Customer Reviews (500)

Sally Sal Fisher Face • 2025-03-17T12:16:17-07:00

The game is very cheap (and there’s a way to cheese it with the wheel of fortune), but how do you get the first artifact? the one before Stonehenge, i looked it up, but I have no answers. Highly recommend, but I don’t think you can get all the artifacts.

nickystruts • 2025-03-13T00:40:13-07:00

Played the game 5-6 times , so much nostalgia from me being 10

udhgu • 2024-12-21T02:26:57-07:00

fun

Summary of Key Insights

  • Doodle God™ is a puzzle game with generally positive sentiment, particularly from long-time players citing nostalgia and enjoyment of the core gameplay loop. However, recent updates have introduced significant issues, including excessive ads (even in the paid version), intrusive animations, and technical problems like crashes and black screens, leading to a decline in user satisfaction. Many users express frustration with the shift towards a freemium model. The game's core concept remains appealing, but these issues are severely impacting the user experience.

  • Key Strengths: Addictive gameplay, creative concept, nostalgic value, diverse content (quests, mini-games).

  • Key Weaknesses: Excessive ads (especially in paid version), intrusive "globe" animation, frequent crashes/black screen issues, perceived shift to freemium model, lack of updates/new content, scaling issues on newer devices.

  • Overall Sentiment: Mixed, with a strong undercurrent of dissatisfaction regarding recent changes. Positive sentiment primarily stems from nostalgia for older versions of the game.

  • Overall Rating: While the average rating is seemingly decent, the detailed reviews reveal a significant number of users who would rate it much lower if the technical issues and monetization were resolved.

  • Score Distribution: 5-star: 51.4%, 4-star: 8.8%, 3-star: 8.6%, 2-star: 7.4%, 1-star: 23.8%. A significant portion of users (39.8%) rated the app 3 stars or lower.

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: Not explicitly stated, but the reviews appear to span several years, with many referencing older versions of the game and recent updates.
  • Analysis Methods:
    • Sentiment Analysis: Manually assessed sentiment (positive, negative, mixed) based on review content.
    • Keyword Extraction: Identified frequently occurring keywords and phrases related to user experiences, issues, and requests.
    • Thematic Analysis: Grouped reviews based on common themes, such as ads, crashes, and gameplay changes.

Key User Pain Points

  • Excessive Ads (Even in Paid Version): This is the most frequently mentioned complaint. Users who paid for the app express strong dissatisfaction with the presence of frequent and unskippable ads, deeming it unacceptable.
  • Intrusive "Globe" Animation: Many users find the animation that plays after each new element discovery to be disruptive and time-consuming, breaking the flow of gameplay. They desire an option to disable it.
  • Crashes and Black Screen Issues: A significant number of users report experiencing crashes or a black screen upon launching the app, rendering it unplayable. This appears to be a recurring technical problem.
  • Perceived Shift to Freemium Model: Users feel that the game has become increasingly focused on monetization, with features that were previously included in the paid version now requiring additional purchases.
  • Lack of Updates/New Content: Some long-time players express a desire for new episodes, puzzles, and quests to keep the game fresh.
  • Scaling Issues on Newer Devices: Some users report that the game does not scale properly on newer iPhones and iPads, resulting in a small screen size with black borders.
  • Buggy Gameplay: Several users reported elements disappearing, recipes being deleted, and game progress not saving.
  • Repetitive gameplay: Redoing already created elements is frustrating.
  • Facebook login issues: Login to Facebook fails for some users.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Option to Disable "Globe" Animation: This is the most frequently requested feature.
  • More New Content (Episodes, Puzzles, Quests): Long-time players are eager for fresh challenges and content.
  • Sandbox Mode: A mode that allows free experimentation without restrictions.
  • Cloud Save: To prevent data loss and allow seamless gameplay across devices.
  • iPhone X/Newer Device Optimization: To ensure proper scaling and display on modern devices.
  • A Classic/Retro Mode: An option to play the game without the new animations, ads, and microtransactions.
  • More logical recipes for combining elements.
  • More chapters in story mode.
  • Option to disable duplicate elements.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Addictive Gameplay: The core concept of combining elements to create new things is highly engaging and satisfying.
  • Creative Concept: The game encourages creativity and experimentation.
  • Nostalgic Value: Many players have fond memories of playing the game in the past and enjoy revisiting it.
  • Diverse Content: The addition of quests, mini-games, and artifacts provides variety and extends the gameplay experience.
  • Humorous Quotes: Users appreciate the witty and thought-provoking quotes that accompany new discoveries.
  • Relaxing and Easy to Play: The game is generally considered to be easy to pick up and play, making it a good way to pass the time.
  • Good Graphics: Some users praise the game's graphics.
  • Challenging: Users find the game challenging and forces them to think outside the box.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Address Crash and Black Screen Issues: This is a critical issue that renders the game unplayable for many users. Investigate and resolve these technical problems immediately.
  • Remove or Significantly Reduce Ads in Paid Version: The presence of ads in a paid app is unacceptable to many users. Removing or drastically reducing ads is essential to restoring user satisfaction. Consider offering an "ad-free" IAP for the free version.
  • Implement Option to Disable "Globe" Animation: This is a highly requested feature that would significantly improve the gameplay experience for many users.
  • Fix Scaling Issues on Newer Devices: Ensure that the game scales properly on modern iPhones and iPads.

