Anton Slashcev

Sorry, but your game features aren’t USPs. Here’s why: 𝟭. 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 ↳ Players expect your game to have upgrades, boosters, weapons, cool graphics, etc. ↳ A USP makes your game truly memorable – like a unique narrative or a fresh gameplay twist. 𝟮. 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗱, 𝗨𝗦𝗣𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 ↳ Competitors can copy features. ↳ But a USP that evokes emotion, like excitement or nostalgia, is much harder to replicate. 𝟯. 𝗨𝗦𝗣𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ↳ Even with similar mechanics, a strong USP positions your game as unique. 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀: • 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲 – More than a battle royale; it’s the only one integrating live pop culture events and collaborations. • 𝗔𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝘀 – Simple gameplay, but the USP lies in social deduction and group psychology. • 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 – Combines AAA quality with free-to-play accessibility in an open-world RPG. […]

I’ve reviewed over 100 games in the past few years. Here’s my step-by-step process for reviewing a new game:𝟭. 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗦 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 Before playing, I focus on understanding the competition: • Read user reviews in app stores • Play 3-5 competitor games • Take screenshots of key moments • 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀: —— Gameplay tempo – is it fast or slow? —— Monetization strategies – how are purchases introduced? —— Engagement hooks – what makes players return? —— Strengths and weaknesses𝟮. 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗧𝗪𝗜𝗖𝗘 Each playthrough serves a specific purpose:𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 (𝟭 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿) – Focus on the big picture: • General feel – Does it engage from the start? • User flow – How intuitive is it for a new player? • Core loop – Do main mechanics fit together? • Goals – Are short- and long-term objectives clear? […]

My honest advice for game producers: If you don’t love playing games, you shouldn’t be making them.Because if you make a game only to "earn a buck," then:• Your game will lack fun.• It will lack depth.• And it won’t truly engage players.... resulting in earning $0 (and probably losing much more).Only true gamers can create what players love, and this will be rewarded in the end.Passion for games is what makes great ones.Always.

How to Design Difficulty in Puzzle Games Based on the Playliner research, here is a guide to designing difficulty:1. Offer multiple difficulty tiers • Easy, Hard, Super Hard — with clear visuals to indicate the level.2. Use attempts, not win rate, to tune difficulty • Low attempts (1–3) = Easy • High attempts (20–35) = Hard3. Follow a recommended difficulty curve • Start easy (Levels 1–20) to build confidence • Add a hard spike (Levels 20–30) to create challenge • Introduce progressive increases and major paywalls after Level 504. Gradually introduce mechanics• Let players master core gameplay before adding complexity.5. Reward wisely• Scale rewards with difficulty. Tougher levels should yield better prizes.6. Test and iterate• Track completion rates. • Adjust blocker levels. • Fine-tune using player feedback.• Alternate between challenging and easier phases. Make the game feel “just challenged enough” […]