Gaming, of all kinds, is one of the biggest industries in the world. In 2024, it was estimated to be worth $187.7 billion, and some sources believe that number will increase to an impressive $503.14 billion this year.
You’d be forgiven for thinking of online gambling and the iGaming world when discussing gaming, but the truth is that that sector is just a small part of what makes up a giant industry.
So, let’s take a look at some of the best areas of gaming that don’t involve gambling or making real money wagers of any kind.
Role-playing games (RPGs)
One huge area of the gaming industry is held by role-playing games, more commonly referred to as RPGs. These games involve the player taking on the characteristics and motivations of a fictional character(s) as they play. RPGs are especially popular in video games, as seen by the fact that Baldur’s Gate 3, a massive RPG, won the Game of the Year award in 2023, and Elden Ring, another famous RPG, took the crown the year before in 2022.
However, RPGs are also popular in a more tangible sense. Tabletop role-playing games, or TTRPGs, are played across the world in a variety of different contexts. The most famous form of TTRPG is, of course, Dungeons and Dragons, which has an estimated 50 million players worldwide.
Professional players of this game, like the team of Critical Role, have expertly crafted their own narratives, built a dedicated fanbase, have high-quality merchandise available, and even a TV show made based on their role-playing escapades.
Sports Games
When we look at the prevalence of sports and the support from fans it generates across the globe, it isn’t difficult to see why sports games are so successful. These games often place players in the shoes of professional sportsmen and women.
In video games, players can build up and play dream teams on games like FIFA, become a golf pro on the PGA Tour, or zip around a track at high speeds in Forza Horizon.
There are also countless mobile apps and online mini-games that enable players to try their hand at every sport imaginable. These games are so popular that Apple even has an entire category dedicated to sports games on its App Store.
Casino Style Gaming
For a lot of people, it is casino gaming that comes to mind when they are told to think about the gaming industry, and this isn’t for good reason.
However, choosing to gamble is a choice that is made on an individual level, and if, for whatever reason, an individual decides that wagering real money isn’t for them, this doesn’t mean they should then have to miss out on the fun of casino gaming.
This is where a sweepstake casino comes in. Sweepstake casinos work in much the same way as a regular casino, except for one key difference – players do not have to, nor can they, wager real money.
Instead, these casino games are accessible free of charge, and by playing them, individuals can win a kind of in-game currency that has no monetary value outside of the site itself. This currency can then be used to access more games on the site, to unlock specific bonuses, or to be entered into ‘lotteries’ for the chance to win real prizes.
Sand-Box Games
This is another branch of gaming that gained popularity years ago and has never lost it. Sand-boxed games are a unique kind of game that gives players a significant amount of freedom and autonomy. The best sandbox game to provide as an example is Minecraft.
Players of Minecraft are dropped into a world with a certain number of rules. Rules like day and night are shorter, and at night, monsters come out. Once those rules have been established, it is left entirely up to the players what they do.
They can mine, they can hunt, and they can build, but it is entirely up to them what they do and in which order. Many people are drawn to sandbox games because of the ability they have to never get boring. They often don’t heavily rely on an overarching narrative, and so can be played repeatedly and yet provide the player with a different experience each time.
Puzzle Games
Puzzle games are a category of gaming that spans across generations. Puzzle games bring fun and brain-training to the hands of millions of people across the globe.
The extent of these games is endless, from established video games in every genre, from the Horror of the Silent Hill franchise to the action and adventure of the world of Zelda, both of which are not strictly ‘puzzle games’ but incorporate puzzles as a necessary part of their worlds.
And then you have games built entirely to house their puzzles, like the famous Candy Crush available on mobile devices or online versions of Sudoku. These games are not only entertaining, but regularly playing them has also been proven to improve cognitive functioning, helping us with memory, concentration, and patience. Who knew a puzzle could do so much?
