Kid Appeal
2015
An exploration of children’s favorite digital games, how they select them, and why they engage with them
CGA .
TOP PLAYFUL APPS FOR KIDS 6-14 OVERALL
7% 9%
FREQUENCY WITH WHICH CHILDREN PLAY THEIR FAVORITE APP
Every Day
44% 41%
The majority of children play their favorite app at least a few times a week, with almost half playing every day.
A few times a week A few times a month
DEVICE WITH WHICH CHILDREN PREFER TO PLAY THEIR FAVORITE APP
Once a month
Neither
Although the device on which children choose to play their favorite game does vary by device, most children opt for a tablet over a smartphone. This trend may be due to the fact that children have greater access to, and are more likely to personally own, tablets versus smartphones.
Both
13%
17%
Smartphone
25%
Tablet
45%
“Almost half of children play their favorite app every day.”
TOP PLAYFUL APPS FOR KIDS 6-14 OVERALL
39% 28%
41%
27%
70% 100
22%
75
50
25
25
Games that are fun
50
75
100
Use with other people / Extra stuff
Characters I like
Activities that help me learn
A lot of content so I don’t get bored
Popular with my friends
MOST IMPORTANT APP FEATURE, ACCORDING TO CHILDREN The most important criteria when children are selecting their favorite app is, not surprisingly, fun. Almost three-quarters of children listed this as their top requirement, far above any other characteristic. However, children also prioritize likeable characters and a wide variety of content to keep them entertained and engaged. One of the least in-demand features is an ability to use the app with other people, which may explain why nearly 70% of children play their favorite app alone. PERSON WITH WHOM CHILDREN PREFER TO PLAY FAVORITE APP
69% 22%
ALONE
WITH FRIENDS
09%
WITH PARENTS
“One of the least in-demand features is an ability to use the app with other people, which may explain why nearly 70% of children play their favorite app alone.”
TOP PLAYFUL APPS FOR KIDS 6-14 GENDER DIFFERENCES
GIRLS’ choices for favorite apps largely mirror the overall list, but the ranking of each app is slightly varied. The top app among girls is Candy Crush Saga, regardless of the device that they are using. This app is followed by Angry Birds, pushing Minecraft down to the third position. Girls’ top apps also include Subway Surfers, WATCH Disney Channel, Temple Run 2, and Trivia Crack. The majority play by themselves. Girls’ list of favorite apps also includes Subway Surfers, WATCH Disney Channel, Temple Run 2, and Trivia Crack.
11.3% Candy Crush Saga 9.8% Angry Birds 8.5% Minecraft 6.1% ABCmouse.com
Girls’ Favorite Apps
5.6% Candy Crush Soda Saga CANDY CRUSH SAGA 11.3%
5.6%
MINECRAFT 8.5%
16.3%
ABCMOUSE.COM 6.1%
3.0%
CLASH OF CLANS 0.7%
6.4%
BOYS’ choices for favorite apps are topped by Minecraft and Angry Birds. It seems that boys may have a favorite app depending which device they are using, since tablets are the preferred platform for Minecraft, and smartphones are top choice for Angry Birds. Boys’ top apps also include Clash of Clans, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Bible for Kids, Boom Beach, and Despicable Me: Minion Rush. As with girls, the majority of boys still primarily play their favorite app by themselves. Boys’ list of favorite apps also includes Clash of Clans, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Bible for Kids, Boom Beach, and Despicable Me: Minion Rush.
