To be honest, when I saw this stickman surprise attack, I was stunned for a moment. Isn't this the stickman war I played on Symbian back then? Fast forward ten years, and now there is actually a collection version, which is still free to download. 😌 I downloaded it and played it for two days, and I have to say that some classics really never go out of style.
The game itself is actually quite simple. It's just stick figures fighting, with the arms being restrained, and the swordsman defeating the spear? It's the same old tactics anyway. But the collection includes the classic version, the gunfight version, and the card version, which is equivalent to a package of multiple ways to play one IP. This model is actually quite interesting. It reminds me of a trend in the current mobile game market: the mining and reuse of head IP.
To be honest, the current mobile game market is a bit over-extended, with open worlds, next-generation graphics, and card-drawing games all the time. Players have been bombarded with all kinds of big productions and have become aesthetically tired. Instead, they have begun to miss those simple and pure games. A low-threshold, fast-paced, strategic game like Stickman can actually find its own living space. 😅
And the charging mode is 0 yuan, which means free download. Nowadays, most mobile games are free + in-app purchases or ads, and Stickman Raid is no exception. But the question is, how does a free game with this classic IP balance profitability and player experience? After playing it, I found that there are not many ads, and it mainly relies on in-app purchases such as skins and acceleration. This was done fairly restrainedly.
From an industry perspective, it is actually quite smart for a small manufacturer like Shenzhen Yuyou to develop Stickman IP. Big companies are all competing for AAA mobile games, but small companies can't afford it. It's better to make nostalgic remakes of classic IPs, which are low-cost and still have a fan base. This can also be regarded as a trend: quality and lightweight coexist, no longer blindly pursuing picture quality, but focusing on gameplay and emotional connection.
But to be honest, this kind of collection game also has hidden dangers, that is, it can easily become a money exchange. I hope Yuyou can maintain it well and not let down the feelings of old players. 😉
In general, Stickman Raid allows me to see one side of the mobile game market: while pursuing high image quality and large production, simple and interesting classic gameplay still has vitality. This may be the so-called "returning to nature". As a 10-year veteran player, I am very pleased. 😊