Customer Reviews (130)

Kyle Baliger • 2025-03-22T20:34:37-07:00

Dev, the game is fun and addictive. I like it a lot. Please fix the bug where all my items keep disappearing.

Mskshsvak • 2025-03-20T10:04:45-07:00

I paid for this ultimate version, I’ve paid for gems. 2 times now I go to load my saved progress and I’m where I left off but with none of my gear! It took me days and millions of gold and gems! Edit: 3 times. 3 times now this has happened

牛有仙 • 2025-03-16T04:11:51-07:00

Please Chinese

Summary of Key Insights

Pocket Rogues: Ultimate is generally well-received as a fun and addictive dungeon crawler with a retro feel. Users appreciate the depth, replayability, and active developer support. However, significant bugs, particularly regarding lost progress and item disappearance, are major pain points. There is also a strong demand for a Chinese language option and improvements to controller support. While the core gameplay loop is praised, concerns about balance, grind, and occasional crashes need addressing. Overall sentiment is positive, but addressing the critical bugs is essential for maintaining a good reputation. The game boasts a 4.49 overall rating. The score distribution is heavily skewed towards positive reviews, with 60.77% of reviewers giving it a 5-star rating.

Key Strengths:

  • Addictive gameplay loop and replayability.
  • Variety of hero classes and dungeons.
  • Active developer support and regular updates.
  • Retro/Diablo-esque feel.
  • Good value for the price.

Key Weaknesses:

  • Game-breaking bugs that cause loss of progress and items.
  • Lack of Chinese language support.
  • Controller support issues.
  • Balance issues (difficulty spikes, overpowered builds).
  • Grindy gameplay.
  • Occasional crashes.
  • UI and control issues.

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 130 reviews
  • Time Frame: Reviews span an undefined period, but the presence of specific version numbers and mentions of updates suggest a recent timeframe (likely within the last few months).
  • Analysis Methods:
    • Sentiment Analysis: Manually assessed based on review text.
    • Keyword Extraction: Identified frequent terms and phrases related to bugs, features, and opinions.
    • Thematic Analysis: Grouped reviews based on common themes (e.g., gameplay, bugs, feature requests).

Key User Pain Points

  • Lost Progress/Item Disappearance: This is the most critical issue, with multiple users reporting that their progress, gold, gems, and/or equipped items disappear upon loading saved games or entering new floors. This severely impacts the user experience and can lead to frustration.
  • Bugs: Various bugs are reported, including porcupine visual glitches, running button unchecking, joystick freezing, attack speed reverting to 0%, enemy locking button not working, and sound bugs.
  • Crashes: Frequent crashes can lead to lost items and progress, further exacerbating the frustration of losing progress.
  • Controller Support Issues: Users report problems with controller support, particularly the inability to sprint using an Xbox controller.
  • Grindy Gameplay: Some users find the game too grindy, especially in the early game.
  • Balance Issues: Some users feel the game is designed to incentivize gem purchases, with bosses being difficult to defeat without grinding stats. Others report becoming overpowered later in the game, reducing the challenge.
  • In-App Purchase (IAP) Issues: Some users reported problems purchasing gems or potions. Others dislike the consumable nature of IAP items in a paid game.
  • Lack of Chinese Language Support: A significant number of users requested Chinese language support.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Chinese Language Support: This is a highly requested feature.
  • Improved Controller Support: Specifically, fixing sprinting issues with Xbox controllers.
  • More Bosses: Users desire a larger variety of bosses to reduce repetition.
  • More Weapons and Armor: Users want more variety in equipment.
  • Dual Classing: Allowing players to combine abilities from two classes.
  • Quick Match System: A system to easily find other players for multiplayer dungeons.
  • Daily Quest Timer: A timer to track daily quest availability.
  • Pet Improvements: Allow pets to pick up gold and maintain levels across classes.
  • Dialogue for Creatures and Pets: Adding dialogue would improve immersion.
  • One-Handed Playability on Mobile: Optimizing the game for one-handed play.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Addictive Gameplay: Many users describe the game as addictive and fun.
  • Replayability: Procedurally generated dungeons and a variety of classes provide high replayability.
  • Retro Feel: The game is reminiscent of classic dungeon crawlers like Diablo and Baldur's Gate.
  • Active Developer Support: Users appreciate the active developer and regular updates.
  • Depth and Complexity: The game offers a surprising amount of depth and complexity for a mobile title.
  • Good Value: Users feel the game is worth the price.
  • Offline Play: The ability to play offline is a major plus for many users.
  • No Ads: The absence of ads is appreciated.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Fix Game-Breaking Bugs (Lost Progress/Items): This is the most critical issue and needs immediate attention. Implement robust saving and loading mechanisms and thoroughly test for data loss scenarios.
  • Address Controller Support Issues: Resolve the sprinting problem with Xbox controllers and ensure full controller compatibility.
  • Implement Chinese Language Support: Given the frequent requests, adding Chinese language support is a high priority.

Medium Priority:

  • Balance Gameplay: Adjust difficulty spikes, address overpowered builds, and refine the early game grind.
  • Improve UI/UX: Address control issues (e.g., dash lag) and UI clutter.
  • Fix Crashes: Identify and resolve the causes of frequent crashes.
  • Address IAP Issues: Resolve issues with purchasing gems/potions. Consider alternative IAP models that are less intrusive in a paid game.

Low Priority:

  • Add More Content: Introduce more bosses, weapons, and armor.
  • Implement Feature Requests: Consider adding dual classing, a quick match system, pet improvements, and dialogue for creatures/pets based on feasibility and impact.
  • Improve Visual Consistency: Address the inconsistencies in graphics resolution.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Roguelike Game with Robust Cloud Saving: A roguelike game that prioritizes reliable cloud saving and account management to prevent data loss.
  • Mobile RPG with Customizable Controller Mapping: A mobile RPG that offers extensive controller customization options, including button mapping and sensitivity adjustments.
  • Localization-as-a-Service for Indie Game Developers: A service that helps indie game developers easily localize their games into multiple languages, including Chinese.
  • AI-Powered Game Balancing Tool: A tool that uses AI to analyze gameplay data and suggest balance adjustments to game developers.

Trends and Observations

  • Language Preference: A significant portion of the user base desires Chinese language support, indicating a potential market expansion opportunity.
  • Bug Reporting: Many reviews are focused on reporting specific bugs, suggesting a need for a more effective bug reporting mechanism within the app.
  • Positive Sentiment Despite Issues: Despite the presence of bugs, many users still rate the game highly, indicating a strong underlying appreciation for the core gameplay.
  • Controller Support is Important: Several users specifically mention controller support, indicating it's a valued feature for a segment of the player base.

Conclusion

Pocket Rogues: Ultimate has a strong foundation as an enjoyable and addictive roguelike RPG. However, critical bugs that lead to lost progress are significantly damaging the user experience and need to be addressed immediately. Adding Chinese language support and improving controller compatibility would further enhance the game's appeal. By prioritizing bug fixes and addressing key user requests, the developer can solidify Pocket Rogues: Ultimate as a top-tier mobile RPG. Overall, the game is recommended, but with a strong caveat regarding the known bugs.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pocket-rogues-ultimate/id1316150324?uo=2