Customer Reviews (500)

James McHennesy • 2025-03-28T14:50:58-07:00

TL;DR: Ads are shown to keep it free but they announce when they’re coming. Gameplay entertaining, cute, but $10 for ad-free is a no for me. True to the ad gameplay, you do, indeed, travel in a changing formation around a track collecting stones to sell and upgrade your train. Personally I enjoyed myself; the little train toot each time you upgrade speed amused me. The gameplay is simple and entertaining, and to their benefit they *do* tell you “An ad will play in x seconds”. Like the other reviews state they happen quite often, and sure it’s to keep the game free, but I personally wouldn’t spend $10 to go ad-free regardless of game. Especially with their being only four islands, then what?

My nickname is sealow • 2025-03-28T10:42:56-07:00

If it did not cost 10$ to remove adds that you are forced to watch every 2 mins it could be fun.

I like doggy/puppy • 2025-03-28T05:12:17-07:00

This game is fun and relaxing but there’s just way to many ads, I’d get one at least every minute.

Summary of Key Insights

  • The app "Train Miner: Idle Railway Game" suffers from overwhelmingly negative feedback due to excessive and intrusive advertising. While users find the core gameplay loop to be enjoyable and relaxing, the frequency of ads, often occurring every 30-60 seconds, renders the game almost unplayable for many. The high cost of ad removal ($9.99) is also a major point of contention. There are also reports of game crashing and loss of progress, further exacerbating the negative user experience. The overall sentiment is very negative, with the vast majority of reviews being 1-star ratings directly related to the ad problem. The score distribution shows a clear skew towards negativity.
  • Strengths: Simple, relaxing gameplay, engaging graphics, and a concept that aligns with advertised features.
  • Weaknesses: Excessive ads, high cost of ad removal, game crashes, and potential for inappropriate ads being displayed.

Overall Rating: Low, primarily driven down by advertising issues.

Score Distribution:

  • 1-star: 58.6% (293/500)
  • 2-star: 15.6% (78/500)
  • 3-star: 9.4% (47/500)
  • 4-star: 6.2% (31/500)
  • 5-star: 10.2% (51/500)

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: Not explicitly stated, but based on the version number (2.14.9) and general review content, the reviews likely span a significant portion of the app's lifetime.
  • Analysis Methods:
    • Sentiment Analysis: Implicitly performed by observing the star ratings and review text to gauge overall sentiment (positive, negative, neutral).
    • Keyword Extraction: Manually identified recurring keywords and phrases in the reviews to determine common themes and pain points (e.g., "ads," "too many ads," "every minute," "$10," "crashing").
    • Frequency Analysis: Counted the occurrences of specific issues and requests to prioritize them.

