Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave for the last few years you’ll certainly be aware of the IO phenomenon. This new IO phenomenon genre has risen to become a completely new and universally loved form of gameplay, but where did it come from, and why won’t it die?
The Origins Of IO Phenomenon Games
The best-known games in this budding genre have to be Sliter.io and Agar.io. Agar.io especially came to popularity from virtually nowhere, having started life in the internet’s darkest and most obscure corners. So, what accounts for its meteoric rise?
These days, the market for mobile games is highly saturated, with new games rapidly disappearing into the depths of the app store. Against these dire odds, somehow Agar.io took the gaming industry by surprise, despite its lack of promotional stunts and massive PR budget.
Matheus Valadares, a 19-year-old student created this game and simply publicized it by posting links to the game on the 4chan site. Amazingly, its user base grew dynamically and within weeks, Agar.io was everywhere online.
Once the success of this title caught game developers’ attention around the world, they leapt into action. Steve Howse was one of them, creating his own highly successful project, Slither.io. Capable of pulling in an impressive $100,000 each day, this game has dominated its niche in the gaming industry since 2016. So, why are these titles attracting so many players?
Simplicity And Accessibility
The key to the long-lasting success of the IO genre lies in its simplicity and its accessibility. The initial concepts of the games are simple – for example, snake-style games where players must eat food and smaller cells to grow larger while avoiding cells that could eat you. The graphics are also simple along with user-friendly controls, which allows anyone to enjoy gameplay without any complexity. You can just jump straight into playing without any learning curve and have fun. Even better, many of the games hark back to a time of simpler gaming, with nostalgic styling that appeals to those who yearn for the days of 1980s arcades. As a final benefit, these are multiplayer games that allow players to join with teams from all over the world in a fun, social experience.
This is why, instead of allowing the genre to fade away and disappear, as might have been expected with such a simple concept, the world of gaming has seized on IO titles and continued to create and develop them.
Choosing The Best IO Games
From their humble beginnings, IO games have come a long way. This is why it can be difficult to choose the best titles to play. From older titles like Combat Reloaded and Agar.io to newly released titles like Tetrads and WarBrokers, there is no shortage of options. So, how do you pick the best games to play?
The answer is that there is no single answer to this question. Everyone has their own favorite IO title, but the good news is that because they’re so simple and easy to access, you can try them all out and move onto the next one if you aren’t enjoying yourself. Have fun!
