Jupiter Hadley

Battle passes have been around for a while now, but only recently so in mobile games. With the rise of battle royale games like Fortnite and PUBG, this new strategy is now proving to be a reliable source of revenue for mobile game developers alike. So, what makes a good battle pass? And should you add this to your monetization strategy? To answer this, I look at the best of the best, and see how top developers use this tactic in their games. But first, what are battle passes? Let’s first talk about what battle passes are. To put it simply, players purchase a plan, and usually get extra rewards, items, skins, and more (which aren’t normally available in the free version of the game, or even on the item store). These passes usually last a limited amount of time...

“One does not simply hit the top of the app stores” – Boromir, Lord of ASO. Seriously though. Getting your game noticed on the app stores is no easy feat. Just like websites have SEO (search engine optimization), app stores have ASO (app store optimization). So I thought it best to ask some of the industry experts. I took the time to talk to a bunch of different developers, some with games on the Google Play store, others with games on the Apple store. And some with games on both. Simply to see how they set up their game’s pages, what they felt was most important, and to discover their top tips when it comes to the Mobile Store Page. I’ve compiled them into a bunch of takeaways, but I’ve kept all of the quotes in so you can see...

The puzzle game genre is arguably one of the most popular genres on the market, and has been around since the first smartphone was created (remember Cut the Rope?). There are hundreds, if not thousands of puzzle-like games on the app stores, all of which offer their own unique take on the genre. We’ve previously released articles on mistakes to avoid when you are creating a F2P game, but this time I want to focus my attention to puzzle. What makes a good puzzle? How can you make your game stand out? And most importantly, what mistakes should you avoid when working on yours? Here’s what I found… 1. Avoid breaking natural progression Progression tactics are a great way to get your player up to speed without overwhelming them. (Afterall, you wouldn’t start a newbie on a grandmaster level of...

The RPG genre has changed dramatically over the past few years. Going from pen and paper to tabletops, from desktop to mobile, the genre barely looks the same as it did all those years ago. Despite this, there are a few elements that hold true in them all. And in this post, my goal is to highlight what those elements are, how they work, and what you need to remember when making a hit RPG game. There are four main sections you can check out, so feel free to skip to something in specific: Audience Get your pacing right Smaller experiences Customization Let’s get started. So, who the hell plays RPG games? As you’ll probably know, audiences don’t just slip into one neat demographic. There are a ton of reasons why someone would play your game. If you look at...

It seems like forever since the lockdown has been put in place. And with so many people stuck indoors missing their friends and families, it appears that they’ve turned to multiplayer games to connect with others. If you follow this blog, then you know that I not only love playing mobile games, but also finding out what makes them brilliant. And considering what’s happening in the world right now, I thought it would be useful for developers to learn a thing or two from a couple of the best multiplayer games out there. Let’s begin. 1. Too Many Cooks Developer: Finifugu & Friends Launch date: April 2nd, 2020 Price: Free, with in-app purchases Available on: iOS & Android I have been following Too Many Cooks for a long time now. I absolutely love this genre, and in my opinion, there...

Thousands (if not millions) of people have been working from home this month, and in return, gaming has boomed. And with the now announced lockdown in the UK and other countries, we’ll likely see a higher increase in downloads, session length, and session counts. I’ve been working from home for my entire life, and games have been there for me. It seems they’re helping everyone else in the same way now, too. This month, I have specifically taken a look at hybrid games (games that smash together two different genres to make one great game). And if you pay any attention to the mobile gaming industry, then you’ll know that this is a trend that has been getting more traction over the years. So, as usual, I’ve picked out my five favorite games in this genre, and deconstructed them to...

Ahead of the release of their newest title, Pitch Black, I spoke to the developers at Purple Jam to learn how they’ve gone about creating an audio-only game, and what they have learned along the way. Thanks for joining me today. Before we get started, would you be able to give us a bit of background on your team? Sure thing. So, Purple Jam consists of three audio specialists turned game developers. We first met each other last September when we were powering through our Masters’ at the University of Derby. But it wasn’t until we reassessed our lives did we decide to join forces and create the game of all games – Pitch Black: A Dusklight Story. In a flash of inspiration, Harry Cooper (commonly known as ‘The Mastermind’), had the idea of creating a binaural based audio game....

A tad late on this one, I know. But kicking off the year on a high note, I have a handful of high-quality free-to-play games to share with you. This time, I wanted to not only look at what makes these titles great, but also touch on how these free games make money and keep themselves afloat. From deck building to platformers to minimalist puzzle games, the following five titles all bring something unique to the game dev community. So, without further ado, let’s dig in. 1. Mineblast!! Developer: Neutronized Launch date: January 15th, 2020 Price: Free, with in-app purchases Available on: iOS & Android The combination of physics, platformers and puzzles is something I have seen pop up recently in a few games (take Projection: First Light as an example), and is something Neutronized has done really well. Their...

2019 was a brilliant year for mobile games. We witnessed some fantastic titles coming out every month, full to the brim with fresh ideas, vibrant stories, new mechanics, stunning art, and more. We’re now on to a new year of gaming, but before we start looking at what 2020 will bring, let’s round-up the year with some of the best games released in December. With so much free time over the Christmas break, I’ve spent hours trying out so many titles (old and new). But to keep things consistent, I’ve trimmed my list down and delved into what I think are the top 5 games released last month, while explaining what exactly made them stand out. Let’s get to it! 1. Necrosphere Developer: Cat Nigiri Launch date: December 2nd, 2019 Price: $2.99 / £5.79 Available on: iOS & Steam Necrosphere...

Despite November being a slower month for new releases, I’ve had my hands full with exciting new games to try out! And despite Apple Arcade launching new titles every month, I’ve turned my attention away from the new service, and back to what you indie developers have been publishing. So as always, I’ve cherry-picked five brilliant games I played last month, and shared exactly why these games caught my eye, and what developers, like you, can learn from them. Let’s get started. 1. Figment Developer: Bedtime Digital Games Launch date: November 28th, 2019 Price: First Chapter is free, then it’s $4.99 to unlock the full game. Available on: iOS, Steam, Switch, Playstation The developers at Bedtime Digital Games have created yet another magical title, again looking like something out of a children’s dreams. This action/adventure game follows the story of...

With Apple Arcade in full swing, along with loads of other indies releasing their games on mobile, we’ve been spoiled for choice when it comes to all of the lovely games coming out! Apple Arcade is releasing new games weekly it feels, while other developers are still being featured on Android and iOS, as independent releases without the program. With such a flood of games coming out now, I had to search through the masses. So for October, I’ve cherry-picked my top five favorite indie games from a variety of genres and types. And as usual, I’ve explained exactly why they are so wonderful in this post. 1. Starbeard Developer: Jolly Good Games Limited Launch date: October 14th, 2019 Price: $2.99 Available on: iOS Packing different genres into a single game can be a dangerous balance, but the developers at...

This month, the focus across the internet seems to be on colorful and vibrant games, all full of humor in order to distract us humans from the noise happening outside the world of video games. And with the release of Apple Arcade, there have been tons of new titles on mobile, as well as a bundle of awesome console games to keep us distracted. I’ve been having a great time exploring the new games through Apple Arcade, as well as the new releases on the Apple Store. I’ve also turned my attention back to my Nintendo Switch as well this month, so there is definitely a lot to cover in this post. But as always, I’ve cherry-picked my top 5 favorite indie games from September, and took the time to explain what the developers did so well. 1. Untitled Goose...