Customer Reviews (100)

Paul Goldie • 2025-03-25T05:16:50.717Z

Great game, UI needs work. please make it so that the boardgames isn't blocked by the UI. Would be great to at least make it transparent

malko kris • 2025-03-25T04:24:56.171Z

Great game but please : Make it compatible with Mouse & Keyboard !!!

Ben Wilson • 2025-03-25T03:34:39.558Z

hell yeah

Summary of Key Insights

The Dune: Imperium Digital app is generally well-received, with a strong positive sentiment driven by its faithful adaptation of the popular board game. Users praise the game's complexity, engaging gameplay, and the convenience of playing on the go. However, significant UI/UX issues, bugs, and feature requests detract from the overall experience. The overall rating is skewed positively due to the core gameplay being well-liked, but addressing the mentioned issues could significantly improve user satisfaction.

  • Strengths: Accurate board game adaptation, engaging gameplay, good solo options, cross-platform availability.
  • Weaknesses: UI scaling/readability issues, bugs causing crashes and lost games, lack of features (pass and play, timer options), expensive DLC for online play, and missing expansions.
  • Overall Sentiment: Positive, but with significant frustrations regarding technical issues and missing features.
  • Quantitative Metrics:
    • Total Reviews: 100
    • Score Distribution: {"1":11,"2":6,"3":3,"4":9,"5":71}
    • 5-star: 71%
    • 4-star: 9%
    • 3-star: 3%
    • 2-star: 6%
    • 1-star: 11%
    • Overall Average Rating (estimated): ~4.3 (weighted average)

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 100 reviews
  • Time Frame: Not explicitly stated, but assumed to be recent based on the version number and content of reviews.
  • Analysis Methods: Manual review and categorization of review content, sentiment assessment based on star rating and review text, keyword extraction to identify recurring themes.

Key User Pain Points

  • UI/UX Issues:
    • Scaling Problems: UI elements and text are too small or don't fit on certain devices (especially phones), making the game unplayable. This is a recurring and severe issue.
    • UI Blocking Board: UI elements obscure the game board, hindering gameplay.
  • Bugs and Stability:
    • Crashes and Freezes: The app crashes or freezes, especially during online games, leading to lost progress and frustration. This is a critical issue.
    • Disappearing Games: Online games disappear mid-play.
    • Resume Issues: Problems resuming async matches, including being forced to watch all missed animations without being able to act.
    • Expansion Bugs: Specific bugs related to the Rise of Ix expansion, such as the tech card window not closing.
  • Online Play Issues:
    • Time Delaying: Opponents deliberately delaying turns in ranked battles, creating excessively long games.
    • AI Opponents Added Unexpectedly: Difficulty setting up online matches without AI opponents.
    • Async Notification Issues: Difficult to see when it's your turn in async games.
  • DLC Cost:
    • High DLC Cost: Feeling that the DLC for online play is too expensive after already purchasing the base game.
  • Incompatible Devices:
    • Device Compatibility: App not compatible with certain devices despite reasonable expectations (e.g., Pixel Slate).

Frequently Requested Features

  • Pass and Play Mode: A local multiplayer mode where players take turns on the same device.
  • Timer Options: Customizable timer durations for online play.
  • Zoom/Pan Feature: Ability to zoom and pan around the board, especially on smaller screens.
  • Skip to Current Turn: A button in async play to skip to the current state of the game instead of watching all previous animations.
  • Uprising and Other Expansions: Release of the Dune: Imperium Uprising version and other expansions.
  • Mouse & Keyboard Support: Compatibility with mouse and keyboard.
  • Choose Opponents: Ability to select specific AI opponents in single-player mode.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Faithful Adaptation: Accurate and enjoyable recreation of the Dune: Imperium board game.
  • Engaging Gameplay: Addictive and complex strategic gameplay.
  • Convenience: Allows players to enjoy the game on the go.
  • Solo Options: Good solo play options.
  • Cross-Platform: Availability on multiple platforms (Android, PC, Xbox).
  • Tutorial: Well-explained tutorial.
  • Automated Rules: Automates rule tracking and card shuffling.
  • Graphics and Sound: Praised graphics and sound design.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Fix UI Scaling Issues: Implement dynamic UI scaling or provide options to adjust UI size for different devices. Impact: Addresses a major usability issue affecting a significant portion of users.
  • Address Crashes and Freezes: Investigate and resolve the root causes of crashes and freezes, especially in online games. Impact: Improves stability and reduces frustration, directly impacting user retention.
  • Fix Disappearing Games Bug: Identify and fix the bug causing online games to disappear. Impact: Prevents loss of progress and improves online play experience.
  • Implement "Skip to Current" Button: Add a button to skip to the current state in async games after reconnecting. Impact: Reduces frustration and prevents skipped turns due to forced animation viewing.

Medium Priority:

  • Add Pass and Play Mode: Implement a pass and play mode for local multiplayer. Impact: Adds a highly requested feature and expands gameplay options.
  • Implement Timer Options: Allow players to customize timer durations in online games. Impact: Improves control over game pacing and reduces frustration with slow players.
  • Optimize AI Turn Times: Reduce the amount of time AI players take to complete their turns. Impact: Improves the flow of solo play.
  • Address Expansion Bugs: Fix bugs specific to expansions, such as the tech card window issue. Impact: Improves the value and usability of purchased expansions.
  • Improve Async Notifications: Make it clearer when it's the user's turn in asynchronous games. Impact: Enhances user awareness and encourages more active participation in asynchronous play.

Low Priority:

  • Implement Mouse & Keyboard Support: Add mouse and keyboard support for tablet and PC users. Impact: Enhances the experience for certain users, but not critical for core functionality.
  • Allow Choosing AI Opponents: Provide the option to select specific AI opponents in single-player mode. Impact: Adds customization but doesn't impact core gameplay significantly.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • AI-Powered Opponent Behavior Customization: Develop an AI system that allows players to customize the AI opponent's play style (e.g., aggressive, defensive, economic focus).
  • Real-Time Coaching System: Implement a real-time coaching system that provides in-game tips and suggestions based on the current game state.
  • Dune: Imperium Tournament Platform: Create a dedicated platform for organizing and managing Dune: Imperium tournaments with rankings and prizes.

Trends and Observations

  • UI Issues Predominantly Affect Phone Users: UI scaling issues are more prevalent among phone users, suggesting a need for better optimization for smaller screens.
  • Strong Demand for Expansions: There's a significant demand for the Uprising version and other expansions, indicating a willingness to invest further in the game.
  • Negative Sentiment Towards DLC Pricing: The pricing of the DLC for online play is a point of contention, suggesting a need to re-evaluate the pricing model.

Conclusion

Dune: Imperium Digital is a successful adaptation of a beloved board game, but it's currently held back by technical issues and missing features. Addressing the prioritized action recommendations, particularly the UI scaling and bug fixes, will significantly improve the user experience and unlock the app's full potential. Releasing the Uprising expansion and re-evaluating the DLC pricing model are also crucial for long-term success. Overall, the app shows great promise and has a strong foundation for continued growth and improvement.

Original App Link

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.direwolfdigital.dune