16.3% Minecraft 10.3% Angry Birds 6.2% Clash of Clans 5.6% Candy Crush Saga 4.2% Angry Birds Star Wars
Boys’ Favorite Apps
TOP PLAYFUL APPS FOR KIDS 6-14 GENDER DIFFERENCES
The main reason that both girls and boys provided for their selection of their favorite app is that they are really good at it. Both genders also enjoy games that are exciting, challenging, involve characters that they like, and allow them to use their imagination. Girls are 30% more likely than boys to prefer apps because they make them laugh. Not surprisingly then, girls are also slightly more likely than boys to point to “fun” as an important app feature, though they are also more likely to value apps that help them learn. REASONS FOR CHILDREN’S SELECTIONS OF FAVORITE APPS
41%
I’m really good at it
38% 38%
It’s challenging
28%
It has characters I like
30%
22% 28%
It makes me laugh
21%
I learn things
25%
86%
16% 22%
It’s for children my age
It lets me show off what I can do
9%
11%
18%
21%
It helps me stay connected with my friends
GIRLS think learning activities are an important app feature.
32%
MOST IMPORTANT APP FEATURES 66%
For girls, characters are key. Not only do girls list likeable characters as one of the top reasons behind their favorite app and the second most important feature of an app in general but, when asked to design their own playful game, girls prioritize cute and fun characters as well as characters they know or avatars they can create. In fact, it is twice as important for girls than for boys to have enjoyable characters as part of their gaming experience.
41% 38% 22%
For boys, in comparison, app preference is all about the gameplay itself. Boys also identify “fun” as the most important feature in an app and, when asked to design their own playful game, boys are much more likely than girls to require that the app include action games. Similarly, they are less likely than girls to want this app to have puzzles, story creation, or ideas for offline activities, suggesting that boys may have a more narrow conception of what constitutes a successful gaming app.
42% 39%
32%
27% 19% 20%
75%
Games that are fun
Characters I like A lot of content so I don’t get bored
Activites that help me learn
30%
Popular with my friends
24%
Extra stuff like videos and music
23%
I can use the app with other people
MUST-HAVE FEATURES FOR PERSONALLY DESIGNED APP
BOYS would require action games in an app they designed themselves.
40%
45%
42% 24%
39% 36%
11%
15% 11%
37%
20% 16%
Levels that keep getting harder Ability to create your own story
32%
26%
Ability to create your own avatar Characters you know
34% 21%
44%
Puzzles
43%
Action games Ideas for activities to do offline Quizzes
TOP PLAYFUL APPS FOR KIDS 6-14 AGE DIFFERENCES
As with the overall favorite apps, both Minecraft and Angry Birds topped the list for 6- to 11-year-old children. However, 6- to 8-year-olds also included Bible for Kids and Frozen: Storybook Deluxe on their list of favorites, while 9- to 11-year-olds included Crossy Road and Fruit Ninja. Unlike these two younger age groups, Candy Crush Saga topped the list for 12- to 14-year-old’s favorite apps. Their list also included Clash of Clans, Trivia Crack, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and Big Hero 6: Baymax Blast. CHILDREN’S FAVORITE APPS, BY AGE 6- TO 9-YEAR-OLDS
9- TO 11-YEAR-OLDS
12- TO 14-YEAR-OLDS
12.0%
14.0%
12.6%
10.3%
10.1%
10.3%
9.8%
7.4%
9.7%
6.1%
4.7%
7.9%
3.9%
3.1%
3.9%
Minecraft
Minecraft
Angry Birds
Angry Birds
ABCmouse.com
Candy Crush Saga Candy Crush Soda Saga
Candy Crush Saga Angry Birds Star Wars
Crossy Road
Candy Crush Saga Minecraft Angry Birds Clash of Clans Candy Crush Soda Saga / Trivia Crack
CHILDREN’S PREFERRED DEVICE FOR PLAYING GAMES, BY AGE 9 to 11
6 to 8
12 to 14
41% 32%
25%
14% 9%
TABLETS
10%
LAPTOP 28%
21% 16%
9%
CONSOLE
3% 1%
CHILDRENS TABLET
17% 17%
9% 10%
12%
6%
SMARTPHONE
DESKTOP
It seems that children of all ages may have a favorite app depending which device they are using, since tablets are the preferred platform for Minecraft, and smartphones are top choice for Angry Birds and Candy Crush Saga. Overall, however, younger children prefer to play games on a tablet, while older children increasingly use video game consoles. The fact that young children are 64% more likely to play a game on a tablet compared to a teen may be due to the fact that this younger age group has much greater access to these devices than they do to other gaming platforms. “Children ages 6 to 8 are 64% more likely to play a game on a tablet compared to a teen.”
