Indian gaming companies capitalize the surge in ‘spiritual game’ downloads with the inauguration of Ram Mandir

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With the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Indian gaming companies are seizing an opportunity by launching a series of “spiritual games” that capitalize on the fusion of mobile technology and religious fervor.

As reported by Economic Times, since the Pran Pratishtha ceremony held on January 22, there has been a notable surge in downloads for Mandir-focused apps, nearly doubling their user base. This surge has sparked enthusiasm among game developers who foresee an increasing interest from users who may not typically engage with digital gaming.

FunStop Games, a casual gaming studio backed by InfoEdge Ventures, launched its Shri Ram Mandir Game app on January 12, and has already amassed five million downloads across various app stores. “The response has been incredible as it allows users to build their own personal Ram Mandir,” remarked Prashanth Vijay, co-founder of Funstop Games. The app currently holds the 14th position among the top free simulation apps on the Google Play Store.

Even older games are witnessing a resurgence in demand for religious and spiritual-based content. According to App Magic, the Ram Mandir Darshan Game, released on July 8, 2021, has garnered approximately 53,980 downloads in the last 30 days alone, despite already having 100,000 downloads on the Play Store.

The Shree Ram Temple app, launched on December 24, 2019, has seen a significant portion of its total downloads occurring in the last month, reflecting the renewed enthusiasm for Ram Temple and Hindu culture following the ceremony.

“This upsurge can be attributed to the reignited enthusiasm for Ram Temple and Hindu culture since the ceremony. Game developers are eager to capitalize on it by producing relevant games,” said Utkarsh Shukla, founder of Yug Metaverse, a virtual platform for content creation and monetization.

“There has been an evident increase in interest in creating games inspired by Ayodhya, the Ram Mandir, and related themes,” Shukla noted.

FunStop’s Vijay reported that the highest downloads for their game occurred between January 19th to 27th, with a significant portion of the traffic originating from Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.

Capitalizing on this momentum, FunStop Games is now set to launch a new segment for “spiritual games” centered around Indian traditions, catering to audiences from tier II cities and beyond.

While these apps cater to a niche audience and may not achieve the massive download numbers of category leaders like Ludo King or Dream11, they hold promise. A report by Lumikai in 2023 found that 82% of gamers were interested in playing games based on Indian mythology, indicating a significant market potential.

Industry experts stress the importance of addressing distribution and monetization concerns to ensure the sustainability of this trend. Without engaging content and a sustainable monetization model, these games risk becoming mere fads. However, the success of apps like Shri Ram Mandir app indicates a growing appetite for spiritual content among Indian gamers, paving the way for future developments in this space.

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