Match-3 games are one of the most popular genres, which does not stop replenishing with new samples with a variety of art. Whatever the setting, the mechanics remain the same – the game world consists of a table or grid of elements, and the player’s task is to manipulate the elements in such a way that the template combinations specified by the game match, and after the condition is met, the collected elements disappear. Match-3 games are classified as casual, they are quite simple, do not tire the player and allow relaxing after a working day, passing the time in line or transport, or competing with friends.
Librasoftworks is a Turkish game studio that makes casual games, and the best of them is a match-3 game called Joy Blast. To make it as attractive and appealing to the player as possible, it needed a lively and eye-catching animation. This became the task of the 2D animation team of Kevuru Games.
| GOAL | CHALLENGE | TEAM COMPOSITION |
| Character animation for a casual match-3 game | Create 2D animation for game characters: fox, bear and bunny | Lead 2D animator |
| 2D animators | ||
| Project manager |
Initial Data
The key initial information was the art of the game’s characters provided by the client. The essence of the game itself, its mechanics, locations and style were also clear, so the 2D animation team immediately got to work.
The task was to create two types of animation – in-game and pop-up. The in-game animation dealt with all the in-game movement of the characters. Pop-up animation is the addition of character movements in a special pop-up window that appears after a certain player action: completing a level, moving to a new area, and so on.
Workflow
Taking into account the availability of all the necessary art, the work was very quick and easy. After a couple of first approved animations, our team understood what approach was required and did all the necessary work in 1 month.
Communication took place daily with the founder of the studio, who monitored progress and gave feedback. Whenever we had questions or clarifications, the response from the client was immediate, allowing us to minimize downtime and avoid work at random.
Value Delivered
For 1 month of work, our 2D animation team made all the necessary in-name and pop-up animation for the characters of the casual match-3 game. Communication was detailed and positive, thanks to which it was possible to achieve results that satisfied the client in a short time.
Conclusion
Creating art and animation for modern match-3 games can be a big challenge. Judge for yourself – almost every third game in markets is a variation on match-3, the competition is huge, the presentation varies from the story of a man restoring his mansion to an RPG story with the destruction of zombies. At the same time, match-3 games for mobile devices have a special magnetism, since it is impossible to complete one level and postpone the game for later. As statistics show, more than 76% of users who started playing this type of mobile application do not stop after 10-15 completed levels. Of particular interest and excitement is the complexity of the game, which increases with each level passed.
In order to capture the attention of the player in such a highly competitive environment, you need to come up with an interesting story and offer players bright and eye-catching art. Animation plays an important role. It allows players to immerse themselves in the game world, believe in the story, empathize with the characters and strive to help them achieve their goals. We look at each game as a story and try to bring to it the maximum of our capabilities, based on many years of experience and passion for the gaming industry.
If you want to create games that resonate with players, stand out from the crowd, encourage players to return to them again and again, stimulate interest in learning more about the developer, but do not know how to do it – just contact us. We have gathered game designers, artists and programmers who know all ins and outs of the game industry and the psychology of the players – they are aware of what people are looking for in games and why they download them. We will help you bring your idea into the world. Drop us a line and let’s implement it together.