64%
TOP PLAYFUL APPS FOR KIDS 6-14 AGE DIFFERENCES
REASONS FOR SELECTION OF FAVORITE APPS 6 to 8
9 to 11
12 to 14
IT HAS CHARACTERS I LIKE 39%
25%
23%
IT’S CHALLENGING 33%
38%
45%
IT MAKES ME LAUGH 25%
30%
20%
I LEARN NEW THINGS 26%
22%
20%
IT’S FOR MY CHILDREN MY AGE 21%
19%
16%
The main reason that children ages 6 to 11 provide for their selection of their favorite app is that they are really good at it, while children ages 9 to 14 put more value on a game that challenges them. They are more likely to require that an app that they design have points, rewards, and levels that get increasingly harder.
I CAN PLAY TOGETHER WITH OTHER KIDS 14%
20%
17%
I CAN COMPETE AGAINST OTHER KIDS 9%
12%
19%
IT HELPS ME STAY CONNECTED TO MY FRIENDS 7%
10%
13%
WHO CHILDREN PLAY GAMES WITH 6 to 8
73%
9 to 11
70%
12 to 14
64%
15% ALONE
22%
29% 12%
WITH FRIENDS
9%
7%
WITH PARENTS
Young children’s focus on a character-driven gaming experience may help to explain why they are less interested in a social component to gaming. Not only are younger children the most likely age group to report playing their favorite game by themselves, but they also rank features such as an ability to use an app with other people or communicate with other players in the app much lower than do older children. It seems that 6- to 8-year-olds are looking for a game that is self-contained, tablet-friendly, and centers on fun and entertaining characters, while 9- to 14-year-olds would prefer a gaming experience that is challenging, reward-driven, and potentially includes the opportunity to play with others.
CHOOSING AN APP HOW CHILDREN HEAR ABOUT NEW APPS
Over half of children say that they hear about new apps from their friends. This is particularly true as children get older. Children between the ages of 6 and 8, on the other hand, are more likely to hear about new apps from their parents. Very few children reported that they learned of new apps from advertisements on television, in magazines, or while playing another game. Interestingly, however, children of parents with lower incomes or less education are more likely to say that they have heard of apps because they saw in-game advertisements. 6 to 8
MISSING THIS LAYOUT!!! (Choosing an App 1st page)
9 to 11
12 to 14
65% 55%
59% 50% 42%
Overall
37% 32% 27%
30%
28%
26%
21% 21% 22% 20%
21%
19%
20% 21%
17% 16% 18% 16%
17%
12%
14%
11% 11%
11%
9%
13% 12% 4% 4% 3% 4%
FRIENDS
PARENTS
CLASSMATES
ADS DURING ANOTHER GAME
ADS ON TV OR COMPUTER
SIBLINGS
TEACHER
OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS
OTHER
WHO DECIDES WHICH APPS TO DOWNLOAD It is important to note how children hear about new apps, since 70% have some say in the decision of which games to download, whether on their own or with the guidance of a parent. Not surprisingly, parents are more likely to let older children choose which apps to download.
OVERALL AND BY AGE
30% 36% 27%
6 to 8
15%
9 to 11
10% 16%
26%
PARENT
21%
CHILD
12 to 14
Parents are more likely to let their sons choose which apps to download, compared to their daughters.
55% 55% 53% 58%
Most children have some say in which games to download.
