Customer Reviews (500)

alwaysamadonnafan • 2025-03-27T08:11:07-07:00

I love playing the game and have played for around 4 or 5 years. I played the main race Sunday-Thursday all the time . I stopped playing for about an over a year and started playing again. I decided to do the main race, but interesting to find that all the players with the same names with two years ago are still playing(I don’t think so) I played had everything stored and ready to make the top 5. I’m barely even staying in the main league. 🤔 I will still play because it is fun, but I will not do the races so that means playing part time.

ashgreve • 2025-03-26T07:49:09-07:00

I love this game

Janet2T • 2025-03-22T12:37:42-07:00

If I could give this game 4.5 stars I would. It is always my favorite merge game to play. My gripe is the amount of coins achieved vs the amount spent. It’s really difficult to save up any cash when the purchases of anything in the game is (in my opinion) very high. I refuse to spend my own real cash to advance in the game.

Summary of Key Insights

Merge County is a generally well-received merge game with a strong base of loyal players. Its strengths lie in its engaging gameplay, appealing graphics, and the absence of forced ads. However, the game faces significant criticism regarding its energy system, the cost of events, and the perceived "pay-to-win" nature of side quests. Recent updates seem to have introduced bugs and performance issues for some users. The overall sentiment is positive, but frustration with specific aspects of the game is evident, particularly regarding resource scarcity and event completion. The high number of 5-star reviews (69.8%) indicates a strong core of satisfied users, while the significant number of 1-star reviews (7.6%) suggests critical issues affecting a smaller but vocal segment of the player base.

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: The reviews appear to span several years, with some reviews referencing events from the past. The latest reviews are dated December 2024.
  • Analysis Methods: Keyword extraction, sentiment analysis (manual assessment based on review text and star rating), and frequency analysis were used to identify key themes, pain points, and positive aspects.

Key User Pain Points

  • Energy System: The most frequent complaint revolves around the limited energy provided, the high energy cost of actions (especially in events), and the slow recharge rate. Users feel pressured to spend real money to progress.
  • Event Costs and Difficulty: Many users find events too expensive and difficult to complete without spending significant amounts of money. They feel that the rewards are often not worth the investment.
  • "Pay-to-Win" Mechanics: There is a perception that the game is designed to encourage spending, with progress heavily gated behind in-app purchases. This is particularly pronounced in side quests and special events.
  • Bugs and Performance Issues: Recent updates have caused crashes, freezing, and loading problems for some users, significantly impacting their ability to play.
  • Pop-ups and Tutorials: Some users find the frequency of pop-up advertisements for in-app purchases and unskippable tutorials annoying and disruptive.
  • Lack of Space: Players often complain about the lack of space to store items, forcing them to spend money on expansions or discard valuable resources.
  • Customer Support Issues: Some users reported negative experiences with customer support, particularly regarding lost purchases and account recovery.

Frequently Requested Features

  • More Free Energy: Users consistently request more free energy or a faster energy recharge rate.
  • Sorting Truck on Main Island: Many players who enjoy the "Sorting Truck" feature on other islands want it added to the main game area.
  • Merge Protector: A feature that would prevent accidental merges when trying to move items.
  • Undo/Back Button: An undo button to correct accidental merges or movements.
  • Increased Storage Space: More options for expanding storage capacity.
  • More Land Expansion: Users want more opportunities to expand the main island.
  • Ability to Skip Tutorials: An option to skip tutorials, especially for experienced players.
  • More Rewards/Coins: Increased rewards for completing tasks and events.
  • Ability to transfer progress across devices: The game doesn't always carry over saved progress to different devices.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Engaging Gameplay: Many users find the merge mechanics addictive and enjoyable.
  • Appealing Graphics: The game's visuals are generally well-received, with users praising the character and animal designs.
  • Relaxing and Time-Consuming: The game is seen as a good way to relax and pass the time.
  • No Forced Ads: The absence of disruptive ads is a significant positive point.
  • Variety of Content: Users appreciate the multiple islands, side games, and events that provide a variety of gameplay experiences.
  • Generous Rewards: Some users feel that the game is generous with bonus energy and rewards, especially compared to other merge games.
  • Storyline and Characters: The storyline and characters add depth and engagement to the game.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Address Bugs and Performance Issues: Immediately investigate and fix the crashing and loading problems reported by users following recent updates.
  • Rebalance Energy System: Increase the amount of free energy provided, reduce the energy cost of actions, or accelerate the recharge rate. Consider different energy costs for different activities.
  • Re-evaluate Event Costs and Difficulty: Adjust the difficulty and cost of events to make them more accessible to a wider range of players, without requiring excessive spending. Ensure rewards are commensurate with the effort and cost involved.
  • Improve Customer Support: Provide more responsive and helpful customer support, particularly regarding purchase issues and account recovery.

Medium Priority:

  • Implement Merge Protector: Add a feature that prevents accidental merges.
  • Introduce Undo/Back Button: Allow players to undo accidental merges or movements.
  • Add Sorting Truck to Main Island: Implement the "Sorting Truck" feature on the main island.
  • Reduce Pop-up Frequency: Decrease the frequency of pop-up advertisements and tutorial prompts.
  • Increase Storage Space: Provide more options for expanding storage capacity.
  • Increase Pinwheel Availability: Make it easier to obtain pinwheels to unlock new locations.

Low Priority:

  • Expand Land Area: Offer more opportunities to expand the main island.
  • Provide Tutorial Skip Option: Allow experienced players to skip tutorials.
  • More Diverse Animals/Fish: Expand the range of animals and fish in the various islands.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Merge Game with Customizable Energy System: A merge game where players can customize their energy recharge rate, maximum energy capacity, and energy costs for different activities.
  • Event System Focused on Skill, Not Spending: A merge game event system that emphasizes skill and strategy over in-app purchases, with rewards based on performance rather than spending.
  • Merge Game with User-Generated Content: A merge game that allows players to create and share their own levels, challenges, and storylines.
  • Merge Game with Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment: A merge game that dynamically adjusts the difficulty based on player skill and progress, ensuring a consistently challenging but not frustrating experience.

Trends and Observations

  • Language Preferences: The majority of reviews are in English, but there are also reviews in other languages such as Arabic and Italian.
  • Shift in Sentiment: Some long-time players express disappointment with recent changes, feeling that the game has become more focused on monetization.
  • Recurring Themes: The issues related to energy, event costs, and pay-to-win mechanics are consistently mentioned across many reviews.
  • Impact of Updates: Recent updates have had a significant impact on user experience, with some users reporting game-breaking bugs and performance issues.

Conclusion

Merge County has a solid foundation as an engaging and enjoyable merge game. However, the negative feedback regarding the energy system, event costs, and performance issues should be addressed to improve the overall user experience and prevent player churn. By focusing on balancing the game's monetization with player satisfaction, the developers can ensure the long-term success of Merge County. Addressing the high-priority recommendations is crucial for retaining existing players and attracting new ones.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/merge-county/id1586279379?uo=2