CGACGA..Kid Appeal 2015An exploration of childrens favorite digital games, how they select them, and why they engage with themTOP PLAYFUL APPS FOR KIDS 6-14OVERALLFREQUENCY WITH WHICH CHILDREN PLAY THEIR FAVORITE APPThe majority of children play their favorite app at least a few times aweek,withalmosthalfplaying every day.DEVICE WITH WHICH CHILDREN PREFERTO PLAY THEIR FAVORITE APP NeitherBothSmartphoneTabletAlmost half of children playtheirfavoriteapp every day.Althoughthedeviceonwhich children choose to play their favorite gamedoesvarybydevice,most childrenoptforatabletovera smartphone. This trend may be due to the fact that children have greater accessto,andaremorelikelyto personallyown,tabletsversus smartphones.44%41%9%7%Every DayA few times a weekA few times a monthOnce a month13%17%25%45%TOP PLAYFUL APPS FOR KIDS 6-14OVERALL70%39%28%27%22%41%100 100 75 50 50 25 25 75Games that are fun Use with other people / Extra stuffActivities that help me learnPopular with my friendsCharacters I likeA lot of content so I dont get boredOneoftheleastin-demand features is an ability to use the app withotherpeople,whichmay explain why nearly 70% of children play their favorite app alone.The most important criteria when children are selecting their favorite app is, not surprisingly, fun. Almost three-quartersofchildrenlistedthisastheirtoprequirement,faraboveanyothercharacteristic. However,childrenalsoprioritizelikeablecharactersandawidevarietyofcontenttokeepthem entertainedandengaged.Oneoftheleastin-demandfeaturesisanabilitytousetheappwithother people, which may explain why nearly 70% of children play their favorite app alone.MOST IMPORTANT APP FEATURE, ACCORDING TO CHILDRENPERSON WITH WHOM CHILDREN PREFER TO PLAY FAVORITE APP69%ALONE22%WITH FRIENDS09%WITH PARENTSTOP PLAYFUL APPS FOR KIDS 6-14OVERALL70%39%28%27%22%41%100 100 75 50 50 25 25 75Games that are fun Use with other people / Extra stuffActivities that help me learnPopular with my friendsCharacters I likeA lot of content so I dont get boredOneoftheleastin-demand features is an ability to use the app withotherpeople,whichmay explain why nearly 70% of children play their favorite app alone.The most important criteria when children are selecting their favorite app is, not surprisingly, fun. Almost three-quartersofchildrenlistedthisastheirtoprequirement,faraboveanyothercharacteristic. However,childrenalsoprioritizelikeablecharactersandawidevarietyofcontenttokeepthem entertainedandengaged.Oneoftheleastin-demandfeaturesisanabilitytousetheappwithother people, which may explain why nearly 70% of children play their favorite app alone.MOST IMPORTANT APP FEATURE, ACCORDING TO CHILDRENPERSON WITH WHOM CHILDREN PREFER TO PLAY FAVORITE APP69%ALONE22%WITH FRIENDS09%WITH PARENTSTOP PLAYFUL APPS FOR KIDS 6-14GENDER DIFFERENCESGIRLS 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.11.3% Candy Crush Saga9.8% Angry Birds8.5% Minecraft6.1% ABCmouse.com5.6% Candy Crush Soda SagaGirls FavoriteAppsCANDY CRUSH SAGA11.3% 5.6%MINECRAFT8.5% 16.3%ABCMOUSE.COM6.1% 3.0%CLASH OF CLANS0.7% 6.4%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.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.16.3% Minecraft10.3% Angry Birds6.2% Clash of Clans5.6% Candy Crush Saga4.2% Angry Birds Star WarsBoys FavoriteAppsGirls list of favorite apps also includes Subway Surfers, WATCH Disney Channel, Temple Run 2, and Trivia Crack.TOP PLAYFUL APPS FOR KIDS 6-14GENDER DIFFERENCESThe main reason that both girls and boys provided for their selection of their favorite app is that theyarereallygoodatit.Bothgendersalsoenjoygamesthatareexciting,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.For girls, characters are key. Not only do girls listlikeablecharactersasoneofthetop reasonsbehindtheirfavoriteappandthe second most important feature