TOGETHER
Boys Parents are also 30% more likely to let their sons choose these apps on their own, compared to their daughters. This gender disparity seems to imply either that parents trust boys more than girls to choose appropriate content or that parents are less concerned about the content to which their sons are exposed. This latter explanation is consistent with recent research that found that parents are more likely to want child-friendly tech for girls and to value boys’ platform preferences (PlayScience, 2015). While these findings indicate that parents are more protective of their daughters, it also means that boys are potentially being left to download apps with more negative content and less educational benefit.
Overall
Girls
30% 30% 29% PARENT
OVERALL AND BY GENDER
Overall
15%
17%
13% CHILD
55%
53%
58% TOGETHER
CHOOSING AN APP MOST IMPORTANT CRITERIA FOR PARENTS WHEN CHOOSING AN APP
For parents, the most important consideration when choosing an app for their child is whether or not it focuses on skills or subjects that they want their child to work on. They also value multiple types of engagement, which speaks to their desire for replayability, and apps from brands they trust and/or that their children have played and enjoyed before. Parents of boys, in particular, prioritize apps that offer multiple forms of engagement, while children’s previous experience with the app is most important among parents of 12- to 14-year-olds. 21%
app that focuses on skills or subjects that I want my child to work on
17%
app that offers multiple types of engagement
12%
app from a brand or company that I know and trust
11%
app that I know my child will like because they have played it before
8%
app that has been recomnmended to me by family or friends
8%
app that features characters my child already knows and loves
7%
app that has great reviews in the App Store or Play Store
6%
app that will report back to me what my child has done
5%
app that offers related materials for parents and/or teachers app that has been endorsed by experts
3%
TYPE OF APP PARENTS ARE WILLING TO DOWNLOAD
Slightly under half of parents said that they spend money on apps, though some parents are more willing to pay than others. In particular, parents are more likely to purchase a paid app for boys and younger children. It may be that these parents are more concerned about their children being exposed to advertisements and so opt for paid apps to avoid this undesirable content. BY AGE
6 to 8 53%
44%
48%
FREE
9 to 11 56%
12 to 14
BY GENDER
BOYS
53% 47%
PAID
51%
Parents of boys and younger children are more willing to pay for apps.
45%
GIRLS
OVERALL
54% 48%
FREE
49%
PAID
52%
EDUCATIONAL FACTOR PARENTS’ TOP CRITERIA FOR “EDUCATIONAL” APPS
According to parents, in order for an app to qualify as “educational,” it must focus on academic skills and encourage children’s imagination and creativity. Interestingly, although parents prioritize the academic focus of this “educational” definition, very few require that such apps improve their child’s performance in school or on standardized tests. Parents are also much less concerned about these apps dealing with social skills or helping children feel comfortable with technology. These interpretations of “educational” are generally the same for all parents, though those with girls are 9% more likely to require that these apps focus on academic skills, compared to parents of boys. In addition, an app’s cultivation of imagination and creativity becomes less important with child age, while an app’s role in children’s school performance becomes slightly more important as children get older.
OVERALL AND BY GENDER
GIRLS
BOYS
OVERALL
THE APP FOCUSES ON ACADEMIC SKILLS 37%
40%
39%
THE APP ENCOURAGES IMAGINATION AND CREATIVITY
Parents of girls are 9% more likely to require an academic focus for educational apps
25%
25%
25%
THE APP HELPS MY CHILD DO BETTER IN SCHOOL OR ON STANDARDIZED TESTS 12%
10%
11%
THE APP HELPS MY CHILD BECOME COMFORTABLE WITH TECHNOLOGY AND COMPUTING SKILLS 11%
9%
10%
THE APP FOCUSES ON SOCIAL SKILLS 9%
9%
9%
THE APP OFFERS RELATED MATERIALS FOR PARENTS AND/OR TEACHERS 2%
OVERALL AND BY AGE
6 to 8
12 to 14
9 to 11
3%
2%
OVERALL
THE APP FOCUSES ON ACADEMIC SKILLS 41%
38%
37%
39%
THE APP ENCOURAGES IMAGINATION AND CREATIVITY 26%
23%
27%
25%
THE APP HELPS MY CHILD DO BETTER IN SCHOOL OR ON STANDARDIZED TESTS 9%
12%
10%
11%
THE APP HELPS MY CHILD BECOME COMFORTABLE WITH TECHNOLOGY AND COMPUTING SKILLS 9%
10%
11%
10%
THE APP FOCUSES ON SOCIAL SKILLS 9%
10%
10%
7%
THE APP OFFERS RELATED MATERIALS FOR PARENTS AND/OR TEACHERS 2% 2%
3%
2%
EDUCATIONAL FACTOR CHILDREN’S FAVORITE APPS FOR LEARNING
The inclusion of popular apps suggests that children believe that they can learn from these gaming experiences and that this educational component may even be a factor in their preference toward these games. ABCmouse.com
12.7%
Word Academy
4.1%
Trivia Crack
4.1% 3.6%
Minecraft - Pocket Edition
3.0%
ABC Alphabet Phonics Bible for Kids
2.3%
Angry Birds
2.3%
Abby Basic Skills
1.8%
Nick Jr.
