In this app analysis, we take a look at hyper-casual games to discover what works & what doesn't with app growth when it comes to app store creativity and ASO.
Regarding the hyper-casual game market, a report which about top downloaded apps worldwide in 2021 showed the value of hyper-casual games clearly. Here, we will focus on the growth strategy of hyper-casual games and how to make new hyper-casual games gain growth opportunities through ASO. Find effective solutions by analyzing the top games in the app store casual apps category.
We know that there are nearly 2 million apps in the Apple App Store vying for users' attention, so how should developers get their games be noticed? The world of apps is a highly competitive industry, and how to use an effective ASO strategy to differentiate your apps and gain market share quickly has become the focus of many app developers and marketers.
In this app analysis, we take a close personal look at hyper-casual games to discover what works and what doesn't when it comes to app store creativity. With this deep dive, you'll have a clear idea of how to run better App Store tests and increase the app conversions.
In 2021, consumers spent a whopping $116 billion on mobile games. The report also finds that gamers downloaded almost 13 billion hyper-casual games across genres including action, puzzle, simulation, and .io.
Mobile gaming spending rose 35% or $30.2 billion, and game downloads rose 22%, up 14.9 billion to 83 billion during 2019 to 2021.
As more women play mobile games, three of the top five breakout gamers are hyper-casual and include more female games. In the US, France and Japan, female players are approximately 1.3 times more likely to play matching games, while male players in the US are 1.5 times more likely to play strategy games.
Hyper-casual games are mobile video games for a very broad audience who are looking for very simple games that can be played for a few minutes, jumping in and out of games for quick entertainment. "Hyper-casual" isn't an actual category in the Apple App Store or google play store, we dug deeper into the top apps in the "games" category and found that "Action" was the most popular subcategory at 30% of apps.
We researched the top 20 most popular hyper-casual games, and through the icon design of these games, we tried to find some preferences of target users.
Looking at the selected cases, we noticed that many apps in the hyper-casual category use a similar strategy when it comes to icons design. 80% of them used art style icons depicting game elements. The designer renders a picture to illustrate the key components of the application so that potential users can better understand how it operates. Such as Nail Salon 3D, Perfect Wax 3D, Roof Rails, etc.
The three apps we analyzed here use game element icons, which means they depict a major part of the actual gameplay. Object Hunt uses a hybrid option here, but it gives a clearer hint of what you're going to get from this game.
And “Crossy Road“ is a special case, which uses a character icon, one that highlights one of the game's characters. This can be a risky strategy, as the character icons don't tell the user how the game is played or the theme, which may be for hyper-casual gamers who decide to install the app, for this game, users who are specifically looking for a cooking theme Very important.
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We recommend avoiding character icons unless your game has an instantly recognizable IP. App Store users downloading hyper-casual games are looking for instant fun. The easiest way to communicate this to them is to use game-centric icons.
Another common feature of all the apps analyzed is the use of bright colors in their icons. By using bold hues, your game will grab the attention of App Store users. There are many theories that light colors convey interest compared to dark colors that convey depth and richness. The use of light colors seems to help convey to users that this is a fun, light game.
Remember, your icon is a highly visible App Store idea - more so than your app videos and screenshots. It will appear in search results, category charts, Facebook ad campaigns, and more. So, the right icon can increase conversions by 18%.
Icon changes may help differentiate your hyper-casual game from the competition and make it perform better.
A great App Store video can increase conversions by 20%. But video is a double-edged sword and must be used with caution. Bad App Store videos can reduce conversions by 20%.
Data from the researchs with multiple top games in the app store game category, 65% of the games have videos on their product pages, and we studied these games with videos and found some similarities.
100% of them are in portrait mode.
This is probably because of the way most successful hyper-casual games are designed, not marketing strategies.
100% of the apps analyzed exclusively use gaming videos.
This makes sense, since hyper-casual games are deliberately simple and rarely contain engaging storylines. If your app does have a unique story, try promoting it through your App Store videos. This can be a great way to differentiate your app from its competitors.
69% of the app videos in question included background music.
