GameRefinery: Trends in casual and midcore games in November 2023
Royal Match is a trendsetter; midcore titles are using content paywalls.
Casual Game Trends
GameRefinery notes the growing popularity of the Social Win Streak mechanic. Users are grouped into large teams (usually around 100 people) and given several tasks to be completed consecutively. If a task is not completed, the player is eliminated from the competition (but can return after some time). This is a casual interpretation of the Battle Royale concept.
The second popular mechanic is the Digging Minigame. Through the main game, the user gains access to a pickaxe (or equivalent) to dig up the game field. The minigame first appeared in June in Royal Match; in November, the mechanic was borrowed by Monopoly GO! (Egyptian Treasures) and Chrome Valley Customs (Crusher Carnage).
Midcore Game Trends
Paywall events. In Garena Free Fire, the Luminous Pass has been launched. Its concept is to take hard currency from the user (100 diamonds), in exchange for which the player receives 7 days of login rewards, exclusive daily tasks, and the opportunity to spin the wheel of fortune after each match.
A similar mechanic was applied by the State of Survival in collaboration with Resident Evil. To access new content, players need to unlock Chris Redfield through the gacha system. One attempt per day is free, but the balance is set up in a way that you won't get anything for free. You need to purchase hard currency.
The latest example of locking part of the content in F2P is in Last Fortress: Underground. The Pin for Fun event is only available to those who have purchased the Chillout Bar building (which is sold in a bundle for $79.99).
Not a trend but a noteworthy event: in League of Legends: Wild Rift, a new 2v2 mode has been released. Four teams of two compete on the field, each with a limited number of respawns. The roster is also limited.