1.8%
WATCH Disney Channel
1.7%
Also on the overall “Top Ten” list
Children believe they can learn from popular games like Minecraft and Angry Birds.
BUT
Children generally view learning and fun as different tasks accomplished by separate apps.
Children’s favorite apps for learning did not really differ by gender. Both boys and girls rated ABCmouse.com as the top game. However, while boys also listed Angry Birds, Nick Jr., Geometry Dash, ABC Preschool Playground, and BrainPOP Jr. Movie, girls included Candy Crush Saga, WATCH Disney Channel, and Fit Brains Trainer. Similarly, children’s preferences did not change much with age, though 12- to 14-year-olds ranked Trivia Crack and Word Academy above ABCmouse.com, perhaps because these games are more challenging and include content more suitable for an older age group. This explanation may also account for why 6- to 8-year-old children were more likely to list television channels and programs, including Nick Jr., WATCH Disney Channel, and Super Why! In addition to the fact that the content of these apps is clearly geared toward a younger audience, the games also include characters with which children are familiar, which is an important feature for young children (see pages 2, 4 and 6).
CHILDREN’S IDEAL APP CHILDREN’S MUST-HAVE FEATURES FOR PERSONALLY DESIGNED APP
When children were asked to design their own app, the feature that they listed as the most important was the ability to create their own avatar. Perhaps because children were designing an app just for them, they valued being able to personalize the gaming experience. Interestingly, the ability to create their own profile was much lower on the list, suggesting that children were less interested in the social component that often accompanies such profiles and really just wanted to immerse themselves in the game. Children also wanted this app to involve points and rewards, sound effects and music, and action games. They were less interested in sharing app content on social media, getting ideas for offline activities, or including quizzes and videos. It seems that when thinking about the ideal app, children concentrate on the basics and making sure that first and foremost the play is fun, challenging, and action-packed. 43% 38% 37% 35%
Ability to create your own avatar Points and rewards Sound effects and music Action games
31%
Ability to create your own story
31%
Cute and fun characters
26%
Ability to talk or play with other users in the app
26%
Levels that keep getting harder
26%
Puzzles
24%
Ability to create your own profile
24%
Characters you know
17%
Ideas for activities to do offline
17%
Videos
13%
Quizzes
12%
Ability to share things from the app on social media
The most important app feature for children is the ability to create their own avatar
CHILDREN’S IDEAL APP
It is twice as important for GIRLS than for boys to have enjoyable characters as part of their ideal app. Both boys and girl prioritize the ability to create their own avatar, but for girls this feature is superseded by the inclusion of cute and fun characters. Indeed, for girls, characters are key. When asked to design their ideal app, their top three requirements are all character-focused, whether it be characters that they already know and love or an avatar that they can create.
Younger children want a fun app that features fun characters.
