Customer Reviews (100)

Louis Murphy • 2025-03-25T07:02:21.249Z

fantastic

Ikram khan • 2025-03-25T06:48:34.909Z

hi big game

Daniel Berner (Garro) • 2025-03-25T05:22:50.407Z

It's a little fun game with little gameplay where you roll dices, see your numbers grow and explore different tabletops. The low rating is mainly due to how aggressive the monetisation is in this game. You spend a whole minute after opening the game just closing ads and event notices designed to make you pay. Out of dice to roll? You will get 3 pop ups to make you pay or watch ads every single time. Even during gameplay you sometimes get interrupted.

Summary of Key Insights

Board Kings is a generally well-received mobile board game, often compared to a modernized Monopoly. Its strengths lie in its engaging gameplay, fun mini-games, and appealing graphics. However, aggressive monetization, frequent crashes, and issues with advertisements are significant pain points. Many users enjoy the core gameplay loop, but these technical and economic aspects detract from the overall experience. The sentiment is generally positive, reflected in the high percentage of 5-star reviews, but the negative reviews point to critical issues that need addressing.

Overall Rating: High (based on review scores), but with significant caveats.

Score Distribution:

  • 5-star: 72%
  • 4-star: 10%
  • 3-star: 1%
  • 2-star: 6%
  • 1-star: 11%

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 the reviews.
  • Analysis Methods: Sentiment analysis (qualitative assessment of positive, negative, and neutral opinions), keyword extraction (identifying frequently mentioned terms and issues), and thematic analysis (grouping reviews based on recurring themes).

Key User Pain Points

  • Aggressive Monetization: The most significant pain point. Users complain about excessive ads, frequent pop-ups prompting purchases, and a feeling that the game is "pay-to-win." This negatively impacts the gameplay experience and creates frustration.
  • Crashes and Bugs: Several users report frequent crashes, freezing, and loading issues, hindering their ability to play the game.
  • Advertisement Issues: Problems with ads, especially Temu ads, are frequently cited. These ads often fail to load, kick users out of the game, or redirect to the app store regardless of where the user taps. This further compounds the frustration caused by monetization.
  • Customer Service Issues: One user reported a lack of response from customer service regarding an in-app purchase issue.
  • Gameplay Changes: One user expressed frustration with changes to the building and upgrading mechanics, finding them less intuitive.
  • Revenge Mechanic: One user found the revenge mechanic to be excessive and wished for limits.
  • Game Rigging: One user claims the game is rigged.
  • Inability to collect bonuses due to ads.

Frequently Requested Features

  • More Free Dice/Coins: While not explicitly requested as a "feature," the underlying sentiment suggests a desire for a less aggressive monetization strategy, implying a need for more ways to earn in-game currency without spending real money.
  • Fixing Advertisement Issues: Users implicitly request that the developers address the issues with advertisements that cause crashes or kick them out of the game.
  • More Stickers: Some players want it to be easier to complete sticker albums.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Engaging Gameplay: Many users describe the game as fun, addictive, and engaging, comparing it favorably to a modernized Monopoly.
  • Mini-Games: The inclusion of various mini-games is a popular feature, providing variety and additional opportunities to earn rewards.
  • Appealing Graphics: Users praise the game's 3D art style and animations.
  • Social Interaction: The ability to play with friends and family is a significant draw.
  • Constant Updates: The daily events and competitions are appreciated by many.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Address Advertisement Issues: Fix the bugs and glitches related to advertisements, especially those that cause crashes or prevent users from claiming rewards. This is a critical issue affecting many players.
  • Re-evaluate Monetization Strategy: Reduce the frequency of pop-up ads and in-app purchase prompts. Explore alternative monetization methods that are less intrusive and don't negatively impact the gameplay experience.
  • Fix Crashes and Bugs: Investigate and resolve the reported crashes and loading issues to improve the game's stability and reliability.

Medium Priority:

  • Improve Customer Service: Ensure timely and helpful responses to user inquiries, especially those related to in-app purchases.
  • Re-evaluate Recent Gameplay Changes: If the changes to building and upgrading mechanics are negatively impacting the user experience, consider reverting to the previous system or offering alternative control schemes.
  • Balance Revenge Mechanic: Consider implementing limits to the revenge mechanic to prevent excessive harassment and frustration.

Low Priority:

  • Address sticker collection issues
  • More Free Content: Increase the availability of free dice and coins to reduce the reliance on in-app purchases.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Fair Monetization SDK: Develop an SDK for mobile game developers that provides alternative monetization strategies that are less intrusive and more user-friendly. This SDK could offer features like dynamic pricing, personalized offers, and non-intrusive ad formats.
  • Mobile Game Testing Service: Create a service that provides thorough testing of mobile games across various devices and network conditions to identify and resolve crashes and bugs before release.
  • AI-Powered Ad Filtering: Develop an AI-powered ad filtering solution that can automatically identify and block problematic ads (e.g., those that cause crashes, redirect to unwanted pages) to improve the user experience.

Trends and Observations

  • Language Preference: The majority of reviews are in English, but there are some reviews in other languages, indicating a global player base.
  • Sentiment Shift: Some users who have played the game for a long time express frustration with recent changes to the monetization strategy, suggesting a shift from a positive to a negative sentiment over time.
  • Recurring Temu Ad Complaints: The consistent complaints about Temu ads suggest a specific issue with this advertiser that needs to be addressed.

Conclusion

Board Kings has a solid foundation with its engaging gameplay, appealing graphics, and social features. However, its aggressive monetization strategy, frequent crashes, and advertisement issues are significant drawbacks that negatively impact the user experience. Addressing these pain points is crucial to retaining existing players and attracting new ones. By prioritizing the recommended actions, Playtika can improve the game's overall quality and ensure its long-term success.

Overall Recommendation: The game has potential but needs significant improvements to address monetization and technical issues.

Original App Link

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jellybtn.boardkings