MUMBAI: Investor interest in the Indian gaming market is undergoing a blip this year compared to the year before. At $23.4 million, it is significantly lower than the ₹110 million raised in 2023. Surprisingly, casual games seem to be immune to this temporary lack of interest. Investment in casual gaming more than tripled between January and September of 2023 and 2024, from $4.6 million to $15.9 million.

The popularity of casual competitive games is increasing in India and is expected to remain so for some time. This explains why investments in casual games continue to rise even during an unusually lean period. On one hand, we have real money games like rummy, which in India has a large population with a strong interest in and knowledge of rummy game rules. Casual games, on the other hand, have a hypnotic charm with simple mechanics that you can enjoy in short bursts between your breaks.

Keeping it Casual

A little bit of competition has always been a key motivation for gamers. The intensity of competition may be greater in the case of hardcore gamers, but there is a silent majority who enjoy some amount of competition to go with the entertainment that games bring. This silent majority is driving the popularity of casual competitive games in India.

The Lumikai X Google’s Interactive Media and Gaming Research 2024 has further reiterated this observation. The research estimates that casual and hyper-casual gaming will continue to grow at a CAGR of 23% in India for the next five years. It is also worth considering the percentage of female gamers is increasing rapidly in India to reach 44% this year. As a demographic, women are among the strongest patrons of casual games.

The average hours spent every week on casual gaming has increased from 3 hours in the financial year 2023 to 3.6 hours in 2024. Casual games continue to be the most popular genre of gaming across India, followed by mid-core games and real money games. Also keeping the genre lucrative for investors is the fact that the in-app purchases in this genre have registered a 10% annual growth this year.

Engaging in Friendly Fires

While gunshots exchanged across international borders are sometimes diplomatically described as ‘friendly fires’, a competitive casual game is undoubtedly the better example of the term. The funds involved in poker and rummy games make the competition much more serious. There is a strong need to understand poker and rummy game rules too. The popularity of these card games accounts for the phenomenal popularity of platforms like RummyTime. However, competitive casual games are truly casual.

Take the popular Coin Master game, for instance. The aim here is to build the strongest Viking village, win loot, earn rewards and trade your treasures with your fellow Viking friends. PUBG and its successor, BGMI, have been popular favourites among Indian gamers for years. These games have been offering a casual mode with around 10 players, some of whom can be practice bots as well. Once the gamers hone their skills, they can graduate to the multiplayer battle royale format in this player-versus-player shooter game.

There is a competitive spirit in the casual games built around the popular board game Ludo as well. Popular ludo platforms organise mega prize money tournaments where gamers can test their ludo skills and sharpness. It is also a popular pastime among friends who can now play it on smartphones instead of looking around for the physical board game and the dice.

Ludo’s Popularity: The Casual Competitive Case Study

Ludo has been a popular pastime for adults and children in India for decades if not centuries. Online ludo offers an opportunity for friends to socialise. As against the board game format where two to four players can play, online ludo can accommodate six players.

The gameplay is much quicker, with the quick-mode match running for roughly five minutes only. In the physical format, this can extend to anywhere between 30 to 90 minutes. The simple mechanics and sleek UI ensures that gamers can pick and play at any time between their breaks.

Popular ludo platforms have not relied on ad incomes alone for profitability. They are offering in-app purchase options that include premium features like peer-to-peer chats, voice notes and audio modes.

Over the years, ludo has spread across different gaming communities. Ludo King, for instance, has 20% downloads outside India. International favourite, Yalla Ludo leads the revenue race with more than $1 million in the first nine months of this calendar year.

A Dominant Presence

Competitive casual games are a dominant presence in the gaming landscape. In a regional research conducted in India, casual games topped the popularity across the country. The game is the top genre in the East India zone among paying gamers as well. Competitive and non-competitive casual games like Candy Crush, Ludo and Coin Master are unanimous national favourites. It is a pattern that seems set to continue.