Game of Trolls - My first game :D

General (non-technical) New Apps / Works in Progress
#1

Hello guys!

My game is on the app store for almost 2 weeks now.

Sales started good, but now they’re not so good anymore…

It took me almost 9 months to develop, more 1 month to be approved.
(I did everything alone :/)


facebook.com/GameOfTrolls
twitter.com/GameOfTrolls
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/game-of-trolls/id510501074?ls=1&mt=8

As you can see it’s like angry birds, except that with memes and they got some different powers, also there’s some extra things in the game (like portals).

Please let me know what you guys think about it!

:smiley:
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#2

>>Please let me know what you guys think about it!<<

One thing I have learned about the App Store is you need a thick skin. Reviews , unless they are from people who genuinely like your stuff, can be misleading, often wrong, and painful to read.

I say this now, because by asking what ‘you guys’ think, you may just want someone to tell you how to make the game start selling again.
I don’t think theres an answer to that.

Honestly, and in the hope that this helps, I’ll tell you what I see on your app page and screen shots, with the mindset of someone who might buy a game.

How does someone find your app?

If I wanted your game, what would I search for in the App Store?
The name of the game mentions game and trolls. Now all games are games, so the one keyword you have is Trolls.
Big lumbering things that eat kids and live under bridges, right?
So your screenshots and description say
‘Someone has kidnapped Derpina. Use your rage powers to save her’

Nothing trolly about that, so if I wanted a troll game, I’m disappointed.
Whats it about?

Next, the description itself. Who is Derpina? Why would I want to save her?
What is a rage power?

There are only about 10 words there, which further reduces the chances of this game showing up in a search. It needs a sales pitch. Make it sound exciting and interesting and worth buying.
You don’t sell sausage, you sell the sizzle and the smell.

(Your initial sales were because the game was ‘new’ and discoverable by other means)

Graphics

Yes, it is clearly an Angry Birds style game.
But although the wooden blocks look reasonable, those hand drawn white faces (memes?) look like ‘prototype’ graphics, only there to be replaced by the real thing before shipping.
They are inconsistent too, as if some of the baddies came from one set of pictures, and some from another.
So the screenshots show less than optimal graphics.
Price

Its an Angry Birds style game. But the screenshots say it isn’t as good.
And yet even at the incredibly low price of 99c, its more expensive than Angry Birds.
Suggestions

If you want to see more return on your development for a small amount of work, let me suggest:

1/ Redo (and polish) the entire graphics to give the game a new theme.
2/ Pull the original game from the App Store
3/ Relaunch with a new name and enjoy the exposure of a new launch for a while.

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#3

I like it. Sell the hell out of it on reddit. [import]uid: 8271 topic_id: 25668 reply_id: 103848[/import]

#4

@jeff472 I believe your analysis to be spot on. Keywords and descriptions are important to long(er) term surviability. Just from looking at the screen shots, the memes are out of place. The Simily Characters are also not styled like the rest of the graphics.
I believe that description writing and keywords are one of my biggest failures. I also don’t spend time on screen shots. In other words my screen shots are just that screen shots, I don’t go adding marketing bits to them and that could also be part of my undoing.
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#5

@horacebury
You saw what I did there, thanks man. [import]uid: 76993 topic_id: 25668 reply_id: 103985[/import]

#6

@jeff472 Actually, I’m think that you misunderstood me, forgive me, maybe it’s because my English isn’t so good.

I didn’t want to know how to make it start selling again, I just wanted to know your opinion on the game itself. I mean, what you said right after that, like graphics, description etc.

The game is selling and receiving good reviews of the costumers.

The “hand drawn white faces” are the rage faces, and the troll is not the same that you thought.
If you want to know more:http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/rage-comics

Anyway, as you said, I totally agree that the description isn’t good… I’ve made it short because I was afraid of write something wrong and I thought that it could be worse. But I will make it better.

The graphics, maybe I could polish I little more, but the memes have to stay like this, or they will loose thier identity (although they look out of place, this is the idea).

I was also thinking about make a free version with in-app purchases.

Thanks for your response! [import]uid: 76993 topic_id: 25668 reply_id: 103979[/import]

#7

what’s the deal with reddit?

