The Role Genre Plays in the Growth of Mobile Gaming Globally

When looking for new game ideas on social media or searching through app stores, genre is consistently the top factor that influences mobile gamers to try a new title. Across nine surveyed markets, nearly half (49%) of players say genre is important in their decision, exceeding other considerations like peer recommendations, app store reviews and even data requirements.¹

It's important to note that specific genre preferences vary significantly among countries. For example, while matching puzzle and racing games are consistently popular across markets, gamers in North American and European countries like the US, Canada and the UK favor card and casino games as well as hypercasual games, more so than gamers in other regions.

In Japan, over one-third (36%) of mobile gamers say the ability to immerse themselves into another character or world is very appealing. Additionally, Japanese mobile gamers are more likely to appreciate game aesthetics, with 52% saying they prefer mobile games with stylized artwork compared with 38% of mobile gamers in the US. This leads Japanese players to be more likely to play various types of role-playing games (RPG) such as puzzle RPG and action/massively multiplayer online (MMO) RPG games.

In emerging markets like Brazil and Indonesia, community plays an important role in mobile gaming preferences. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of mobile gamers in Indonesia say they enjoy playing online multiplayer modes, and 44% of players in Brazil say mobile gaming is more valuable as a way to connect with others (compared with 22% of Japanese mobile gamers). Genres that enable social interaction during gameplay, such as shooter, strategy and multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games, tend to resonate well in these markets.