Homescapes Stylized Game Design | Kingdom Match project We all enjoy those moments when we have a 15-minute break from work or study, and we can play a match-3 puzzle game. After mentioning this genre of game, was your first thought about Homescapes? If so, we aren’t surprised, because this game has more than 540 million downloads and has earned more than $470 million in revenue in 2022 (Statista data). But why is this game so famous and what are the consequences of this popularity? Developed by Playrix, Homescapes is a match-3 puzzle game that stands out with its unique game design. Nowadays, a lot of game developers and designers call it Homescapes interior design, that’s how great importance this game has on the gaming industry. Of course, Homescapes hasn’t revolutionized the entire gaming world. But this game contributed to the evolution of match-3 games and established certain trends in the genre. The most important thing Homescapes changed in the match-3 games is the emphasis on a narrative-driven approach. Before it was released, the match-3 genre was known for its focus solely on completing levels. In return, Homescapes integrated a story progression and home/decor meta layers. In simple words, this game created a storyline where players renovate a mansion by solving puzzles. To say it was a breakthrough is to say nothing.As a result, other developers caught inspiration from the Homescapes, and they have started to integrate goal-oriented progression systems in their games, too. In addition, Homescapes significantly increased the popularity of isometric environments in mobile games. Nowadays, the isometric perspective is used in the game to provide a three-dimensional feel while still maintaining a flat 2D gameplay space. Obviously, after a fast increase in isometric environment popularity in games, isometric sprite creation services became a need №1 for a lot of game companies. Our studio knows about the importance of this service and knows how to make it as professional as possible. If you need a team of specialists that will create outstanding isometric environments for you, we’re ready to help you. Is the Kingdom Match project like a new game in that style??? Our outsourcing company was one of those guys who caught inspiration from the Homescapes. We wanted to make our contribution to the match-3 genre. So, we started to nurture the idea of creating something similar but with new details and a unique approach. Also, this would have helped us to sharpen our skills in isometric environment creation for potential clients. This is how the Kingdom Match project was born. This is a Homescapes stylized mobile game our team worked on for months. In particular, we developed custom game environment solutions for the whole project. Kingdom Match is a new title with unique 2D and 3D isometric sprites, characters, challenges, and details. The story of the game is focused on helping the prince transform the castle into a beautifully romantic place and become king. Designing Rooms in the 'Homescapes' Style Homescapes’ interior design is easily recognizable so game designers need to sweat if they want to make something unique. Our designers perfectly carried out this task. While working on Kingdom Match, we understood that there aren’t any static backgrounds in Homescapes. They play an active role in the gaming experience. This knowledge helped us to succeed in creating various interior design elements from luxurious sofas to expensive carpets.Talking in detail, we were inspired by Homescapes levels and game mechanics. So, we decided to provide some of them, adding our style and new features. For instance, progression in Homescapes isn’t limited to puzzle-solving alone. By providing the concept of meta layers, game developers let players advance through levels and upgrade the various rooms. In Kingdom Match, this concept was represented from a different perspective. In our game, Homescapes stylized furniture doesn’t change on a whim. In return, a player should go through several stages to fully update 3D game objects.For gamers, it’s a very engaging path. You begin with total chaos but the stars you get after finishing the level help to improve Homescapes’s stylized elements and a castle in general. Sounds fascinating, doesn’t it? For us, game developers and designers of RetroStyle Games, this is also a perfect opportunity to sharpen our skills in match 3 design, 2D and 3D object development, and characters and environment design. We’re proud to understand that Kingdom Match is a memorable project that perfectly showcases our expertise and professionalism. Kitchen Design like in Homescapes | How NOT TO screw up the level design For us, the design of the rooms and backgrounds of Kingdom Match was one of the most interesting parts of the project. Of course, we mainly caught inspiration from Homescapes!But to add some new ideas and concepts, we also discovered design rooms in the Property Brothers Home Design mobile game which was a very good idea. As a result, we’ve developed Homescapes stylized bedrooms with magnificent furniture; dining rooms, and guest rooms with Homescapes vibes that feel cozy and warm even if they’re unreal. But unexpectedly, the most difficult part was with kitchen design. We’ve developed 3 different