The other 31% have no sound at all. Since 98% of App Store users watch videos with sound turned off, this is not an issue unless music is a critical USP for your app.
Things to keep in mind when using video for your application:
App Store users watch an average of 6-8 seconds of video
The first 1-3 seconds of the video are the most important.
65-70% of users decide whether to download an app within the first 3-6 seconds.
Make sure your App Store videos start fast and engage your audience right away. If they don't, your conversion rate will suffer.
This is where several of the most popular hyper-casual games we analyzed do well. Users are not forced to watch lengthy introductory or branding screens. Just hit the "play" button and they can see the actual game screen.
Properly optimized app screenshots can increase download conversion rates by 28%, making it the most impactful idea available to hyper-casual game developers.
Between 60% and 80% of app installs in the Apple App Store come from search traffic. Since one to three screenshots can be seen in search results, it makes sense that app screenshots play an important role in app download conversions.
100% of the apps we analyzed use portrait screenshots.
The number of screenshots
Gameplay-oriented screenshots are prevalent
Hybrid screenshots were also used
Character-oriented screenshots are rare
Portrait mode rules
100% of the apps we analyzed use portrait screenshots. This isn't surprising given the way we've previously spoken of successful hyper-casual games being designed.
The correct number of screenshots is unclear
Only one app in our research based on several top games, Perfect Wax 3D, uses all 10 available screenshots. And two apps in our analysis, Pokey Ball and I Can Paint, used only three screenshots. Keep in mind that most users don't scroll through the screenshot gallery after the first impression, and those who do only a small percentage reach 5+ screenshots. As a hyper-casual game marketer, the most important thing in your screenshot library is to communicate the most important game elements.
Gameplay-oriented screenshots are prevalent
Gameplay is a key component of creativity related to hyper-casual games. So, you won't be shocked to learn that 90% of the apps we analyzed for this article use the game screenshot style exclusively.
Hybrid screenshots were also used
While nearly every screenshot we analyzed was in the game category, about 25% of the apps used a hybrid approach, combining game images with titles to help explain game mechanics. This is rare in hyper-casual games because the nature of the game is so simple that it doesn't require any explanation other than the game itself. In other words, the most successful hyper-casual game marketers let the gameplay speak for themselves. Likewise, 20% of apps use progressive screenshots to illustrate how far the user can progress in a particular level. Note that the progress is shown from one screenshot to the next, not in a single image.
Character-oriented screenshots are rare
Of the several top apps we analyzed, Crossy Road was the only one that used character-oriented screenshots that were not relevant to gameplay. Props to Crossy Road as it always wants to stand out from the crowd. But considering that less than 6% of people make it past the fifth image, and the character-oriented screenshots of Crossy Road are in the back of the gallery, it's clear that the app's developers didn't expect it to make a difference.
So far, the importance of game-related creativity has been established in this category in the Apple App Store. We believe Crossy Road can improve conversions by experimenting with different first images that clearly show gameplay.
One thing to keep in mind: users are 10x more likely to see a screenshot than to read a description. Optimize your screenshots and your hyper-casual games will have a higher chance of success.
We have distilled the advantages of ASO described above into a few main points, which would be:
Gameplay is king
Use videos wisely
Dare to be different
Gameplay is king
Almost all of the way these apps advertise themselves has to do with gameplay. Even most of the icons are artistic renderings of game elements. If you create a hyper-casual game, make sure to show potential users how to play your app with optimized videos and screenshots.
Use videos wisely
As mentioned above, videos can dramatically increase your conversion rates — but only if you use them correctly. Try different video strategies to see if you can reach App Store users more effectively. But be prepared to turn. Videos that don't connect with your audience can do serious damage to your CVR.
Dare to be different
All of the top apps we analyzed in this category use the same types of ideas and market themselves in similar ways. This means that your app can easily differentiate itself by taking different paths. Will it work? You won't know until you try! Try different creative types to see which works best. For example, try using social proof screenshots to show users how many other people are already playing and liking your hyper-casual game.
Hyper-casual games are a popular and competitive category in the Apple App Store. To differentiate your app, try out your creative. Optimized icons, videos, and screenshots will enable your app to connect with users and be successful.
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