Three months into 2022, we’re starting to get a sense of the biggest gaming trends that are going to shape this year. We can see what types of games are hot, which ones are growing in popularity, and which ones are beginning to fall out of favour among players.
So if you want to try something new this year, consider some of these popular gaming options.
Battle Royale
The battle royale format has only been around for a few years, but it’s become one of the most dominant categories in the entire world of gaming. Pioneered by modders of games like Minecraft and ARMA 2, it was later adopted by PUBG and Fortnite, helping it to become a favourite among fans.
The name comes from a 2000 Japanese movie, Battle Royale, as it follows the same premise of a last-man-standing competition. In one of these games, a large number of players (usually around 100) will enter a map and will have to fend for themselves by scavenging, building defensive fortresses, and attacking others.
The map gradually gets smaller, making it harder to hide from your opponents, and the game eventually ends when only one player remains.
Some of the most popular battle royale titles are Call of Duty: Mobile, Call of Duty: Warzone, CS:GO, Fortnite, PUBG, and Apex Legends. They are all completely free-to-play, but you are given the option to pay for character customisations and “passes” to unlock extra content.
Slots
Casinos have been offering slot games for over 100 years. The first machines were created in the late 19th century and were often located in bars around the United States, but over the years these games have worked their way around the world.
They have evolved quite a bit over the years, eventually doing away with the mechanical element entirely in favour of video screens.Then, in more recent years, slots have moved online, giving players the freedom to enjoy them wherever they are.
Despite being over a century old, slot games remain one of the most popular choices among gamers. This is partly down to the fact that casinos have created hundreds of different themed slots that cater to just about every possible taste. For those that are enamoured by
Mesoamerican history and archeological explorers, then Aztec Explorer could be the ideal slot. Alternatively, fans of the hit TV game show Deal or No Deal can choose from several slots that are based on it.
With easy-to-learn rules and mechanics that make them endlessly playable, slots are popular among both beginners and seasoned gamers. It’s no wonder they’re still a firm favourite in 2022.
Word and Guessing Games
The first few months of 2022 saw Wordle become a global sensation. The free word puzzle brought a new challenge to the genre and its innovative sharing feature made it possible to show off your skills without giving away the word.
Although Wordle was first created in October 2021, it didn’t go viral until late 2021 and was the talk of every town by January 2022.
After realising its success, there were many copycat apps released in both the Google Play and Apple App Stores, though these were later removed. It was also reported that the game’s creator, Josh Wardle, was offered numerous offers to sell or monetise Worlde, though he rejected them all. That was until late January, when it was reported that The New York Times Company would purchase it from him. It has since moved to the company’s website.
Wordle has sparked a new interest in similar games that either use the same guessing mechanic or are based around words. These include Worldle, a game where the player has to guess a country based on a silhouette; Nerdle, which is a number-based version of Wordle; and F1 Wordle, a Formula 1-themed clone of the original.
Although we’re likely to see other trends popping up as the year progresses, there is so much momentum behind these categories, so you’ll still find plenty of people enjoying them come December.