Rovio did it. The Finns released a revolutionary three-in-a-row without five minutes. Whether it will become a hit – we don’t know yet, but we share why Love Rocks seems to us one of the best match games of this year.
A little bit about mechanics
Released at the beginning of this October, the novelty has gone far from the existing games of this genre on the market. There are so many new (old forgotten) features that you won’t be able to skip the tutorial. If, for example, you give an experienced three-in-a-row player to play Love Rocks, he will get confused. And this is not a minus here, this is evidence that there is really a lot of new things in the game.
At the same time, it is quite easy to explain what Love Rocks is. In short, this is a mix of classic Bejeweled, Lines and “Tetris”.
From the first, the game got a close graphic style, from Lines the appearance of new chips on the field, from Tetris the fact that in each turn the player throws his chips from above into the “glass”.
Plus, Love Rocks got a very fundamental thing from the last two games. To be honest, she really lacked such games. What did they do in Rovio? They decided to go from the very roots. They brought back to the playing field a situation where a lot of chips is bad.
This was the case both in Lines and in Tetris. Only if in the classics at this point (full screen of chips) the game ended, then in Love Rocks they are fined for it. Is there no more free space in the row for incoming chips? Minus the move.
Another key point in the mechanics that I want to focus on is double chips.
The fact is that the chips in Love Rocks have two properties – color and sign. Rows can be assembled by any of these properties. For example, in order to assemble a row, it is necessary that either the one with the identical color or the identical sign stands next to one chip.
The problem is that the properties are removed separately. That is, if a red chip with a star and a yellow chip with a star stand next to each other, then a row of stars will be formed, and the red and yellow chips will remain in their places.
And the last key detail in the mechanics: the game is turn-based. The player must throw three randomly received chips into the glass in each turn, they fall, form a row, but disappear only at the end of the turn – when all the chips are discarded.
Now let’s go by the facts.
Fact 1
The levels in the game are collected so that they are both for luck and logic at once. Both are very important. It will not be possible to pass on one luck or on one logic.
Fact 2
The difficulty is determined by the significance of luck at a particular level.
Fact 3
The FUU factor works in the game. But his principle, based on subjective experience, is the following: “the level of logic – the level of logic – the level of logic plus a lot depends on luck – the level of logic.” That is, those levels where a lot depends on intelligence are considered easy.
Fact 4
The game (playing field) stretches easily without loss of quality (perhaps everything is calculated as three-dimensional objects). Therefore, the developers were able to easily scale the playing field. Some levels can be 3 by 3 cells, others easily 9 by 9.
Thanks to this, the sensations of the game remain fresh all the time.
Fact 5
The game has a great emphasis on video advertising. If lives run out (in the game – the classic energy system), they can be constantly compensated by watching commercials. This allows you not only to keep a high number of daily sessions, but also to earn money for those who would never pay.
Fact 6
The competition with friends takes place in three verticals at once. First, the classic – who went further. The leaders are displayed on the level map. Secondly, there is also a classic leaderboard at each level. Thirdly, the total number of collected “stars” (hearts here) on all levels. Since this top constantly looms on the level selection screen, it is clear that it also stimulates the passage of those levels where the player has not filled the stars to the maximum.
Fact 7
Soft currency is given for the number of collected hearts. It also encourages re-passing.
Fact 8
There are few bonuses – just one. But this is understandable. The levels in the game are very balanced, made, as we have already mentioned, with an emphasis on logic. All sorts of fish and lightning, removing half of the field, would destroy the balances.
Fact 9
About prices. Energy replenishment – 10 coins, additional moves – 9 coins, 20 coins can be bought for 119 rubles.
As in any game here, the more you buy, the cheaper. Only in Love Rocks specifically show two prices – the one that you would pay, buy a lot of currency little by little, and the one how many bonus coins you will receive if you decide to go broke normally (not in % shows, but in a specific number).
Fact 10
The game does not have enough stars from the sky in terms of downloads, but after the loss of positions, which happened after a small feathering, the cash register is stable… low level. Plus, we don’t know how much the game earns from advertising, but maybe at least everything is fine there.
The game’s position in the box office top of iPhone apps in the USA (App Annie)
In general, this is a very fresh, very cool product that should not be missed in any case.
Just because it’s not every day that match mechanics are rethought from scratch. The fact that the game, unfortunately, shows itself poorly both at the box office and by downloads (in the USA, the game was not even in the Top 100 by downloads) may be both evidence of Rovio’s unwillingness to spend a lot on promotion, and the wrong star chosen for promotion (in the sense that Shakir’s brand turned out to be weak for promotion). Or, which is also an option, the emphasis on logic in a casual game was the wrong decision.