Hyper-casual market 2021-2022: state and trends

What the talk is about

Ivan Spizharskyi analyzes the state and trends of the hyper-casual games market in 2021–2022 using Sensor Tower and prototype-tracking data, defining a hit as a title with over 10 million installs on Google Play. Using the studio's hit Count Masters as an example, he shows how runner games are evolving and growing more complex: behind a simple facade sit math choice gates, crowd mechanics and long-term meta progression with battles. Development now demands more resources, higher visual quality and a mix of short-, mid- and long-term goals to retain players. He also outlines shifts in publishing: publishers acquiring strong teams, stricter ideation and prototype selection, genre hybridization and a growing share of in-app purchases alongside ad monetization. Useful for mobile game developers and producers.