Woman playing mobile game
Data shows that moms play games and that they represent a large portion of the mobile gaming market. Time and material conditions shape what we play and why.
ONE Activision report shows that, contrary to popular belief, most moms (87%) play games. While moms play many different kinds of games, mobile is still the lead, with 94% of moms regularly playing mobile games.
I started playing mobile games like Tiler More, Monument Valleyand Domestic landscapes when my son was born These mobile games are cheap, portable and intermittent. When my son fell asleep on me in the dark, it was convenient to play on a phone.
The small and big ways my life changed when I became a parent had a huge impact on the kinds of games I played. I went from playing console games in long sessions to mobile games in short bursts.
I have seen this sentiment echoed by other parents. For example, on Reddit, many parents ask for recommendations for toys that fit their lifestyle. A poster asks: “any suggestions for games that are low stakes and still fun for 30-60 minute chunks?” Another poster He similarly asks for suggestions “for a gamer father with not a lot of time to play,” noting that he needs “something that feels like I got some stuff done in 2 hours.”
Parents also note that caregiving affects what they do I can not play; Long cutscenes, online multiplayer, or games where choices/actions have a significant impact on the outcome can be difficult for players who may crash. Often, parents signal that the games they used to play no longer meet their needs.
There is a tendency to associate what we play with who we are, but who we are is changing. We play different games at different points in our lives because our material (and emotional) needs change. Right now, I’m enjoying games like this one from Remedy Entertainment Control—its manageable missions and short battles fit perfectly into the hour between when my son goes to bed and when I pass out from exhaustion.
Parenting isn’t the only lifestyle change that fuels genre choices: other types of care (eg caring for elderly parents), commuting, income, frequent travel and illness also influence the games we choose to play .
The types of games that can be played in daycare, a hospital room, or on the bus are usually the types of games that are dismissed as occasional (if not downright harmful) wastes of time.
Dismissing mobile games as harmful or “occasional” is analogous to how we treat other types of media—romance novels and other forms of genre fiction are often dismissed as less serious. Poetry still has suffered unfair treatment less “rigorous” than prose because it can be written in smaller chunks of time.
I’m not trying to say that Tiler More it’s poetry, but I think we tend to denigrate the types of media that are accessible and affordable. What we read, watch, listen and play is subject to various constraints, including time and money.
Instead of reducing these options, we should focus on the fact that different types of games provide meaning, joy, relaxation and escape for different people, at different points in their lives.
If you’re looking for a game to fit in a short amount of time, here are some of my favorites:
Games that include a daily check-in, such as Disney Dreamlight Valley the Animal crossing provide a fun way to quickly build daily momentum in 15-30 minute chunks. If you’re looking for something a little different, Studio Seufz offers a quirky take on the everyday check-in The Longing.
Games with short action sequences (and low consequences for “missing”) such as Control, Outer Wildsand Hades they’re not intermittent, but you can feel like you’ve accomplished a lot in thirty minutes.
in addition to Tiler More and Monument Valley, Dad it’s you and Two dots offers interesting, relaxing and highly interruptible puzzles that can be played in short, sporadic bursts throughout the day. You can also check out this list of mobile games encourage healthy play.
