PANGOLIN – "Easily one of the best mobile games of the year."

[feedtank]

Pangolin is a physics-based arcade game that turns the classic platformer on it's head. Instead of controlling the character, you control the platforms. Create trampolines to bounce a small curious creature though a surreal landscape filled with colorful curved slopes, sadistic spikes and teleporting targets.

Some reviews:
"Easily one of the best mobile games of the year." – SHORT AND SWEET REVIEWS
"Quite simply astounding." – ALEX'S IOS REVIEWS
"Sonic the Hedgehog would be jealous... extremely well crafted and addictive." – INDIE LOVE
"Downright beautiful... production values as high as anything else on the App Store." – POCKET TACTICS
"Very different, very entertaining." – JAYISGAMES
"A loveable iOS anti-platformer." – INDEPENDENT GAMING
"Simply beautiful, well polished... keeps you coming back." – THE INDIE DEVELOPER



GET THE GAME HERE.


A video review explaining the game:

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Please, let us know what you think of it! The first 10 levels are free to try!

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[RossHog]

Just downloaded. Wow - this game rocks! So simple. Why haven't I heard of this? Just gave you a good rating. Good luck!

 

[feedtank]

Just downloaded. Wow - this game rocks! So simple. Why haven't I heard of this? Just gave you a good rating. Good luck!

Thank you so much! You probably haven't heard of it because we're just two dudes without a marketing budget or contacts in the gaming or press world. It's not easy to get people to review your game if they haven't heard of you. I'm glad you like it!

The response we've gotten from people who have reviewed it has been incredible.

That we are on a streak of 51 five star ratings in a row on the App Store is also just completely unreal (to be fair we've gotten some non-five star ratings in other countries).

Anyway, thanks so much! Tell your friends!

 

[feedtank]

Another video review we just got!:

"I’m always a bit leery of trying platformers on a touch-based gaming platform, but Pangolin really took me by surprise. Feedtank has taken an easy-to-learn, hard-to-master control mechanic and wrapped it in an aesthetically pleasing package. Difficulty ramps up nicely meaning casual players can jump in without much trouble, and the more serious gamers will find some worthy challenge in the latter levels. The long and short of it is, no matter who you are, go download this game for your iOS device!"

 

[feedtank]

Great news!

Pangolin is currently New and Noteworthy in the UK iTunes Home Page, and then New and Noteworthy in Games in 40 other countries (France, Germany, Taiwan...)!

 

[feedtank]

We got reviewed by both Cult of Mac and TUAW!

Cult of Mac:
"Pangolin is pretty much perfect."
http://bit.ly/pangolin-review-14

TUAW:
"Pangolin is a great puzzle platformer."
http://bit.ly/pangolin-review-16

 

[feedtank]

Pangolin is currently featured #1 in "What We're Playing" on the App Store in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and others!!!!

 

[CylonGlitch]

I refuse to support any game, regardless of quality that is making revenue via in-app purchases. This ruins the fun of the game and really not a model I will want to be involved with. If you want to make money, sell the game for what you feel is a fair price, and don't cripple it so that we have to buy in-game items to do anything.

 

[feedtank]

I refuse to support any game, regardless of quality that is making revenue via in-app purchases. This ruins the fun of the game and really not a model I will want to be involved with. If you want to make money, sell the game for what you feel is a fair price, and don't cripple it so that we have to buy in-game items to do anything.

The first 10 levels are free. The next 40 levels are an in-app purchase for $0.99.

We wanted to user to be able to try the game out before purchasing so they know what they are in for. Like the shareware days. Try before you buy. The game Gasketball (made by a well-known and respected indie dev) uses this model.

We do have in-app purchases for extra shots for people who are stuck. But BY NO MEANS DO YOU NEED THEM. I never use them. We never ask the user to purchase extra shots... or even explicitly tell them they are available for purchase. When you use an extra shot, your remaining shots no longer count towards your score. If you want the high score, you can't use extra shots to get there.

The only time we ask the user to buy anything is after they have completed the 10 levels we give away for free. We ask for 0.99 for 40 extra levels with 4-5 additional items that provide different types of game play.

As this is our first game, we decided on this model to err on the side of getting more downloads and people seeing our game rather than making money.

If you'd like to purchase the game outright, we are doing that with our iPad version which is coming in the next week or two.

I understand the complaint since a lot of developers have some shady in-app systems set up, however, I also think this is a generalization and that our model is very fair.

 

[CylonGlitch]

I do understand what you are saying, but from the end user, they have no way of knowing if these things are required or if they are just a way to help people.

Look at these two screen shots, how do I know that $0.99 is the full unlock? And how does this look really any different than the second image?

So from an end user, if I see anything under "TOP IN-APP PURCHASES" I have to assume that they are needed for the game, and thus I don't bother looking any further. In your case, if there was just ONE thing labeled "Full game unlock" it would have been much easier to see. Also, remember relying on the comments / descriptions is not good because so little is actually displayed in iTunes unless the user expands it . . . which by that point you may have already lost the customer.

Many other games offer two different versions, the "Lite" version and the "Full" version. . . but again, it's another approach to the same problem. But from the end user it is a bit cleaner.

Ideally, Apple would make a modification to the App Store. Offer two buttons, "Download Demo" and "Download Full App", with the full app showing how much the app costs. But then you're basically doing the same thing as having two different versions, but not cluttering up the store.

Anyway, I know, from a developer stand point, there are pros and cons of each method. For me, I just consider any in-app purchase as required and thus ignore that app. I know I'm not the only one.

Good Luck, it does look like an OK game.

 

[feedtank]

Funny. I'd point to the same image for the opposite reason. They look very different to me. I feel like most people who see "world" would have an understanding of what that might mean in a video game context. I don't know what "gold" does.

Don't get me wrong. I definitely understand, and count myself among the very skeptical of IAPs. We just wanted to try something new... actually giving the user more of a chance to try it out. That is all.

I'm in complete agreement re:App Store options. I also agree communicating this model is quite difficult. Perhaps too difficult.

I do understand what you are saying, but from the end user, they have no way of knowing if these things are required or if they are just a way to help people.

Look at these two screen shots, how do I know that $0.99 is the full unlock? And how does this look really any different than the second image?
Image
Image

So from an end user, if I see anything under "TOP IN-APP PURCHASES" I have to assume that they are needed for the game, and thus I don't bother looking any further. In your case, if there was just ONE thing labeled "Full game unlock" it would have been much easier to see. Also, remember relying on the comments / descriptions is not good because so little is actually displayed in iTunes unless the user expands it . . . which by that point you may have already lost the customer.

Many other games offer two different versions, the "Lite" version and the "Full" version. . . but again, it's another approach to the same problem. But from the end user it is a bit cleaner.

Ideally, Apple would make a modification to the App Store. Offer two buttons, "Download Demo" and "Download Full App", with the full app showing how much the app costs. But then you're basically doing the same thing as having two different versions, but not cluttering up the store.

Anyway, I know, from a developer stand point, there are pros and cons of each method. For me, I just consider any in-app purchase as required and thus ignore that app. I know I'm not the only one.

Good Luck, it does look like an OK game.

 

[CylonGlitch]

I'm in complete agreement re:App Store options. I also agree communicating this model is quite difficult. Perhaps too difficult.

And because you've been so kind to talk to me about this and explain your rational, I'll do what I can... Downloaded and Exploration World purchased.

 

[feedtank]

And because you've been so kind to talk to me about this and explain your rational, I'll do what I can... Downloaded and Exploration World purchased.

Hey man, thanks a lot. I appreciate the feedback and dialogue too. Valid discussion.