Customer Reviews (100)

Renuka • 2025-03-25T06:52:12.376Z

best game

nice dude • 2025-03-25T03:57:04.900Z

what the hell is this trash. a game that has nothing to do with fish. this is just a matching game, nothing new.. I don't get it, if you're trying to sell a matching game then why not advertise it as such.. I'll just make sure to give all your games a negative review. you're just dumb, and lazy, you can't even create the game that you think people would love and just keep it as mini unsatisfying badly scripted part of your game. waste of time..

Shenila Fatima • 2025-03-25T02:58:03.380Z

The mini games are the worst, the levels are super hard and the number of moves are too low, you can't finish the levels without extra gems. the levels are designed to buy gems! Don't waste your time on this game..!

Summary of Key Insights

Fishdom receives mixed reviews. While many users find it relaxing, fun, and therapeutic, a significant portion express frustration with misleading advertising, pay-to-win mechanics, and glitches. The game's core gameplay loop of match-3 puzzles with aquarium decoration elements appeals to some, but the aggressive monetization and perceived unfair difficulty spikes are major drawbacks. The overall sentiment is moderately positive, but the negative reviews raise concerns about long-term player retention and satisfaction.

  • Strengths: Relaxing gameplay, engaging aquarium customization, therapeutic for some users.

  • Weaknesses: Misleading advertising, aggressive monetization (pay-to-win), perceived unfair difficulty, glitches, poor customer support.

  • Overall Rating: The calculated average rating based on the provided review distribution is approximately 4.05 stars.

  • Score Distribution:

    • 5-star: 58%
    • 4-star: 11%
    • 3-star: 4%
    • 2-star: 3%
    • 1-star: 24%

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 100 reviews
  • Time Frame: Not explicitly stated, assumed to be recent based on the version number.
  • Analysis Methods: Sentiment analysis (manual based on review text), keyword extraction (manual), frequency analysis of mentioned issues and features.

Key User Pain Points

  • Misleading Advertising: Many users complain that the game advertised is different from the actual match-3 gameplay. This leads to immediate disappointment and uninstalls.
  • Pay-to-Win Mechanics: A significant number of reviews mention that the game is designed to force players to spend money to progress, particularly through artificially difficult levels and limited moves.
  • Glitches and Bugs: Some users report glitches that reduce the number of available turns or render in-game items useless, further increasing the frustration and perception of unfairness.
  • Poor Customer Support: One user specifically mentions a frustrating experience with customer support, highlighting the lack of helpful responses and prolonged issue resolution.
  • Unauthorized Charges: One review mentions unauthorized charges, indicating a potential issue with in-app purchase security or parental controls.
  • Rigged Gameplay: Some users suspect the game uses bots in tournaments or manipulates gameplay to encourage spending.
  • Forced Animations: Some users find the forced animations annoying.
  • Game keeps popping up after uninstall: At least one user has reported the game reappearing after uninstall.

Frequently Requested Features

  • More Fish-Related Mini-Games: Users who were drawn in by the advertised "eat bigger fish" gameplay want more of that type of content integrated into the main game.
  • Bring Back Old Features: One user requested the return of fish breeding.
  • Rodeo Challenge: One user requested a Rodeo challenge.
  • Matching Challenge: One user requested the return of the matching challenge instead of expeditions.
  • More Ways to Earn Rewards: Users want more opportunities to earn in-game currency and power-ups without spending real money.
  • Video help for hearts and diamonds: One user requested video tutorials for obtaining hearts and diamonds.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Relaxing and Therapeutic Gameplay: Many users find the match-3 gameplay and aquarium customization relaxing and stress-relieving.
  • Engaging Aquarium Customization: Decorating aquariums and watching the fish interact is a key draw for many players.
  • Addictive Gameplay: Some users report being unable to stop playing.
  • Accessibility: Some users find the game easy and fun to play.
  • Helpful for Cognitive Skills: One user with a TBI found the game helpful for memory and concentration.
  • No Ads: One user appreciates the lack of ads and excessive popups.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Address Misleading Advertising: Update advertising materials to accurately reflect the core match-3 gameplay. Emphasize the aquarium customization aspects to attract the target audience.
  • Rebalance Difficulty and Monetization: Adjust level difficulty to reduce the perception of "pay-to-win." Provide more opportunities to earn in-game currency and power-ups without requiring real-money purchases.
  • Fix Glitches and Bugs: Prioritize bug fixes, especially those affecting gameplay (e.g., turn counts, item functionality).
  • Improve Customer Support: Provide more responsive and helpful customer support channels to address user issues effectively.

Medium Priority:

  • Enhance Fish-Related Content: Integrate more mini-games or features that align with the "eat bigger fish" concept advertised in some materials.
  • Review In-App Purchase Security: Investigate and address the report of unauthorized charges. Implement stronger parental controls if necessary.
  • Address Rigged Gameplay Concerns: Investigate reports of rigged gameplay and bot usage in tournaments. Ensure fair competition for all players.
  • Provide options to skip animations: Provide an option to skip animations to improve user experience.

Low Priority:

  • Consider requested features: Evaluate feasibility and player interest in requested features like fish breeding, Rodeo challenge, and other challenges.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Transparent Mobile Game Advertising Platform: A platform that ensures mobile game ads accurately reflect the actual gameplay experience, reducing user frustration and improving app store conversion rates.
  • Fair Mobile Game Monetization Consultancy: A service that helps mobile game developers design monetization strategies that are profitable but avoid the "pay-to-win" perception, focusing on player retention and long-term engagement.
  • Mobile Game Bug Bounty Program Platform: A platform connecting mobile game developers with a community of testers who are rewarded for identifying and reporting bugs, leading to faster bug fixes and improved game stability.

Trends and Observations

  • Recurring Theme of Misleading Advertising: This is a consistent and significant issue across many negative reviews.
  • Polarizing Opinions: The game seems to elicit strong positive and negative reactions, with users either loving the relaxing gameplay or hating the perceived unfairness and monetization.
  • Version related issues: One user is having issues with the game update.
  • Language Preferences: There are reviews in languages other than English, indicating a global player base.

Conclusion

Fishdom has the potential to be a highly successful and engaging mobile game. However, the negative reviews highlight critical issues that need to be addressed. Prioritizing accurate advertising, fair monetization, bug fixes, and improved customer support is crucial for improving player satisfaction and long-term retention. Addressing these issues will likely convert many dissatisfied players into loyal fans.

Overall Recommendation: Address the high-priority issues immediately to improve user perception and retention. Re-evaluate the game's monetization strategy to ensure it is fair and doesn't alienate players.

Original App Link

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.playrix.fishdomdd.gplay