Canada has over 20 million gamers, which means that roughly 60% of Canadians enjoy video games. When it comes to millennials and Gen-Z citizens 80% play games and on average they spend 7 hours a week on this hobby. Moreover, some of the biggest franchises in gaming like Assassins Creed, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Deus Ex, and Watch Dogs were partly developed in Canada.
It’s also worth pointing out that Canadians really enjoy online casinos. It’s among the countries that gamble the most, and casino games are also a part of this entertainment industry. As a highly relevant market, gambling companies go above and beyond to create enticing promotions for Canadians. If you are looking for a reputable operator then try Captain Cooks casino reviewed by the Wageringadvisors and their team of gambling experts. As a relevant market for gaming, releases that perform well in Canada are usually big hits worldwide. So, let’s go over the top-performing game genres in Canada.
Action-Adventure
The majority of AAA releases are action adventures:
- Last of Us
- GTA
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - God of War
- The Witcher
- Resident Evil
There are good reasons why this genre performs so well in Canada, as well as the rest of the world. People mostly play for joy or fun, to relieve stress, and to get good mental exercise. Action Adventure titles tend to have exciting and gripping narratives, they have solid puzzles that require problem-solving, and there is a lot of combat and button-mashing. Players are often inspired and empowered by these games, so they even crank up the difficulty to increase the challenge.
The only thing these games lack is teamwork or cooperation. Most of them are single-player experiences, but there are a few exceptions like “It Takes Two” and “The Way Out.” Both of these releases were highly praised and offered a unique and nostalgic experience at the same time. In other words, we might see a multi-player feature make a comeback to this genre as well.
Slots
As mentioned casinos are incredibly popular in the Great White North. Some of their land-based resorts easily rival those in Las Vegas and Macau. Canadians also love to play on online gambling sites, and they typically play slots. Once again they can easily find online operators that host top-tier slots games through Wagering Advisors that review and evaluate online casinos. Moreover, players can discover available bonuses, some of which don’t require a deposit. This means it’s entirely possible to gamble risk-free, which is very exciting if you like slots.
First-Person Shooters and Battle Royale
Gaming tournaments or eSports are big in Canada. As a result, competitive multiplayer games continue to dominate in this market. Counter-Strike has been one of the top-performing shooter games for decades, however, it’s not as popular in Canada as you’d expect. Among the top-selling games is Call of Duty, and Modern Warfare II topped the charts in January 2023. One of the reasons why COD is more popular in this genre is console availability.
COD is one of the biggest IPs from Activision-Blizzard, and players are still concerned when it comes to the future of Call of Duty. Specifically, PlayStation players are concerned because Microsoft is in the process of acquiring Activision-Blizzard, and they might turn Call of Duty into PC and Xbox exclusive. This would affect the sales, but it could also lead to increased sales of Xbox.
Another type of shooter game that’s really taken off is Battle Royale. Fortnite, Apex Legends, and PUBG are IPs that are immediately mentioned when you discuss this category. Again these are all popular eSport titles as well, so it’s not too surprising they are constantly trending.
RPGs
Whenever someone mentions RPG the game that comes to mind is usually World of Warcraft. This is another IP from Activision-Blizzard that really popularized this genre. However, there are many different RPG sub-genres and some of them are outperforming World of Warcraft in Canada.
According to sales numbers, Pokemon games are very popular among Cannucks. Right now the game that’s topping all of the charts is Baldur’s Gate 3, and this is an RPG that you can also play with your friends. Moreover, it’s going to be cross-platform and many speculate that it will receive the game of the year award. Elden Ring is another RPG game that dominated the charts in Canada, and everyone is eagerly expecting the news about the upcoming DLC.
Finally, the newly released Hogwarts Legacy also has some RPG elements and it performed really well. Players simply love when they have the freedom to express themselves and customize the character how they see fit. That’s one of the most appealing elements of RPGs, but they also have a chance to pit their creation against other players. These PVP and cooperative aspects add more excitement.
Card Games
The last genre on the list is card games, and Canadians pretty much enjoy all of the sub-genres in this category. Physical and digital TCGs as well as casino card games like poker and blackjack. Hearthstone, Magic the Gathering, and Yu Gi Oh are still dominating the TCG genre, but there are many Canadians that also play online poker tournaments.