of an app in general but, when asked to design their own playfulgame,girlsprioritizecuteandfun 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 enjoyablecharactersaspartoftheir gaming experience.Im really good at it 45%Its challenging 38%It has characters I like 30%It makes me laugh 28%I learn things 25%Its for children my age 22%It lets me show off what I can do 21%It helps me stay connected with my friends 11%32%GIRLSthinklearningactivitiesare an important app feature.For boys, in comparison, app preference is allaboutthegameplayitself.Boysalso identify fun as the most important feature inanappand,whenaskedtodesigntheir own playful game, boys are much more likely thangirlstorequirethattheappinclude actiongames.Similarly,theyarelesslikely than girls to want this app to have puzzles, story creation, or ideas for offline activities, suggestingthatboysmayhaveamore narrowconceptionofwhatconstitutesa successful gaming app.43%BOYSwouldrequireactiongamesin an app they designed themselves.MOST IMPORTANT APP FEATURESMUST-HAVE FEATURES FOR PERSONALLY DESIGNED APP75% 66% Games that are funA lot of content so I dont get bored38% 39%Activites that help me learn22% 32%Extra stuff like videos and music19% 24%I can use the app with other people20% 23%Popular with my friends27% 30%Characters I like 41% 42%Ability to create your own avatar 42% 44%Characters you know 24% 39%Ability to create your own story 34% 11%Puzzles 32% 21%Ideas for activities to do ofine 20% 15%Quizzes 16% 11%Levels that keep getting harder 37% 36%Action games 43% 26%REASONS FOR CHILDRENS SELECTIONS OF FAVORITE APPS86%41%38%28%22%21%16%18%9%TOP PLAYFUL APPS FOR KIDS 6-14AGE DIFFERENCESAswiththeoverallfavoriteapps,bothMinecraftandAngryBirdstoppedthelistfor6-to 11-year-oldchildren.However,6-to8-year-oldsalsoincludedBibleforKidsandFrozen: StorybookDeluxeontheirlistoffavorites,while9-to11-year-oldsincludedCrossyRoadand Fruit Ninja.Unlike these two younger age groups, Candy Crush Saga topped the list for 12- to 14-year-olds favorite apps. Their list also included Clash of Clans, Trivia Crack, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and Big Hero 6: Baymax Blast.12.0% Minecraft10.3% Angry Birds9.8% ABCmouse.com6.1% Candy Crush Saga3.9% Angry Birds Star Wars14.0% Minecraft10.1% Angry Birds7.4% Candy Crush Saga4.7% Candy Crush Soda Saga3.1% Crossy Road12.6% Candy Crush Saga10.3% Minecraft9.7% Angry Birds7.9% Clash of Clans3.9% Candy Crush Soda Saga / Trivia CrackCHILDRENS FAVORITE APPS, BY AGE6- TO 9-YEAR-OLDSTABLETS LAPTOPCHILDRENSTABLETDESKTOPCONSOLESMARTPHONE9- TO 11-YEAR-OLDS 12- TO 14-YEAR-OLDSCHILDRENS PREFERRED DEVICE FOR PLAYING GAMES, BY AGE41%16%12%32%21%17%25%28%17%9%9%6%10%3%9%14%1%10%6 to 8 9 to 11 12 to 14It seems that children of all ages may have a favorite appdependingwhichdevicetheyareusing,since tabletsarethepreferredplatformforMinecraft, andsmartphonesaretopchoiceforAngryBirds andCandyCrushSaga.Overall,however,younger children prefer to play games on a tablet, while older childrenincreasinglyusevideogameconsoles.The fact that young children are 64% more likely to play a game on a tablet compared to a teen may be due tothefactthatthisyoungeragegrouphasmuch greateraccesstothesedevicesthantheydoto other gaming platforms.Childrenages6to8are64%more likelytoplayagameonatablet compared to a teen.64%TOP PLAYFUL APPS FOR KIDS 6-14AGE DIFFERENCES23% 25% 39%IT HAS CHARACTERS I LIKE45%ITS CHALLENGINGIT MAKES ME LAUGHI LEARN NEW THINGS6 to 8 9 to 11 12 to 1438% 33%20%20%25%22% 26%ITS FOR MY CHILDREN MY AGE16% 19% 21%I CAN PLAY TOGETHER WITH OTHER KIDS20% 17% 14%I CAN COMPETE AGAINST OTHER KIDSIT HELPS ME STAY CONNECTED TO MY FRIENDS19% 12%10% 13%9%7%30%REASONS FOR SELECTION OF FAVORITE APPSThe main reason that children ages6to11providefortheir selection of their favorite app is