I will check the game out, congrats for finishing all yourself! [import]uid: 90610 topic_id: 25668 reply_id: 103987[/import]

#8

This: http://www.reddit.com/r/troll [import]uid: 8271 topic_id: 25668 reply_id: 104018[/import]

#9

What time does the norwhal bacon?

:slight_smile:
For the graphics - yes it’s “rage comic” based. However, if you search for another game called “angry trolls” by Karnakgames (he also made svg level builder for corona sdk) you will see he keeps a pretty consistent “rage comic” theme.

Here you have rage comic, mixed in with…colored yellow smily face and…nyan cat? I like nyan cat, and I like rage comics however it seems so out of place with no natural connection.
jeff472 makes a lot of valid points, but I don’t know if he KNOWS what rage comics are, and that is where you put a dividing line on the audience. Those that know what time the norwhal bacons (if you read reddit, then you know) and those that don’t. Those who know what 7f12u is and those that don’t If you are trying to reach the “masses” you won’t do it with a specific theme like rage faces.

I’ve watched a few games get released, that are good games but were more niched. It seems like if it requires more than 1 finger to tap or swipe, it’s too complicated for them.
However there is one more important thing to note:

YOU RELEASED A GAME. That is a great accomplishment! I haven’t released my game yet, due to various reasons, which aren’t important for this discussion. That’s great that you released the game, so now you can learn from the experience.

Most games that get released get that initial traction, then seem to die off (the what’s new section of app store). The REAL test is surviving the 1 month after. I see a lot of people release and it dies off.

Everything you are doing right now, will help you in the future. Your next game you’ll learn and have more experience. There was a guy who says something like (I can’t remember the video or the name) so it’s a paraphrase (kind of) “You must do great voumes of work to be good at it. Your early work will probably suck, it’s not until later on after you spent a LOT of time doing the work will things get better”. It makes sense and If I could find the video, I’d link you to it.

Take everything as constructive criticism and learn from it, like I said you released a game I did not. That in itself is already great deal in itself.

Learn the lesson, move on and rinse repeat :slight_smile:

Congrats on the game!

ng

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#10

>> I don’t know if he KNOWS what rage comics are, and that is where you put a dividing line on the audience. <<

I didn’t.
I do now.
Sadly, I cannot unknow this. Oh well.

hey… how about make the scenery all cogs and steam pipes, and call it ‘Rage against the Machines’
As has been said, well done for getting a game out.

For anyone else browsing by here, do read my earlier post for general tips about marketing your app.
Im not an expert, but lots of it is common sense. [import]uid: 108660 topic_id: 25668 reply_id: 104041[/import]

#11

Thanks everybody for your opinions, this hints certainly will be useful.

@nicholasclayg
I see that most of you thinks it was a bad idea make this style mix for the graphics, but again, that was the idea. Not only “rage faces” but memes in general. That’s why you see “nyan cat” and “awesome face” and everything else together. (there’s also “meme phrases” at the game).

For the “dividing line” on the audience, I agree with you, certainly people who doesn’t know what memes or rage faces are, will not buy (or understand) the game. But not only people who knows that the norwhal bacon at midnight likes memes :stuck_out_tongue:

I saw the “angry trolls” game, It’s sad to see that someone did a game with almost exactly the same idea. Maybe I’m wrong, but I still think that make it with better graphics, without the whole “rage comics” environment, is better.

It’s good to see other developers opinion, it’s the first time I’m doing this and I see you guys really try to help.

Thanks for your support and time :slight_smile:
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#12

@Alan. Congrats on releasing! The only think I would strongly suggest is to write a good description of the game. Maybe ask someone here who knows about memes and rages! Do not ask me, my native language is French:)

You must be doing something right since you already have great reviews. If you need more reviews you want check this link:

http://developer.anscamobile.com/forum/2012/04/02/corona-indie-developers-united?destination=

We will be glad to have you!

Congrats again.

Mo
(LairdGames)

Ps: @Jeff: those were great marketing tips! Thanks for sharing. [import]uid: 100814 topic_id: 25668 reply_id: 104227[/import]

#13

@Mo, thanks!
I already changed the description, hopefully it’s better now :slight_smile:

I read the thread, that is a awesome idea, you can certainly count me in. I’ll send a request to the facebook group.

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#14

@Alan. No problem. Yes I see you changed your description. Looks good to me! Good luck.

Mo
(LairdGames) [import]uid: 100814 topic_id: 25668 reply_id: 104699[/import]