FARMERSBURG, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — More and more people are regularly playing video games, with the proliferation of smart phones, handheld gaming systems, high-end home consoles, as well as gaming PCs. This may lead some to wonder how taste in particular games changes based on geographic location.
The website Solitaired.com set out to determine just that with a recent study analyzing internet search trends on Google to determine the most popular game in each state.
The site used a search volume of 1,752 terms related to video game titles and looked at the time period between April 2020 and April 2023. Then in June, the site surveyed 1,006 self-identified gamers to learn what makes their passion for gaming so strong.
Of the respondents, who were reportedly 50% men, 48% women, and 2% identifying as non-binary, nearly half said they play video games every single day of their lives, with 73% reporting that the practice helps them relieve stress.
While many are excited about the new games, they don’t come cheap. Gamers have spent an average of $146 on video games in 2023, and 79% believe games are getting too expensive. Others are resorting to shady methods to get their hands on games. Nearly 1 in 3 (29%) have illegally downloaded a game.
The report also found that while the majority of gamers prefer to play new games as they release, 23% of gamers prefer to stick with what they know and play old classics.
While a number of states were unique in their choice for “top game,” Indiana was joined by a coalition of Midwest states who found themselves enchanted with the rigors of the educational system and magical spells for their preferred gaming experience.
Hoosiers, like Ohio’s Buckeyes, Kentuckians, and Tennesseans came together to declare Hogwarts Legacy as their most popular game. New Hampshire was the fifth state to agree which placed Hogwarts at third in the ranking of being chosen as most popular.
Nationally the mega-hit from 2011, Minecraft continues to capture the imagination of gamers with 15 states choosing it as the most popular. While seven states chose The Last of Us at the top slot.
Some of the states who were unique in their choice for most popular include Maine (Harvest Moon), North Carolina (Lost Ark), and Oklahoma (Red Dead Redemption 2).
