Many types of games compete for your time, attention, and return visits. Here’s what genres are dominating the gaming scene right now, using the concrete stats and facts, minus the filler.
Online Casinos: The Fastest-Growing Session Entertainment
Online casinos are pretty much the gold standard. The American Gaming Association said that iGaming (online casinos) brought in $8.41 billion in 2024, which was up 28.7% year over year in the seven states that allow full-scale iGaming.
That’s why more and more platforms accepting US players keep borrowing from video game UX. And it’s not just clear lobbies, “one more spin” loops, and streak-style promos that keep the players engaged. No VPN workarounds get you into a real-money game in seconds instead of making you dig. And once you’re in, the experience is tuned for fast return plays. Specifically with mobile-first layouts that work smoothly in-browser, clear game categories, and banking options that let people go off without a hitch.
Shooters: The Revenue Boss Fight
Shooters are still the king of the hill, and the number of players is proof. Counter-Strike 2 has more than 935,000 players online at the same time on Steam, which is pretty much the genre showing off in public. Also, newer games are really taking off. For example, in the U.S., Arc Raiders has the most active users every week.
Why are shooters printing over and over? They reward skills that can be measured. Positioning, timing, aim, and team play. It’s easy to say “one more match” because there’s always a “next level.”
Action-Adventure And RPGs: The Tie For Second
The reason survival games work is the looming chaos. It’s not important to have perfect balance in games like Rust, ARK, and The Forest. They’re about sessions that are hard to plan and where the choices you make matter. Do you work together? Do you hit back? Building a fortress or living light and moving around? The point is that there are no scripts.
The bigger sign is that survival game mechanics are getting into everything. Looting and crafting loops were added to battle royale. Hunger, cold, and a lack of resources became more real in open-world games. The term “survival” is no longer used to describe a genre.
Casual And Puzzle: The Mobile Volume Machine
Casual and puzzle games made up 43% of all mobile game sessions in 2025. And the numbers for old hits are still wild. As of 2025, 87.9 million people played Candy Crush Saga every month, and the game made $1.08 billion in 2024.
The business aspect is simple. A five-minute game lets you feel like you’re making progress and bounce. That means casual can’t be beat at reach, even if serious players say it “doesn’t count.”
Sports Games: Back In The Money
Games that come out once a year, like EA Sports FC, NBA 2K, and Madden, are successful because there is a steady stream of updates and real teams and stars. It’s also interesting that 37.8% of gamers aged 25–34 say racing is their favourite genre. This is likely because of sims like iRacing and big hits like Forza Horizon.
Strategy, Simulation, And The “Fast Growers”
Sales are up, thanks in large part to mobile strategy games like Clash of Clans and Rise of Kingdoms. Simulation games, like The Sims’ loops, saw a 9% rise in downloads and made up 6% of the top-selling games at that time.
The breakout lane then came along. Asymmetrical multiplayer games went up by 28.7%, roguelikes went up by 6.1%, and card/casino games made up 8.6% of all mobile playtime.
