North Wales game developer FreeGames.org has experienced a massive increase in demand for their online games since the Covid-19 pandemic was declared in March.
Company founder Gareth Thomas, who lives in Betws-yn-Rhos, started to develop games while at university as a hobby.
It proved a huge success with him developing more than 100 web games – with titles like Red Remover and Super Stacker 2 attracting millions of plays.
He has now seen a surge in demand over the crisis.
He said: “Since the beginning of the pandemic people have spent 4.2 million hours playing games on FreeGames.org. That is a 68% increase on the same period last year (2.5 million hours).
"Not only are we seeing 47% more players but they are also playing for a longer period of time during each visit. The average session duration has increased by 21%."
He said 80% of visitors are over the age of 55.
He added: “Many of us are spending more time at home this year.
"Playing online games is a good way to have fun and keep your mind active without exposing yourself to risk. I am extremely grateful that so many people are choosing FreeGames.org as the place to do that.
“Our most popular game categories during the pandemic have been Mahjong (2.5 million hours) and Solitaire (1.3 million hours). These two categories make up 90% of the total play time.
“I think they appeal to people as they are challenging and can be played at your own pace. Both categories exercise your observation, concentration and decision making skills.”
