Customer Reviews (500)

GCHStella • 2025-03-27T21:53:43-07:00

Note, I sound like I’m complaining, I’m not, just stating observations. I play the game every day so obviously the nuances aren’t annoying enough to quit. Would be nice if you could sort / filter on incomplete tasks. Need means of scrolling to end of scenes - all the way to the right / left. Paging screens is annoying Shouldn’t lose energy in your balance when you hit a next level. I understand you want to make money, but c’mon. Difficult to earn crystals. Tried talismen, but they don't seem to make a noticeable difference.

indogamer1 • 2025-03-24T14:23:58-07:00

I was playing the game like normal but then i must have done something because every time i open the game im forced to tap on the medal box because of a tutorial, but every time i do i get two messages at once. One for a mission to get a book from the throne room level, and another to get 200 medals to open a box on top of it. The problem is that i cant close either one. I tried to close out the game and go back in. But im basically softlocked to tap the box and repeat. Please help

Mefrancene • 2025-03-18T05:57:58-07:00

I have been playing this game for years, but honestly the constant ads are taking the fun out of this game now. Is there an add free option to buy? The constant promoting of other games and to buy stuff is really out of hand and ruining the flow of a great game.

Summary of Key Insights

  • The Secret Society: Mystery enjoys a generally positive sentiment, with a strong base of long-term players. The game's challenging puzzles, beautiful graphics, and engaging storyline are frequently praised. However, several recurring issues detract from the user experience, including excessive ads, difficulty in obtaining certain items, game crashes/freezing, and concerns about in-app purchase pressure. The game is perceived as becoming more difficult over time, leading to frustration for some players. Many users feel that the game is designed to push in-app purchases.

  • Key Strengths: Engaging gameplay, beautiful graphics, regular updates, variety of puzzles and themes, strong community.

  • Key Weaknesses: Excessive ads, difficulty obtaining items, game crashes/freezing, pressure to make in-app purchases, unclear mechanics, lack of zoom, difficulty to find items in dark scenes.

  • Overall Sentiment: Positive, but with significant reservations.

  • Overall Rating: Approximately 4.3 stars (weighted average based on review distribution).

  • Score Distribution: 5-star: 67.4%, 4-star: 19%, 3-star: 6.6%, 2-star: 2.2%, 1-star: 4.8%.

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews.
  • Time Frame: The reviews do not have timestamps, so the time frame is not available. However, many reviews mention playing for "years," suggesting a long-term perspective.
  • Analysis Methods: Manual review and thematic analysis were used to identify recurring themes, sentiments, and feature requests. Sentiment analysis was used to determine positive, negative, and neutral opinions. Keyword extraction was used to identify frequently mentioned issues and desired features.

