The Rise of Elderly Gamers
When I was a child, I used to play card and board games with my grandparents. These were their games — familiar, social, and passed down through generations.
But when I become a grandparent, the picture will look very different. I might sit down with my grandchildren to play Mario Kart or even Fortnite. Gaming isn’t just youth culture anymore — it’s becoming family culture, one that will cross generations.
A maturing global market
2025 will see moderate but stable growth in both players and payers, especially in mobile-first emerging regions, but the global market is clearly maturing. According to Newzoo, the global player base will reach 3.6 billion in 2025 (+4.4% YoY), representing 61.5% of the world’s online population. Yet this share is set to stagnate in the years ahead.
- PC: 936M players (+3.1% YoY)
- Console: 645M players (+2.5% YoY)
- Mobile: 3.0B players (+4.5% YoY)
Even with Gen Alpha growing its share on PC and Steam expanding in China and Japan, the underlying reality is simple: player growth is slowing relative to total population growth. Gaming has already conquered youth. The “easy wins” are gone.
The next growth frontier: retirees
The first generation of lifelong gamers — those who grew up with Atari, NES, or early PC LANs — is heading into retirement. Unlike previous generations, they won’t abandon games; they will bring gaming with them into retirement.
This shift could unlock a powerful combination for the industry:
- More time for play
- More disposable income to spend
- More loyalty to the franchises they’ve grown up with
This isn’t speculation — it’s the next big demographic wave.
What will they play?
Elderly gamers won’t all flock to the same genres, but certain categories are especially well-positioned to capture their attention:
- Puzzle & casual strategy (Tetris, Sudoku, Candy Crush)
- Card & board games (bridge, poker, digital CCGs)
- MMORPGs & persistent worlds (World of Warcraft, FFXIV)
- Simulation & management (The Sims, Flight Simulator, Farming Simulator)
- Turn-based & tactical strategy (Civilization, XCOM)
- Sports & lifestyle titles (EA Sports FC, golf/fishing simulators)
- Cozy & social sandbox games (Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, Minecraft)
These genres share a common trait: they reward strategy, creativity, or socialization over reflexes.
Nostalgia as the key driver
Beyond genres, one force will define elderly gaming more than any other: nostalgia. As players age, they are less likely to experiment with novelty and more likely to return to what they know and trust. This makes nostalgia not just a marketing tactic, but a powerful driver of long-term engagement.
- Franchises like Mario, Zelda, Final Fantasy, FIFA, or Call of Duty will age with them.
- Remakes, remasters, and legacy sequels will thrive.
- The older players get, the stronger the pull of familiar worlds.
For publishers, that means that franchise longevity may become more valuable than chasing risky new IPs.
The bigger picture
For decades, gaming was defined by youth. The next frontier may be defined by longevity. By 2040, the typical gamer won’t just be a teenager in Tokyo or a twenty-something in São Paulo. It will also be a retiree in Berlin or California, with a Steam library older than their grandchildren.
The question isn’t whether retirees will play. The real challenge is: will the industry be ready to design for them?
