The fierce competitive environment in the mobile game industry is constantly requiring developers to improve their ability to dig deeper into the niche track and find opportunities to break the game through gameplay integration, novel theme painting style, etc.

Fashion games are booming

In the past one or two years, there is a category of theme that has been a great success, both in the field of casual games and in the field of super casual games, there are benchmark works. This theme is the fashion category.

Behind the popularity of fashion games

fashion games

When it comes to fashion games, many people may first think of games like "Project Makeover" and "High Heels! In fact, fashion is the game title with the largest increase in the Top 100 downloads in 2020.

According to the "2021 Mobile Game Category Report" released by Sensor Tower, among the Top 100 games downloaded in 2020, the number of games downloaded in the fashion category surged 109% from the previous year, reaching nearly 1 billion times, an increase far ahead of other title categories. Like styling dress up, manicure, beauty and hairdressing are all popular fashion titles.

For example, "Super Stylist" and "Project Makeover" are dress-up related games. The former received 46 million downloads last year, topping the annual download list of handheld games with fashion themes, while the latter earned $44 million in January.

For example, Acrylic Nails, Lip Art 3D, Hair Saloon and Super Saloon are nail art, lip art and salon related games that were downloaded nearly 30 million times or more in 2020, ranking at the head of the annual fashion games download list.

Generation Z is gradually becoming the mainstream user group

This year started off with "High Heels!" which kicked off the high start of fashion title games. This game, inspired by women's favorite high heels, is a stilt-collecting breakout parkour game that has been downloaded more than 60 million times.

The popularity of this game has spawned many games with similar gameplay, such as Nail Women, which focuses on collecting nails, or Hair Challenge (new from Rollic, publisher of High Heels!), which focuses on collecting hair.

Fashion theme games, is becoming one of the current trends.

Generations are shaped by the context in which they emerged. Baby boomers, born from 1940 to 1959, were immersed in the post -- World War II context and are best represented by consumption as an expression of ideology. Gen Xers (born 1960 -- 79) consumed status, while millennials (born 1980 -- 94) consumed experiences.

For Generation Z, as we have seen, the main spur to consumption is the search for truth, in both a personal and a communal form.

This generation feels comfortable not having only one way to be itself. Its search for authenticity generates greater freedom of expression and greater openness to understanding different kinds of people.

‘Undefined ID': expressing individual truth

For Gen Zers, the key point is not to define themselves through only one stereotype but rather for individuals to experiment with different ways of being themselves and to shape their individual identities over time. In this respect, you might call them “identity nomads”.

Seventy-six percent of Gen Zers say they are religious. At the same time, they are also the generation most open to a variety of themes not necessarily aligned with the broader beliefs of their declared religions.

For example, 20 percent of them do not consider themselves exclusively heterosexual, as opposed to 10 percent for other generations. Sixty percent of Gen Zers think that same-sex couples should be able to adopt children—ten percentage points more than people in other generations do.

Gender fluidity may be the most telling reflection of “undefined ID,” but it isn't the only one. Gen Zers are always connected. They constantly evaluate unprecedented amounts of information and influences.

For them, the self is a place to experiment, test, and change. Seven out of ten Gen Zers say it is important to defend causes related to identity, so they are more interested than previous generations have been in human rights; in matters related to race and ethnicity; in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues; and in feminism.

Connecting to different

Gen Zers are radically inclusive. They don't distinguish between friends they meet online and friends in the physical world. They continually flow between communities that promote their causes by exploiting the high level of mobilization technology makes possible.

Gen Zers value online communities because they allow people of different economic circumstances to connect and mobilize around causes and interests. (Sixty-six percent of the Gen Zers in our survey believe that communities are created by causes and interests, not by economic backgrounds or educational levels.

That percentage is well above the corresponding one for millennials, Gen Xers, and baby boomers.) Fifty-two percent of Gen Zers think it is natural for every individual to belong to different groups (compared with 45 percent of the people in other generations), and Gen Zers have no problem with moving between groups.

Understanding different

Gen Zers believe in the importance of dialogue and accept differences of opinion with the institutions in which they participate and with their own families (Exhibit 5). They can interact with institutions that reject their personal values without abandoning those values.

The fact that Gen Zers feel comfortable interacting with traditional religious institutions without abandoning personal beliefs that might not be broadly accepted by these institutions also demonstrates their pragmatism. Rather than spurn an institution altogether, Gen Zers would rather engage with it to extract whatever makes sense for them.

Members of this generation therefore tend to believe that change must come from dialogue: 57 percent of millennials, Gen Xers, and baby boomers think they would have to break with the system to change the world, compared with 49 percent of Gen Zers.

Gen Z is also more willing to accommodate the failings of companies. Thirty-nine percent of the people in this generation, for example, expect companies to answer customer complaints in the same day; for the three earlier generations, the percentage is much higher—52 percent.

Gen Z's belief in dialogue combines a high value for individual identity, the rejection of stereotypes, and a considerable degree of pragmatism. That brings us to the fourth core behavior of Gen Z.

‘Realistic': unveiling the truth behind all things

Gen Zers, with vast amounts of information at their disposal, are more pragmatic and analytical about their decisions than members of previous generations were. Sixty-five percent of the Gen Zers in our survey said that they particularly value knowing what is going on around them and being in control.

