Hypercasual gaming became a buzzword in the industry when developer Voodoo saw an exponential increase in downloads, making them the third best-performing game developer worldwide. The message was clear: hyper-casual games are in demand and can be extremely successful.
Hypercasual games have maintained this popularity ever since and now generate between $2 billion and $2.5 billion in annual revenue. This guide will explain everything you need to know about this type of mobile game, including how to create a hypercasual game, how they can be monetized, and what engines you need to get started.
What is a Hyper-Casual Game?
Hypercasual games are characterized by simple game mechanics. They have very few features, unlike the main games, and can be explained in a screenshot, as former Rovio VP Eric Seufert said. Also, it is a light game with a minimalist design.
They are relatively easy to produce but are guaranteed to offer a high level of entertainment and replayability. Hypercasual games are produced in a way that is accessible and enjoyable for the largest number of players.
A hyper-casual game will typically generate revenue from in-app ads, rather than in-app purchases. The business strategy of publishers working in the hyper-casual genre will generally be to quickly design and publish the game.
After publishing, the goal is to acquire as many users as possible. It is usually done through the acquisition of paid users. After gaining a significant user base, revenue is earned through paid advertisements displayed in-game.
History of Hyper-Casual Games
Although the term hypercasual game is quite new to us, arguably the first hypercasual game was released in 1975, known as Pong, and the second game was released in 1976 – Breakout.
The first innovative Hyper-Casual game was the yellow ball game many of us are familiar with: Pac-man. The game had a minimal user interface and there was no tutorial on what we had to do. All users just figured out what they had to do in the game.
Hyper’s next big release came after nine years as the Tetris game. In modern times and the internet age, hyper-casual gaming had a breakthrough in 2017 with Helix Jump.
Hypercasual games are so popular nowadays because users can play these games even when they are free for just one minute. There is no need to register and no waiting time, the user can open the game and the game will open with a start button that will launch the game when pressed.
Current Stats of Hyper-Casual Game
- By 2020, hypercasual game download rates had risen to 11.8 billion. Converted to a dollar amount, some estimates put revenue from hyper-casual games at more than $3 billion annually.
- The traffic for the top-performing casual games is more modest: 26,000 ‘Daily Average Users’.
- The best arcade gamers (hyper-casual) get the most traffic: 94,000 ‘Daily Average Users’.
- As per Statista, according to Newzoo’s compilation of data, smartphones and tablets will reportedly account for 51% of the estimated $203 billion in gaming revenue in 2022.
Genres of Hyper-Casual Game Mechanic
The precise goal of a hyper-casual game is to be direct and simple. Most games use just a single mechanic, and a few use more than two. Following are the most well-known and appealing hyper-casual game mechanics you should know:
#1. Turning
Turning is a variety of tap and timing mechanics that utilizes 3D graphics. The turning mechanic makes a confounding visual illusion because the human eye battles to pass judgment on length in three-dimensional space. A Unity game development company states that the turning mechanic adds one more challenging component to the games.
#2. Time and Tap
Time and tap are the most famous hyper casual game mechanics, and are the foundation for many other mechanics also. A game that uses just tap and sync mechanics depends on an exact touch at a specific moment. The ideal touch gives the highest score, and mistakes in timing lower the score.
Most tap-and-timing games, similar to Hothead Games’ Super Hit Baseball, include throwing or hitting an object. Visual criticism is one of the main components of these games. There should be a clear visual representation of an inaccurate touch and an exceptionally satisfying visual response to an ideal touch.
#3. Going up and Down
The up-and-down mechanic includes an object continually advancing through the game while facing various obstacles. Games like Serkan Özyılmaz’s Rise Up frequently occur in stages, so the nature of the obstructions changes as the object moves up or down through the levels.
#4. Fusion
The fusion mechanic includes consolidating similar objects to make another new object. Games like Ivy’s Jewels Classic are visually very satisfying, particularly while using top-notch designs. They likewise have a clear progression, as players can see the graphics change with every combination.
#5. Growing
Growing up is one of the most established and satisfying game mechanics. Games like Lowtech Studios’ Slither.io start with a small object that moves around to get other objects. As you find and retain more objects, your character gets greater and greater. Growing up games often involve various players and the goal is to turn into a bigger character.
What Are the Top 3 Hyper Casual Game Engines?
