To make sure I understand the concept of 'Related' tin regards to how the game mechanics will work. It's essential to research other gaming apps that have either a similar concept or layout to how 'Related' will appear. Then to understand who the competition is and work out what they do well and what they don't.
Guess the logo
My analysis
The aim of the game is to guess the logo. Up pops the logo with letters, the user has to spell out the correct name for that logo. The UI is simplistic and efficient in its delivery of information. But once I started playing the issues became clear.
Negative
You use coins to buy hints and clues if you ever get stuck on a logo. However, once you start off the game doesn't give you enough coins to help you out if you ever get stuck on the first or second level. This happened to me, I wasn't able to go further than level 2 because I didn't know what the logo was and I didn't have enough coins to help me. I ended up stuck and then left.
Positive
The game overall was easy to understand and play. The UI was simple with minimal features, allowing for a much smoother gameplay. The hierarchy was very clear, it's easy to understand what I was supposed to do.
Six Degrees of Separation
My analysis
The game is closely associated with 'Related' as the concept is fairly similar and therefore in some respects the closest competition. The aim of the game is to get from one actor to the other in six steps through a selection of films.
Negative
The UI is poor. Outdated and unappealing to say the least. Too many variations of colour make for a visual headache. The app is filled with advertisements which take up a lot of the interface. I didn't like the fact that you had to scroll down to choose related actors, as I had to then scroll up to see if it was correct. Lastly, as you can see from the screenshots some images had been missing, this comes across as an unprofessional and unreliable portrayal.
Positive
Even though the UI is outdated the game is very understandable to a certain limit.
Music Quiz
My analysis
This game is based around music, which gives me a good understanding of music game out there that are somewhat similar to 'Related'. The concept of the game is to guess what song is playing but using letters. (Similar to the first game)
Negative
Like the first puzzle game, I had the same exact problem. I couldn't spell 'chandelier'! and therefore I was punished as I also didn't have enough coins to buy a hint or skip the level. Very frustrating as the game doesn't consider people who may not be able to spell words. This limits the demographic quite considerably and the accessibility. Very eye opening and something which I will be avoiding.
Positive
The UI is very nice. Very visual and engaging, giving the user a sense that they are a part of the environment. Understandable with a clear hierarchal structure.
My analysis
Exact same to the game above.
Negative
The only downfall is the use of infographics. I got to a stage where I was stuck but I didn't understand what icon meant what. The icons shown aren't universal and therefore I was constantly tapping on all of them to see what they did. This damages the user experience, making the user guess what the icons do when they should be clearly labelled. It's problematic for the user, making them come out of this joyful, gaming experience to tackle a confusing headache.
Positive
UI is visually beautiful. Very engaging and similar to the game above. It immerses the users within the game environment. Unlike the previous games, if you get stuck you have enough coins to get you out of the sticky situation, allowing you to find your feet and actually enjoy the game before it begins to get hard.
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