Gaming for Good trends for 2025

The proliferation of Gaming for Good initiatives by charities will continue into 2025, as good causes look for increasingly innovative ways to use the public’s love of gaming to raise awareness and encourage donations.

 

Given the growth of the UK games industry, continued interest among charities in Gaming for Good comes as no surprise.

 

According to latest available statistics, for example, the UK video games industry was worth £7.9bn in 2023 and its market size has grown by 4.3% per year on average over the previous five years.

 

Globally there were 3.2 billion gamers in 2023, up 5.6% on the previous year. By the end of 2024 the figure is set to increase to 3.34 billion.  

 

A report released in 2023 by insurer Endsleigh found that three in five charities are turning to gamification to boost their fundraising.

 

This includes engaging with online developers, interacting with gaming influencers, as well as using virtual reality in their fundraising. Live streaming events, quizzes, and interactive online games are some of the ways Gaming for Good is being used.

 

In 2025 continuing to engage with young gamers is vital, especially given their increasing interest in good causes and impact of technology on climate change.

 

But an emerging trend in 2025 will be to appeal to gamers of all ages. An increase in the number of female gamers also needs to be noted by charities.

 

Here we look at some of the key Gaming for Good trends in 2025.

 

 

The rise of older gamers

 

Gaming for Good campaigns in 2025 need to appeal to all ages, not just the traditional target group of young gamers. Figures for the UK show that almost three in ten adult gamers are aged between 30 and 39, more than two in five are over 40 and one in 14 are over 60 years old.

 

According to latest research, the average age of adult gamers is increasing, as games appeal to people of all ages. Among older adult gamers, seven in ten play games on smartphones, indicating a need to focus on mobile gaming, rather than just on consoles and desktops.

 

An interesting Reddit thread from 2024 gives an insight into the sort of games the oldest gamers are playing. One 71-year-old who responded said they have been playing science-fiction role player The Outer Worlds, the fantasy focused Elder Scrolls, and European Truck Simulator 2.

 

Another septuagenarian said they have been enjoying playing post-apocalyptic adventure game Last of Us.

 

 

Increase in female gamers

 

Another key change is the growth in the number of female gamers. According to a study in Norway, the proportion of girls who said they are gamers increased from three in five to more than three in four between 2018 and 2020.

 

In the UK ,it is more evenly split, with women making up 51% of gamers in 2023. Clearly Gaming for Good in 2025 needs to appeal to female gamers and influencers.

 

Some notable female gaming influencers include Tiffany Garcia, who has almost seven million subscribers on YouTube. Another is Yasmin Uddin, who creates content about games and cartoons and has more than 4 million subscribers on YouTube.

 

 

 

The constant trend of younger gamers

 

Young people are still a significant audience for charities’ Gaming for Good campaigns.

 

According to figures published in 2024 by the Children’s Commissioner for England, nine in ten children aged three to 17 had played a video game in the previous 12 months and more than three quarters of seven- to 18-year-olds have access to a games console. In addition, more than one in four adult gamers in the UK are aged between 18 and 29.

 

Young people are also an especially important group for Gaming for Good, as they are become increasingly vital to wider fundraising. A survey published by food bank charity Trussell Trust in May 2024 found one in three Generation Z donors, who are aged between 18 and 24, increased the amount they give to charities over the previous two years.

 

Increase in digital payment options, via apps and contactless, is a factor in this increase among this tech-savvy younger generation.

 

 

Emerging environmentally concerned gamers

 

Charities need to be aware of young people’s environmental concerns, when looking to engage them in 2025 Gaming for Good campaigns.

 

Academics at Imperial College London in 2022 found that young people are keen to explore further ways they can mitigate against tech’s damage to the environment.

 

Among charities using Gaming for Good to engage with young people on issues around climate change is animal charity RSPCA.

 

Its Animal Futures campaign launched in 2024 and is based around a game for young people to highlight the impact of climate change on animals by the year 2050.

 

 

In the game young people can pick an animal companion to join them to explore five different visions for the plant. Some offer a bleak future for animals, such as the Eco Carnage and Blinkered worlds. While the One Planet world is among others that offer a brighter future for the planet’s animals.

 

“Our Animal Futures project examines how factors, from climate change and loss of natural habitats to rapid technological and demographic changes, could shape the world for both animals and people,” explains RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood.

 

He adds that “many of the scenarios explored are already happening now”.