Gaming

THE MOST POPULAR GAMING APPS IN 2023

Sandbox-style games dominated kids’ choi­ces in 2023 globally and in the majority of countries analyzed in this report, with Roblox and Minecraft claiming top positions in most regions. The only countries not to feature Minecraft in their top 3 – or even top 5 – were Spain and France, where kids favored choices such as app-only multiplayer Brawl Stars, and new entry for 2023, FIFA Mobile.

When looking at kids’ most popular gaming apps, though, it’s clear that only a part of the pic­ture can be seen: Roblox, played on cell phones and tablets by 48% of children around the world, is available on multiple platforms, from Xbox to even Meta Quest. Therefore, even though the Roblox mobile game experien­ced a global dip in popularity of 11 percentage points, kids could simply be reaching for their console controller or logging on to their PC to play instead.

That said, predominantly mobile-based games didn’t fare so well ei­ther, with long-term favo­rites Clash of Clans and Brawl Stars dropping out of the global top 5, to be repla­ced by battle-royale style Stumble Guys, and pandemic favorite Among Us. Stumble Guys proved especially popular in Spain and France, where 28% and 16% of kids hit the obstacle courses on their cell or tablet. In Australia, the UK, and the US, however, chil­dren preferred testing out their musical skills with Magic Tiles 3, so much so that the game managed to secure 2nd place in the UK for the first time since our research began.

-Boy, 11

When I go online I watch what gamers do, play games myself, and look things up on Google. I get worried that someone could install a virus on my computer and watch me.

-Boy, 11

For yet another year, the time children in­vested in gaming on cell phones or tablets dipped around the world, though due to the nature of mobile games, often designed to pass the time and distract rather than truly engage, this is perhaps understandable. In the UK, France, and Spain, this decrease was only slight: in all three countries, gaming time only went down by a minute on average between 2022 and 2023.

Roblox, on the other hand, saw some more obvious changes in trends, with time spent on the app decreasing by 28% globally, and by an average of 27% in the countries featured in our report. Spanish children, who have never shown as much affinity to Roblox as their British or American counterparts, reduced their time on Roblox by 30%, dropping from 155 minutes per day to 109, on average. Despite the downtime, Roblox still remains the app where children invest the most time overall, across all categories: kids worldwide spend over 2 hours daily on the game (130 mins/day) coding and constructing worlds.

I don’t think there’s anything I worry about online. Though sometimes you can connect up to games that make you pay for stuff. My mom and dad lend me their phones but they know what I’m playing on them.  

– Girl, 11

Mobile gaming is an open, inclusive space, where anyone with a smartphone or tablet can simply pick up their device and get stuck into a new game, wherever they are in the world. It stands to reason that the mobile gaming industry is big news, with reports stating that this form of gaming already accounts for 51% of the market share. So while our insights show downtime in terms of both gameplay and popularity, it’s worth remembering that gaming via an app versus on a console is a very different experience. Mobile games can be used to pass the time in a boring waiting room, or fired up for just a few minutes in the car on the way to school.

Because of this quick-start, rapid play nature, it’s likely that families see blocking and restricting gaming apps as an easy way to reduce daily screen time and help children focus more on their day-to-day routines. 83% of parents in our family survey stated they use parental controls to help set limits on apps, and 77% block apps directly with these tools. It may be that parents prefer to see children spending more time on traditional gaming devices, such as video consoles, or desktop computers, which can often be kept in common areas and can be a more interactive way for families to enjoy games together.

Whether on a mobile, PC, or gaming console, getting to know the games that your child plays and enjoys is a huge advantage in keeping them safe online. Aside from inappropriate content, like swearing or violent scenarios, there are other factors that can affect kids’ gaming experience online. Heavy levels of in-game advertising and in-app purchases frequently affect gameplay for kids, encouraging them to spend. Many families would prefer their children to invest money elsewhere, rather than virtually, which is why it’s important to understand the me­chanics behind the games children play across many different platforms.

In online multiplayer games, players have the opportunity to connect with other users from around the world. While this can expose them to interesting people from different cultures and backgrounds, meeting strangers comes with significant risk. As there’s no way to verify who is behind the profile, it’s all too easy for children to come across scammers, predators, and other ill-intentioned players during gaming sessions.

Stress that your child should never reveal personal information, like name, age, and address, in online chats. The safest way to play online games is in closed-off groups, playing with friends they already know, or gaming in common areas, where parents can keep an eye on what’s being said in chats.