The mobile gaming market was virtually non-existent a decade ago. Of course, there were mobile games back then but due to the expensive mobile internet - and the limitations of the phones' hardware - they were far from being truly popular, and important from the gaming industry's point of view. Then the iPhone happened, and things changed fundamentally. The huge screen and strong hardware of the smartphone turned it into the perfect portable gaming device, capable of running everything from shooters and racing games to All Slots online casino slots and basically any other game genre available on any other platform. In a decade, smartphones have become the most lucrative game platform, generating over 30% of the total revenue of the global gaming industry, and overtaking traditional platforms like PC and consoles. But what games do smartphone users play - and who are those who play them? Let's see.
The games people play
According to a report published by Verto Analytics last December, puzzle games are by far the most played games last year. Brain puzzle and matching puzzle games gathered over 65 million monthly unique users, with brain puzzles clearly leading the way. They are followed by AR games - last year's release of Pokémon GO was the title responsible for this massive rise in AR following, gathering close to 30 million monthly active users who clocked an average 4.5 hours a month of playing them. AR is followed by action/strategy games with around 13 million monthly active users, and also making it to the top 5 are casino slots, with an average of 9.8 million monthly active users and over 6 hours of play clocked each month.
This last statistic is a bit skewed, though, by the above-mentioned online casino games. In Europe, people can freely play the games offered by the All Slots Mobile, even with no money involved. These games have a superior quality and availability, luring many players away from social casinos. Social casino apps are very popular in the US, Canada, and Australia, though.
The people who play games
Brain puzzle and matching puzzle games are both very popular among female users of all ages. AR games - especially Pokémon GO - in turn, appeals especially to the male users, and those aged under 54. By the numbers, women aged 35 and up are the most active smartphone players, usually preferring brain and matching puzzle games. Matching puzzle titles like Candy Crush and their likes are especially attractive to female players aged between 35 and 54. Last year's numbers confirm a trend of a rising female smartphone player population boosting the popularity of puzzle games in general.
