Customer Reviews (500)

beijaflor65 • 2025-03-28T08:02:54-07:00

Love the game ,it’s exciting!

Quickening • 2025-03-15T08:42:05-07:00

When a game reaches the point where it’s impossible to pass any level without being forced to rely solely on boosters, it’s time to delete the game and find something else to play. There are way too many options to let greedy corporations force players to purchase boosters just so they can advance levels and finish quests. Bad form. 👎🏻

Di Paul • 2025-03-13T07:16:28-07:00

What do I do in this screen?

Summary of Key Insights

Jewels of Rome is a generally well-received match-3 game with a city-building component, praised for its engaging gameplay, beautiful graphics, and challenging levels. However, several recurring issues significantly detract from the user experience. The most prominent complaints revolve around forced in-app purchases, frequent game crashes and freezes (especially after updates), delayed updates on iOS (particularly iPad), and problems with the social features. Many users also express frustration with the lack of clear instructions for certain game elements and a perceived imbalance in the difficulty curve, forcing reliance on boosters. While the game is addicting and entertaining for many, these problems create considerable dissatisfaction. The overall sentiment is positive, but the negative reviews highlight critical areas that need immediate attention to maintain and improve the game's reputation.

Quantitative Metrics:

  • Overall Rating: Based on the score distribution, the overall rating is approximately 4.3 stars (weighted average).
  • Score Distribution:
    • 5-star: 64.4%
    • 4-star: 18%
    • 3-star: 5.6%
    • 2-star: 2.2%
    • 1-star: 9.8%

Key Strengths:

  • Engaging gameplay combining match-3 and city-building.
  • Beautiful graphics and immersive Roman theme.
  • Challenging and varied levels.
  • Absence of intrusive ads (for some users).

Key Weaknesses:

  • Aggressive monetization tactics pushing in-app purchases.
  • Frequent crashes, freezes, and loading issues, especially after updates.
  • Delayed updates on iOS devices, causing social feature problems and event access issues.
  • Lack of clear instructions and explanations for game elements.
  • Difficulty spikes forcing booster purchases.

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews.
  • Time Frame: The reviews span from at least 2022 to January 2025, with a high concentration in the more recent months.
  • Analysis Methods:
    • Sentiment analysis was performed to gauge overall user sentiment.
    • Keyword extraction was used to identify frequently mentioned issues, features, and opinions.
    • Reviews were manually categorized to identify recurring themes and patterns.

Key User Pain Points

  • Crashes and Freezes: Many users report the game crashing or freezing, particularly after updates. This leads to lost progress, frustration, and an inability to play.
  • Forced In-App Purchases: Users feel pressured to spend real money on boosters to progress through levels, describing the game as "pay-to-win".
  • Delayed iOS Updates: iPad users especially report significant delays in receiving updates compared to other platforms. This prevents them from participating in events and interacting with friends.
  • Lack of Clear Instructions: Several users express confusion about game mechanics, symbols, and icons, hindering their enjoyment.
  • Update Issues: Users are frequently prompted to update the game, but no update is available in the App Store, preventing them from playing events.
  • Lost Progress: Some users report losing all their progress after updates, which is a major source of frustration.
  • Unfair Gameplay: Some users feel the game is rigged to make them lose by one move, pushing them to buy extra moves.
  • Customer Support Issues: Some users report slow or unhelpful customer support, especially regarding purchase issues.
  • Technical Issues: Some users reported issues with the game failing to load or open.
  • Missing in-app purchases: Some users report purchasing crystals or other items and not receiving them in-game.