Medium Priority:

  • Provide New Content (Episodes, Puzzles, Quests): Adding new content would help to retain long-time players and keep the game fresh.
  • Re-evaluate Monetization Strategy: Consider offering a more balanced monetization strategy that doesn't feel as intrusive or exploitative.
  • Implement Cloud Save: This would prevent data loss and allow users to play seamlessly across devices.
  • Address element disappearing and recipe deletion bugs.

Low Priority:

  • Add Sandbox Mode: This would provide a more open-ended and creative gameplay experience.
  • Add A Classic/Retro Mode: This would allow users to play the game without the new animations, ads, and microtransactions.
  • Improve element combination logic.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • A "Doodle God Classic" Remaster: A separate app that recreates the original Doodle God experience without the ads, animations, and microtransactions. This could cater to nostalgic players who are dissatisfied with the current version.
  • An Element Combination Game with User-Generated Content: A platform that allows players to create and share their own element combinations, expanding the gameplay possibilities and fostering a community.
  • Educational Element Combination Game: A game that uses the element combination mechanic to teach players about science, history, or other subjects.

Trends and Observations

  • Negative Sentiment Associated with Recent Updates: Reviews indicate a clear decline in user satisfaction following recent updates that introduced ads, intrusive animations, and monetization features.
  • Nostalgia for Older Versions: Many players express a preference for the simpler, ad-free gameplay of older versions of the game.
  • Recurring Technical Issues: Crashes and black screen issues have been reported consistently over time, suggesting a persistent problem with the app's stability.
  • In-App Purchase Dissatisfaction: Users who paid for the app are particularly vocal about their dissatisfaction with the presence of ads and microtransactions.

Conclusion

Doodle God™ has a strong core concept and nostalgic appeal, but recent updates have introduced significant issues that are negatively impacting the user experience. The excessive ads (especially in the paid version), intrusive animations, and technical problems are driving away players and damaging the game's reputation. Addressing these issues is essential to restoring user satisfaction and ensuring the long-term success of the game. The developers should prioritize fixing the technical problems, removing or reducing ads in the paid version, and providing options to customize the gameplay experience. A re-evaluation of the monetization strategy is also recommended.

Overall Recommendation: Prioritize fixing technical issues and reducing intrusive monetization. Re-engage the community and listen to their feedback to restore trust and improve the game.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/doodle-god/id376374689?uo=2