3 Hyper Casual Principles to Improve Your Game

Hello hypercasual game developers!

Today we have a special article that will help improve your mobile games. Maybe you have launched your game and start to see some data, but really want to take it to the next level. Of course you do, why wouldn’t you? After all, creating new games and bringing new ideas to life can be exhausting, and making sure that all ideas get a fair chance to grow and reach their full potential is a great way to capitalise on existing ideas. Also, it is possible that after releasing and keeping a few games live, you might want to go back to previous games to improve them with new ideas and knowledge you gained in the meantime (assuming you didn’t just kill them yet! :D)

As we have covered before, hyper casual games are all about having killer gameplay mechanics that resonate with as many people as possible. These games are normally colourful, fun, and attention-grabbing. Let's see some additional principles to consider when working with hypercasual games!

Mass Appeal

The first principle is mass appeal. Take a look at the app stores and you'll see several hyper casual games topping the charts. This is achieved by appealing to a mass audience and getting crazy amounts of downloads, including the use of generic visuals which prevents excluding people by steering too much towards a particular gender or culture.

Of course the point is not to build a boring and uninteresting game, so be sure to use colors and visuals that can catch the eye and pique interest of anyone scrolling through lists of games on a store.

Short Gameplay Loop

The second principle is short gameplay loop. You shouldn’t be trying to create a complex simulation style game, but instead aim to create easy and satisfying mechanics that can be played in short sessions. Check a few examples from top positions in the stores, and surely you will come to find some references and inspiration: the aim is to create a moment of satisfaction that makes the player feel like they surpassed an obstacle.

Immediate Retention

Finally the third principle is immediate retention: make it a goal to keep your players from leaving just playing one bite-sized chunk of your game! Make sure they stay for a while, and give them reasons to keep coming back, even if just for a short time! Progression is a huge part of this, for example moving through new locations, and unlocking upgrades helps to maintain interest and ensure players return to the game.

There you have it, these are some key and solid principles to keep in mind when going through your portfolio of hyper casual games, looking for potential improvements! If you take these into account and integrate them somewhat in your designs, you will surely improve some of those important metrics that bring success in the long run ;)

In any case, once more this list should not be considered to be fully extensive and comprehensive. As much as games are pieces of art, lots of creativity is necessary in order to come up with great ideas that players will love and share with their friends!