According to a recent report from eMarketer many of you just did. In 2010 there were 53 million US internet users that played a social game at least once a month. Being that this is a new trend in social media, it is amazing that it has taken off with this kind of growth. In the report it is predicted that by 2012 there will be 68.7 million social gamers. If they’re correct that would be a 29.5% growth from 2010.

This report caught the attention of Jason Schreier who contributed a review of the top 5 social games on Mashable  to explain why they’re so successful. I’ve summarized his thoughts.

1. Farmville – A sense of community or in his words “the neighbor system”.
2. Zuma Blitz – If you’re competitive, like to beat your friends and talk smack, this is your game.
3. Words With Friends – It’s the new Scrabble. A classic game that we already know how to play.
4. Mafia Wars – If The Godfather, The Sopranos and Goodfellas ever made you want to pretend to be a gangster, this will appease you while staying out of jail.
5. World of Warcraft – It’s the ultimate fantasy game in which you can socialize and have a second life.

Does your social media strategy include the gaming factor?