that they are really good at it,whilechildrenages9to14 putmorevalueonagame thatchallengesthem.They are more likely to require that an app that they design have points,rewards,andlevels that get increasingly harder.6 to 8 9 to 11 12 to 1473%15%12%7%29%64%70%22%9%WHO CHILDREN PLAY GAMES WITHALONE WITH FRIENDS WITH PARENTSYoung childrens 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 thandoolderchildren.Itseemsthat6-to8-year-oldsarelookingforagamethatis self-contained,tablet-friendly,andcentersonfunandentertainingcharacters,while9-to 14-year-olds would prefer a gaming experience that is challenging, reward-driven, and potentially includes the opportunity to play with others.TOP PLAYFUL APPS FOR KIDS 6-14AGE DIFFERENCES23% 25% 39%IT HAS CHARACTERS I LIKE45%ITS CHALLENGINGIT MAKES ME LAUGHI LEARN NEW THINGS6 to 8 9 to 11 12 to 1438% 33%20%20%25%22% 26%ITS FOR MY CHILDREN MY AGE16% 19% 21%I CAN PLAY TOGETHER WITH OTHER KIDS20% 17% 14%I CAN COMPETE AGAINST OTHER KIDSIT HELPS ME STAY CONNECTED TO MY FRIENDS19% 12%10% 13%9%7%30%REASONS FOR SELECTION OF FAVORITE APPSThe main reason that children ages6to11providefortheir selection of their favorite app is that they are really good at it,whilechildrenages9to14 putmorevalueonagame thatchallengesthem.They are more likely to require that an app that they design have points,rewards,andlevels that get increasingly harder.6 to 8 9 to 11 12 to 1473%15%12%7%29%64%70%22%9%WHO CHILDREN PLAY GAMES WITHALONE WITH FRIENDS WITH PARENTSYoung childrens 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 thandoolderchildren.Itseemsthat6-to8-year-oldsarelookingforagamethatis self-contained,tablet-friendly,andcentersonfunandentertainingcharacters,while9-to 14-year-olds would prefer a gaming experience that is challenging, reward-driven, and potentially includes the opportunity to play with others.MISSING THIS LAYOUT!!! (Choosing an App 1st page)CHOOSING AN APPHOW CHILDREN HEAR ABOUT NEW APPSWHO DECIDES WHICH APPS TO DOWNLOADOVERALL AND BY GENDEROver 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 appsfromadvertisementsontelevision,inmagazines,orwhileplayinganothergame. 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 9 to 11 12 to 14 OverallBoys Girls OverallFRIENDSPARENT CHILD TOGETHERCLASSMATES SIBLINGS TEACHER OTHER OTHER FAMILYMEMBERSADS DURINGANOTHER GAMEADS ON TVOR COMPUTER55%42%37%50%32%27%26%21%30%28%21% 21%22%20%59%65%19%17%20%21%17%16% 16%18%12% 12%4% 4% 4%3%13%14%11% 11% 11%9%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.Parents are also 30% more likely to let their sons choose theseappsontheirown,comparedtotheirdaughters. 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 whichtheirsonsareexposed.Thislatterexplanationis consistent with recent research that found that parents are more likely to want child-friendly tech for girls and to valueboysplatformpreferences(PlayScience,2015). Whilethesefindingsindicatethatparentsaremore protective of their daughters, it also means that boys are potentiallybeinglefttodownloadappswithmore negative content and less educational benefit.30%15%55%58%53% 17% 30%29% 13%Parents are more likely to let their sons choose which apps to download, compared to their daughters.Most children have some say in which games to download.6 to 8 9 to 11 12 to 14 Overall36%26%27%30% 55% 55%58% 53%10%16%15%21%PARENTSOVERALL AND BY AGEPARENT CHILD TOGETHERCHOOSING AN APPMOST IMPORTANT CRITERIA FOR PARENTS WHEN CHOOSING AN APPFor 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, prioritizeappsthatoffermultipleformsofengagement,whilechildrenspreviousexperience with the app is most important among parents of 12- to 14-year-olds.TYPE OF APP PARENTS ARE WILLING TO DOWNLOADSlightlyunderhalfofparentssaidthattheyspendmoneyonapps,thoughsomeparentsare 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.app