QSWatermelon: Monkey Land is version of the original game called "Suika Game" by Japanese company Aladdin X. After an initial success, Suika Game was released on December 2021 on Nintendo Japanese eShop, and only on October 2023 was globally released. The game gained popularity on 2023 after various content creators started streaming the game and showed the addictive elements of the game.
The relevant version (QSWatermelon: Monkey Land) is one of the many versions the mobile stores have to offer and was developed by Han Song Ey Jo who have only made 2 released games on the global stores up to now. QSWatermelon: Monkey Land reached high level of popularity since a couple of TikTok videos demonstrated its immersive gameplay and went viral.
In the next segments, I will try to investigate the MDA of QSWatermelon: Monkey Land, in the hunt of better understanding why it became so compelling that quick.
Core Game Loop
The game's FTUE is a bit overwhelming, since the game do not guide you to do anything. As a new player to this series of Suika Game clones, I did not realize what was supposed to do, but as the game main goal, it is easy to learn, but hard to master. The mechanics are derived from its predecessors Tetris and even 2048, but the unique fruits physiques is what set this game apart. Another element newcomers need to realize is the evolution system of the fruits in order to match the 2 watermelons and win the game. Each fruit attributes act differently on the playing ground, and one must choose wise decisions in order to get as many points as possible.
Game's Monetization
Ad Monetization- QSWatermelon: Monkey Land relies mainly on Interstitials at the end of each round when players want to retry. In addition, Han Song Ey Jo use Banner ads at any given time.
IAP- There is only one purchasable item and it the ability to avoid Ads for 2.16$
Game's Art & Style
QSWatermelon is very much similar to the original Suika Game art style that revolves on fruits and Asian elements. The game uses the same bright color palette and resembling soundtrack, but the animation looks a bit more finesse which add to the overall look and feel.
Conclusions and Suggestions
QSWatermelon: Monkey Land is a fun game that will reach out a wide target audience. The journey of covering this game began when I have sensed a huge wave of popularity around this game, especially from the younger audience, that captured the gameplay on TikTok. The game's simplistic mechanism allow it to be widely acceptable. The fact that it has no actual social element makes this experience incomplete for many players. The game has leaderboards where you can witness your highest score (Daily, weekly, overall), but in order to see other players results, you must enter the Game Center (iOS game service).
Gameplay suggestions:
One way that could enrich the core gameplay is to expand the evolution of the fruits. Adding more fruits into the equation might make this gameplay a bit more challenging.
Another way is to use time limit to each round, where matching fruits affects not only the score but also enlarges the time limit.
At last, if we are not to add another layer to the game (such as meta loops) we should definitely enrich the social aspects of the game. Creating a live leaderboard, PvP matches and even participating in clan matches can impact the players' engagement
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