Summary of Key Insights
- Ultimate Dinosaur Simulator receives mixed reviews, with a slight positive leaning due to the high number of 5-star ratings. However, significant issues like frequent crashes, glitches, and unclear game mechanics detract from the overall user experience.
- Strengths include the variety of playable dinosaurs, the immersive 3D environment, and the engaging gameplay loop of hunting and surviving.
- Weaknesses primarily revolve around technical instability (crashing), confusing game mechanics (finding the den, switching dinosaurs), and inaccuracies in dinosaur representation. Many users also request additional features and content.
- Overall sentiment is cautiously optimistic, with many users expressing love for the game's concept but frustration with its execution.
- Quantitative metrics: Overall rating is approximately 3.7 stars based on the score distribution. Score distribution: 5-star: 41.6%, 4-star: 26.2%, 3-star: 13.6%, 2-star: 5%, 1-star: 13.6%.
Data & Methodology Overview
- Data sample size: 500 reviews.
- Time frame: Not explicitly stated, but reviews appear to span several years, likely from the app's release to the present.
- Analysis methods:
- Sentiment analysis: Manually assessed the sentiment of each review (positive, negative, neutral).
- Keyword extraction: Identified frequently occurring keywords and phrases related to bugs, features, and overall experience.
- Thematic analysis: Grouped reviews into common themes based on the issues and suggestions raised.
Key User Pain Points
- Crashing: The most frequently reported issue. Occurs during meteor showers, boss battles, hatching eggs, and randomly during gameplay. Severely disrupts the user experience and leads to frustration.
- Glitches: Various glitches reported, including:
- Invisible mosasaurs attacking players.
- Fish swimming in the air.
- Deformed dinosaur bodies after death.
- Raptors jumping across the entire map.
- Aged Skulls quest being uncompletable due to invisible barriers.
- Finding the Den: Many users struggle to locate the den, which is essential for switching dinosaurs and breeding. Lack of clear instructions or map markers exacerbates this issue.
- Switching Dinosaurs: Related to the den issue, users find it inconvenient to have to return to the den to switch dinosaurs.
- Inaccurate Dinosaur Representation: Some users criticize the lack of feathers on certain dinosaurs (e.g., Velociraptor, T-Rex) and the inclusion of non-dinosaur creatures (e.g., Sabertooth Tiger, Woolly Mammoth) in a dinosaur simulator.
- Lag: Performance issues, particularly on older devices, hinder gameplay.
- Black Screen/Graphics Issues: Users report the screen going black when setting graphics to high quality.
- Tutorial Issues: Users report that the tutorial says nothing about how to see their level.
Frequently Requested Features
- More Playable Dinosaurs: Users consistently request additional playable dinosaurs, including specific species like Dilophosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Carnotaurus, and Allosaurus.
- Multiplayer Mode: A highly desired feature, allowing users to interact with other players in the game world.
- Improved Swimming Mechanics: Users want dinosaurs to swim realistically instead of simply walking underwater.
- More Realistic AI: Users want AI to behave more realistically.
- More Sea Life: Users want more sea life to be added to the ocean biome.
- More Biomes: Users want more biomes such as desert and dense jungle.
- Home Screen/Main Menu: Users want a more traditional home screen.
- Swimming ability for all dinos.
- More quests and missions.
- More caves and caverns.
- More realistic graphics.
Strengths and Positive Aspects
- Variety of Playable Dinosaurs: Users appreciate the ability to play as different dinosaurs and experience the game world from various perspectives.
- Immersive 3D Environment: The large and detailed game world is praised for its realism and atmosphere.
- Engaging Gameplay Loop: Hunting, surviving, and raising a family provide a compelling gameplay experience.
- Unique Events: The meteor showers and volcanic eruptions are seen as exciting and unique events, though they often cause crashes.
- Lack of Ads/IAPs: Users appreciate the absence of ads and in-app purchases, fulfilling the "Gluten-Free Promise."
- Storytelling Potential: Users enjoy creating stories based on the gameplay.
Prioritized Action Recommendations
High Priority:
- Fix Crashing Issues: Investigate and resolve the root causes of the frequent crashes. This is the most critical issue and should be the top priority. Implement robust error handling and memory management to prevent crashes.
- Address Den Finding/Switching Issues: Improve the den system by:
- Adding a clear map marker for the den.
- Providing a tutorial or in-game guide on how to find and use the den.
- Consider allowing dinosaur switching outside of the den, perhaps with limitations.
- Fix Major Glitches: Address the most disruptive glitches, such as the invisible mosasaurs, flying fish, and deformed dinosaur bodies.
Medium Priority:
- Improve Dinosaur Representation: Address inaccuracies in dinosaur representation by adding feathers to appropriate species and considering the removal of anachronistic creatures.
- Optimize Performance: Improve game performance to reduce lag, especially on older devices. Offer more granular graphic settings.
- Enhance AI: Improve AI behavior to make it more realistic and challenging.
- Address Graphics Issues: Fix the black screen issue when setting graphics to high quality.
- Add a tutorial for level.
Low Priority:
- Add More Playable Dinosaurs: While highly requested, this should be addressed after resolving the more critical issues.
- Implement Multiplayer Mode: A significant undertaking, but could greatly enhance the game's appeal.
- Add More Biomes: Expand the game world with additional biomes to increase variety.
- More quests and missions
Opportunities for Startup Ideas
- Dinosaur Education Game: A game focused on accurate dinosaur representation and educational content. Could address the inaccuracies in existing dinosaur games and provide a more informative experience.
- Multiplayer Dinosaur Survival Game: A game that emphasizes social interaction and cooperation in a dinosaur-themed survival setting. Could incorporate elements of pack building, resource management, and territorial control.
- Prehistoric Ecosystem Simulator: A game that simulates the complex interactions between different species in a prehistoric ecosystem. Could include realistic AI, dynamic weather patterns, and natural disasters.
Trends and Observations
- Recurring Crash Reports: The crashing issue has been persistent for a long time, suggesting that it may be a difficult problem to solve or that the developers have not prioritized it.
- Desire for Realism: Many users express a desire for more realism in dinosaur representation and AI behavior.
- Requests for Specific Features: The same features (e.g., multiplayer, specific dinosaurs) are requested repeatedly, indicating a strong demand for these additions.
- Positive Sentiment Despite Issues: Despite the numerous issues, many users still express love for the game's concept and potential.
Conclusion
Ultimate Dinosaur Simulator has a strong foundation with its diverse dinosaur roster, immersive environment, and engaging gameplay. However, its potential is undermined by significant technical issues, particularly the frequent crashing. Addressing these issues should be the top priority. Implementing the requested features, such as multiplayer and more playable dinosaurs, would further enhance the game's appeal and improve the overall user experience. The developer should focus on stability and polish before adding new content.
Original App Link
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ultimate-dinosaur-simulator/id1010803520?uo=2