In the last few decades, there has been a large surge of casual games on the market. These types of games are usually simple to play and usually deal with tasks and softer topics, such as farming or collecting critters in trees. The majority of these games appear on mobile platforms, such as smartphones and tablets, and are therefore easily accessible. In her article, “Who are the Casual Gamers”, Linda Eklund explains that women usually play casual games because “casual genres demand less time investment and are easier to pick up and play, thereby making them more accessible to women who still take on the majority of unpaid labour in the West, resulting in more fragmented leisure time”. Women usually juggle jobs, housework, cooking, and taking care of families, so casual games, especially mobile ones, are easier for them to play when they have a few minutes between tasks. Casual games are sometimes seen in a bad light because those who play more difficult, or “hard-core”, games (usually males) see them as too easy or simple to be considered “real” games.

However, some casual games can be seen very positively in the public eye. One such example is the very popular Pokemon Go, a mobile game that persuades its players to go outside and explore their surroundings in search of various creatures, inspiring physical activity and group play. While there have been various reports of players being too absorbed in the game and causing accidents or disturbing certain locations in search of Pokemon or items, the game has a large fanbase and overall positive ratings. Frans Mäyrä discusses the popular mobile game in his essay, “Pokemon GO: Entering the Ludic Society”, saying that “Pokémon GO has encouraged not only physical exercise, but also public discussion about the role of games; it has also promoted the formation of informal knowledge communities to negotiate and create solutions for the associated multiple challenges”. Pokemon Go, as well as other casual games, has shown how easily games can become part of our everyday lives and routines and recreate how we can play games overall, so they shouldn’t be written out by the gaming community all together.