As of June 2024, 21 percent of U.S. adults aged 18 to 29 years spent six to ten hours per week playing video games. Overall, respondents from this age group were also more likely than others to be heavy gamers - a total of eight percent played video games more than 20 hours in an average week. In total, weekly gaming usage was more likely among younger adults in the United States.

General video gaming use among the U.S. population increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Between May and December 2020, U.S. teens aged 15 to 19 years spent an average 112.8 daily minutes on playing games and using computers for leisure, up from 73.8 minutes per day in the corresponding period of 2019. In 2023, the daily time spent on such activities among this age group decreased to 98.4 minutes per day.

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Description

RAWG Games Dataset video game records data gathered directly from the RAWG API. It includes essential fields such as game id, title, release date, rating, genres, platforms, descriptive tags, Metacritic score, developers, publishers, playtime, and a detailed description. The data was collected to support studies, trend analysis, and insights into the gaming industry. Each field is aligned with the specifications provided in the RAWG API documentation.

Latest Update: February 14, 2025

Acknowledgements

Grateful to RAWG for data API.

The Evolution of a Global Phenomenon

The gaming industry is more than just a form of entertainment—it’s a cultural juggernaut that reflects the pulse of innovation, creativity, and community in the digital era. Gaming trends encapsulate the evolution of platforms, genres, player behavior, and industry economics, offering a window into how the industry adapts and thrives in a constantly changing landscape.

Key Trends Shaping the Gaming World

Platform Ecosystems and the Battle for Dominance: The gaming ecosystem is a three-way battlefield between consoles, PCs, and mobile devices, each with its own loyal fanbase. While traditional consoles like PlayStation and Xbox thrive on exclusivity, PC gaming dominates the competitive and modding scenes. Meanwhile, mobile gaming’s meteoric rise is redefining accessibility, offering high-quality gaming experiences on the go. Cloud gaming platforms like Stadia and GeForce Now are further blurring these lines, creating a unified yet competitive space.

Genre Renaissance and Niche Revolution: Genres like Action, Adventure, and RPGs remain staples of the industry, but niche categories like Simulation, Survival, and Indie Platformers are thriving, often backed by passionate communities. The rise of sub-genres, such as Souls-like or Roguelikes, highlights players' demand for unique and challenging experiences. Battle Royale, an overnight sensation, continues to evolve, proving how a single genre can dominate global gaming culture.

User Feedback as the Voice of Gaming Culture: In a world where Metacritic scores, Steam reviews, and community forums hold immense power, user ratings are no longer just numbers—they’re the currency of credibility. Developers are increasingly engaging with their player base through iterative updates, live-service models, and fan-driven content, shaping games into living, breathing experiences.

Geographical Influences on Gaming Styles: Gaming culture varies significantly across regions, with Asia pioneering mobile gaming and competitive esports scenes, North America leading AAA production, and Europe fostering indie innovation. Cultural influences can be seen in game design—Japan’s intricate storytelling (e.g., JRPGs), the West’s open-world epics, and China’s mobile-first dominance are reshaping global trends.

The Economics of Creativity: The contrast between indie darlings and blockbuster AAA games tells a fascinating story of budgets and creativity. While high-budget games like Elden Ring or Cyberpunk 2077 push graphical and narrative boundaries, indie hits like Hollow Knight or Among Us show that clever gameplay and community engagement often outshine expensive production values. Microtransactions, season passes, and in-game economies continue to drive revenue models in this live-service era.

Immersive Technology and the Future of Gaming: Cutting-edge technologies like VR, AR, and haptics are redefining immersion, making players feel like they’re truly in the game world. With the promise of metaverse gaming, persistent virtual worlds with real economies and player-driven stories are just on the horizon.

Esports, Streaming, and the Social Layer: Gaming has transcended solo entertainment to become a massive spectator sport, with platforms like Twitch and YouTube Gaming hosting millions of viewers daily. Esports tournaments for titles like League of Legends, Valorant, and Dota 2 bring gaming communities together, while individual streamers influence trends, game launches, and even patch updates.