Here, we are going to mention the best 3 hyper casual game engines:
Unity
Unity is by a long shot the most famous game engine. It has been around since 2005 and functions admirably on both Android and iOS. The platform requires almost no processing power, so your games run as expected even on phones with slow processors.
Unreal
Unreal is the most utilized game engine after Unity. The platform was created by Epic Games and was first released in 1998, so it has a long and successful history. Engineers like Unreal for its top-notch 3D features, yet it requires more processing power than Unity.
BuildBox
If you are curious about coding, BuildBox might be your ideal choice. It has a visual programming point of interaction, which permits you to assemble a hyper-casual game quickly. BuildBox has plenty of animations and assets for you to browse and supports both 2D and 3D development.
Key Features of the Hyper-Casual Game
Here, in this section, we will list out the key features of a hyper-casual game:
Simplicity
The simplicity of hyper-casual games makes them so habit-forming. Simple gameplay implies easy to play with simple game mechanics and basic formats, however, it should not be excessively repetitive or boring. Hyper-casual gamers require insignificant effort to play, so keep things simple, clear, and short. Attempt to increase the difficulty of the game logically, without the player realizing it, and keep up with this balance all through the game.
Short Levels
Short levels are a significant component in hyper-casual gameplay. Short game loops provide the player with a feeling of progress. It also makes it simple for the player to get their phone whenever and begin a round, so keep your game levels as short as possible. More short levels, more opportunities for the player to audit the game at his relaxation.
Also Read: How to make a Game like Minecraft?
Minimalist UI
A moderate UI makes the game easier and more understandable, keeping only the essential control button the player will require, anything extra just eliminates it. Furthermore, focus more on the game.
Straight to the Hyper Casual Game
Hyper-casual game players do not have time to deal with game guidelines, and game stories, they need to begin playing from the first seconds. so don’t lose the consideration of your players, bring them directly into the game. Begin with something basic and the player will learn while playing.
How to Make a Hyper-Casual Game Effortlessly
By following the below-listed steps, you can make a hyper-casual game successfully:
Step 1: Start with a mechanic
While envisioning a hyper-casual game, there are numerous mechanics to choose from. Prior to starting the development process, it is essential that you research the most famous mechanics utilized so you can implement them effectively.
All hyper-casual games have a simplified mechanic that utilizes essential calculations that can catch the attention of users. After you’ve looked at a couple of potential outcomes, pick a key mechanic to focus on; some other mechanics will muddle the game and make it really confusing, making it harder for you to make and eventually engage users.
Step 2 – Choose an Engine
Luckily, hyper-casual games don’t expect you to be a coding wizard, because of their intrinsic simplicity. Another benefit is that there are numerous engines accessible to choose from, every one of which takes care of various skill sets. It is even possible to make a hyper-casual game with practically no coding knowledge, with different programs that permit the creation of intuitive games.
Scratch, for instance, is a free programming language with an online community. The tool is also useful in figuring out the basics of programming.
You can also use scripting tools, like Bolt Visual Scripting for Unity. Buildbox is likewise commonly used by hyper-casual game developers. Both are tools designed specifically for game engineers who would rather not write code, and there are a few online courses available if you want to make it on your own.
Step 3 – Soft Launch and Test
One of the main components of an effective hyper-casual game is the balance between ease of use and difficulty. It’s important that the game be immediately open, however, a developer shouldn’t have any desire to make it excessively simple or excessively hard.
Developers need to test their A/B mechanics at various speeds to find the ideal balance that keeps users engaged without becoming disappointed to the point of stopping playing. Developers will also have to test ways the application can be monetized without harming the user experience.
Make sure to check your application’s retention rate, with anything under a D1 retention of 30% showing a ton of enhancements that should be made. We also suggest a soft launch of a developed hyper casual game in the core market, yet comparable.
Step 4 – Test and Iterate
Analytics is crucial to the success of any game, but it’s especially basic for hyper-casual games. You’ll have to watch out for your retention rate, decide whether it’s impacted by ads, and the number of advertisements you can run before it’s impacted.
After completing the steps to make a hyper-casual game, it’s time to understand how to monetize a hyper-casual game.
