An exponential increase in the number of new games released on TapTap, the Chinese gaming platform, has been observed in just six months, with 80% of them being created using AI technology.
| 📒 | – 5002 New Games on TapTap in First Half, Up 843.8% Year-on-Year – Over 4k of these are small-scale games made with AI – Guaranteed exposure for new releases abolished, replaced by developer credit ratings |
During the TapTap Developer Workshop (TDW 2026) keynote on the 26th, XD CEO Huang Yimeng revealed that 5002 playable games were launched on TapTap in the first half of the year, marking an 843.8% surge from the previous year’s 530 releases. Among these, around 4k are small-scale games developed through AI.
In January, TapTap introduced ‘TapTap Maker,’ an AI tool enabling users to create games directly via a browser upon login. Over the past six months, approximately 3k creators have utilized this platform to produce 5k games. CEO Huang noted the seamless integration of AI into all facets of game development, blurring the lines between AI-generated and human-made games.
Despite the significant increase in games, the user base has not expanded at the same pace. This has diluted exposure and downloads per game, potentially impacting the perceived quality of games on the platform’s homepage.
Due to the influx of new releases, TapTap has discontinued its previous distribution model, which guaranteed exposure. Instead, the platform now prioritizes and promotes unique and independent titles. Additionally, it has enhanced its game selection process by focusing on behavior-based recommendations derived from user feedback, recommendations, and play retention.
With an increased emphasis on curation, new developers lacking brand recognition may face challenges in gaining initial exposure. CEO Huang acknowledged the potential slowdown in growth for first-time developers but emphasized the importance of not promoting low-quality games for the sake of users.
CEO Huang Yimeng highlighted the irreversible trend of lowering barriers to game creation, underscoring the platform’s pivotal role in a landscape where high-quality games are scarce. This shift implies that as game production becomes limitless, curation emerges as a valuable commodity.
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