Children of all ages similarly rank the ability to create an avatar at the top of their list of requirements for their ideal app. However, their priorities shift slightly after that point. Children ages 6 to 8 are much more interested in characters than are their older counterparts. This age group is more likely to want their app to include cute and fun characters as well as characters that they already know and love.
BOYS are more likely than girls to want their app to include action games. Boys, on the other hand, are more concerned with the gameplay itself and are much more likely than girls to want their app to include action games. Similarly, they are less likely than girls to want puzzles, quizzes, or story creation, suggesting that boys may have a more narrow conception of what constitutes a successful gaming app.
Older children want a game that challenges them. As children get older, however, their focus shifts to creating a challenging gaming experience. Children between the ages of 9 and 14 rank features such as points, rewards, and levels that get increasingly harder higher on their list than do younger children. Older children are also more interested in having social components in the game, such as creating a profile, talking to other players, or sharing content online.
Although children of both genders and all ages are highly interested in being able to create their own avatar, only three of the top ten overall playful games include any kind of avatar or picture, and Minecraft is the only app that actually allows children to customize their players. Subway Surfers allows children to unlock new characters as they earn points, and Trivia Crack uses players’ existing Facebook profile pictures. The absence of this “must have” among children’s favorite apps suggests that avatar customizability is not required for a successful app, but it also presents an opportunity for developers to incorporate a unique feature that may give them an advantage over the competition.
KEY TAKEAWAYS For those developing playful game apps for children, this report holds many important insights for how best to create for and appeal to this population, as well as its various subgroups. The top takeaways include:
DIVERSIFY GAMEPLAY Children’s top apps represented a variety of forms of gaming, including strategy, narrative, action, and trivia. Similarly, parents place great value on apps that offer multiple types of engagement.
INCLUDE LIKEABLE CHARACTERS This is particularly applicable if you are trying to reach girls or younger children. These subgroups enjoy seeing characters they know or fun and entertaining characters that they could learn to love.
ALLOW CHILDREN TO CUSTOMIZE When children were asked to design their own app, the feature that they listed as the most important was the ability to create their own avatar. Yet only one of the top ten overall playful games offers this unique feature, suggesting a great opportunity for developers.
DON’T LET GENDER BIAS GUIDE YOUR DESIGN Girls like humor even more than boys, and boys are more socially influenced than girls – those are just two examples of “facts” that go against typical gender assumptions about game play.
MAKE IT ACTION-PACKED AND CHALLENGING This is particularly applicable if you are trying to reach boys or older children. These subgroups want a gaming experience that is exciting and that pushes them through reward systems and increasingly difficult levels.
DON’T BE AFRAID OF EDUCATIONAL CONTENT Children value a game that offers opportunities for learning. However, fun is still key; educational features should be well integrated into the game so that they do not come at the expense of entertainment.
CONSIDER THE DEVICE The large screens of tablets and the mobile nature of smartphones make them ideal for different types of play, and children’s device-specific app preferences suggest that they do in fact make this distinction.
BUT ALSO CONSIDER ACCESS Although the device on which children choose to play games does vary, most children opt for a tablet over a smartphone, likely because children – especially younger ones – have greater access to, and are more likely to personally own, tablets versus smartphones.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT AUDIENCE Most children hear about new apps from their friends, especially as they get older, though younger children are more likely to learn about new apps from their parents.
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ABOUT THE CASUAL GAMES ASSOCIATION
When it comes to the health of your business, the more things that work together, the better. Which is why the Casual Games Association is a critical portion of the success of your company and the industry as a whole. It means that you and your team have access to cutting-edge educational resources and are connected to thousands of other game industry professionals, members of the press and service providers around the globe. Learn more at http://www.cga.global ABOUT PLAYSCIENCE
PlayScience is an innovation and development company that partners with brands to create and launch new consumer experiences in play, learning and entertainment. The group catalyzes and creates new ways of playing and learning that enrich the lives of consumers and their communities, while making a positive impact wherever they go. www.playsciencelab.com @playscience
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