What Are Hybridcasual Games?

Why Do Hybridcasual Games Exist?

The gaming genre emerged in 2021 as the hybridization of hypercasual games and other gaming genres. 

CPIs had started to rise for hypercasual games, which left these developers wanting a longer-term strategy to expand their monetization strategy to include in-app purchases and remain profitable. 

More and more hypercasual developers also wanted to boost their engagement, and retention. This is why they created deeper mechanics to engage users to the point where they want to make in-app purchases. All while still maintaining the simplicity of the gameplay that appeals to mass audiences.

From this, a new hybrid model of hypercasual games emerged – hybridcasual games. Games of this kind brought in over five billion app downloads in 2022.

Hybridcasual titles integrate mechanics from other mobile games such as game economy, PvP gameplay, and leaderboards. Other characteristics of a hybridcasual game include:

• Simple and accessible design
• Slow introduction of new elements
• Upgrades for game progression
• Meta features such as puzzles, stories, collectibles – and other midcore elements – to keep players hooked for longer and easier to monetize

Who Plays Hybridcasual Games?

These games appeal to an even wider audience than hypercasual games and casual games, since their very creation is grounded on mass marketability. 

But who is this audience? Gamers who tend to play hybridcasual titles are very similar to hypercasual audiences. These players are however older on average and tend to have more purchase power than those who play hypercasual games.

According to data, the highest volume of downloads currently comes from India, the US, Brazil, Mexico, and Indonesia – a mix of countries in Tier 1 and Tier 3. 

How Do You Monetize Hybridcasual Games?

All hybrid gaming genres require hybrid monetization models and a mix of revenue sources. This is because by appealing to a larger user base, apps can enjoy greater profitability.  

These games cost more to develop than hypercasual games, due to the mechanics and added meta elements that require longer development times, and more complex mechanisms. That’s why in-app purchases (IAPs) play a larger role in a hybridcasual games’ monetization strategy – especially in Tier 1 countries such as the US, UK, and Germany.

These ensure players can progress in the game faster by purchasing items of currency – or they might also choose to upgrade their character or equipment. IAPs are important to a hybridcasual gaming publisher to ensure a steady and stable income from these players that stick around. 

In-app ads – whether rewarded videos or banner ads – play a significant part in the monetization strategy of most hypercasual games. In-app advertising is still an important source of revenue for hybridcasual games – they however play a smaller role in the overall revenue generated by such titles.

Conclusion

Hybridcasual games are designed by developers to extend the life of the hypercasual game – that is, increase the retention that many publishers struggle with. 

While still providing easy access to fast-paced, enjoyable gameplay, developers have integrated better retention opportunities with gameplay mechanics from other gaming categories such as casual games, RPG, or action games. These mechanics – as well as new and exciting content – are key to driving players back and improving retention. 

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