Snapchat was once well known for its collection of Snap games that users could play with their friends. Games like Bitmoji Party and Snap Pets provided a fun way for Snapchatters to interact and pass time in the app. However, in the past couple years, Snap has slowly phased out its Snap Games until removing them entirely in 2022. This left many users wondering – what happened to the games on Snapchat?
The Rise and Fall of Snap Games
Snap games first launched in 2019 as a new way for Snapchat to leverage its social features. They allowed users to play bite-sized, casual games with their friends in real-time. Some of the first games included Bitmoji Party, Snake Squad, and Zombie Rescue Squad. These games let you create a Bitmoji avatar, chat with friends, and play together in quick sessions.
Snap dedicated resources into developing first-party games and partnering with outside game developers to build its Snap Games platform. At one point, there were nearly 20 Snap Games available from Snap and partners like Zynga. The games provided Snapchat with revenue opportunities through video ads between gameplay sessions.
While Snap Games saw high engagement at launch, the usage and development of new games started to decline by 2021. Here are some of the factors that led to Snapchat removing Snap Games entirely in 2022:
Lack of viral hits
After the initial hype of Snap Games wore off, none of the titles achieved viral staying power. They were viewed more as time-wasters than must-play social experiences. Without any huge hit games, interest in the platform gradually faded.
Development costs
Creating, maintaining, and porting games across mobile ecosystems requires significant development resources. As Snap focused on expanding its augmented reality features, it likely found supporting Snap Games too costly compared to the return.
Competition
Other apps with dedicated gaming focus, like Fortnite and Roblox, dominated the mobile gaming landscape. Snap was unable to meaningfully compete for gamers’ time and attention.
Shift in strategy
Snap prioritized its messaging, camera, and discover features over Snap Games as it evolved its app experience. Games no longer aligned with Snap’s focus.
By mid-2022, all of Snapchat’s first-party Snap Games had been removed from the app. A few partner games lingered longer before finally being discontinued too.
The State of Snap Games Today
As of October 2023, Snap Games no longer exist on Snapchat in any form. The webpage snap.com/games now redirects to Snap’s main website. Snap has clearly moved on from its ambitions of being a social gaming platform.
You can no longer play classics like Bitmoji Party or Zombie Rescue Squad. The chat and play functionalities of Snap Games are gone.
However, Snapchat still offers some gaming-inspired lenses and features:
– Bitmoji – Users can still create personalized Bitmoji avatars and use them in chat stickers. Bitmoji remain a core part of Snapchat.
– Games-inspired lenses – Snapchat regularly releases special lenses with interactive games built into them. These provide quick gaming amusement without the commitment of a full Snap Game.
– Minis – These mini-apps let friends chat while doodling or playing a simple game together. Minis offer casual co-play similar to Snap Games of old.
So games still have a minor presence in Snapchat – just not in the dedicated gaming platform Snap once tried to cultivate.
Why Snapchat Removed Snap Games
Looking back, Snap probably realized Snap Games were more of a novelty than a viable long-term feature. The reasons Snapchat likely discontinued its gaming efforts include:
Lack of competitive advantage
Snap Games failed to provide a compelling reason for gamers to choose Snapchat over standalone gaming apps. They didn’t have unique enough draw to drive significant added engagement.
Misalignment with Snapchat’s purpose
Snapchat aims to be a camera-first visual communication app. Social gaming deviated too far from Snap’s core premise for its audience.
Distraction from priority features
Resources allocated to Snap Games were probably better served improving Snapchat’s messaging, augmented reality, content discovery, and advertising capabilities.
Low upside compared to risks
Between high development costs, competition, and unclear demand, Snap likely saw Snap Games as an unnecessary risk not worth the uncertainty. Focusing on sure bets made more strategic sense.
The Future of Social Media Gaming
While Snapchat dropped the ball on social gaming, the space still shows promise. Gamers love playing and engaging with friends. Integrating games into messaging apps provides onboard access to ready-made social graphs.
We may see future social apps find the right formula to make social gaming work. Potential directions include:
Hyper-casual gaming
Bite-sized, instantly accessible games align well with killing time in social media. Creative hyper-casual games could better capture users’ attention.
Synchronous play
The appeal of games is playing together live. Social games could emphasize shared screen real-time gameplay mechanics.
Connection with influencers
Games that integrate streaming and community features have opportunities to generate engagement via influencer and fan participation.
Virtual worlds
As virtual reality advances, social networks may develop gaming worlds where users can explore, play, create, and hang out together.
Cloud gaming
Cloud gaming can instantly deliver high-fidelity games to any device. This could expand the scope of social gaming beyond the limitations of small screens and apps.
The Key Lessons from the Death of Snap Games
Although Snap Games never reached their potential, the experience provides some takeaways for any company considering social gaming features:
Solve the network effect
It’s tough to launch a new gaming platform that competes for users’ time. Consider how you’ll incentivize engagement within your existing network.
Commit fully or don’t bother
Casual efforts in highly competitive gaming spaces are unlikely to gain traction. You need solid investment and focus.
Build only if it aligns with your brand
Don’t get distracted by chasing gaming dollars if it doesn’t fit your audience. Stay true to your core competencies.
Make the games special
Table stakes like leaderboards aren’t enough. Innovate unique game mechanics and social features.
Promote long-term retention
Viral launch success isn’t sufficient. You need ongoing releases and community management for games to thrive.
Conclusion
Snapchat once tried to make social gaming happen within its messaging app. But subpar games, stiff competition, misaligned priorities, and challenging economics ultimately spelled the demise of Snap Games. While they no longer exist, we can draw lessons about the difficulties of social gaming done poorly. The appeal still remains if the right recipe emerges in the future. For now, Snapchat has moved on from this chapter and doubled down on its core strengths beyond half-baked Steam rip-offs. Only time will tell whether social games finally find the perfect home.