Landover

Breath-taking game alternative to the world-famous CatanĀ®

USA Media & Entertainment phone Mobile app game

The linkup team has responded to the client's idea and created, improved and simplified the Landover game, which is inspired by the hugely successful Settlers of CatanĀ®. We have become a fully committed partner and built the game design from scratch, as well as participated in the end-to-end development cycle for its major features. The game is now available on Android, iOS, and web platforms. Since its launch, the app has reached over 5000 downloads on Google Play, and the monthly number of users in November 2022 exceeded 2500. Now, our team continues to support the product and constantly implements new features and updates.Ā 

Result delivered:

Launched Mobile & Web Application

Total product duration:

May 2020 - now

Involved Team:

6 members

Received awards:

4.6 user rating in the App Store

web screen

Get to know the challenges and processes we undertook to create a highly-rated product for CatanĀ® enthusiasts

ClIENT & BUSINESS CHALLENGE

ā€œForming #1 Catan alternative to Settlers of Catanā€

Following the successful and profitable gaming app launches, including Word Links, Mafia Moles, and Party Mafia, the client came up with the idea for Landover. He envisioned this project as a design-improved, eye-catching, and bug-free mobile & web game based on CatanĀ® with extended rules and new features added.Ā 

He previously appreciated our team's reliability and was now looking for a proven partner for a complete design and partial front and backend development. The client's goal was to get a powerful result that matters, an app that runs smoothly. And the team he works with should be able to deliver it.Ā 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

ā€œCrafting the board strategy gameā€

While creating the Landover, our team had to handle the following challenges:

  • Creating a vivid style. The original game had a dull and monotonous design. We had to rethink this and make the game map with prominent cartoon color accents to make pointed resources stand out. We also had to create easy menus, user avatars, and other elements.Ā 
  • Horizontal-oriented mobile and web design. Usually, game design for mobile apps is vertical, and for desktop ones, it's horizontal. The Landover was not typical, so we had to utilize best practices in mobile and desktop design to present the best-fitting element's hierarchy. Additionally, we had to take keyboard input into account to make each detail of the user experience seamless.Ā 
  • Game creation flows. Our development team had to brainstorm, offer and implement many options for gamers to start a game: quick start on an automatic guest account without registration, creating public games and private ones for friends with the ability to share an invitation link to join.Ā 
  • Adding subscriptions. Developers had to produce a single code to enable payment for customer subscriptions for Android, iOS, and Web users, connect the built-in system payment mobile systems, and integrate the Stripe API for suitable Web payments.Ā 
  • Advertising implementation. The client gave us a general ad task, and our decision became to implement Google Ad Mode and configure the ads type to provide the client with one of the most effective sources of revenue for the such an application type.Ā 

We also worked on other system features: creating effective tools to delete accounts, so users don't leave a trail of personal information, developing a built-in messenger for communication with unread message counts, messaging history for different game types: turn-based and instant ones, and more. Ā 

Project Overview

1 Week

Process

  • Learning the project, and understanding the game idea, business, and scope.

Deliverables

  • Project overview

Initial
Communication

Initial
Analysis

Discovery

8 Weeks

Process

  • Dived into project details
  • Analyzed Settlers of CatanĀ® game
  • Analyzed other successful game projects, pointing out their advantages and bottlenecks
  • Prioritized modules and features
  • Researched solutions regarding horizontal-oriented mobile games
  • Agreed on the style guide
  • Designed the product
  • Prepared scope for estimation
  • Conducted estimation session
  • Formed game app requirements based on the client`s budget and timeline frames

Deliverables

  • Game review analysis
  • Gamer Flows
  • Priorities plan
  • Comprehensive game product design
  • Development plan with cost and timeline estimation

Business
Analysis

UX
Design

Development
plan

Project Release

4 Months

Process

  • Full-game product design creation
  • Mobile and desktop development
  • QA
  • Final review and fixes
  • Release

Deliverables

  • Developed and launched the mobile application

Adjustments &
New Functions

Define User Feedback
& Client Requirements

Record
Changes

Testing
& Review

Development

UI/UX
Design

Sprint
Planning

Support

Continuing

Process

  • Based on user feedback and the founder's development strategy, bringing further improvements to the game

Deliverables

  • New features and game improvements



Project Overview

1 Week

  • Initial Communication
  • Initial Analysis

Discovery

8 Weeks

  • Business Analysis
  • UX Design
  • Development plan

Project Release

4 Months

  • Adjustments & New Functions
  • Define User Feedback & Client Requirements
  • Record Changes
  • Testing & Review
  • Development
  • UI/UX Design
  • Sprint Planning

Support

Continuing Week

    Skip section

    Project Overview

    1 Week

    Process

    • Learning the project, and understanding the game idea, business, and scope.

    Deliverables

    • Project overview
    two
    one

    solution

    ā€œSimpler mechanics and less complexityā€

    Working with the client, Linkup became a dedicated partner that met all agreed-upon expectations and delivered a full-scale development and comprehensive, unique Landover design within the planned timeframe. The game incorporates all the best features of the original CatanĀ® along with extensive gameplay changes to speed up the game’s dynamics, simplify mechanics and facilitate easy learning. With Landover, users can play multiple games simultaneously, be notified when it's their turn to move, trade with other players, create private games, choose map types and style of game elements, and much more.Ā 

    Technology Stack:

    Flutter

    Firebase

    Firebase

    Node.js

    ā€œ
    We were lucky to choose Linkup as our first developer. Delivered apps fulfilled the original vision, launched successfully, and organically attracted a dedicated user base. Language and time zones presented small issues, but Linkup's collaborative, committed team dynamic made up the difference. They behaved as a partner rather than a contractor.

    Jay Severson

    Founder & CEO at Nutty Putty, LLC

    5.0

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