Which Game Categories Are Gaining Ground Across America in 2025
The American video game market remains one of the largest in the world, with gaming hours remaining stable in many regions of the country despite reductions in annual spending. According to Circana, 63% of gamers in the United States now purchase two games or fewer a year.
But while purchases have slowed, what the players choose to spend their time doing has become more varied. Across the U.S., some types of games are experiencing greater increases in some areas than others, as genre popularity is now often reflective of local preferences and habits.
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The Southern Shift: iGaming Rules the South
Southern states have shown growing interest in accessible digital games, especially ones that don’t require high-end hardware. In states where console use is lower or broadband access is less consistent, browser-based and app-driven formats are finding more users. A key area of growth in this region has been iGaming, which includes virtual casino-style games played for real money.
Several southern states have already taken steps to regulate iGaming in some form, especially as public interest grows and access to digital platforms becomes more widespread. Louisiana has authorized regulated online sports betting and now permits certain forms of iGaming under state oversight, for instance.
The legal status of iGaming varies throughout the entire southern area, but access hasn’t stopped people from participating. Many states in the South are still evaluating their regulatory frameworks, and one notable case is Kentucky. While there’s no full authorization for locally hosted iGaming platforms, demand from players has grown in recent years.
In the meantime, residents have the option to play casino games in Kentucky through secure offshore alternatives that provide similar access to games like blackjack, roulette, and digital slots. As more southern states begin to re-evaluate their position, this region could become a key battleground in how U.S. gaming categories are defined going forward.
Solo Strategy and Management Games Gain Popularity in the Midwest
In the Midwest, gaming is a regular inclusion in the weekly routine; however, the styles chosen for play point towards a distinct skew towards slower-paced, more thoughtful categories. Players in this region are spending their time on strategy-heavy and simulation-based games that provide more control over progress and less reliance on constant interaction.
Games like Cities: Skylines II, Football Manager 2025, Stellaris, and Crusader Kings III are maintaining steady interest because of the depth of their world-building and the ability to play them more than once. States such as Iowa and Kansas, which both have an average of hours spent gaming per week in the top 10, exhibit a strong correlation with these slower formats.
This region also exhibits some of the highest rates of players making changes in their lifestyle to focus on games:
- 57% of players in Minnesota say they cancel plans to keep playing
- 56% in Nebraska report the same habit
- 47% of players in Washington and Oklahoma also canceled plans for extra game time
High-Cost Franchises Face More Pushback on the Coasts
In major coastal states, players are growing more resistant to expensive franchises that rely on ongoing purchases beyond the base game. While California still leads in total player dedication—especially when it comes to sacrificing rest, interest is steadily shifting away from games that rely heavily on monetization. This has started to impact how new releases are received after launch.
The trend points toward growing fatigue around traditional AAA pricing models. Even when a game includes hours of content, players in coastal states are showing less willingness to pay upfront and then keep spending for full access. Mid-tier tactical shooters, offline survival games, and story-rich RPGs that provide most features from the start are gaining more attention among these players.
The numbers reflect a noticeable shift in habits:
- 83% of players in California skip sleep to play longer sessions
- 54% in California and Texas say they skip meals for game time
- 44% of Americans overall report making similar trade-offs to keep playing
- 61% of gamers in Washington are most likely to swap meals for more gaming
While time investment remains high, spending habits in these regions show a shift toward fewer total purchases and stronger expectations for value.
Why Game Categories Are Now Split by Region
The game categories that gain traction in 2025 no longer follow a national trend but instead reflect the distinct habits, access levels, and expectations in different regions. Player behavior now varies widely based on location, and there is no single genre that dominates across all states.
In states with longer gaming hours, competitive online formats continue to hold players’ attention due to their fast rewards and social features. These titles are still performing well in places where players log over 13 hours per week, often favoring live-service models that reward daily engagement.
These region-specific preferences have not gone unnoticed. Developers and publishers are now testing releases in limited states to see how different audiences respond before launching wider campaigns. With overall spending down and more careful game selection among consumers, the U.S. market has become more fragmented, but this has also created space for a broader range of categories to gain ground and develop loyal player bases.