Gen Alpha's Favorite Game Store is...
Hint: it's not Roblox.
Intro from the author:
Traffic Loop. Defender Idle 2. Pixel Warfare.
No, these aren’t the top games on Steam, Roblox, or Fortnite Creative Mode.
This is CrazyGames.
What started as a way to revitalize browser games has quietly amassed 250MM plays and 30MM MAU every month. That’s a whole lot of game discovery.
The first thing that stands out is load time. You’re in-game in one click. No account login (unless you want to save progress). No Captcha. Just simply play a game on your lunch break, or for your toddler to explore with your iPad.
Although this looks simple, imagine how many UX Designers and Product Managers are currently employed to remove steps in the “conversion funnel” - getting someone from load screen into the game or product in as few steps as possible. One click into the product is the fewest steps possible, until we have telepathy in the metaverse.
BTW - Toddlers playing on iPads is a window into the future of games. While Roblox corners the Gen-Z audience, (with 70.2MM Daily Active Users (DAUs), up 20% YoY), CrazyGames is cornering the even younger audience of Gen Alpha - those born after 2010. With incredibly fast games (I found myself playing between 2-5 min per), and incredibly simple UI.
According to web traffic site Similarweb, 32.78% of CrazyGames traffic is between the ages of 18-24. I bet the even younger Gen-Alpha crowd is getting lumped into other age ranges since website trackers aren’t allowed to categorize younger demos.
As with fashion, we may see the games cycle return to the previously unpopular browser as their platform of choice. Mobile developers on iOS and Android feel the squeeze of few promotional channels, incredibly expensive user acquisition, and fierce competition among apps.
The browser allows separate account creation and purchases, available in one format across all devices. Mega corps like Amazon have made users make purchases in the browser instead of in the app to avoid Apple’s 30% revenue cut.
CrazyGames may be avoiding this fight altogether, with compounding interest on its profits. Eyes set on the next evolution of the games market, before anyone else is awake.
If you enjoyed this post, or have ideas for future ones, we’d love to hear from you. We live to help game developers find audience, and grow their games into successful businesses.
Kai Boyd
Founder & CEO, Conduit.gg
Feels off. Gen Alpha playing browser games while growing up on an Ipad or Playstation? Do you have data on DAU and Gen Alpha?