The rise of mobile gaming has also run parallel to, if not driven, a dramatic fall in attention span-particularly among teenagers. “The average length of time for people staying in front of any screen has changed from two-and-a-half minutes in 2004 to 47 seconds today, according to various studies,” Gloria Mark, PhD, says. In this context, the huge success of Block Blast, a Tetris-like casual game, points to how we are going to consume digital content. Block Blast does argue for how success can be achieved rather by catering to shorter attention spans, bringing users back for the fun of playing and easy-to-understand mechanics, considering it enjoys a daily player count of about 40 million players.

Another reason Block Blast has become successful is due to its creative advertising. Interactable ads let players get a quick, great taste of what Block Blast has in store, creating an attractive hook showcasing how addictive the game can be. Furthermore, Block Blast builds up a community. Shared high scores and strategies during gameplay offer real ways of connecting in a virtual world. A feeling of real engagement, which is absent in the mindless scrolling of social media, allows for true interaction.

Users have become more interested in experiences and not merely amusement. Users like Senior Reza Aliabbas and Junior Donavon Lee show that Block Blast has grown from killing time into more relaxed and casual moments of amusement rather than burning up time. As such, users want satisfaction as opposed to ways through which to spend time; they actually desire to be usefully involved.

Interesting idea-that Block Blast has survived suggests that our need for connection and more meaningful experiences seems to survive, even while our attention spans continue to decrease. The real importance is that creators and marketers develop content to enrich people’s lives, not merely to flee reality. In acknowledging user desires for real interaction and community, developers have a real opportunity to drive loyalty and experiences that impact this shifting digital landscape. That is what makes Block Blast the embodiment of rewarding gameplay which can satisfy our basic human need for connection.