Key User Pain Points

  • Excessive Advertising: The most significant and frequently mentioned issue. Users report ads appearing every 30-60 seconds, making the game unplayable.
    • Impact: Frustration, annoyance, feeling of being pressured to pay, uninstalled game.
  • High Cost of Ad Removal: The $9.99 price tag for removing ads is perceived as too expensive for a simple mobile game.
    • Impact: Resentment towards the developer, unwillingness to pay, uninstalled game.
  • Game Crashing and Loss of Progress: Several users reported that the game crashes, particularly when nearing the completion of a level, resulting in loss of progress and wasted tickets.
    • Impact: Frustration, discouragement, unwillingness to spend money, uninstalled game.
  • Inappropriate Ads: Some users reported encountering sexually explicit or otherwise inappropriate ads, raising concerns about the game's suitability for children.
    • Impact: Safety concerns, distrust of the developer, uninstalled game.
  • Forced Internet Connection: The requirement for an internet connection to play, solely for the purpose of serving ads, is viewed as a deceptive practice.
    • Impact: Inability to play offline, increased data usage, frustration.
  • Ad Removal Not Fully Effective: Some users report that even after paying for ad removal, they still encounter ads for power-ups, leading to dissatisfaction.
    • Impact: Feeling scammed, resentment towards the developer.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Reduced Ad Frequency: The overwhelming majority of users request a significant reduction in the frequency of ads.
  • Lower Ad Removal Cost: Many users suggest a lower price point for ad removal, in the $2-5 range.
  • Offline Play: Users want the ability to play the game without an internet connection.
  • Fix Game Crashing Issues: Users want the developers to fix the game crashing issues that lead to loss of progress.
  • More Content/Levels: Some users expressed interest in more levels or content to extend the game's lifespan.
  • Carryover Coins/Upgrades: Users want their coins and upgrades to carryover across different lands.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Simple and Relaxing Gameplay: Users appreciate the game's simple mechanics and relaxing, mindless gameplay.
  • Engaging Graphics: The game's graphics and visual style are generally well-received.
  • Addictive Nature: Some users find the game surprisingly addictive, despite its simplicity.
  • Gameplay Aligns with Advertisements: Some users noted that the gameplay matches what was advertised.
  • Satisfying Sound Effects: Some users mentioned the satisfying sound effects, particularly the train toot.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Reduce Ad Frequency: Drastically reduce the frequency of forced ads. Aim for an ad every 5-10 minutes, or ideally, implement a system where users can optionally watch ads for rewards. This is the most critical issue.
  • Lower Ad Removal Cost: Reduce the cost of ad removal to a more reasonable price point, such as $2.99 or $4.99. This will encourage more users to purchase ad removal and improve overall sentiment.
  • Fix Game Crashing Issues: Immediately address the game crashing issues and implement a save system to prevent loss of progress.
  • Remove Inappropriate Ads: Implement stricter ad filtering to prevent sexually explicit or otherwise inappropriate ads from being displayed.

Medium Priority:

  • Enable Offline Play: Remove the requirement for an internet connection to play the game.
  • Improve Ad Removal Implementation: Ensure that purchasing ad removal completely removes all forced ads, including those for power-ups (unless explicitly chosen by the user).
  • Address Coin/Upgrade Loss: Implement a system where coins and upgrades can carryover across different lands.

Low Priority:

  • Add More Content/Levels: Consider adding more levels or content to extend the game's lifespan, but only after addressing the more critical issues.
  • Improve Upgrade System: Some users expressed frustration with the upgrade system, suggesting improvements to make it more rewarding.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Ethical Mobile Game Advertising Platform: A platform that guarantees reasonable ad frequency and appropriate ad content, allowing developers to monetize their games without alienating users.
  • Mobile Game Quality Assurance Service: A service that tests mobile games for bugs, performance issues, and excessive advertising, providing developers with actionable feedback to improve user experience.
  • Idle Game Content Generator: A tool that allows developers to quickly create new levels and content for idle games, addressing the common complaint of repetitive gameplay.

Trends and Observations

  • Overwhelming Negative Sentiment: The reviews are overwhelmingly negative, primarily due to the excessive ads.
  • Consistent Ad Frequency Complaints: Users consistently report similar ad frequencies (every 30-60 seconds), indicating a systemic issue.
  • Price Sensitivity: Users are highly sensitive to the $9.99 ad removal cost, suggesting a lower price point would be more effective.
  • Impact of Ads on Gameplay: The ads are perceived as highly disruptive to the gameplay experience, leading to frustration and abandonment.
  • Some Positive Feedback on Core Gameplay: Despite the negative sentiment, some users still appreciate the core gameplay loop and find it relaxing.

Conclusion

"Train Miner: Idle Railway Game" has significant potential, but its current monetization strategy is severely damaging its user experience. The excessive advertising and high cost of ad removal are the primary drivers of negative sentiment. By addressing these issues and implementing the prioritized action recommendations, the developer can significantly improve user satisfaction, increase player retention, and potentially generate more revenue in the long run.

Overall Recommendation: Immediately address the advertising issues and lower the ad removal cost. Without these changes, the game is unlikely to succeed in the long term.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/train-miner-idle-railway-game/id6472662399?uo=2