Why Gaming Trends Matter in the Culture of Play Shaping Player Communities: Gaming is no longer a solitary activity; it’s a shared culture. Understanding trends helps developers and publishers connect with their audience on a deeper level. Driving Industry Innovation: Trends guide how the industry reinvents itself, with players demanding fresh experiences, cross-platform connectivity, and more social interaction. Defining the Future of Digital Entertainment: Gaming’s blend of technology, storytelling, and community has placed it at the forefront of digital culture, making it an industry to watch for groundbreaking innovation. Gaming trends are more than market insights—they’re a reflection of how people play, compete, and connect in the modern world. The industry's evolution is a testament to its ability to adapt to shifting player expectations while remaining a cornerstone of global culture.

Explanation of Dataset Variables

1. Date: Represents the date of the game's release.
2. Platform: Indicates the gaming platform, such as PC, Console, Mobile, or VR.
3. Daily Active Users (DAU): The number of users actively playing the game daily.
4. New Registrations: The number of new users who registered to play the game.
5. Session Duration (minutes): The average time (in minutes) that players spend in a single gaming session.
6. In-game Pu...

McKinsey Solve Global Assessment Dataset (2018–2025)

🧠 Context

McKinsey's Solve is a gamified problem-solving assessment used globally in the consulting firm’s recruitment process. This dataset simulates assessment results across geographies, education levels, and roles over a 7-year period. It aims to provide deep insights into performance trends, candidate readiness, resume quality, and cognitive task outcomes.

📌 Inspiration & Purpose

Inspired by McKinsey’s real-world assessment framework, this dataset was designed to enable: - Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) - Recruitment trend analysis - Gamified performance modelling - Dashboard development in Excel / Power BI - Resume and education impact evaluation - Regional performance benchmarking - Data storytelling for portfolio projects

Whether you're building dashboards or training models, this dataset offers practical and relatable data for HR analytics and consulting use cases.

🔍 Dataset Source

• Data generated by Oluwademilade Adeniyi (Demibolt) with the assistance of ChatGPT by OpenAI Structure and logic inspired by McKinsey’s public-facing Solve information, including role categories, game types (Ecosystem, Redrock, Seawolf), education tiers, and global office locations The entire dataset is synthetic and designed for analytical learning, ethical use, and professional development

🧾 Dataset Structure

This dataset includes 4,000 rows and the following columns: - Testtaker ID: Unique identifier - Country / Region: Geographic segmentation - Gender / Age: Demographics - Year: Assessment year (2018–2025) - Highest Level of Education: From high school to PhD / MBA - School or University Attended: Mapped to country and education level - First-generation University Student: Yes/No - Employment Status: Student, Employed, Unemployed - Role Applied For and Department / Interest: Business/tech disciplines - Past Test Taker: Indicates repeat attempts - Prepared with Online Materials: Indicates test prep involvement - Desired Office Location: Mapped to McKinsey's international offices - Ecosystem / Redrock / Seawolf (%): Game performance scores - Time Spent on Each Game (mins) - Total Product Score: Average of the 3 game scores - Process Score: A secondary assessment component - Resume Score: Scored based on education prestige, role fit, and clarity - Total Assessment Score (%): Final decision metric - Status (Pass/Fail): Based on total score ≥ 75%

✅ Why Use This Dataset

• Benchmark educational and regional trends in global assessments
• Build KPI cards, donut charts, histograms, or speedometer visuals
• Train pass/fail classifiers or regression models
• Segment job applicants by role, location, or game behaviour
• Showcase portfolio skills across Excel, SQL, Power BI, Python, or R
• Test dashboards or predictive logic in a business-relevant scenario

💡 Credit & Collaboration

• Data Creator: Oluwademilade Adeniyi (Me) (LinkedIn, Twitter, GitHub, Medium)
• Collaborator: ChatGPT by OpenAI
• Inspired by: McKinsey & Company’s Solve Assessment

United Kingdom Weekly Household Exp: Avg: RC: RE: CW: Comp Game Console data was reported at 0.300 GBP in 2016. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.300 GBP for 2015. United Kingdom Weekly Household Exp: Avg: RC: RE: CW: Comp Game Console data is updated yearly, averaging 0.300 GBP from Dec 2006 (Median) to 2016, with 11 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.900 GBP in 2008 and a record low of 0.200 GBP in 2013. United Kingdom Weekly Household Exp: Avg: RC: RE: CW: Comp Game Console data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office for National Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.H023: Average Weekly Household Expenditure.