February 18, 2022

World of Gaming – Game Categories, Genres and Sub-Genres

Everything from a quick game of Hyper Casual to a long drama-packed RPG.

Remember the simpler times? When playing a mobile game meant keeping the snake that’s going through an awkward growth phase from chomping its tail off? Yea, it’s not the same anymore. 

Mobile Games is merely an umbrella term that consists of a myriad of categories, genres, and sub-genres. Think about it – Candy Crush and Clash of Clash are both mobile games but do the two titles share the slightest similarity? Except, of course, the alliteration of the letter C.

Game Categories

Game Categories

A player who likes fast-paced action, typically younger and skewed towards male audiences, may play Shooters, RPG, Strategy, Arcade Games, etc. Players who like challenging their minds, mainly a wide range of genders and ages, may play Puzzle games. Players who like slow-paced games, ideally middle-aged groups that are skewed towards female audiences, may play Simulation, Car, Casino Games, etc. So, let’s dive in and catch the drift of the evolving mobile game Categories, their Genres, and Sub-Genres, and see how they’re faring in the market.

                        Game Genres 

Game Genres

Casual Games

Casual Games

Source: GameRefinery

Casual Games is a mobile game Category that is designed to be more inclusive and poses simple rules, shorter sessions, and a low barrier entry. Casual games employ a wide range of monetization models; however, most games possess a free-to-play model that monetizes through in-app purchases and in-game ads. The genre gained popularity on PCs first and gradually picked up traction on Mobile Phones.

The genres encompassed by the Casual Games category are Puzzle, Arcade, Lifestyle, Hyper-Casual, Simulation, and AR/location-based. 

Here are some of the best games in the Casual Games category: Township by Playrix, Family Island by Melsoft, Candy Crush by King, Temple Run by Imangi, Fruit Ninja by Halfbrick Studios, Homescapes by Playrix, Subway Surfers by SYBO and Kiloo, Project Makeover by Magic Tavern, and Crossy Roads by Hipster Whale.

Mid-Core Games

Clash of Clans

Source: Game Developer

Mid-Core Games are a tad more complex than Casual Games – these games need players to take some time for the game, rather than playing opportunistically like during a commute, or while waiting in line at Starbucks. Mid-Core Games are more strategic, and naturally demand players to be more invested than Casual Games. They usually feature multi-player experiences, side quests, and resource management that are the right amount of complexity to be both satisfying and challenging.

The genres of Mid-Core Games are RPG, Strategy, Shooter, and Card Games. 

Some of the best examples of Mid-Core Games are Clash of Clans, Brawl Stars, and Guns of Boom. 

Sports and Driving Games

Sports and Driving Games

Source: Popular Science

The next Game Category, Sport and Driving, has been the subject of video games for pretty much as long as video games existed. The Category has always had audiences/fans that want to interact with their favorite sports in a digital format. 

The Genres are Driving and Sports. A few examples of this peculiar yet prominent Category are Race the Sun, Asphalt 8, Hovercraft, Real Racing 3, CSR Classics, etc.

Casino Games

Casino Games

Source: Logic Simplified

The last Category, Casino Games, is a digital version of physical Casino Games, like Poker and Slots, played on mobiles and tablets. This Category of game dates to the days of Nokia phones ­­– the mobile Casino Games on Nokia where players could play with virtual in-game currencies, without real money involved back in the day. 

Some good examples of Casino games are Las Atlantis, Wild Casino, Ruby Fortune, Jackpot City, etc.

Gold ol’ Rivalry between Casual and Mid-Core Categories

  • Casual Games had a market share of $11.7Bn in 2021 with a 17% growth YoY, the Category makes up 35% of the overall mobile game revenue and 80% of the mobile game installs.
  • Mid-Core Games, on the other hand, make up to 45% of the total revenue while contributing only 13% to the total mobile game installs. The revenue generated is steadily growing at 16% YoY with a whopping $14.9Bn in 2021.
  • Casino Games, on the other hand, are estimated at $5.2Bn with a steady growth of 9% YoY. The overall revenue share is 16%, and the installs share is a meager 1.4% only.
  • Sports Driving Category mounts up to $1.3Bn witnessing a growth of 1.3% YoY, while the revenue share is fixated at 4% and install share at 6%.

IAP Revenues in 2021 by Categories, Genres, and Sub Genres

Casual Game

Source: Deconstructor of Fun

Casual Game

Source: Deconstructor of Fun

Note that all revenue numbers exclude the shares from China, Japan, and Korea. 

So, the next time you whip out your phone to play any game under the sun, you’ll be able to dish out a Category, Genre, and Sub-Genre for it. On a serious note, it’s essential for game developers to prudently identify their target audience and cater the game mechanics to their taste while being backed by a team with compatible strengths and manageable resources. For instance, Non-Hyper Casual games take anywhere from 9 months to 24 months to build and achieve decent scale. However, the effort is justifiable as most well-designed and well-balanced Non-Hyper Casual games have a lifetime of 5 to 10 years.