Mobile Game Development Trends To Consider In 2023

Mobile games hold significant importance in today’s digital landscape. They entertain millions of users globally, enable reaching a mass market, connect people socially, enhance cognitive capabilities, and create business revenue opportunities. That’s why they have become an integral part of modern lifestyle and hold immense cultural and commercial significance.

Mobile device evolution and the latest pandemic are the major drivers that skyrocketed the usage of mobile gaming applications. With over 773,674 mobile games on the app store and play store, businesses are expected to earn $286.50 billion in 2023 as revenue in Mobile Games market. According to Statista report, It has geared up the businesses to gain a good share of the market volume that’s projected to grow to $376.70 billion by 2027 at an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 7.08%.

However, acquiring the number of users in the mobile gaming market that’s expected to amount to 2.32 billion by 2027- is not an easy deal. It requires getting build a mobile game that steps in with the latest gaming trends. The leading mobile game development companies ensure that all the latest trends must be added while creating the mobile game which helps businesses seize an extra edge over competition.

Here are the trends that businesses should consider if they are looking to get build a mobile game in 2023. Let’s dive in!

11 Mobile Game Development Trends

Access to real-time data about future trends is imperative to grow and prosper in the market. Here are ten popular mobile game development trends that are currently gaining traction and could potentially continue in the years to come.

Augmented Reality (AR) Gaming

Augmented Reality continues to hold its potential in the gaming industry with immersive and interactive experience delivery. The success of mobile games like Pokémon Go has popularized AR gaming and brought it into the mainstream by generating $34.7 million in revenue in 2023 and listed as the #7 revenue-generating mobile game worldwide in 2021. This has resulted in increased interest and demand for more AR game experiences.

Advancements in mobile device hardware support the creation of compelling AR games with better graphics, tracking, and environmental mapping. Many AR games incorporate social and multiplayer features which foster social engagement and enhance the multiplayer gaming aspect.

Brands are also using mobile games with Augmented Reality technology as a marketing tool to improve product awareness and enhance user experience. Well, AR games are still in the early stages of development, and there is ample room for innovation and exploration.

Hypercasual Gaming

The hypercasual game development trend has gained significant traction in the mobile gaming industry in recent years. Hypercasual games are lightweight, easy-to-play games that typically have simple mechanics, minimalistic designs, and short play sessions. It features addictive gameplay loops and high replayability that keep players engaged and encourages them to try again to beat their own or others’ high scores.

Attack Hole, mob control, thief puzzle, and magic tiles 3 are popular hypercasual games. According to the latest state of Mobile Gaming 2023 report from Sensor Tower, the hypercasual genre experienced a decline in downloads that’s 24% year-on-year to 2.7 billion in Q4 2022. However, the hypercasual game development trend is still the top gaming genre by downloads, followed by Arcade, Simulation, Puzzle, and Lifestyle.

Hypercasual mobile games are known for their rapid development and iterative design process followed by easy updates based on user feedback and data analytics.

AAA Game

AAA game in the mobile games industry delivers high-quality, console-like gaming experiences on mobile devices. While mobile platforms traditionally catered to casual and indie (independent) games, the emergence of more sophisticated hardware and increasing consumer demand has paved the way for AAA (Triple-A) game experiences on mobile.

The AAA game strives to deliver immersive experiences and adopt premium pricing structures. Many AAA games adopt a live service model, providing ongoing updates, expansions, and new content to keep players engaged and invested in the game over an extended period.

Genshin Impact, which is a AAA game from miHoYo (Game development company) has surpassed $3 billion in revenue in global lifetime player spending after six months across the App Store and Google Play since its official launch.

NFTs and Blockchain-based Apps Gain Traction

Blockchain mobile gaming app trend provides unique benefits to the gaming industry, such as improved security, player ownership of in-game assets, and enhanced transparency. It leverages Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) to enable players to own and trade digital assets within the game. The play-to-earn mechanics allow players to earn cryptocurrency or other valuable rewards for their in-game activities.

The interoperability between different blockchain-based games allows players to use their digital assets across multiple games or trade them on various platforms, creating a seamless and interconnected gaming experience. Seamless integration with traditional games enables cross-platform play, asset portability, and new opportunities for blockchain adoption.

All of these functionalities have increased blockchain gamers to 800,000 in 2023. As the cryptocurrency market is increasing, the blockchain game trend is expected to grow higher.

Mobile Cloud Gaming

When we look at the mobile game market trends, mobile cloud gaming has been gaining momentum in recent years, transforming the way people play games on mobile devices. It allows users to stream high-quality, resource-intensive games directly to their mobile devices without the need for powerful hardware. The improved accessibility to a wide range of games instantly has democratized access to high-quality gaming experiences.

The continuous expansion of game libraries offers a diverse selection of popular and critically acclaimed titles. Players can enjoy a wide range of games, including AAA titles and indie gems, without the need to download or install them individually. The integration with existing gaming ecosystems allows users to access their game libraries and progress across multiple devices.

GaaS stands for Gaming As A Service which comes under Mobile cloud computing.

