Curious about what the next year holds for mobile gaming?
We’ve compiled a list of the seven hottest mobile game industry trends to rule 2024 based on our findings and knowledge.
Let’s dive right in!
1. More AI
You saw this one coming, didn’t you?
It’s difficult to imagine a list of current mobile game industry trends without artificial intelligence.
The launch of ChatGPT, Midjourney, and other AI tools has transformed mobile gaming for good.
In 2023, AI tools crawled into many aspects of mobile gaming, from development to marketing. They are used for everything from game ideation to asset design, storytelling, ASO, level optimization, and game testing.
AI has eliminated the need for many manual tasks, made processes more efficient, and even optimized gaming experiences for players.
What can we anticipate in 2024?
Exciting new AI tools will keep coming, and the ones we already have will become more sophisticated. Game industry professionals will keep finding new ways to use AI, transforming their daily workflows and setting new standards for the industry.
2. More Games Developed with Godot
In 2023, we witnessed a serious drama with Unity, the golden standard for mobile game development.
As a reminder, Unity announced pricing changes that faced serious backlash from game developers. Even though Unity quickly apologized and withdrew the controversial changes, this situation sparked new interest in Unity alternatives.
During this period, developers started to explore other mobile game development engines, exchanging knowledge and experiences.
In the midst of all this, the Godot engine gained the spotlight as a top Unity alternative. This engine is a great fit for small studios focused on 2D and 2.5D games, it’s easy to learn, and most importantly — it’s completely free.
However, we haven’t seen many hit games developed with this engine.
As Godot’s popularity grows, it’s only natural to expect more successful games to come out of it. Plus, we can expect the game engine to mature, resulting in improved functionality.
3. Declining Interest in Blockchain Gaming
For the last couple of years, nearly all game industry experts predicted an upcoming explosion of blockchain gaming on mobile.
All buzz and no boom.
Blockchain mobile games have peaked in Q2 2022, but ever since then, their downloads and revenues have been heading south (Sensor Tower).
In the last year, we’ve witnessed significant crashes in cryptocurrency value. We’ve also seen major gaming studios like EA and Activision scale back plans to create games using blockchain technology.
While some still believe the boom will eventually happen, most game developers aren’t interested in pursuing blockchain gaming. In a 2023 survey by Statista, 75% of game developers responded they have no interest in this technology.
Considering the latest web3 developments, we can expect even less developer interest in blockchain-based games in 2024.
4. Cross-Platform Play
Cross-platform gaming is one of those mobile gaming trends that has been going strong for years.
The term cross-platform refers to games playable on different devices , including PCs, consoles, and smartphones. The appeal of these games comes from their convenience — players can access their favorite games anytime, anywhere, and on any device.
The demand for cross-platform games is on the rise.
According to Newzoo, one in four players engages in cross-platform gaming, switching between consoles, PCs, and mobile devices.
A good example of the growing appeal of cross-platform gaming is Google Play Games for PC. This beta service allows players to play Google Play games on Windows computers, switch devices, and save progress.
Launched in 2022, the platform has seen tremendous growth in 2023, expanding to 120+ countries and over 3,000 games, including many hit titles.
5. Further Rise of Hybrid-Casual Games
Next on the list of mobile game industry trends to continue in 2024 are hybrid-casual games.
In the past few years, many big studios like Voodoo and SayGames switched focus from hyper-casual to this genre.
Hybrid-casual games resemble hyper-casual games but have deeper gameplay and monetization. This is accomplished by incorporating elements from casual and even mid-core games.
Some examples of popular hybrid-casual games include My Perfect Hotel, Mob Control, and Dreamdale.
According to SensorTower, in 2023, the hybrid-casual genre hit the $2 billion revenue mark and grew by 30%, halving from 60% in 2022. The most significant revenue boost was seen in two genres — action and puzzle hybrid-casual games.
Hybrid-casual games are particularly popular in China, where their share among top-grossing games rose from 20% in 2019 to 43% in 2023 (SensorTower).
In 2024, we can expect that the hybrid-casual genre will maintain its strong position. However, since the genre isn’t so new and exciting anymore, its growth pace will likely slow down.
6. New IPs Entering Mobile Gaming
In 2023, we witnessed the tremendous success of Monopoly GO, a game developed by Scopely and supported by the franchise owner, Hasbro.
Scopely recently announced that the game reached $1 billion in revenue and became the biggest mobile game launch of 2023.
Over the years, there have been numerous games inspired by the famous board game, but none have made waves quite like Monopoly GO.
The formula for success?
Among other things — being backed up by a megapopular IP. While Monopoly GO is a quality game, its gameplay is clearly inspired by existing hit games. The main thing that separates this game from other similar games is its familiar theme and characters.
In the past year, we’ve also seen the whole world going crazy over Barbie. Although this wasn’t directly linked to a mobile game, it has demonstrated the powerful effect well-known IPs can have on the global audience.
In 2024, we can expect more franchises to enter mobile gaming, leveraging the power of recognition and large existing audiences.
7. Social Gaming & Live Events
Let’s round up this list of mobile game industry trends with two engagement trends — social gaming and live events.
For the last couple of years, there has been an increased demand for social interaction in mobile games. This trend emerged during the pandemic and has continued to evolve ever since. To meet this ongoing demand, developers are enhancing their games with features like voice chat, leaderboards, guilds, and social media integration.
However, keeping players engaged goes beyond that.
Today, players also crave a steady flow of fresh content.
Developers can achieve this by regularly updating their games, and one popular strategy for this is introducing live events.
Live events are time-limited events typically tied to real-world events, holidays, or specific periods. They often include special challenges, exclusive rewards, and themed content. For example, a lot of mobile games introduce live events during Halloween.
In 2024, we expect even more games to become social and lively, satisfying the growing appetite for social connections and dynamic experiences.
2024 Mobile Game Industry Trends: Wrap Up
That’s it, these are the top mobile game industry trends we are excited about in 2024.
Any trends you would add to the list?
Or are there some you don’t see happening in the new year?
Just like we’ve seen with blockchain, not every trend lives up to its expectations. In 2024, we plan to continue keeping you informed on the hottest industry trends, developments, and best practices.
So, if you want to know which of these trends will last into the new year and which might fade, don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to stay updated! Here’s to 2024!
