Pick up a mobile game and you can expect it to have at least one or more social features. That’s because app developers incorporate them to drive engagement, and players themselves aren’t just looking for gaming but also connection and community. Some of the most common features in mobile games include chat, social media integration, leaderboards, and co-op and players vs player (PvP) modes.
Below is a look at the popularity of these features and others, the genres that typically use them, and how these features enhance gameplay. The post will also feature examples of these games and discuss their success.
Social media integration
Whenever you log into a mobile game, you’re likely to find a social media connection feature. Social media builds community and connection between players. You can invite friends to the game or share it with them. The games often encourage players to do this by rewarding them with currency for linking their accounts.
You’ll find social media integration on one of the most successful mobile games ever: Animal Crossing. Although Nintendo are winding down the game, in the form of Pocket Camp, the company has found a fresh way to keep the game alive for fans and allow them to continue enjoying it.
In-game chat
A chat of some of form is indispensable in mobile games. You’ll see them a lot in shoot’em ups, role playing games (RPGs), and strategy. In these games, players need to communicate with each other and work together, and chat functions enable that.
The most common form of chat is text chat. People can send text messages, emojis, and, for faster communication, pre-formulated messages, but in some games, it’s also possible to employ voice chat and speak with other players directly. The highly popular shoot’em up game Call of Duty allows players both to text and voice chat in the mobile version.
Shooting games, RPGs, and strategy games aren’t the only types of game that feature chat functions. Online casinos also offer them to help players connect with each other while gaming, and in the case of live casino gaming, they can even interact with the dealer themselves via voice chat or text chat. If you visit Casino.org, which reviews different online casinos in different countries, you can find casino apps in Canada and use them to get the best out of your gaming experience.
Leaderboards
Leaderboards are one of the most popular features in mobile games and really drive engagement, especially from highly competitive players who wish to climb the ranks and earn recognition for it. The leaderboards rank players and let them compare their performance to players from the rest of the world, from their country or even from their friends or family. Players Unknown: Battlegrounds (PUBG) Mobile, one of the most downloaded games of all time, has a leaderboard.
Co-Op and PvP modes
Players like to experience a sense of teamwork and/or achievement, and many mobile games incorporate co-op and PvP modes to support this and foster engagement with the game. You’ll often find these modes in action, strategy, and multi-online battle arena (MOBA) games. The game developers will incorporate the modes depending on whether they feel the audience is likely to be more collaborative, more competitive, or both, in spirit.
Titles that cater to players’ competitive spirit abound. PUBG Mobile crops up again here, and Call of Duty Mobile, Clash of Clans, and 8 Ball Pool all pit players against other players who wish to. In terms of co-op, PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile show their versatility here. Players can also turn to the ever-popular League of Legends and Brawl Stars (which also features a PVP mode).
Guilds, Clans, and Teams
Although the terms vary from game to game, the concept is the same. Guilds, clans, and teams are groups or teams that players can join within a game to collaborate, socialize, and compete. Their popularity has exploded from a medium staple to a widely adopted feature across mobile gaming. Hits such as Clash of Clans, Candy Crush Saga, and Coin Master all carry this feature, one that has boosted the popularity of social currency.
Social currency and events
Social currency and events are an attractive feature that encourage players to work together or to compete with each other in a time-limited event and, as a reward, acquire special resources or social currency. This adds excitement to the game and builds players’ anticipation of the event. You’ll find this feature a lot in RPG and strategy games, but an endless number of games offer it. The hit games Pokémon Go!, PUBG Mobile, Candy Crush Saga and Call of Duty Mobile all have it.
Mobile games are hugely successful, partly because of their features, which meet players’ demands for connection and community. By doing so, they enhance the players’ experience and drive their engagement with the game. Other features you can expect to find in mobile games include social notifications, which notify players about chats and other social matters.