When catering your game to specific demos, your games core mechanics and game loop must be strategic and seldom changed.

Audience match by Demographics:

Demographic matching has the greatest impact on play habits.

Demographic breakdown of Bejeweled Blitz (Casual):

With 60 second capped game time this casual games fast paced play style caters to a significantly large female demographic.

High level breakdown: Match 3 puzzles, Social connect, friends leaderboard, high score incentive.

Player habits:

• Very short session time
• Commutes, washroom breaks, living room, in bed.

Demographic breakdown of Clash of Clans (Mid-Core):

Touted as the king of mid core games with peak revenues of (est) $700,000/day.

High level breakdown: Resource management, form clans with friends, attack other players, levelling mechanic, virtual currency, grind or pay.

Player habits:

• Medium-short session time, increased daily checkins
• Commutes, washroom breaks, living room, in bed, with friends.

Demographic breakdown of Call of Duty (Hard-Core):

A hard core console/PC game whose audience bases their day around their game time.

High level breakdown: FPS (First person shooter), high skill cap, form clans, build towards better weapons, levelling mechanic, DLC (Downloadable content $$).

Player habits:

• Very long session time
• Living room, after school/work, evenings.

Demographics are highly influential on user types.

Think about the three user types like this:

(1) Hardcore arranges their schedules around their gaming.
(2) Mid-core arranges their gaming around their daily schedule.
(3) Casual entertains self with games when time presents itself.

If you're building a game for casual players, and you're a hardcore gamer, you need to shelve pre-conceived notions of what's fun for you.