How Platform Restrictions May Have Blocked a Mini Games Boom Outside of China
In a recent interview, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg voiced frustration over Apple’s long-standing restrictions on app distribution and in-app payments. His remarks sparked an important conversation around the future of app ecosystems and more specifically, around Mini Games:
What if Apple had allowed Meta, Line, or Kakao to create true App Stores within their apps?
The West might today have its own thriving Mini Games ecosystem – much like China’s hugely successful WeChat Mini Games.
The Chinese Benchmark: WeChat Mini Games
WeChat, often called the “everything app” in China, introduced its Mini Programs feature back in 2017. Mini Games quickly became a core part of this experience – offering HTML5-based, no-download casual games directly within WeChat Messenger. In 2024, the scale of this ecosystem is staggering:
- 500+ million monthly active users on WeChat Mini Games
- 100 million daily active users, up 10% YoY
- ~1 hour average playtime per user/day
- $5.4 billion total Revenue, up 99.1% YoY
- 30% YoY growth in IAA (in-app ad) revenue
- 400,000+ developers, 80% of them small teams (<30 people)
- 190+ games made over ¥1 million (~$140,000) in ad revenue
It’s not just a niche. Mini Games are mainstream in China, driving both engagement and real business. And the games are not so mini anymore: We see fully fledged F2P games being played by millions.
The Missed Moment: Instant Games in the West
Meta launched Facebook Instant Games in 2016 with great promise: no-download, cross-platform casual games accessible within Messenger and Facebook.com. The potential was huge and 20+ billion sessions have been played within the first 5 years, according to earlier public figures from Meta (no longer officially listed).
But monetization hit a wall:
- Apple blocked in-game payments for years on iOS.
- No App Store-like structure was allowed inside iOS Apps.
- Therefore discovery and retention features were limited.
As a result, the ecosystem stagnated.
A New Era Coming?
Fast-forward to 2025, and things may finally be shifting:
- Apple is under regulatory pressure to open up its platforms.
- Meta, Discord, Telegram, and even LinkedIn are re-investing in Instant Games.
- iOS now allows in-app payments for games in browsers (and within platforms like Facebook).
At SOFTGAMES, we’ve never stopped believing. With games like Solitaire Home Story, we’re proving that Instant Games can match native mobile titles in quality, depth, and monetization. The audience is ready. The tech is mature. The platforms are catching up.
The Big Question
Is it too late for a Western Mini Games boom — or is it finally just beginning?
Let’s open the platforms. Let’s unleash developer creativity. And let’s make browser-based gaming a first-class citizen on every screen.
