Summary of Key Insights
CookieRun: Kingdom enjoys a generally positive reception, with users praising its engaging gameplay, charming characters, and captivating storyline. However, recurring technical issues, particularly crashing and audio problems, significantly detract from the user experience. The gacha system, while enjoyed by many, is also a source of frustration due to perceived unfairness and instances of lost rewards. There's also a significant desire for more social features, specifically the ability to switch servers to play with friends.
Key Strengths:
- Engaging gameplay with a mix of RPG battles and kingdom building.
- Charming characters with unique personalities and backstories.
- Captivating storyline and lore.
- Frequent updates and events.
- Generous free-to-play model.
- Beautiful art style and music.
Key Weaknesses:
- Frequent crashing and lagging issues.
- Audio problems (lack of sound).
- Perceived unfairness in the gacha system (difficulty obtaining desired cookies, lost rewards).
- Inability to switch servers to play with friends.
- Large app size and frequent large updates.
Overall Sentiment: Positive, but tempered by technical issues and gacha frustrations.
Quantitative Metrics:
- Overall Rating (based on score distribution): Approximately 4.5 stars (weighted average).
- 5-Star Reviews: 69.8%
- 4-Star Reviews: 15.4%
- 3-Star Reviews: 5%
- 2-Star Reviews: 1.4%
- 1-Star Reviews: 8.4%
Data & Methodology Overview
- Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
- Time Frame: Not explicitly stated, but assumed to be recent based on the content of the reviews (mentions of recent cookies and events).
- Analysis Methods:
- Sentiment Analysis: Manually assessed sentiment based on review text.
- Keyword Extraction: Identified frequently used words and phrases to determine common themes and issues.
- Frequency Analysis: Counted the occurrences of specific issues and feature requests.
Key User Pain Points
- Crashing/Lagging: This is the most prevalent issue, mentioned in numerous reviews across all star ratings. Impact: Disrupts gameplay, causes loss of progress, prevents users from enjoying the game.
- Audio Problems: Many users report a complete lack of sound, despite having volume turned up. Impact: Diminishes immersion and enjoyment of the game.
- Gacha System Issues:
- Perceived unfairness in obtaining desired cookies. Impact: Frustration, discouragement, feeling of pay-to-win.
- Instances of pulling a cookie but not receiving it in inventory. Impact: Anger, distrust, feeling of being cheated.
- Server Lock: Inability to switch servers prevents users from playing with friends. Impact: Social isolation, reduced enjoyment of the game.
- Large App Size/Updates: Frequent and large updates require significant storage space and can take a long time to download. Impact: Inconvenience, frustration, inability to play the game.
- Cake Shop Timer Pressure: The timer in the cake shop minigame causes stress and anxiety, particularly for users with information processing issues. Impact: Reduced enjoyment, frustration.
- Lack of Story Role for Favored Cookies: Some users express disappointment that their favorite cookies (e.g., Pancake) lack a significant role in the main story.
Frequently Requested Features
- Server Switching: Ability to change servers without losing progress.
- Cookie Trading: A system to trade cookies with other players.
- "Collect All" Button: A button to collect all resources in the kingdom at once.
- More Beast Cookies: Addition of new characters belonging to the Beast cookie category.
- Re-run of Past Events: Specifically, the Disney and BTS collaborations.
- Easier Crystal Acquisition: Making it easier to obtain the premium currency (crystals) for gacha pulls.
- Option to Disable Wedding Cake Cookie Help: In the cake shop minigame.
- Redo Storyline Option: Ability to replay storylines with different cookies.
- Website Code Input In-Game: Integrating website code input into the game.
Strengths and Positive Aspects
- Engaging Gameplay: The combination of kingdom building and RPG battles is highly praised.
- Charming Characters: Users love the unique personalities, designs, and voice acting of the cookies.
- Captivating Storyline: The game's lore and story are surprisingly deep and engaging.
- Frequent Updates: Regular updates and events keep the game fresh and exciting.
- Generous Free-to-Play Model: Users appreciate that the game is not overly pay-to-win.
- Beautiful Art Style and Music: The game's visuals and soundtrack are consistently praised.
- Community: Many users report a positive and engaging community.
- Beginner Friendly: Some reviews highlighted the game as being easy to pick up, especially for new players.
Prioritized Action Recommendations
High Priority:
- Fix Crashing and Lagging Issues: Investigate and resolve the root causes of the frequent crashes and lag, especially on iOS devices.
- Address Audio Problems: Investigate and fix the audio issues reported by many users.
- Investigate Gacha Issues:
- Address the perceived unfairness of the gacha system by potentially adjusting drop rates or implementing a pity system.
- Resolve the bug where users pull a cookie but don't receive it in their inventory.
Medium Priority:
- Implement Server Switching: Explore the feasibility of allowing players to switch servers without losing their progress, considering the technical challenges.
- Optimize App Size and Updates: Reduce the app size and the frequency and size of updates.
- Address Cake Shop Timer Pressure: Add an option to disable Wedding Cake Cookie's help or extend the timer in the cake shop minigame.
Low Priority:
- Add "Collect All" Button: Implement a button to collect all resources in the kingdom at once.
- Re-run Past Events: Consider re-running popular past events, such as the Disney and BTS collaborations.
- Increase Crystal Acquisition: Make it slightly easier to obtain crystals for gacha pulls.
- Redo Storyline Option: Implement the option to replay past storylines.
- Integrate Website Code Input In-Game: Simplify the code redemption process.
- Add More Beast Cookies: Expand the roster of cookies in the Beast category.
Opportunities for Startup Ideas
- Mobile Game Optimization Service: A service that helps mobile game developers optimize their games for performance and stability across different devices. This could address the widespread crashing issues reported by CookieRun: Kingdom users.
- Gacha System Consulting: A consulting service that helps game developers design fair and engaging gacha systems that avoid frustrating players.
- Cross-Server Social Platform: A platform that allows players of different mobile games to connect and interact with each other, regardless of the server they are on. This could address the server lock issue in CookieRun: Kingdom.
- Modular Mobile Game Framework: A game development framework that allows developers to easily create and update mobile games with smaller file sizes and more efficient update processes.
Trends and Observations
- Crashing as a Persistent Issue: Crashing has been a recurring problem for a long time, according to some reviews dating back years.
- Desire for Shadow Milk Cookie: There is significant hype and desire for the Shadow Milk Cookie character.
- Positive Sentiment Despite Issues: Many users express their love for the game despite the technical issues and gacha frustrations.
- Requests for Specific Cookies: A number of users are very vocal about wanting specific cookies.
- File Size Complaints: A recurring theme is the large file size and update sizes, causing problems for those with limited storage.
Conclusion
CookieRun: Kingdom is a highly engaging and enjoyable game with a strong core gameplay loop and charming characters. However, persistent technical issues and gacha frustrations are detracting from the user experience. By prioritizing the resolution of crashing and audio problems, addressing gacha fairness, and exploring server switching options, Devsisters can significantly improve the game and retain its player base. Addressing storage concerns may also improve accessibility for some users. The game's strengths provide a solid foundation for continued success, but addressing the weaknesses is crucial for maximizing its potential.
Original App Link
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cookierun-kingdom/id1509450845?uo=2