Mobile eSports

The mobile esports game trend encompasses the emergence and growth of competitive esports games specifically designed and optimized for mobile devices. Certain genres have gained prominence in mobile esports, including battle royale games, multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games, first-person shooters (FPS), and card-based strategy games. These genres offer competitive gameplay mechanics, player vs player (PvP) and multiplayer features suitable for esports competitions.

It includes features specifically tailored for competitive play such as robust matchmaking systems, ranking systems, leaderboards, spectating modes, and the ability to organize and participate in tournaments or leagues. Major esports organizations have established dedicated leagues and tournaments for mobile esports. These events feature professional players and teams competing for substantial prize pools, further legitimizing the mobile esports scene.

The increased gaming investment, engagement activity, and demand for legal tournament infrastructure contributing to the growth of the global eSports market that’s projected to grow from $1.72 billion in 2023 to $6.75 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 21.5% during the forecast period.

Enhanced Monetization Policies

The monetization policies of mobile gaming have undergone significant changes over the years, driven by evolving consumer preferences, regulatory developments, and industry practices. There’s a shift to Loot boxes and gacha mechanics that involve randomized virtual item rewards, often obtained through in-app purchases.

These mechanics have faced scrutiny due to concerns about their resemblance to gambling, leading to regulatory interventions in some jurisdictions. 18 nations have cited some of the games that are encouraging players to spend money on virtual items. The European Parliament has initiated action and Australia’s proposed legislation for loot boxes and other monetization methods.

The move toward a transparent monetization model proves to be rewarding for gaming players.

New Ways to Sidestep Play Store IAP Fees

In-app purchases have become a key revenue stream for mobile games. The gaming mobile apps offer various virtual goods, upgrades, or additional content within the game that can be purchased by players, enhancing their gameplay experience or providing cosmetic enhancements. However, Apple and Google Play stores cut 30% of the amount directly from purchases.

The mobile game publishers have launched external web stores for IAPs that sell virtual goods or premium content at discounted rates at scale. Clash of Clans, conquest, and State of Survivals are some of the game publishers that have enabled buying currencies from external platforms to increase profit margins.

Game Streaming and Sharing in Mobile Gaming Market

The game streaming and sharing trend is driven by advancements in technology and the growing demand for interactive and social gaming experiences. It involves players streaming their gameplay live over the internet or sharing recorded gameplay videos with others.

Twitch, YouTube Gaming, and Facebook Gaming are dedicated game streaming platforms that allow players to broadcast their gameplay live to an audience of viewers who can interact through chat and participate in the gaming community. Game streaming and sharing aimed to foster social interaction and community building among players.

AI Leverage in Gaming

Mobile games are increasingly incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to enhance gameplay, improve player experiences, and provide new gaming possibilities. AI-powered non-player characters (NPCs) and virtual characters in games have become more sophisticated, with improved decision-making capabilities, natural language processing, and realistic behaviors.

AI algorithms generate game content, such as levels, maps, quests, and missions, dynamically and procedurally. Analyzing the player’s behavior and preferences, the game difficulty or mechanics is adjusted in real-time to provide a personalized and challenging experience. Chatbots and virtual assistants are also integrated to provide support, answer player queries, and offer in-game guidance.

Metaverse in Mobile Gaming

The metaverse refers to a virtual, immersive, and interconnected digital world where users can interact with each other and digital entities in real-time. It is expected to have a significant impact on the future of mobile gaming as a research project the metaverse mobile gaming market to be worth around $119.2 billion by 2028.

Mobile game apps integrating metaverse features allow players to continue their progress across different devices, including mobile phones, tablets, PCs, and gaming consoles. By incorporating user-generated content tools, the players can design and customize their characters, environments, and gameplay elements, fostering creativity and community engagement.

The metaverse concept extends beyond the boundaries of a game app and integrates real-world data and experiences by incorporating location-based features that allow players to explore virtual worlds tied to real-world landmarks and events.

Why Startups Entrepreneurs Should Invest in Metaverse ?

Which Mobile Game Development Trends will you Choose?

The Mobile Gaming Market size is expected to grow from $141.71 billion in 2023 to $300.47 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 16.22%. The mobile gaming market growth is accompanied by business revenue. It indicates it’s high time for businesses to start a new venture with a launch of an innovative mobile game in association with one of the top mobile game development companies.

However, the mobile game development industry is highly dynamic, and new trends are expected to emerge or gain prominence. To stay up to date with the latest trends, it’s recommended to follow the trends while developing a mobile game that syncs with your mobile game genre. It helps in maximizing app downloads, improving user experience, and increasing business ROI.

Hire a mobile game developer, if you are unsure how to incorporate these trends in your game or build a new mobile game including the trends. The mobile game developers help you better understand where you can incorporate trends while analyzing mobile gaming activities and build the mobile game following the right mobile game development process. Let’s play!

Avantika Shergil   |  Jun 28, 2023

An enthusiastic Operations Manager at TopDevelopers.co, coordinating and managing the technical and functional areas. She is an adventure lover, passionate traveler, an admirer of nature, who believes that a cup of coffee is the prime source to feel rejuvenated. Researching and writing about technology keeps her boosted and enhances her professional journeying.