Making the old…new!
Mashups can be a great way to discover a fresh take in a crowded market. But mixing monetization models, blending genres or fusing features to create something unique is always easier on paper than in pixels.
This week’s Compulsion Loop includes several such games that attempt to marry unlikely suitors. Read on to find out which of these marriages resulted in bliss and which were left at the altar.”
Best,
Adrian
Ski Safari 2
Why Play? A premium title ($1.99) with some freemium monetization strategies in an overly saturated game genre. Extra environments add new missions. Additional monetization with in-game shop where items are not just cosmetic.
Star Trek – Wrath of Gems
Why Play? The kitchen sink of Match-3’s. License and gameplay is “enhanced” by overlaying with card-collecting, turn-based battles, and even some RPG and storyline. Unbalanced economy makes you feel like you’re not getting much for your IAP.
Blocky Raider
Why Play? A clone burst game that is Crossy Road + Temple Run + Indiana Jones. Higher difficulty than Crossy Road but similar monetization to drive players to unlock (or purchase) all characters.
Shooting Stars!
Why Play? Premium rogue-like shoot ’em up game ($2.99). 16-bit art style with this much action makes it more difficult to play on a phone than a tablet. Daily Run mode encourages players to return each day to get a high score in procedurally generated levels. Maybe the laser kitties can increase retention.
Trivy.
Why Play? Like Trivia Crack but single player. Pits players against themselves in a trivia tournament where streaks of correct answers level you up. Wrong answers send the player downward. Instead of relying on ad revenue, a premium currency system allows players to buy themed packs of questions or use powerups to avoid being demoted levels.
CompulsionLoop is AC+A’s (adriancrook.com) weekly pursuit of providing a Featured List for those in the games industry. A look at the latest must-play apps, along with short, useful takeaways from our team of game design and product experts. If you have a game that you think your industry colleagues should try, we’d love to hear about it at games@compulsionloop.com. Don’t forget to tell us why industry insiders should be compelled to try out the game (see what we did there?).
Know a game that you think others should play? Let us know and tell us why we should play it.
Thank you for reading and we look forward to helping you discover more games that you can glean learnings from. Feel free to reply to this email or contact games@compulsionloop.com — we’re always happy to hear from you.