Frequently Requested Features

  • More Ways to Earn Free Rubies/Crystals: Users want more opportunities to earn premium currency without spending real money, such as through watching ads or completing tasks.
  • Option to Turn Off Hints: Some users find the in-game hints annoying and want the ability to disable them.
  • Better Explanations/Tutorials: Users request clearer instructions and explanations for game elements, rewards, and strategies.
  • Ability to Use Coins to Buy Rubies: Users have accumulated large amounts of coins and want to use them to purchase premium currency.
  • Quicker Energy Recharge: Users want the energy system to recharge faster or be less restrictive.
  • More Balanced Difficulty Curve: Users want a more gradual increase in difficulty to avoid feeling forced to purchase boosters.
  • Consistent Updates Across Platforms: Users want updates to be released simultaneously on all platforms to ensure fair gameplay and social interaction.
  • Cloud Save/Account Transfer: Users want the ability to transfer their game progress between devices.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Engaging Gameplay: The combination of match-3 and city-building is praised as addictive and entertaining.
  • Beautiful Graphics: Users consistently compliment the game's visually appealing graphics and immersive Roman theme.
  • Challenging Levels: Many users enjoy the challenging nature of the puzzles and the need for strategic thinking.
  • Variety of Content: The game offers a variety of levels, events, and storylines, keeping players engaged.
  • Relaxing and Fun: Many users find the game relaxing and a good way to pass the time.
  • Learning Experience: Some users appreciate the historical elements and the inclusion of Latin phrases.
  • No Ads (for some users): Some users appreciate the lack of intrusive ads.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Address Crashes and Freezes: Investigate and fix the root causes of frequent crashes and freezes, particularly after updates. Implement thorough testing procedures before releasing new versions.
  • Improve Update Process: Ensure that updates are released simultaneously on all platforms, especially iOS (iPad), to avoid social feature and event access issues.
  • Re-evaluate Monetization Strategy: Reduce the perceived pressure to spend real money on boosters. Offer more opportunities to earn premium currency for free and balance the difficulty curve.
  • Enhance Customer Support: Improve response times and provide more effective solutions to user issues, especially regarding purchase problems.

Medium Priority:

  • Provide Clearer Instructions: Develop comprehensive tutorials and in-game explanations for all game elements, symbols, and rewards.
  • Implement Coin Usage: Allow players to use accumulated coins to purchase rubies or other valuable items.
  • Optimize Energy System: Reduce the recharge time or increase the maximum energy capacity.
  • Improve Social Features: Fix issues with visiting friends and gifting.

Low Priority:

  • Implement an Option to Turn Off Hints: Add a setting to disable in-game hints for experienced players.
  • Add More Language Support: Consider adding additional language options based on user demand.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • A Match-3 Game with Truly Fair Monetization: A match-3 game that focuses on skill and strategy rather than forced in-app purchases.
  • A Mobile Game Update Management Platform: A platform that helps game developers ensure consistent and timely updates across all mobile platforms, minimizing fragmentation.
  • A Game Tutorial Creation and Management Tool: A tool that allows game developers to easily create and manage interactive tutorials that adapt to individual player needs.
  • A Platform for Rewarding Engagement in Free-to-Play Games: A system that rewards players for consistent gameplay and skill, rather than solely relying on in-app purchases.
  • A customer support platform specializing in mobile games: A platform designed to handle the unique challenges of mobile game support, with features like in-game ticket submission, progress tracking, and purchase verification.

Trends and Observations

  • Update Issues are Recurring: Complaints about delayed or problematic updates are a consistent theme, indicating a persistent problem in the development and release process.
  • "Pay-to-Win" Perception is Strong: Many users feel that the game is designed to force them to spend money to progress, which is a major source of dissatisfaction.
  • iPad Users are Disproportionately Affected: iPad users frequently report delayed updates and compatibility issues, suggesting a need for platform-specific optimization.
  • Positive Sentiment Despite Issues: Despite the numerous complaints, many users still enjoy the game and find it engaging, indicating a strong core gameplay loop.

Conclusion

Jewels of Rome has a solid foundation with its engaging gameplay, beautiful graphics, and challenging levels. However, the recurring issues with crashes, updates, and monetization are significantly impacting the user experience. By addressing these problems with a focus on technical stability, fair monetization, and improved communication, G5 Entertainment can significantly improve user satisfaction and retain its player base. Prioritizing the high-priority action recommendations is crucial for the long-term success of the game.

Overall Recommendation: Address the technical issues and monetization concerns immediately. These are causing significant frustration and negatively impacting the game's reputation. Focus on providing a fair and enjoyable experience for all players, regardless of their willingness to spend money.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/jewels-of-rome-match-3-empires/id1436038639?uo=2