that focuses on skills or subjects that I want my child to work onapp that offers multiple types of engagementapp from a brand or company that I know and trustapp that I know my child will like because they have played it beforeapp that has been recomnmended to me by family or friendsapp that features characters my child already knows and lovesapp that has great reviews in the App Store or Play Storeapp that will report back to me what my child has doneapp that offers related materials for parents and/or teachersapp that has been endorsed by experts21%BY AGEFREE PAID17%12%11%8%8%7%6%5%3%6 to 8 9 to 11 12 to 14BY GENDER BOYS OVERALL GIRLSFREE PAID44%53%56%45%51%54%49%47%48%53%48%52%Parents of boys and younger children are more willing to pay for apps.EDUCATIONAL FACTORPARENTS TOP CRITERIA FOR EDUCATIONAL APPSOVERALL AND BY GENDEROVERALL AND BY AGEAccording to parents, in order for an app to qualify as educational, it must focus on academic skillsandencouragechildrensimaginationandcreativity.Interestingly,althoughparents prioritizetheacademicfocusofthiseducationaldefinition,veryfewrequirethatsuchapps improve their childs 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 apps cultivation of imagination and creativity becomes less important withchildage,whileanappsroleinchildrensschoolperformancebecomesslightlymore important as children get older.THE APP FOCUSES ON ACADEMIC SKILLSTHE APP FOCUSES ON ACADEMIC SKILLSTHE APP ENCOURAGES IMAGINATION AND CREATIVITYTHE APP ENCOURAGES IMAGINATION AND CREATIVITYTHE APP HELPS MY CHILD DO BETTER IN SCHOOL OR ON STANDARDIZED TESTSTHE APP HELPS MY CHILD BECOME COMFORTABLE WITH TECHNOLOGY AND COMPUTING SKILLSTHE APP FOCUSES ON SOCIAL SKILLSTHE APP OFFERS RELATED MATERIALS FOR PARENTS AND/OR TEACHERS39% 40% 37%41% 37% 39% 38%26% 27% 25% 23%25% 25% 25%11% 10% 12%THE APP HELPS MY CHILD DO BETTER IN SCHOOL OR ON STANDARDIZED TESTS11% 10% 12% 9%10% 9%9% 9% 9%THE APP FOCUSES ON SOCIAL SKILLS9% 7%2% 2% 3%THE APP OFFERS RELATED MATERIALS FOR PARENTS AND/OR TEACHERS2% 2% 2% 3%11%THE APP HELPS MY CHILD BECOME COMFORTABLE WITH TECHNOLOGY AND COMPUTING SKILLS10% 10%10% 10% 9% 11%9 to 11 6 to 8 OVERALL 12 to 14BOYS OVERALL GIRLSParents of girls are 9% more likely to require an academic focus for educational appsEDUCATIONAL FACTOR12.7%4.1%3.6%4.1%3.0%2.3%2.3%1.8%1.8%1.7%CHILDRENS FAVORITE APPS FOR LEARNINGTheinclusionofpopularappssuggeststhatchildrenbelievethattheycanlearnfromthese gamingexperiencesandthatthiseducationalcomponentmayevenbeafactorintheir preference toward these games.Childrensfavoriteappsforlearningdidnotreallydifferbygender.Bothboysandgirls rated ABCmouse.com as the top game. However, while boys also listed Angry Birds, Nick Jr.,GeometryDash,ABCPreschoolPlayground,andBrainPOPJr.Movie,girlsincluded Candy Crush Saga, WATCH Disney Channel, and Fit Brains Trainer. Similarly, childrens preferences did not change much with age, though 12- to 14-year-olds rankedTriviaCrackandWordAcademyaboveABCmouse.com,perhapsbecausethese games are more challenging and include content more suitable for an older age group. This explanationmayalsoaccountforwhy6-to8-year-oldchildrenweremorelikelytolist televisionchannelsandprograms,includingNickJr.,WATCHDisneyChannel,andSuper Why!Inadditiontothefactthatthecontentoftheseappsisclearlygearedtowarda 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).ABCmouse.comWord AcademyTrivia CrackMinecraft - Pocket EditionABC Alphabet PhonicsBible for KidsAngry BirdsAbby Basic SkillsNick Jr.WATCH Disney ChannelAlso on the overall Top Ten listChildren generally view learning and fun as different tasks accomplished by separate apps.Children believe they can learn from popular games like Minecraft and Angry Birds.BUTCHILDRENS IDEAL APPCHILDRENS MUST-HAVE FEATURES FOR PERSONALLY