Do you know what the latest game trends in mobile are right now?
If you want to succeed in the app business, staying up-to-date with the most current game trends is crucial. So, Today we’ll be discussing what’s hot right now in games, plus a few sure-fire tips to help you keep up with latest gaming trends all year round and how to use them in your next game’s design.
Following gaming trends can make coming up with game ideas and the entire design process a lot easier. When you’re aware of what’s trending, you can make the type of game that players want to play and are actively searching for in the App Store. It’s the secret game dev hack to making better games.
Ready to learn how?
In this episode of Inside the Box, Trey reveals the current trends right now in the App Store and shares several of his top tips for game developers:
Current Game Trends (Right Now)
Tip #1 – Make Looking For New Game Trends A Habit
Gaming trends are always changing. What’s popular right now may not be, one week, month, or a year from now. So, it’s important to make studying the App Store a daily or at least weekly habit.
To help make checking out what’s trending in the mobile gaming scene part of your routine, try to pick a set time and or day to look for current game trends. Then create a reminder notification on your phone or via your calendar app to notify you. After a few weeks of habitually checking, the whole process will be like second nature to you.
To get the most out of this technique, you’ll need to study the top games and look for reoccurring patterns. It requires a bit of investigation and analyzing, but it’s worth it. When you’re done, you’ll have the all the inside info you need to make your own hit game.
You can do your research on current game trends on your phone or your computer. Just log in to the App Store and start browsing through the Top Charts in the games section. If you plan on making a free app, focus on that category and vice versa for paid games. As you scroll through pay close attention to each game’s icon, name, graphics, and gameplay. Do you notice any patterns? What game types do you repeatedly see in the top of the charts? Then download the games that are currently trending and play them.
Tip #2 – Write It All Down
When you’re playing these games, it’s important to take notes. So, use your hand game idea journal to record your thoughts. If you don’t have one, you can grab a piece of paper and write it all down. The method doesn’t matter; you just need to be able to remember key standout points about the games. Your goal is to find out what’s so great about the game. What did the developers get right in their gameplay, game art, sound effects, or game level design?
For more insight into the game, you can also read the app’s reviews on its page listing. Then try to Google the game and search for any press or media reviews too. Sometimes reviews can not only give you a bigger picture of what the game got right but where it falls short also. Jot down anything useful that you find.
Tip #3 – How To Use Current Game Trends For Inspiration
You can use the current game trends that you discovered as a springboard for coming up with killer game ideas. The best way to do this is by applying the ‘model and improve’ technique. This simple method can be a game-changer for indie developers, especially if you’re someone who struggles with brainstorming new ideas.
The ‘model and improve’ technique is simply taking different concepts and building upon them or improving them until you have something completely new. With game development, it’s no different. To get started pull out your journal or the list with your notes on the most current game trends. As you review them, look for anything particular that stands out to you. Try to brainstorm new things you could add or that you could remove to improve that concept. Maybe it’s a cool game concept or a funky theme that you really liked. Or maybe it was a design element or gameplay mechanic that you noticed that if removed would make the game better. Use your notes as a reference and think of interesting ways that you can ‘model and improve.’ You can combine aspects from multiple games or whatever inspires you. When you’re done brainstorming, you’ll have an exciting new game idea based on what’s performing well in the App Store.
Remember, creativity is just about connecting things in fresh ways. Using current game trends is one of the many methods that you can follow to get those creative wheels turning and make your game awesome!
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