For many KashKick members, mobile games fit into everyday routines, from winding down before bed to passing time during a bathroom break.
A new survey of 501,066 rewards app members who play mobile games found that 59% play in bed before going to sleep and 41% play in the bathroom. Mobile gaming is also a daily habit for many respondents: Nearly two-thirds (65%) play at least once a day, while 68% say a typical session lasts 30 minutes or less.
Their reasons for playing are more varied. Stress relief, entertainment and boredom relief are tied as the top motivations, with 20% of respondents ranking each first. Just 4% ranked competition with others as their top reason to play.
“People don’t always pick up a game because they want to win. For many of our members, it’s about what they’re looking for in that moment: a way to unwind, something entertaining or a break from boredom. Mobile gaming can serve different purposes for different people, and that’s what makes these findings interesting.”
— Katie Nelson, head of consumer research at KashKick
Fielded from June through September 2026, KashKick’s survey explores how members fit mobile gaming into their routines, what motivates them and which game features they value most.
Key Findings
- 65% of respondents play mobile games at least once a day, while 68% say a typical session lasts 30 minutes or less.
- Stress relief, entertainment and boredom relief tied for the top reasons to play, each ranked No. 1 by 20% of respondents. Just 4% ranked competition with others first.
- 59% of respondents play mobile games in bed before going to sleep, and 41% play in the bathroom.
- Mobile-only play rises with age, from 41% of respondents ages 18-24 to 76% of those 55 and older.
- 60% of respondents selected daily challenges and rewards among their top three game features, more than any other feature.
Relaxation, Fun and Boredom Relief Tie as Top Reasons to Play
To better understand what draws members to mobile games, the survey asked respondents to rank their top four reasons for playing.
Stress relief and relaxation, entertainment and fun, and boredom relief were each ranked No. 1 by 20% of respondents. Each was also included among the top four by a majority of respondents: stress relief (62%), entertainment (62%) and boredom relief (59%).
Competition was a much less common primary motivation. Just 4% of respondents ranked competition with others first, while another 4% ranked social interaction with friends first. Escapism from daily life was the fourth-most common top motivation, with 9% ranking it as their top reason.
Relaxation, fun and boredom relief tie as the top reasons to play
% of respondents ranking each reason No. 1. Question: What are your primary reasons for playing mobile games? (Rank your top 4 reasons)
Reasons Vary by Age and Gender
Younger respondents are more likely to play games to relieve boredom, while older respondents are more likely to rank stress relief as a top reason for playing. Among respondents ages 18-24, 22% ranked boredom relief first, compared with 15% who chose stress relief. The pattern reverses among respondents 55 and older: 21% ranked stress relief first, compared with 14% who chose boredom relief.
Women are also more likely than men to rank stress relief as their top reason for playing (22% vs. 15%) and to include it among their top four motivations (65% vs. 53%).
Boredom relief leads at ages 18-24, stress relief at 55+
% of respondents ranking each reason No. 1, by age. Question: What are your primary reasons for playing mobile games? (Rank your top 4 reasons)
A Daily Habit Built on Short Sessions
Nearly two-thirds of respondents (65%) play mobile games at least once a day, including 32% who play multiple times daily.
Most respondents also keep their sessions short. More than two-thirds (68%) say a typical session lasts 30 minutes or less, including 14% whose sessions usually last under 10 minutes. About half (51%) spend 2 hours or less playing mobile games in a typical week.
65% of respondents play daily, and 68% keep sessions to 30 minutes or less
Questions: On average, how many days per week do you play mobile games? What is the typical length of your mobile gaming sessions?
Older Respondents Play More Often and for Longer
Compared with respondents ages 18-24, those 55 and older reported:
- More frequent play: 75% play mobile games at least once a day, compared with 57% of younger respondents.
- More weekly playtime: 37% play 6 or more hours a week, compared with 15%.
- Longer sessions: 56% report typical sessions lasting 30 minutes or less, compared with 73% among respondents ages 18-24.
Where Mobile Gaming Fits Into Everyday Routines
Playing at home during leisure time is the most common setting for respondents (71%), but mobile games also fit into other parts of respondents' routines. Nearly 3 in 5 (59%) play in bed before going to sleep, 41% play in the bathroom and 32% play during school or work breaks.
59% of respondents play in bed before sleep
Question: In which of the following situations do you typically play mobile games? Respondents could select multiple answers.