DESIGNED APPWhenchildrenwereaskedtodesigntheirownapp,thefeaturethattheylistedasthemost 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 lessinterestedinthesocialcomponentthatoftenaccompaniessuchprofilesandreallyjust wanted to immerse themselves in the game.Childrenalsowantedthisapptoinvolvepointsandrewards,soundeffectsandmusic,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, childrenconcentrateonthebasicsandmakingsurethatfirstandforemosttheplayisfun, challenging, and action-packed.43%38%35%31%31%26%26%26%24%24%17%17%13%12%37%Ability to create your own avatarPoints and rewardsSound effects and musicAction gamesAbility to create your own storyCute and fun charactersAbility to talk or play with other users in the appLevels that keep getting harderPuzzlesAbility to create your own profileCharacters you knowIdeas for activities to do offlineVideosQuizzesAbility to share things from the app on social mediaThe most important app feature for children is the ability to create their own avatarCHILDRENS IDEAL APPIt is twice as important for GIRLS than for boys to have enjoyable characters as part of their ideal app. Younger children want a fun app that features fun characters. BOYS are more likely than girls to want their app to include action games.Older children want a game that challenges them.Both boys and girl prioritize the ability to create theirownavatar,butforgirlsthisfeatureis supersededbytheinclusionofcuteandfun characters. Indeed, for girls, characters are key. When asked to design their ideal app, their top threerequirementsareallcharacter-focused, whetheritbecharactersthattheyalready knowandloveoranavatarthattheycan create.Childrenofallagessimilarlyranktheabilityto createanavataratthetopoftheirlistof requirements for their ideal app. However, their priorities shift slightly after that point. Children ages6to8aremuchmoreinterestedin charactersthanaretheiroldercounterparts. This age group is more likely to want their app toincludecuteandfuncharactersaswellas characters that they already know and love.As children get older, however, their focus shifts tocreatingachallenginggamingexperience. Childrenbetweentheagesof9and14rank featuressuchaspoints,rewards,andlevels that get increasingly harder higher on their list thandoyoungerchildren.Olderchildrenare alsomoreinterestedinhavingsocial componentsinthegame,suchascreatinga profile,talkingtootherplayers,orsharing 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 appthatactuallyallowschildrentocustomizetheirplayers.SubwaySurfersallowschildrentounlocknew characters as they earn points, and Trivia Crack uses players existing Facebook profile pictures. The absence of this must have among childrens 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. Boys,ontheotherhand,aremoreconcerned withthegameplayitselfandaremuchmore likelythangirlstowanttheirapptoinclude action games. Similarly, they are less likely than girls to want puzzles, quizzes, or story creation, suggesting that boys may have a more narrow conceptionofwhatconstitutesasuccessful gaming app.KEY TAKEAWAYSForthosedevelopingplayfulgameappsforchildren,thisreportholdsmanyimportantinsightsforhowbestto create for and appeal to this population, as well as its various subgroups. The top takeaways include:DIVERSIFY GAMEPLAYChildrenstopappsrepresentedavarietyofformsofgaming,includingstrategy,narrative,action,andtrivia. Similarly, parents place great value on apps that offer multiple types of engagement.INCLUDE LIKEABLE CHARACTERSThisisparticularlyapplicableifyouaretryingtoreachgirlsoryoungerchildren.Thesesubgroupsenjoyseeing characters they know or fun and entertaining characters that they could learn to love.ALLOW CHILDREN TO CUSTOMIZEWhenchildrenwereaskedtodesigntheirownapp,thefeaturethattheylistedasthemostimportantwasthe