Key User Pain Points

  • Excessive Ads: Many users complain about the frequency and intrusiveness of ads, both for other G5 games and for in-app purchases. This significantly disrupts gameplay flow.
  • Difficulty Obtaining Items: Users frequently express frustration with the difficulty in acquiring specific items needed for collections, quests, and events. This is often perceived as a deliberate tactic to encourage in-app purchases.
  • Game Crashes and Freezing: Technical issues like game crashes, freezing, and slow loading times are a recurring problem, especially after updates.
  • In-App Purchase Pressure: Many users feel the game is designed to push in-app purchases, making it difficult to progress without spending money. This includes high costs for energy, crystals, and necessary items.
  • Lack of Zoom: Several users noted that the inability to zoom makes it more difficult to find items.
  • Difficulty in Dark Scenes: Finding objects is difficult in dark scenes.
  • Unclear Game Mechanics: New players, and even long-term players, express confusion about game mechanics, levels, collections, and tools. A better tutorial system is needed.
  • Gifting Issues: Problems with gifting friends, including limited daily gifts, inability to see how many gifts you have, and slow gifting process are common complaints.
  • Customer Support Issues: Some users report poor or unresponsive customer support, especially regarding technical problems.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Sorting/Filtering Options: Ability to sort/filter incomplete tasks and collections.
  • Improved Gifting System: Easier gifting, including seeing how many of each item you have and the ability to filter friends.
  • Ability to Zoom: Allowing players to zoom in on scenes to find smaller objects.
  • Option to Return to Last Scene Played: Instead of returning to the initial screen each time.
  • More Ways to Earn Crystals: Users want more opportunities to earn crystals without having to purchase them.
  • Ad-Free Option: A paid option to remove ads.
  • Cloud Sync: Syncing progress across multiple devices.
  • Option to Skip Certain Puzzle Types: Users are tired of the gem match puzzle.
  • Option to See Where Missed Items Were: After a scene is complete.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Engaging Gameplay: The hidden object puzzles are challenging and fun, keeping players entertained for extended periods.
  • Beautiful Graphics: The game's artwork and visuals are consistently praised for their quality and detail.
  • Regular Updates: Frequent updates with new scenes, quests, and events keep the game fresh and interesting.
  • Variety of Puzzles and Themes: The game offers a diverse range of puzzles and themes, preventing monotony.
  • Strong Community: Players appreciate the social aspect of the game, including the ability to interact with friends and help each other.
  • Addictive Nature: Many users describe the game as addictive, indicating its ability to capture and hold their attention.
  • Mental Stimulation: Many players find the game to be mentally stimulating, helping to improve memory and observation skills.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Reduce Ad Frequency and Intrusiveness: Implement less disruptive ad formats or offer a paid ad-free option.
  • Address Game Crashes and Freezing: Prioritize bug fixes and performance optimizations to improve stability.
  • Rebalance Item Acquisition: Adjust drop rates for key items to reduce frustration and the perceived need for in-app purchases.
  • Improve Customer Support: Provide faster and more effective support channels for technical issues and other inquiries.
  • Add Zoom Functionality: Implement a zoom feature to aid in finding small or well-hidden objects.

Medium Priority:

  • Enhance Tutorial System: Develop a more comprehensive tutorial to explain game mechanics and features.
  • Revamp Gifting System: Improve the gifting interface, allowing users to see item counts and filter friends.
  • Introduce More Ways to Earn Crystals: Offer more in-game opportunities to earn crystals without spending money.
  • Address Difficulty Spikes: Rebalance the difficulty curve to prevent frustrating spikes, especially in later levels.
  • Implement Cloud Sync: Allow users to sync their progress across multiple devices.

Low Priority:

  • Add Option to Skip Certain Puzzle Types: Provide an option to skip or customize puzzle preferences.
  • Implement an Item Trade System: Introduce a system where players can trade duplicate items with each other.
  • Add Option to See Missed Items: Reveal the location of missed items after a scene is complete.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Hidden Object Game with Fair Monetization: A hidden object game that prioritizes player experience over aggressive monetization, offering a balanced and rewarding gameplay loop.
  • Community-Driven Hidden Object Game: A platform where players can create and share their own hidden object scenes, fostering a vibrant and collaborative community.
  • Educational Hidden Object Game: A game that combines hidden object puzzles with educational content, such as history, geography, or vocabulary.
  • Subscription-Based Hidden Object Game: A hidden object game with a subscription model that provides access to all content, removes ads, and offers exclusive benefits.
  • AI-Powered Hidden Object Assistance: An app or tool that uses AI to help players find hidden objects, either by providing hints or automatically highlighting them.

Trends and Observations

  • Long-Term Player Base: Many users have been playing the game for years, indicating strong loyalty.
  • Frustration with Monetization: There's a growing trend of frustration with the game's monetization strategies.
  • Technical Issues Impact Sentiment: Technical issues significantly impact user sentiment, leading to lower ratings and negative reviews.
  • Desire for More Social Interaction: Players appreciate the social aspects of the game but want more ways to interact with friends.
  • Language Preferences: While the game supports multiple languages, the majority of reviews are in English, suggesting a primarily English-speaking player base.

Conclusion

The Secret Society: Mystery has a strong foundation with its engaging gameplay, beautiful graphics, and loyal player base. However, the game's monetization strategies and technical issues are detracting from the user experience. By addressing these issues and prioritizing player satisfaction, G5 Entertainment can further enhance the game's appeal and retain its long-term players. A shift towards fairer monetization and improved stability would significantly boost the game's overall rating and user sentiment.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-secret-society-mystery/id542180079?uo=2