With over 820 million people now enjoying access to the internet, primarily via smartphones, the very idea of leisure in India is being redefined. It’s no longer confined to long evenings or weekends. Instead, entertainment has been atomised into short, repeatable bursts. Thanks to the country’s mobile-first culture, people are increasingly seeking snackable during short breaks, whether it’s five minutes during the coffee break at work, ten during a commute or three before a Zoom call.
This is the foundation of what marketers and analysts dub the “moment economy.” These moments, which form those in-between spaces where users dip in and out of content, commerce or connection, are fast becoming one of the most valuable frontiers of consumer attention.
And the biggest winner so far? Real-time, casual gaming.
Flexible Entertainment That Adapts Rather Than Demands
Unlike fantasy sports and multiplayer console games that demand time, attention and often a degree of financial or emotional investment, casual gaming formats are frictionless. They require little onboarding, minimal commitment and no fixed schedule. They don’t ask for the user’s time. Instead, they fit into busy schedules and sneak into the little moments when people seek distractions during a hectic day.
Data on Indian gaming habits reflects this clear pattern, where a large number of people play these games briefly but frequently. For instance, Glance’s Nostra, which delivers instant-play games directly on Android lock screens, reports an average session time of just 11 minutes, with users logging in up to four times a day. This corroborates InMobi’s research, which found that 40% of Indians usually play games in 10-minute sessions between chores, meetings or meals.
These ten minutes may seem trivial at first glance. However, when repeated across the day, they transform into a powerful new model of digital consumption that game developers are racing to capitalise on. Many have succeeded, too. Loco was one of the first apps to make a mark in this space. Within months of its launch in 2017, the app amassed over a million downloads and saw 2 lakh people playing trivia quizzes simultaneously online.
Ludo King’s meteoric rise during the pandemic is another prime example of tapping into the moment economy. As friends and families played together online, the app crossed 1 billion downloads by April 2023. The game’s breakout success was primarily driven by nostalgia and timing. It also helped that players could complete matches in under 15 minutes.
And then there’s rummy, which bridges the divide between India’s offline gaming traditions and its digital future. Its evolution into a mobile-first format has been quietly transformative. With the core rummy game rules demanding strategy, memory and pattern recognition, it is primarily a skill-based contest rather than luck-based play. This distinction has helped carve a legitimate space for rummy in India’s real-money gaming and casual gaming segments. Many platforms now offer real-time multiplayer rummy games, with matches that often last less than 10 minutes. This format fits comfortably within India’s new, moment-based gaming habits.
The Moment Economy: A Matter of Timing and Design
Gaming activity among users typically peaks around three times a day. The first big spike occurs during mid-morning, around 11:30 AM, when users take short midday breaks. The next surge in activity is typically recorded in the evening from 7 PM to 9 PM, during the second-screen hours. As work winds down, people turn to casual games during this time, generally alongside TV or even instead of it. The third spike coincides with late-night scrolling. Nearly 60% of mobile gamers prefer to play right before going to bed.
These slots do not conform to traditional leisure hours. Instead, they are the transitional periods that make up the moment economy. For the gaming apps leading the charge to occupy these byte-sized windows of time, cashing in on the short breaks is only the first step. The real challenge is retention. And this is where the ecosystem reveals its sophistication.
Two of the most common strategies that game developers use to prompt users to return and play are push notifications and instant in-app rewards.
A simple message like “Your friend just beat your score,” or “You’ve earned a spin, collect your coins now” can be a trigger to re-open the app. Push notifications like these can 3x to 10x more users simply by re-engaging them at the right moments. In-app rewards for small efforts like daily login bonuses, quick-win challenges and leaderboard contests further add to the enthusiasm. Users who open a game to simply check out these prompts end up playing a round, claiming a reward and eventually, reinforcing a habit.
The New Currencies in This Economy: Time and Attention
Industry leaders and analysts in India have taken notice of how strongly gaming in India aligns with the pattern of micro-moment consumption. They understand that modern gaming apps that want to capitalise on these in-betweens are not in competition with traditional games. Instead, they compete with other everyday distractions.
This trend of casual micro-gaming also dovetails perfectly with the modern habit of using smartphones in short bursts, yet frequently. It has created a cultural pivot where gaming is no longer viewed as a time-consuming and indulgent pursuit. Rather, it has become the default option to fill the in-between, a reward for finishing a task at work or a mental refresh between meetings.
As millions more Indians venture online seeking quick gratification, this trend of snackable gaming is only set to grow. In this recaliberated world, the best games are the ones that understand time and attention are not constraints; they are the new currency. These are the games that honour the moment economy, which thrives on making every second count. They fit into users’ lives instead of taking them over, and they are the ones that players will keep coming back to.