Arcade Berg aka. "Learning Game Design with Arcade Berg"

Casual Games != Easier Games

Sometimes I call myself a casual gamer. When I say that I mean that I don’t spend as many hours playing as I used to. However, I don’t think it’s right for me to call myself that. A casual gamer is someone who plays games within the “genre” of casual games.

I guess I’m a Hardcore Player Light.

Many people seem to make the mistake that a casual game is a game, any game but with an easy difficulty. I don’t agree with this. Now, I might be making a fool out of myself because some well respected source out there defines it just like that. But hopefully not…

Anyhow!

A casual game is a game which is easier to play (not to be confused with difficulty level) and understand. Fewer rules, simple controls and a straight forward objective. Tetris and Bejeweled are outstanding examples of this. Some call them games for girls, I call them brilliant.

Casual gamers still wants to be challenged, but not by not understanding how to play.

For me, what really defines a superb and accomplished casual game is for a casual gamer to have just as big a chance of being great at it as a hardcore gamer. Some developers don’t get this. If I can easily win against a casual gamer in a so called casual game per default thanks to my previous gaming experience, it’s a big failure.

Ever since I got together with my girlfriend several years ago, who basically has no interest in gaming what so ever; I’ve been ramming games down her throat for her to realize what a marvelous world we gamers live in.

She still hasn’t quite got it and mostly says: I don’t like it! I don’t wanna play anymore!

What’re you gonna do, right? So she stops playing and after a few days, when she least expects it I make her try something new again. Over the years, I’ve manage to score some real jackpots with her getting so stuck with a game that she can play for more than 5 hours straight!

Zoo Keeper, Zuma, Hexic, Peggle, Dapple, Piyotama and Flight Control for example. They’re all casual games! And guess what? I, the experienced gamer, have no chance what so ever to beat her highscores!

Okay, now, this girl doesn’t own any gaming system of her own except for a PC. She never plays with her friends. She simply doesn’t like hardcore games but back when she was playing Piyotama, she was ranked 21st in the world. 21st place in the friggin’ world! Do you think I can possibly beat her in the VS-mode? No!

Right now, she’s into stealing my iPhone and playing Flight Control. And guess what, top 1% on the online highscore-table! That’s insane, coming from a none-gamer!

But that’s the thing! That’s the beauty of a great casual game! Everyone has the same chance to perform greatly!