abilitytocreatetheirownavatar.Yetonlyoneofthetoptenoverallplayfulgamesoffersthisuniquefeature, suggesting a great opportunity for developers. DONT LET GENDER BIAS GUIDE YOUR DESIGNGirls 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 CHALLENGINGThisisparticularlyapplicableifyouaretryingtoreachboysorolderchildren.Thesesubgroupswantagaming experience that is exciting and that pushes them through reward systems and increasingly difficult levels. DONT BE AFRAID OF EDUCATIONAL CONTENTChildren 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 DEVICEThe large screens of tablets and the mobile nature of smartphones make them ideal for different types of play, and childrens device-specific app preferences suggest that they do in fact make this distinction. BUT ALSO CONSIDER ACCESSAlthoughthedeviceonwhichchildrenchoosetoplaygamesdoesvary,mostchildrenoptforatabletovera smartphone,likelybecausechildrenespeciallyyoungeroneshavegreateraccessto,andaremorelikelyto personally own, tablets versus smartphones.CHOOSE THE RIGHT AUDIENCEMostchildrenhearaboutnewappsfromtheirfriends,especiallyastheygetolder,thoughyoungerchildrenare more likely to learn about new apps from their parents. KEY TAKEAWAYSForthosedevelopingplayfulgameappsforchildren,thisreportholdsmanyimportantinsightsforhowbestto create for and appeal to this population, as well as its various subgroups. The top takeaways include:DIVERSIFY GAMEPLAYChildrenstopappsrepresentedavarietyofformsofgaming,includingstrategy,narrative,action,andtrivia. Similarly, parents place great value on apps that offer multiple types of engagement.INCLUDE LIKEABLE CHARACTERSThisisparticularlyapplicableifyouaretryingtoreachgirlsoryoungerchildren.Thesesubgroupsenjoyseeing characters they know or fun and entertaining characters that they could learn to love.ALLOW CHILDREN TO CUSTOMIZEWhenchildrenwereaskedtodesigntheirownapp,thefeaturethattheylistedasthemostimportantwasthe abilitytocreatetheirownavatar.Yetonlyoneofthetoptenoverallplayfulgamesoffersthisuniquefeature, suggesting a great opportunity for developers. DONT LET GENDER BIAS GUIDE YOUR DESIGNGirls 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 CHALLENGINGThisisparticularlyapplicableifyouaretryingtoreachboysorolderchildren.Thesesubgroupswantagaming experience that is exciting and that pushes them through reward systems and increasingly difficult levels. DONT BE AFRAID OF EDUCATIONAL CONTENTChildren 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 DEVICEThe large screens of tablets and the mobile nature of smartphones make them ideal for different types of play, and childrens device-specific app preferences suggest that they do in fact make this distinction. BUT ALSO CONSIDER ACCESSAlthoughthedeviceonwhichchildrenchoosetoplaygamesdoesvary,mostchildrenoptforatabletovera smartphone,likelybecausechildrenespeciallyyoungeroneshavegreateraccessto,andaremorelikelyto personally own, tablets versus smartphones.CHOOSE THE RIGHT AUDIENCEMostchildrenhearaboutnewappsfromtheirfriends,especiallyastheygetolder,thoughyoungerchildrenare more likely to learn about new apps from their parents. ABOUT THE CASUAL GAMES ASSOCIATIONCGA.ABOUT PLAYSCIENCEPlayScience 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 enrichthelivesofconsumersandtheircommunities,whilemakingapositiveimpactwherevertheygo. www.playsciencelab.com @playscienceWhen 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 andyourteamhaveaccesstocutting-edgeeducationalresourcesandareconnectedtothousandsofothergame industryprofessionals,membersofthepressandserviceprovidersaroundtheglobe.Learnmoreat http://www.cga.globalKIDS & FAMILY TRACK SPONSORED BYNEXT KIDS & FAMILY TRACK CASUAL CONNECT TEL AVIV 2015 19 - 21 OCTOBER 2015SINGAPORE17 - 19 MAY 2016SAN FRANCISCO18 - 20 JULY 2016AMSTERDAM16 - 18 FEB 2016TEL AVIV19 - 21 OCT 2015