types of kitchen design: retro style with pleasant nostalgic charm, modern style, a dream of every person, and a future style, a brave option with a fresh point of view. While working on these designs, we’ve combined the experience of 3 periods of time trying to make something unforgettable. We can truly say we’ve perfectly done this task!With every new level, players will enhance the interior of the kitchen, dining room, bedroom, and other locations, opening up new details and opportunities. And believe, for us, specialists in isometric environments, it wasn’t complicated at all to make every corner of all the rooms of the castle mysterious and enigmatic. And it doesn’t matter, do you prefer retro style or future style of your castle ;)Why did we succeed in the game design of various castle locations? Because we’ve analyzed mistakes of our competitors beforehand. Did you know there is a big problem with Homescapes Kitchen in an original game? Playrix’s game developers messed this location up a little bit because they’ve made levels too difficult for the players. As a result, a lot of gamers abandoned the game.We know that for the match-3 genre, this may be a big problem. So, we’ve been very cautious with the game design of every room and its puzzles and challenges. If you want to know more about how to create a fascinating game design and don’t mess it up, read our level design tips. By following them, we’ve already finished a lot of successful projects for us and our clients ;) Homescapes stylized game icons It’s difficult to be a discoverer while working on icons for the match-3 genre. But even such obvious things as icon designs and animations should be created with a high level of attentiveness and responsibility. Bright and eye-catching, they serve as the best rewards for Kingdom Match players. Without them, enhancing the castle would be impossible! Our 3D artists spent a lot of time, making the gameplay fun with various animations. Do you want your game to have an outstanding mobile game icon design? Our 3D artists and designers are always ready to bring your ideas and concepts to life. Homescapes FALSE advertising - the marketing that succeeded Everyone has seen that unforgettable advertisement from Homescapes at least once. Many people who weren’t aware of the main game’s concept, fell victim to Homescapes’ false advertising.Short explanation: false advertising in gaming involves misleading promotional materials that create expectations the actual gameplay or features don’t meet. In the case of Homescapes, it was misrepresenting the game’s mechanics and showcasing not the match-3 gameplay but puzzle-type mini-games gameplay. So, the Homescapes’ success is fake? The answer is no, it’s not, because Playrix still acquires millions of users every year. However, some part of the players are attracted by the gameplay that isn’t represented in Homescapes at a high level (just 1% of gameplay in general). According to Playrix, these puzzles are on “distant levels” so most players don’t get that far in the game and stop playing at the beginning of the game.So, Playrix uses a strategy when the company promotes its games with false advertising to attract as many people as possible. People who don’t like true gameplay will just delete the game. But some people would enjoy it and play it more and more even if they were attracted by false advertising at the beginning. But for them, it’s a good strategy. If Playrix ran ads that showcase just the core game experience (match-3 puzzles), they would only attract a ‘vanilla’ match-3 switcher audience which is a very limited audience. For our company is very important to be honest with our audience. So, to promote our new game Kingdom Match we’ve created an awesome video. We recommend you watch it right now because it showcases what our 3D artists, developers, and designers do for this project in fact. Believe us, you’ll be surprised in a good way ;) Why there will be MORE AND MORE of Homescapes stylized games (or not) We can tell you right now: the Homescapes-stylized games will become more and more popular every year. Why? There are several reasons:If Homescapes or similar games continue to be commercially successful, it encourages developers to follow the same formula Homescapes do. Success in the gaming industry often leads to the emulation of successful elements in subsequent titles.Stylized games that combine match-3 mechanics with narrative-driven interior design have resonated with players. If market trends continue to show a demand for such games, developers will invest in similar concepts to cater to player preferences.Developers will strive to innovate within the stylized game genre, introducing new twists, features, or technological advancements to keep the gameplay fresh and engaging. This will lead to a continuous evolution of the stylized game design, attracting both new and existing players. The future of stylized game design, particularly in the vein of Homescapes, will be influenced by a combination of commercial success, player preferences, and ongoing innovation.If you want to create a match-3 game with this aesthetic, start exploring and experimenting with your ideas and concepts from now on. In the future, it will lead you and your game to desperate success.