COVID-19 lockdown: Paytm First Games triples user base, sees 200% increase

More than half a million daily active gamers on the platform are now spending anywhere between 30 to 45 minutes, Paytm First Games said.

More than half a million daily active gamers on the platform are now spending anywhere between 30 to 45 minutes, Paytm First Games said. (Paytm First Games)

India's leading gaming destination Paytm First Games on Wednesday announced it has seen a 200% increase in its user base in the last one month.

More than half a million daily active gamers on the platform are now spending anywhere between 30 to 45 minutes, Paytm First Games said.

"As malls, movie theatres and popular hangout options shut down temporarily in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, online gaming is picking up as a popular option for stay at home entertainment," Sudhanshu Gupta, COO, Paytm First Games, said in a statement.

"We are seeing a significant uptick in downloads of our app and the time spent and engagement in our online games has increased manifold. There has been a 3x increase in the number of new users on our platform. Our user base belongs to the age group of between 18-45 years," Gupta said.

Over the last several weeks, the company said that more than 75,000 new users are joining the platform each day.

The online gaming platform has launched more than 100 popular games including Rummy, Ludo, Teen Patti, Fantasy Cricket among others.

Among the games, Rummy has gained maximum traction with users and games played doubling every week, said the company, adding that every month it gives out rewards and gratification worth more than ₹10 crore.

Paytm First Games said it would soon launch a brand new campaign "Ghar baithay lakhpati bano" wherein it will give major rewards for playing casual games including Ludo, Pool, Snake Wars, Whack a Mole and Danger Dash among others.

"What is interesting to observe is that while a large chunk of our users is from metropolitan cities, there has been a bigger contribution of the new users from tier-II, tier-III and the rest of India towns," Gupta said.