How to Monetize Hyper-casual Game
we are going to mention 3 ad formats to consider for the monetization of a hyper-casual game:
· Rewarded Video Ads
Depicted by the Unity Ads ad network as the top revenue generator on the market, this advertisement design rewards users for survey advertisements. For instance, a user can get in-game money or additional lives after watching 30 seconds of ads. They can then utilize this reward to advance through the game, making a mutually beneficial scenario for the user, publisher, and advertiser.
An OpenX study also uncovered that 77% of users will watch a 30-second ad if they get a discount from a retailer. Carrying out rewarded video ads is likewise a brilliant method for increasing retention and session length.
· Interstitial Ads
Interstitial Ads can take up the whole screen, ensuring that the user notices. This ad format can be full-screen static advertisements, but can also incorporate store finders, videos, and, fortunately, playable content. In his article for GameAnalytics, Tom Kinniburgh, overseer of Mobile Free to Play, made sense of that playable ads work admirably because they urge the user to enjoy time away from the main game.
He also expresses that ads need to turn out to be more local to the games they’re set in: Any advertisement network that thinks player communications and experience, specifically in terms of how hyper casual game ads are used, will make games that stick around for additional time seeing high conversion and clicks.
Designers should choose if interstitial ads in their hyper-casual game will be skippable. Permitting users to skip ads might be better for session and retention length, yet it will also significantly impact revenue. It is important that developers A/B test these ads to track down the right balance.
Advertising
While certain advertisers might be burnt out on banner blindness, mobile banner ads can be used to adapt your hyper-casual game. A study by Liftoff found that this conventional configuration can be more successful than video promotions that aren’t made specifically for that ad campaign. The study also discovered that banner ads beat local promotions with regard to post-install commitment on Android.
List of Top 5 Hyper-Casual Games
Let’s go through the list of hyper-casual games of 5 masterpieces that no one can resist the urge to play!
01- Aquapark.io
Voodoo’s Aquapark.io spawned the trend of diversion mechanics in hyper-casual mobile games. A clever combination of the swerving mechanic with the water park merges with the fun idea of jumping from one slide to another, allowing players to find their own shortcuts through the levels.
Diversion game mechanics evolved into a staple of the hyper-casual gaming world, spawning multiple aftershocks and setting the new ground for other games to cover.
02- Temple Run
While Temple Run predates the rise of hypercasual gaming by far, the original endless runner needs to be acknowledged in the discussion. Imangi Studios truly captured lightning in a bottle with this perfect mobile title to kill some time.
Allowing players to experience a condensed Indiana Jones experience, the sliding and dexterity mechanics of this endless runner set the template that many hyper-casual games would follow with flying colors.
03- Helix Jump
A complete success from one of the main publishers of mobile games. Downloads totaling hundreds of millions speak for themselves. Turn the axis to drop the ball. It sounds super simple, but that’s how it is. The idea is so simple yet so difficult at the same time. You always want to play one more time and find it difficult to stop at times. It says don’t miss your station.
04- Flappy Bird
The bird that sparked thousands of memes while smashing phone screens and thumbs alike ignited the hyper-casual gaming revolution. Flappy Bird became a huge meme overnight and became the first truly hyper-casual game.
Unlike the idyllic gameplay of the games to come, Flappy Bird combined simple tapping mechanics with maddening difficulty with incredible success, forming a love-hate relationship with its players.
05- Amaze
Amaze revolutionized the hyper-casual puzzle game through smooth sliding mechanics. The fast-paced gameplay of navigating each maze is accompanied by the satisfying feeling of painting the entire level.
The influence of Amaze’s puzzle-solving and sliding gameplay can be seen in some other extraordinary hyper-casual titles like Playgendary’s Tomb Of The Mask.
Build your Hyper-Casual Game With Quytech
The hyper-casual game genre is a genre of mobile games that reigns supreme in the app stores. The simple, unique, and fun gameplay of Hyper Causal games attracts a huge audience. The genre has yet to reach its peak and is a very promising genre if you are considering developing a game for mobile devices.
The main competitor in the hypercasual genre is Voodoo, and it can be quite challenging to compete with them since they release a new game almost every month and have an army of hypercasual games to cross-advertise.
If you are looking for a hyper-casual game development company, you can contact us. With a team of experienced and certified game developers in control of the latest and most advanced technology, they can help you create the perfect hyper-casual game that will outperform the competition.