These moments are especially common among daily players. Two-thirds (66%) play in bed before sleep, compared with 47% of those who play less frequently. Nearly half of daily players (47%) play in the bathroom, compared with 30% of less frequent players.
Bedtime play is also more common among women than men (63% vs. 49%). Bathroom gaming was most common among respondents ages 25-34 (45%) and least common among those 55 and older (26%).
Mostly a Solo Activity
More than half of respondents (56%) prefer to play alone, without social interaction, while 21% prefer a mix of solo and social play. Most respondents also keep their gaming to themselves: 61% rarely or never discuss mobile games with friends or family.
Preference for solo gaming rises with age, from 46% of respondents ages 18-24 to 66% of those 55 and older. Women are more likely than men to prefer playing alone (60% vs. 46%).
"Members are telling us they’re playing at home, before bed and in the middle of everyday breaks. More than half prefer to play alone, too. That paints a picture of mobile gaming as something personal that fits into their routines."
— Katie Nelson, head of consumer research at KashKick
Mobile-Only and Puzzle-First
More than half of respondents (56%) play games exclusively on mobile devices.
Mobile-only gaming becomes increasingly common with age, rising from 41% of respondents ages 18-24 to 60% of those ages 35-44 and 76% of those 55 and older. Women are also about twice as likely as men to play only on mobile (64% vs. 31%).
Mobile-only play rises from 41% at ages 18-24 to 76% at 55+
% of respondents who play games only on mobile devices. Question: Besides mobile games, do you also play games on other platforms?
Puzzle games are the most popular genre, with 71% of respondents listing them among the types they play most often. Social/casino games are next at 28%, followed by strategy games (26%) and simulation games (22%).
Women are substantially more likely than men to name puzzle games (79% vs. 44%). Social/casino games, meanwhile, become more popular with age, rising from 14% of respondents ages 18-24 to 40% of those 55 and older.
When asked which games they played most in the past month, respondents most frequently named solitaire (about 18%) and Candy Crush (about 15%).
How Members Discover Mobile Games and What They Value
Half of respondents (50%) discover new mobile games through social media ads, followed by app store recommendations (42%). Nearly 1 in 4 respondents discover games by browsing app stores or through friends' recommendations (23% each), while 10% cite YouTube or streaming content.
Social media ads are a consistently reported discovery channel across age groups, ranging from 48% to 51%. App store recommendations, however, are more commonly reported among younger respondents: 53% of those ages 18-24 use them to find new games, compared with 25% of respondents 55 and older.
Half of respondents find new games through social media ads
Question: How do you typically discover new mobile games? Respondents could select multiple answers.
Daily Challenges and Rewards Top the Feature List
Daily challenges and rewards are the most frequently selected game feature, with 60% of respondents including them among their top three. Offline playability follows at 37%, followed by quick session lengths (29%) and visual aesthetics and graphics (27%). Social features, such as chat, guilds and teams, are the least frequently selected (10%).
Interest in daily challenges and rewards increases with age, from 47% of respondents ages 18-24 to 67% of those 45 and older. Women are more likely than men to select this feature (64% vs. 48%), as are daily players compared with less frequent players (65% vs. 50%).
Quick session lengths are also more frequently selected among higher-income respondents. Among those with household incomes of $100,000 or more, 38% include quick sessions among their top three game features, compared with 25% of respondents earning under $50,000.
60% of respondents select daily challenges and rewards among top features
Question: How important are the following game features to your enjoyment? (Select top 3 options). Respondents could select up to three answers.
The Takeaway
The findings suggest that mobile gaming is a frequent but flexible habit for many KashKick members. While gaming habits vary by age and gender, short sessions, solo play and everyday downtime are common themes.
For many respondents, the appeal appears to be less about competition and more about finding simple ways to relax, have fun or relieve boredom.
Methodology
This study analyzed responses from 501,066 KashKick members who participated in an online survey conducted in two waves: June 6 to June 30, 2026, and July 1 to Sept. 30, 2026. The survey was offered to members of the KashKick app, and participation was voluntary. Members received a reward for completing the survey.
Results reflect the views of KashKick members and are not representative of the U.S. population as a whole. The study used an opt-in, nonprobability sample, and results were not weighted to national benchmarks. Because respondents were not selected through probability sampling, a margin of sampling error is not reported.
