Let’s face it: just about everyone has played a game over the last few months. The immersive and tech-pushing entertainment medium continues to grow in popularity, having already shed its persona as a niche hobby to become a mainstream activity.
As we approach the next generation in console gaming for two of the industry’s biggest names, PlayStation and Xbox, it’s clear to see that gaming across the board is still going from strength-to-strength. Based on its current trending games and those expected to become trending titles in the weeks and months to come, now is one of the best times to embrace gaming for all it’s worth.
Console Gaming: The social sensation
The spring revelation in gaming has, without a doubt, been Animal Crossing: New Horizons. In the Nintendo Switch exclusive, you get given your own island which you can build on, invite your friends to, invite other animals to become residents on, and enjoy several other activities – like fossil hunting and fishing. With the running story thread of needing to make money and pay off a racoon, Tom Nook, for each new step, the game is simple, can be played at your own pace, and wonderfully addictive.
While it will continue to be a very popular game in the months to come, the launch of Minecraft Dungeons – a moderate RPG dungeon crawler in the Minecraft theme – saw its place at the top of the best-sellers chart usurped, as shown by Windows Central. So, there’s space for the next new gaming trend to make its way to the top soon. That game might just be the long-awaited return of the Paper Mario series with The Origami King. With its charming aesthetics, combination of classic and open Mario play, and release date of 17 July, it’s bound to trend to the top of the charts.
Browser Gaming: From battling with Romans to exploring temples
Browser gaming is more popular than ever before thanks to the surge in the quality of the games, platforms becoming mobile-optimised, and browsers still being the most accessible way of finding games. One of the most popular platforms, particularly in Canada, is that of Wildz, where the games Nero’s Fortune and Temple Tumble Megaways have been battling it out as the top trending game.
Both of these trending games are high volatility titles, which seasoned slot gamers tend to seek out, and yet the game which looks to invade the top the trending charts is the medium volatility Vampire Senpai. With its eye-catching theme, five-by-five layout, and innovative feature, the Wildz-exclusive looks to become increasingly popular over the coming weeks.
PC Gaming: A title to break into the competitive scene
Anyone who has played games via Steam or knows of the meteoric rise of eSports will be able to guess at least two of the top trending PC games. For years, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2 have offered the cream of the crop when it comes to competitive PC gaming, headlining the eSports scene with their massive prize pools. Now, however, another game seeks to break into the upper-echelon of competitive gaming.
Riot Games, the creatives behind the global eSports sensation League of Legends, have recently eased out their latest foray into competitive gaming, Valorant. Taking a very different form to LoL, Valorant was a huge hit even before launch, drawing in 3 million players and over 470 million hours of viewing on Twitch after its closed beta went live. Its key competitive mode isn’t live just yet, but when it hits, Valorant will almost certainly become a top trending competitive title.
It’s an exciting time to be a gamer, with so many great games gaining enough popularity to trend and there being plenty more on the way.