Title

Hypercasual and Hybrid-Casual Video Gaming: A Digital Leisure Perspective

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-12-2023

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2023.2211056

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of hypercasual and hybrid-casual video gaming and their influence on digital leisure. Existing sport and leisure scholarship on video gaming has focused primarily on competitive video gaming, namely esports. However, among the most popular competitive video games are simple and easy to play titles – hypercasual and hybrid-casual games. In this conceptual article, a digital leisure perspective is used to examine hypercasual and hybrid-casual gaming. To address the study’s purpose, the growth, gameplay, and consumption practices of hypercasual and hybrid-casual games are outlined. The current article supports that the intuitive nature and design of these games increases their appeal and adoption, particularly by those marginalized by the digital divide. Hypercasual and hybrid-casual video games reflect trends in digital leisure activities, including participant preferences favoring simplicity over sophistication, providing a novel perspective in contrast to increasingly complex forms of digital leisure.

Language

English

Comments

This article is the authors' final published version in Leisure Sciences, May 2023.

The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2023.2211056. Copyright © Informa UK Limited

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