Hello all, I'm looking for some feedback from other developers regarding my game's icon and description. The game hasn't sold many copies, but the feedback from players who have downloaded it has been quite positive. This, as well as a lack of interest in my game thread on these forums, makes me think that perhaps my metadata isn't that strong. The app store link is: Ice Crisis The penguins are trapped in colored ice blocks and you are their only hope for escape! Only matching colored laser beams… $1.99 Buy Now Watch Media DetailsThe penguins are trapped in colored ice blocks and you are their only hope for escape! Only matching colored laser beams are strong enough to break through the thick ice. Use crystals of different shapes and colors to aim the beams at the matching ice blocks and free the penguins!HIGHLIGHTS★ Rescue the penguins in 80 challenging and rewarding levels★ Colorful, vibrant HD retina graphics★ Unique artwork for each chapter★ Multiple ways to complete each level★ Challenge yourself and earn 3 stars on every level★ Game Center support Information Seller: Genre:Action, Puzzle Release:Jan 18, 2012 Updated:Nov 30, -0001 Version: Size:0.0 TouchArcade Rating:Unrated User Rating: (1) Your Rating:unrated Compatibility:HD Universal One concern I have is that perhaps people are getting the wrong impression of the game. The artwork is very "cute", which may lead to people not taking the game seriously. In other words, maybe they're thinking it's more of a "kid's game" (for lack of a better term) when that isn't the case. (It's actually very challenging in the mid and later levels) Any feedback you guys can provide would be great. Thanks EvilArev Well-Known Member Mar 24, 2011 122 0 0 #2 EvilArev, Feb 6, 2012 Hi. I think the icon is pretty good with large color areas and not too much detail. Increasing the background contrast a little might make it stand out a bit more, although it won't necesarilly make it look prettier. As for the description I guess you could start it with the actual game description, not what players say about it. Other than that the description seems fine. You may also improve the screenshots a bit. Make some composition with them, put some text on it, maybe some of the "highlights" from your description. This way the players will adopt these informations easier and faster. Good luck with it duncanmc Member Jan 10, 2012 10 0 0 App Developer Glasgow, Scotland http://diaryofanappdeveloper.tumblr.com/ #3 duncanmc, Feb 6, 2012 Hi Patrick. People may not take it seriously because it's just another bird with a frustrated face. 10 a penny. From the name of the game and your icon you don't give away any clues as to what your game involves. It's not cute but making diamonds & lasers the focus of your icon may give you better conversion. Looking at the first few lines of your game description doesn't really draw me in. "The next great puzzle game; up there with Angry Birds and Cut the Rope." Popular games can use this line to state awards and "over 100,000 downloads" but your not in that position at that stage. Try stating what the game is briefly and you have 60 levels. See PapiWall http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/papiwall/id418344834?mt=8 How else are you marketing your game? Encouraging a rating, tweets and facebook posts from active users. Trailers, promo codes to drive up numbers, updates, free for a weekend? Ice Crisis Member Jan 20, 2012 14 0 0 #4 Ice Crisis, Feb 7, 2012 Thanks for the quick feedback. I have altered the description to "trim the fat"; it's more concise now and describes the gameplay more clearly. In case iTunes hasn't updated yet, here is what I put: The most common advice I received from others prior to writing my original description was to just look at some of the top apps and "do what they do". I guess that isn't always the best way to go about it. steyrboy Member Feb 7, 2012 21 0 0 Senior Technical Artist Coral Springs, FL #5 steyrboy, Feb 7, 2012 I'd try and incorporate the gems into the icon as well as the penguins since they both seem to be a large part of the game. But I must add that I don't think the icon is what's holding your sales back, but rather the amount of exposure your game has on consumers. You could release a blockbuster game, but if nobody see's it, it wont sell. GSnyder Well-Known Member Nov 11, 2010 48 0 0 #6 GSnyder, Feb 7, 2012 Last edited: Feb 7, 2012 Your icon and (current) description look pretty good to me. One thing I notice looking over the screenshots is that it's hard to tell at a glance exactly what the gameplay involves. There are three screenshots that show the actual playfield, and in all these cases it looks like quite a bit of beam wrangling has already occurred. I don't have any sense of what the appropriate next move would be for any of these fields. Is there a simpler example you could swap in that would be more self-explanatory? Something that lets you see immediately that "ah, I just have to redirect that one beam and move the yellow crystal to change its color". There may be a more fundamental issue in that light-beam games have been done to death on the app store without any breakout games to raise interest in the genre. My initial reaction was "another light beam game - maybe I'll look at this one if I ever finish the five I already have." Ice Crisis Member Jan 20, 2012 14 0 0 #7 Ice Crisis, Feb 7, 2012 Can you share some of these other light beam games? The only game I had played that was similar was called Meon but that was a much more simplistic, grid aligned beam game. willzeng Well-Known Member Jan 9, 2012 220 0 0 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gemania/id471333673?mt=8 #8 willzeng, Feb 8, 2012 Icons are important, but I think yours is already good enough. (Maybe you can do some additional color adjust, it's a bit black-and-white for the current one.) I think descriptions are less important in advertising. But it should keep users well informed of what the app is really about. willzeng Well-Known Member Jan 9, 2012 220 0 0 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gemania/id471333673?mt=8 #9 willzeng, Feb 8, 2012 Besides, I found a lot of apps add a frame to the icon and let their main emphasis 'fly' out of that fame. Pretty visual impacting. Maybe your icon can adopt such a strategy. For example: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/aah!