For the longest time, I’ve asked myself: “Why do people enjoy mobile games so much? Is it the ease of use? The quick pick-me-up and go?” It’s not surprising that a very large part of the general population loves the accessibility that mobile games offers, they don’t have to be hardcore gamers like the rest of us to have fun. Even I sometimes find myself in the depths of the Android store, looking for something to pass the time and rarely leave empty handed. Here’s the real question, what does it take for a mobile game to catch your eye and get you to press that magic download button.

It’s no surprise to anybody that mobile games are on a steady rise for the longest time now. Even well known game publisher/hardware maker like Nintendo recently threw their hat in the race because of the undeniable misfortune of the Wii U. Furthermore, many type of games exist to satisfy all type of people, from Crossy Road being played by more than 50 million people on android devices, to even the long time favorites like casino games or card games. With all the online connectivity, even sites like Casino.com turn to casino apps to offer a real-life casino experience on your phone, even if you still have your pajamas on.

Mobile games can offer a great distraction at a moments notice without you needing a whole console to play the game. Yes, there’s some games that don’t promote the medium to well and seem like the game is stuck behind a “Pay here now!” button to help you win. All that aside, some game that start as a mobile experience do become popular enough that they get the console treatment like Angry Bird.

What does it take to get someone to play your game? Easiest answer would be to put some effort into it, like most good games, you can’t just slap some jpegs on and a bit of ripped music and call it a good game, it take patience and though about who is your target player. I find that most games that attract me are comedic type games that’s able to laugh at itself.

Free games are also a big part, but publishers/developers can’t run a business on hopes and dreams, which leads them to in-store some sort of paywall or pay-to-win. I find these games quite annoying, not because they have pay wall, but because they push it too much. Look at how Fallout Shelter, a recent phone/tablet game from Bethesda, is doing things, they have no pay wall but offer in game purchases to help things move along without making it unbearable.

For how popular mobile games are, they’re relatively in their infant stage of life with much more to come. I’m still very skeptic about them, but I still enjoy the occasional mini game here and there. Will mobile games ever replace consoles or PC? I highly doubt it, but it’s not a far stress to say that they have made their mark on today’s culture.

 

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