When internet casino gaming hit the mainstream market back in the early 90s, no one would have envisioned faster growth than what we have seen over the past decade. Moreover, the Coronavirus pandemic for the last two years has fast-tracked the evolution even more. With everyone stuck at home for prolonged periods, there was little to no access to physical gaming venues like arcades and casinos. And so, iGaming platforms like Spin City Casino have become the saving grace for casino gamers looking to blow off some steam in their favorite gambling games.

Indeed, the gaming industry at large, including gambling, video gaming, and mobile gaming, has made great leaps since the advent of the 21st century due to several factors: good and bad. The bottom line is that the effect has been a multibillion-dollar market predicted to keep rising in the coming years. From a better user experience to more lifelike visuals and generally increasing user engagement, the evolution of games comes with a lot of perks for both players and developers.

Developers have been looking for ways to make the games even better, and a few trends are currently blazing the trail for the industry. Keep reading to find five of the main game design trends making waves in 2023 so far.

1.    Blockchain-based Gaming

Web3 gaming is the new kid on the block and appeals to the modern player who is attracted by both tangible and virtual rewards. Blockchain games are flexible as they can incorporate elements of metaverse gaming where the gaming environments can expand and develop into a more interactive experience for the player. Some of the most popular blockchain-based games that you can play today are such as:

• Illuvium
• Magic Craft
• Tearing Spaces
• Bladerite
• BigTime
• Mirandus

2.    Fitness Gaming

Home workouts have been a thing for decades. However, when Covid-19 struck in 2020, there was a need to keep active, especially given the restrictions that forced several fitness enthusiasts to stay at home. Fitness gurus, for their part, had to reinvent the industry to keep up with the changing times, and thankfully, it birthed a new way to engage gamers.

Seeing as the global gaming space was also expanding simultaneously, what could be a better plan than to harness the latter’s appeal and hit two birds with one stone? Active Video Gaming, as it came to be known, requires players to move around to play. As a result, participants can keep up with their fitness goals while enjoying a great game. Excellent examples of such games include:

• Nintendo Fitness Adventures
• FWFX Electronic Dance Mats
• Kinect Adventures
• Ring Fit Adventure
• Just Dance 2023

3.    Gaming as a Service (GaaS)

Gaming developers have realized that if they want to stay in business in today’s modern world, they must strike a balance between retaining the attention of their users and turning a profit. GaaS allows companies to do just that by eliminating the initial costs that users will incur before they can even access the product by introducing a subscription-style mechanic. This keeps players engaged for much longer while generating a continuous revenue stream for the developer.

4.    AR and VR Gaming

This game variation goes hand-in-hand with blockchain-based gaming and, sometimes, fitness gaming. AR and VR gaming gives players a unique opportunity to completely immerse into a realistic space where they are exposed to an entirely different environment for entertainment purposes. When meshed with AI, machine learning, and blockchain, gaming is bound to expand further in the coming future as the technologies can offer players more immersive experiences.

5.    Smartwatch Minigames

Like mobile games, smartwatch games can be played anywhere at any hour of the day. Despite a smaller screen, their popularity has steadily grown, particularly with the inclusion of 3D and RPG games in the equation. Some of the coolest smartwatch minigames you can try out today are such as:

• Infinity Loop
• Bugroid Land
• Roll the Dice
• Wear Maze
• Bubble Shooter

Final Thoughts

As the gaming industry continues to expand rapidly due to emerging technologies in the digital economy, developers are working hard to keep up or die out. Of course, with each new trend comes some disquiet about the implications on player behavior. But then, the good news is that lawmakers and industry stakeholders have also been trying to keep up by creating relevant laws to accompany the evolving gaming technologies. After all, games are only enjoyable when players are in control.

Which game design trends are you excited the most about in 2023? Do you think we’ve missed some of them in today’s discussion? Let us know right here in the comments section; we’d love to hear your thoughts!