Founded with a mission to develop games that awe customers, PlayDog Soft is a Seattle based mobile game developer most known for their hit game Monster Busters. With over 16 million downloads to date, PlayDog Soft has found a true niche in the mobile games market.
The Team
With a debut title like Monster Busters, it’s not too surprising that the PlayDog team enjoys their work. Ashley describes the 28 person team as loving to have fun at work, noting that they “love thinking about what new monstrous features we’ll introduce to our users.”
Why Mobile?
So what drove the founders of PlayDog Soft to create mobile games? It was a desire for fun and user connectivity. Ashley noted that Choi, the CEO and co-founder likes developing software and “fun ideas,” while Jongwon Park, EVP and co-founder loves “connecting with end users.” As Ashley puts it, “Mobile game was in that juncture and the two founders started building mobile games that everyone can play.”
Style & Inspiration
Monster Busters clearly has a fun aesthetic, which Ashley describes as “adorably grotesque with retro charm.” The one and three-eyed creatures are a testament to this. Of course, PlayDog also takes gameplay into consideration when designing characters and UI, meticulously designing elements to improve user comprehension.
Their design process is fairly collaborative:
“We frequently exchange ideas about the design, new game components, and new stages within the team. Anyone can suggest ideas, and we build on it.”
Advice to New Developers
So what advice does PlayDog have for new developers? Prioritize entertainment and listen to your highest valued users:
“We prioritize entertaining the users over anything else. In our team, we share ideas about what new fun designs, characters, and features we can introduce to keep people engaged and entertained. We also listen to the power users of our game.”
Looking Forward
PlayDog already has their second mobile game in development, which will be a new match 3 style game in a hexagonal setting, giving users six ways to move their monsters. As Ashley puts it:
“We love making puzzle games, and this year we’ll be introducing another mind blowing puzzle game that will also feature our favorite monsters!”
To get the latest news from the team, follow PlayDog Soft on Facebook.
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