Customer Reviews (500)

Lovey 244 • 2025-03-27T19:09:14-07:00

Great

Dmhdi • 2025-03-27T18:41:14-07:00

Too many ads.

kmyers84 • 2025-03-27T18:24:17-07:00

Give away more bonus rolls, 7 bonus rolls out of 28 tickets?! Please bring back the diamond dice

Summary of Key Insights

Dice With Buddies is a popular game enjoyed by many for its social aspect, accessibility, and engaging gameplay reminiscent of Yahtzee. However, user reviews reveal significant pain points, primarily concerning excessive advertising, perceived unfairness in gameplay mechanics (especially regarding the need to purchase dice), and issues with recent updates impacting usability and rewards. While the game's core mechanics are well-received, addressing these issues is crucial for maintaining user satisfaction and preventing churn. The overall sentiment is mixed, with many long-time players expressing frustration over recent changes.

  • Strengths: Social interaction, easy gameplay, variety of game modes, and a nostalgic appeal.
  • Weaknesses: Excessive advertising, perceived "rigged" gameplay, declining rewards, technical glitches, and negative impact from recent updates.
  • Overall Sentiment: Mixed, leaning towards negative due to recent changes and aggressive monetization.
  • Quantitative Metrics:
    • Overall Rating (Implied): ~4.2 Stars (based on review breakdown)
    • Score Distribution: 1-Star: 13%, 2-Star: 4.4%, 3-Star: 9%, 4-Star: 10.6%, 5-Star: 63%

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: The reviews appear to be current as of March 4, 2024, with some reviews referencing events in February 2025 (likely a typo and meant to be 2024).
  • Analysis Methods: Manual sentiment analysis and keyword extraction were used to identify recurring themes, pain points, and feature requests. The star ratings were used to understand the overall distribution of positive and negative feedback.

Key User Pain Points

  • Excessive Advertising: The most common complaint is the frequency and intrusiveness of ads, disrupting gameplay and leading to frustration. Some users report ads appearing after every roll or game, even after making purchases intended to reduce ads.
  • Perceived "Rigged" Gameplay / Pay-to-Win: Many users believe the game is designed to force them to purchase dice or bonus rolls to progress, particularly in tournaments and side games. They feel that the dice rolls are not random and are manipulated to create losses and encourage spending.
  • Declining Rewards & Stingy Scratchers: Users report that the rewards for winning games and completing tasks have decreased over time, making it harder to earn dice and other in-game items. Scratchers are often seen as providing minimal or no valuable rewards.
  • Technical Glitches & Bugs: Several reviews mention technical issues such as freezing, crashing, lost progress, and problems with sound. These glitches disrupt gameplay and lead to frustration.
  • Negative Impact of Recent Updates: Many users express dissatisfaction with recent updates, citing changes to the user interface, removal of features, and increased difficulty in navigating the app. The new formats are described as confusing and juvenile.
  • Poor Customer Support: Some users report difficulty contacting customer support or receiving helpful responses when reporting issues.
  • Unfair Tournament Play: Players feel that tournament play is unfair and that computer-controlled opponents gain an advantage, seemingly designed to push players to buy more dice.
  • Scammers in Chat: Reports of scammers attempting to connect with users via Google Chat or other platforms.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Option to Pay a One-Time Fee to Remove Ads: Many users are willing to pay a single fee to eliminate ads, rather than a recurring subscription.
  • Improved Rewards & Scratchers: Users want more generous rewards for winning games and completing tasks, as well as better payouts from scratchers.
  • Dice Trading/Selling: A feature to trade or sell unwanted dice for desired ones, or other in-game currency.
  • Bring Back Old Features: Several users want the return of specific features, such as character dice, different screen layouts, and the ability to watch videos for scratchers.
  • Better Dice Customization: More options for dice customization and the ability to sort or delete unwanted dice and frames.
  • Improved Chat Moderation: Better moderation of the chat feature to prevent scammers.
  • Fairer Tournament Play: Changes to tournament mechanics to ensure a more level playing field.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Social Interaction: The ability to play with friends, family, and other players is a major draw for many users.
  • Easy Gameplay: The game is easy to learn and play, making it accessible to a wide audience.
  • Variety of Game Modes: The availability of different game modes, such as tournaments, side games, and family games, keeps the game engaging.
  • Nostalgic Appeal: The game brings back fond memories of playing Yahtzee.
  • Relaxing and Fun: Many users find the game relaxing and enjoyable, providing a welcome distraction.
  • Keeps Mind Active: Some users feel the game helps keep their minds sharp.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Reduce Advertising Frequency & Intrusiveness: Implement a less disruptive advertising model. Consider reducing the number of ads, offering a one-time ad removal purchase, or providing more valuable rewards for watching ads.
  • Address Perceived Gameplay Fairness: Re-evaluate the game's algorithms to ensure fair and random dice rolls. Be transparent about the game's mechanics to build trust with players.
  • Improve Reward System: Increase the rewards for winning games and completing tasks. Make scratchers more rewarding and less stingy.
  • Fix Technical Glitches & Bugs: Prioritize bug fixes and performance improvements to ensure a smooth and reliable gameplay experience.
  • Address Negative Feedback on Recent Updates: Analyze the negative feedback on recent updates and consider reverting unpopular changes or offering players the option to customize their user interface.

Medium Priority:

  • Enhance Customer Support: Improve customer support responsiveness and provide more helpful solutions to user issues.
  • Implement Dice Trading/Selling Feature: Allow players to trade or sell unwanted dice for desired ones or in-game currency.
  • Improve Chat Moderation: Implement stricter moderation of the chat feature to prevent scammers and inappropriate behavior.

Low Priority:

  • Bring Back Old Features: Consider bringing back popular features from previous versions of the game, such as character dice and different screen layouts.
  • Add More Dice Customization Options: Provide more options for dice customization and the ability to sort or delete unwanted dice and frames.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Fair & Transparent Dice Game Platform: Develop a dice game platform that prioritizes fair and random gameplay, with transparent algorithms and a focus on player experience rather than aggressive monetization.
  • Social Gaming Platform with Enhanced Chat Moderation: Create a social gaming platform with robust chat moderation tools to prevent scams and inappropriate behavior.
  • Subscription-Based Mobile Game Service: Offer a subscription-based mobile game service that provides access to a library of ad-free games with fair gameplay mechanics and generous rewards.
  • Personalized Mobile Game Experience: Develop a mobile game platform that allows players to customize their user interface and gameplay experience based on their preferences.

Trends and Observations

  • Negative Trend Over Time: A recurring theme is that the game has become increasingly focused on monetization and less on player enjoyment over time.
  • Impact of Scopely Acquisition: Several users mention that the game has declined in quality since being acquired by Scopely.
  • Importance of Social Aspect: The social aspect of the game remains a key driver of user engagement.
  • Value of Nostalgia: The game's appeal to nostalgia is a significant factor in its popularity.

Conclusion

Dice With Buddies has a strong foundation with its engaging gameplay and social features. However, the app is suffering from excessive advertising, perceived unfairness, declining rewards, and technical issues. Addressing these pain points is crucial for retaining existing players and attracting new ones. By prioritizing player experience over aggressive monetization, the developers can restore the game's reputation and ensure its long-term success. A shift towards a more transparent and player-friendly approach is recommended.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dice-with-buddies-social-game/id432750508?uo=2