This generation of self-learners is also more comfortable absorbing knowledge online than in traditional institutions of learning.

What's more, Gen Z was raised at a time of global economic stress -- in fact, the greatest economic downturn in Brazil's history. These challenges made Gen Zers less idealistic than the millennials we surveyed).

Many Gen Zers are keenly aware of the need to save for the future and see job stability as more important than a high salary.

They already show a high preference for regular employment rather than freelance or part-time work, which may come as a surprise compared to the attitude of millennials, for example. According to the survey, 42 percent of Gen Zers from 17 to 23 years old are already gainfully employed in either full- or part-time jobs or as freelance workers—a high percentage for people so young.

Young female users are exploding with great energy : The business of traffic for Gen Z female users

fashion games for female users

In the past, when we mentioned the overseas female user market, especially the female user market in Europe and the US, we tended to target more middle-aged and older female users.

The explosion of fashion titles proves that the female user track is more refined.

Relatively speaking, the game of fashion theme can better cover female users, especially the young female user group.

For example, "Project Makeover" integrates three consumption, makeup, dress-up and home remodeling together, combined with a youthful painting style, and the user group is very different from traditional three consumption games.

The game's developer, Magic Tavern, says the game has few male players and has a harder time reaching middle-aged and older women, the key demographic for traditional triple-play. In other words, this game attracts mostly young female users.

Games with a fashion theme have another advantage in addition to reaching young female users, with a higher probability of igniting the internet.

Online surfers, especially in the current popular short video, are more young users, so the fashion category that fits the preferences of young female users can well trigger their resonance, thus triggering the topic and achieving viral spread.

For example, the popularity of "High Heels!" cannot be separated from its popularity in TikTok, the game's magical gameplay and characters are very suitable for the tone of the short video platform.

Burak Vardal, CEO of Rollic, the game's publisher, revealed that the game has had a strong impact on the Gen Z user base, gaining a large number of natural users from the short-form video platform.

As Generation Z gradually becomes the mainstream user group, young female users are exploding with great energy.

In terms of platforms, fashion titles have a very large user base in Google Play.

According to Mobile Game Taxonomy Report 2021, among the Top 100 fashion games on the download list in 2020, Google Play accounts for 86% of the downloads, much higher than the 16% on the App Store.

In addition, it should be noted that in recent years, with the formation of Android users' paying habits, Google Play no longer only has the advantage of download volume compared with the App Store, but also cannot be underestimated in terms of revenue contribution.

In 2021 there have been more and more games, the revenue from Google Play is no less than or even more than the revenue from the App Store.

Social media preference

Generation Z and social media -- 52% of GenZers follow three or more brands on social media, while 73% follow at least one.

In 2019, a survey conducted by Business Insider revealed that members of Gen Z gravitate toward Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.

Pew Research confirms that analysis in a study from 2020, stating that 85% of Gen Zers say they use YouTube, 72% use Instagram, and 69% use Snapchat. Facebook is less popular with only 51% using the social media site.

A recent survey has yet to be conducted, let alone one that analyzes genders separately. Therefore, Open Influence conducted an online Google Form survey with only Gen Z female respondents and added TikTok to the social media options.

The results show that TikTok is in fact a top platform chosen along with Instagram and YouTube. When ranking, TikTok is actually the second most popular social media app, right behind Instagram.

Influencers

Gen Z women are most likely out of all generations to follow influencers on Instagram. Team up with micro-influencers for the highest engagement rates and to fulfill possible conversion KPIs.

Gen Z females are not just following their dreams; their dreams are giving them a following. An audience is not the only thing that comes with producing content for social media. Perhaps more importantly, it also comes with the opportunity to generate an income.

Generation Z females are the most likely out of all generations to follow influencers on Instagram. They listen to influencer's product recommendations and consider them reliable.

Socially aware

Purchasing behaviors influenced by personal values and activism is a new concept. Gen Z women don't just want brands to take a social stand, but they expect it.

When shopping, Gen Z women look for brands that have a social impact. In a study published by Girl Up, a UN Foundation organization, 65% of Gen Z women surveyed said that they expect brands to take a stand on social issues.

The social values of Gen Z women directly impact their purchasing decisions and brand loyalty. During the Black Lives Matter Movement, many brands were tweeting their support. Sephora, a popular makeup retailer, took it one step further and decided to pledge 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned companies.

Inclusive individualists

Gen Z women will pay more for individualized products. However, do not separate products by gender. They are inclusive individualists. If a product can't be personalized, a brand can utilize social media to make consumers feel like they played a part in the products themselves.

Generation Z females are not the type to want to fit in with the norms of a group. Instead, they want to stand out and authentically express themselves.

Companies can capitalize on this by ensuring their products and messaging help Gen Z females achieve this goal. Gen Z females are even willing to spend more on products that highlight their individuality.

However, leave gender out of the conversation if possible. In a study conducted by McKinsey & Company, almost 50% of Gen Zers said they value brands that don't classify items as male or female. Ironically, they are inclusive individualists.

The loyalty program is the path to a GenZer's heart

A loyalty program can do wonders for your business. There's almost a perfect split among GenZers' wishes in terms of rewards.

So, if you don't have a loyalty program in place, maybe it's time to consider creating one.