Ask HN: Why aren't there actual games similar to those mobile game ads?
Hi, I'm talking about games like "Last War: Survival" and "Last Shelter: Survival". Their ads promise a simple mindless game, perfect to pass 10-15 minutes. When downloaded though, we find out that the actual game is very different (base builder, fps), and that they're just pay-to-win cashgrab apps. My question is not about the logistics of these games - there are already a lot of blog posts and videos about this, and we all know it's about the whales.
It seems that people are interested in the gameplay shown in the ad, but the deception is frustrating. Why doesn't any other game studio (or game dev working on a week-end side project) duplicate this gameplay (on mobile, html, anywhere)? Is something preventing them? Are the companies who make these fake games also hope to sue companies that try that for copyright infringement? Maybe there are some real games available, but they have no marketing budget, and are hidden at the bottom of app stores and search engine results?
It's sad that the only thing I can think of, is to learn game development and do it myself. Does anyone have any idea about what's happening? The market reality is that these "simple" ad games would have terrible retention. I've prototyped similar mechanics - they get boring after 15 minutes. Base builders/FPS games have proven engagement cycles that keep players (and revenue) coming back.
Check itch.io - you'll find honest implementations of these concepts. There's a game that actually implements a lot of these mechanics called Last War. It's a base builder where you unlock more and more territory going through the "+10/*100" runs. And oh my god is it boring. Not even base building helps it That's true; we implemented such a mechanic for one of the math educational games, and even if it looks interesting in theory and short iterations, playtests show it's boring and has no challenge. That's good to know, thank you! The programming profession took the joy out of programming for a lot of people. That’s why you are not seeing those games. The wide eyed are still making games in RPG Maker, nothing is really stopping them. You want Mob Control https://apps.apple.com/app/id1562817072 or Last War https://apps.apple.com/app/id6448786147 You will get bored really fast though (I know I did) There is a compilation of games (and a sequel) that are loosely based on those mobile ads available on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2744230/YEAH_YOU_WANT_THO... It's called "YEAH! YOU WANT "THOSE GAMES," RIGHT? SO HERE YOU GO! NOW, LET'S SEE YOU CLEAR THEM!" Thank you, I'll check that!