This means the potential for mobile game developers is huge.
These users are often spending money within these games, which has driven growth in the industry. In 2020, mobile gaming in the UK generated £2 billion in revenue. As a result of this growth, the UK is one of the leading countries for mobile gaming worldwide.
According to Statista, there were more than 25 million mobile gamers in the UK in 2020, generating around 3 billion British Pound in revenue. The two most popular genres in 2020 were casual games and action/adventure. Casual games generated around 1.1 billion British Pound in revenue for UK developers, while action/adventure games generated just under 1 billion British Pound.
Conclusion
Mobile gaming has been on the rise for a while now, since the rapid development of smartphones and tablets, and this trend is expected to continue. However, the way people play mobile games is changing. The demographic of mobile gamers is evolving and mobile developers are working to keep up with their fickle audience. In order to do so, they need to know what it is their consumers want from them. Not only is the UK becoming a hotspot for mobile game developers, but according to a Statista study, the number of active players has continued to grow year after year. In fact, during the last four years alone, the number of active players has tripled. Given this trend, we believe that it will continue to grow over the coming years, causing the industry as a whole to become more financially stable.
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