-rocket/id486357676?mt=8 GSnyder Well-Known Member Nov 11, 2010 48 0 0 #10 GSnyder, Feb 10, 2012 Here are a few that are at least superficially similar in that they involve light reflection, refraction, and/or color manipulation: Optia, Laser Puzzle Game, Block the Laser, Laser Logic 3D, Laser Labyrinth for iPad, Khet 2X, Lumi HD, Beam. There are scores of others--there were just picked from the first page of search results for "laser" on iPad. Look for related terms such as crystal, reflect, refract, etc. I don't claim that any of these in particular are direct competitors, just that the idea of "a puzzle game where you direct light beams so that they hit the right targets" is something of a genre in itself. (You must log in or sign up to post here.) Show Ignored Content Share This Page Tweet Your name or email address: Do you already have an account? No, create an account now. Yes, my password is: Forgot your password? Stay logged in
Hi. I think the icon is pretty good with large color areas and not too much detail. Increasing the background contrast a little might make it stand out a bit more, although it won't necesarilly make it look prettier. As for the description I guess you could start it with the actual game description, not what players say about it. Other than that the description seems fine. You may also improve the screenshots a bit. Make some composition with them, put some text on it, maybe some of the "highlights" from your description. This way the players will adopt these informations easier and faster. Good luck with it
Hi Patrick. People may not take it seriously because it's just another bird with a frustrated face. 10 a penny. From the name of the game and your icon you don't give away any clues as to what your game involves. It's not cute but making diamonds & lasers the focus of your icon may give you better conversion. Looking at the first few lines of your game description doesn't really draw me in. "The next great puzzle game; up there with Angry Birds and Cut the Rope." Popular games can use this line to state awards and "over 100,000 downloads" but your not in that position at that stage. Try stating what the game is briefly and you have 60 levels. See PapiWall http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/papiwall/id418344834?mt=8 How else are you marketing your game? Encouraging a rating, tweets and facebook posts from active users. Trailers, promo codes to drive up numbers, updates, free for a weekend?
Thanks for the quick feedback. I have altered the description to "trim the fat"; it's more concise now and describes the gameplay more clearly. In case iTunes hasn't updated yet, here is what I put: The most common advice I received from others prior to writing my original description was to just look at some of the top apps and "do what they do". I guess that isn't always the best way to go about it.
I'd try and incorporate the gems into the icon as well as the penguins since they both seem to be a large part of the game. But I must add that I don't think the icon is what's holding your sales back, but rather the amount of exposure your game has on consumers. You could release a blockbuster game, but if nobody see's it, it wont sell.
Your icon and (current) description look pretty good to me. One thing I notice looking over the screenshots is that it's hard to tell at a glance exactly what the gameplay involves. There are three screenshots that show the actual playfield, and in all these cases it looks like quite a bit of beam wrangling has already occurred. I don't have any sense of what the appropriate next move would be for any of these fields. Is there a simpler example you could swap in that would be more self-explanatory? Something that lets you see immediately that "ah, I just have to redirect that one beam and move the yellow crystal to change its color". There may be a more fundamental issue in that light-beam games have been done to death on the app store without any breakout games to raise interest in the genre. My initial reaction was "another light beam game - maybe I'll look at this one if I ever finish the five I already have."
Can you share some of these other light beam games? The only game I had played that was similar was called Meon but that was a much more simplistic, grid aligned beam game.
Icons are important, but I think yours is already good enough. (Maybe you can do some additional color adjust, it's a bit black-and-white for the current one.) I think descriptions are less important in advertising. But it should keep users well informed of what the app is really about.
Besides, I found a lot of apps add a frame to the icon and let their main emphasis 'fly' out of that fame. Pretty visual impacting. Maybe your icon can adopt such a strategy. For example: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/aah!-rocket/id486357676?mt=8
Here are a few that are at least superficially similar in that they involve light reflection, refraction, and/or color manipulation: Optia, Laser Puzzle Game, Block the Laser, Laser Logic 3D, Laser Labyrinth for iPad, Khet 2X, Lumi HD, Beam. There are scores of others--there were just picked from the first page of search results for "laser" on iPad. Look for related terms such as crystal, reflect, refract, etc. I don't claim that any of these in particular are direct competitors, just that the idea of "a puzzle game where you direct light beams so that they hit the right targets" is something of a genre in itself.