Clash of Clans

The now omnipresent formula of mobile multiplayer strategy games wasn't new when Clash of Clans first launched, and it's since become a dominant force in the app store, but Supercell's take on the genre happened to combine serendipitous timing, quality art design, and an understanding of gameplay loops that allowed it to pull to the front of the genre pack. For better or worse, Clash of Clans is the model that developers look to wen they're trying to create a military strategy game based around a free to play model. Clash of Clans is built by a Finnish game studio, and the cultural sensibilities are reflected in the way the game looks. The characters and environments resemble a sort of CGI version of the world of Asterix, emphasizing caricatures of viking culture where the men and women are crude and enthusiastic warriors but the cartoon logic of the whole affair makes it charming rather than bloodthirsty. The early stages of Clash of Clans are a masters class in how to incentivize players while subtly teaching them the fundamentals of the game. Like most mobile strategy games of this ilk, a complex and interrelated system of currencies dictate what you can do and when. Clash of Clans slowly eases you into these systems by starting off with small projects with quick resolutions and building one on top of the other. Players learn the ins and outs of the system, and a constant drip feed of rewards are designed to keep them coming back. By the time scarcity of resources set in, the players that are bound to stick around are already hook, and anyone playing is well indoctrinated in the levers that run the game. At its heart, Clash of Clans is a blend of city builder and tower defense game. Gold is used to build defensive structures which protect you against raids and production buildings that keep more currency steadily flowing in. Elixir is used to build troops and offensive facilities. Dark elixir - a currency added much later in the game - provides more specialized and powerful offensive options. If it all seems rote, that's because imitators have been copying Clash of Clans for a few years now, but the systems in place are sound if you don't mind playing the waiting game that comes with the genre. A third currency - gems - are also available, but they're a premium resource primarily bought with real money. Gems can expedite build times and be used to buy other resources directly. While early systems focus on your individual concerns and a slim if accessible single player mode is available, the core of the game comes from raiding other players and joining clans. Communications within clans are strong, with the ability to trade resources, converse over private chat, and engage in attacks together.