As a genre, hyper-casual games are heavily dependent on trends. While some games simply mimic these trends, some games go above and beyond to set them.
With the simplest of game mechanics and minimalistic interfaces, hyper-casual games have been dominating the charts in several mobile gaming stores for some time. While their simplistic approach to game design has reached a worldwide audience, the fact is that many hyper-casual games that are inflating the market today are recreations that follow trends set by others.
Developing innovative game mechanics and designs that manage to set new trends while staying true to what makes hyper-casual such a lucrative gaming genre is at the heart of hyper-casual game design. As mobile game stores fill up with a variety of slightly customized versions of everything that’s trending, some games are keeping the genre fresh through innovation and clever design.
Crucifix road
Unfortunately, the answer to the age-old question “Why did the chicken cross the road?” is not in this game. However, what’s in this game is the answer to the question of how much fun it is to help the chicken cross the road.
Featuring classic skill and lane changing mechanics combined with fun arcade style graphics, Crucifix road is a classic that ticks all the boxes when it comes to a perfect hyper-casual game.
blob hero
One of the very first mobile story-based video games in the hyper-casual genre by Rollic, blob hero skillfully blends the simple game mechanics of guiding a blob character through endless incoming hordes with the skill trees and combat mechanics of the roguelike genre.
blob hero offers its players a unique and incredibly customizable gaming experience every time they start playing, offering incredibly high replay value. Players can choose to build their blobs in ways ranging from squishy and fast-paced damage dealers to giant brutes that rampage through their enemies.
jelly dye
Good Job Games has a knack for making oddly satisfying games. During her smash hit paper fold With fun and tasteful 2D visuals, they added an extra layer and dimension to a similar gameplay through the jiggle jellies and color-filled syringes jelly dye.
Injecting colors into transparent jelly provides such a fulfilling and exciting experience that players often abandon level goals just to play around with different color combinations. These factors can make it one of the best mobile games.
Fill the fridge
Instead of copying a trend in the hypercasual gaming world, Fill the fridge took a look at TikTok and adapted one of its many trends to the world of mobile gaming.
Stocking up a fridge might not seem like an exciting game mechanic, but through this game, Rollic managed to both capitalize on a TikTok trend and create a satisfying ASMR experience for players.
flutterbird
The bird that sparked a thousand memes while smashing phone screens and thumbs alike started the hyper-casual gaming revolution. flutterbird became a huge meme overnight and became the first true hyper-casual game.
Contrary to the idyllic gameplay of the games that would come after, flutterbird combined a simple knock mechanic with frenzied difficulty to incredible success and developed a love-hate relationship with its players.
Ascent / helix jump
The rising and falling mechanics brought by Serkan Özyılmaz and Voodoo opened a new chapter in hyper-casual gaming. The tile smashing ball out helix jump and the plank sliding balloon off Rise up have become synonymous with their brands of hyper-casual titles
What games like Rise up and helix jump He managed to introduce the feel and mechanics of gravity into lateral movement and dexterity actions.
Aquapark.io
Aquapark.io of Voodoo led to the trend of evasive mechanics in hyper-casual mobile games. An ingenious amalgamation of dodge mechanics with the aqua park is fused with the fun idea of jumping from one slide to the next, allowing players to find their own shortcuts through the levels.
The evasive game mechanic evolved into an integral part of the hyper-casual game world, spawning multiple recreations and paving new avenues for other games.
craft island
Something special has been achieved with Homa Games craft island, which features a mix of idle and arcade-like gameplay with resource gathering and management. By dialing down adversity, craft island is a meditative experience to draw on daily.
Clean and crisp graphics mixed with a world that players can build and expand on a regular basis results in a game that offers low stakes and addictive fun.
amazement
amazement by Crazy Labs revolutionized hyper-casual puzzle gameplay with smooth sliding mechanics. The fast-paced gameplay of navigating each maze is accompanied by the fulfilling feeling of painting over the entire level.
The Influence of Puzzle Solving and Sliding Game of amazement can be seen in some other exceptional hyper-casual titles like Tomb Of The Mask by Playgendary.
temple run
While temple run well before the hyper-casual gaming boom, the original endless runner must be acknowledged in the discussion. Imangi Studios has truly captured lightning in a bottle with this perfect time-wasting mobile title.
The swipe and skill mechanics of this endless runner gives players a condensed Indiana Jones experience and sets the template that many hyper-casual games would follow to great success.
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