Well, I thought a great way of completing this series of articles would be by sharing my views on publishing the app as that’s the final step in the entire process. Developing the game is only part of the process. Another aspect that most of us overlook is selecting which store to upload the game. How much thought do you put into deciding which app store we should publish our Android app in? If the answer is none, don’t panic; you are not alone.

Although many marketers are aware of alternative app stores, many don’t know the advantages of using all of these additional app stores. The vast amounts of app developers initially opt to publish their app in the largest and most popular app store, Google Play. Right now, though, there are 3 markets out there that are popular with developers.

1) Google Play

Well, I’m not going to talk much about it. Google Play is without a doubt the most popular market among Android users, with over 50 billion apps downloaded and more than 900,000 apps in the store. So, if you are running on a limited budget and can only upload your files to one store, then Google Play should be your first choice.

The flipside to this is that with so many games in the market, your game can easily get lost. Between February 1, 2013 and May 30, 2013 there were on average 957 apps released per day — these figures alone highlight the competition your app will face.

2) Amazon Store

Amazon not only regularly highlights games — which is a great free advertising tool for you to utilize — but it also has a review process that encourages apps to be of high quality, and that makes it a favourite of mine. They also recently launched a new section for indie developers which helps in further discovery of your game.

Another point to note is that Google Play does not allow Kindle users to download their store, whereas Amazon has no such restrictions.

3) GetJar

Did you know that Angry Birds did not debut on Google Play or Apple’s App Store? It was first released on a lesser known site called GetJar.

GetJar promotes free apps, potentially giving developers a wider audience. It was here that Angry Birds gained its reputation as a free app and then polished their app and released it on Google Play. Strategically, that was a smart move; it prolonged the entrance into the wider marketplace, allowing the folks at Rovio to perfect their product and build audience anticipation.

The downside to this Android app store is that the submission of apps is a long process and the site does have a lot of down time.

Other app stores that you should check out are: SlideMe, Mobango, and AppsFire.      

This was a really short article that I thought would be appropriate right around the release of our game. Let me know if this article was useful, or if you have discovered some really awesome app stores that everybody must know about, in the comments below. Also, let me know how you found the entire series. If there are topics that you would like me to write about, let me know that too in the comments.

© 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

Lines of sight.

The trajectory of your projectiles is the key to your victory as coconuts ricochet from your target to form robot-busting combos. It is thus possible to clear each screen with one neatly aimed shot giving a score of three out of three bananas, and a selection of bonus levels are only unlocked by completing all stages in this fashion. A line of sight helps with your shot targeting by revealing the path your coconut will take even after it rebounds from multiple targets.  It soon proves to be an essential concession to the player, especially when you are up against moving targets and yet others which blink in and out of visibility.  It can prove to be a frustrating exercise to score maximum points here, as not only do you have to find the essential trajectory, but you also have to time it precisely.  The variables of trajectory and timing when combined with moving targets and briefly invisible enemies are soon vastly multiplied.  Fortunately, there is an icon on the top left of the screen which enables you to restart the level quickly, but you’ll soon be pulling your hair or virtual fur out in frustration.  Ultimately, whilst the game mechanic is similar to a Bubble-Puzzle style shooter, if you set your heart on unlocking the extra levels you will have to focus more on skill shots. Whilst it can be played more casually, for fun, you won’t be unlocking those bonus levels.

Never underestimate a coconut.

The sound and music in the game are incredibly lively, setting a fun and atmospheric tone for the proceedings, and I found the graphics reminiscent of my Amiga gaming days playing Toki. The animations are also full of nuanced detail and character. The game is ideally suited towards casual play with each stage only taking a short amount of time to play. The later stages  pack a real challenge for players that wish to unlock the bonus levels.

Currently, gamers can only play this as a lite version, available now for free on the app store. If the developers hear positive feedback, they have agreed to develop the game further.

© 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

Bomb the Zombies is a casual strategy puzzle game for iOS and Android and the first level is available for free. The main gist of the game has players knocking over building walls that hold both zombie hordes and hostages. Careful precision is needed to harm the baddies and save the good guys all while conserving ammunition. The gameplay appears comparable to Angry Birds but with some rules and perspective twists. Check out the full list of game features below then head on over to your digital distribution service of choice to pick up the game.

Bomb The Zombies features:

 

●     Test your strategy skills in this realistic physics puzzle game

●     Advance through 90 levels across 6 uniquely designed worlds featuring challenging obstacles filled with pint-sized zombie creatures

●     See beautifully designed characters and territories overrun by zombies, including the Metropolis, Haunted Castle, Ancient Ruins and Pirate Bay

●     Choose from a variety of ammo that you can use to topple building walls and squish zombies, while protecting the innocent hostages

●     Lob bombs at zombies using intuitive tap and toss controls, which are easy to learn and accessible for players at all ages

●     Challenge and rank against other players and friends around the world through the global high score system in the Game Center and Scoreloop

●     Collect treasure boxes in the field to earn extra points, and purchase coins in-app to buy additional unlocked levels and future mystery upgrades

© 2012 – 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.