Mugshot Games

Sliding Seas launched in Japan and Korea

Mugshot Games — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 00:45:31 +0000

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – September 17, 2021 – Mugshot Games, the independent studio of two Australian brothers, today announces the Japanese and Korean launch of their latest title, Sliding Seas.

Sliding Seas can now be played in 9 languages: English, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian and Russian.

Sliding Seas is a Match 3 puzzle game where players rescue shipwrecked survivors to live on a tropical island, which they can grow into a thriving city. It features a new land-merging mechanic that adds a new dimension to Match 3, height!

Key features:

Easy to play, hard to master – endlessly fun and addictive!
Unique gameplay – match and merge land to make islands
Lots of game modes – ocean rescue, pirates, whirlpools and treasure
A world of your own – grow and decorate your home island
Earn rewards and prizes with daily missions and timed events
Unlock cute VIP characters as you play
Awesome power-ups and spectacular combos
Hundreds of levels with more added all the time

Sliding Seas is the first puzzle title for Mugshot Games, after their tower defense classics, Digfender (2015) and CastleMine (2012), which have been downloaded over 4 million times.

Sliding Seas is available on iOS and Android.

Download:
iOS – https://apps.apple.com/app/sliding-seas/id1436245163
Android – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mugshotgames.slidingseas

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp2kUXkZoow

Press kit:
Screenshots, app icons, logos and a fact sheet are available to download from the Sliding Seas press kit.
https://www.mugshotgames.com/downloads/Sliding_Seas_Press_Kit.zip

The post Sliding Seas launched in Japan and Korea appeared first on Mugshot Games.

Sliding Seas now available 7 languages

Mugshot Games — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 14:45:50 +0000

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – September 3, 2021 – Mugshot Games, the independent studio of two Australian brothers, today announces the international release of their latest title, Sliding Seas.

Sliding Seas can now be played in English, French, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian and Russian.

This update also brings with it loads of new content, including 50 new levels, new island buildings and decorations, and more collectable VIPs.

Key features:

Easy to play, hard to master – endlessly fun and addictive!
Unique gameplay – match and merge land to make islands
Lots of game modes – ocean rescue, pirates, whirlpools and treasure
A world of your own – grow and decorate your home island
Earn rewards and prizes with daily missions and timed events
Unlock cute VIP characters as you play
Awesome power-ups and spectacular combos
Hundreds of levels with more added all the time

Sliding Seas is the first puzzle title for Mugshot Games, after their tower defense classics, Digfender (2015) and CastleMine (2012), which have been downloaded over 4 million times.

Sliding Seas is available on iOS and Android.

Download:
iOS – https://apps.apple.com/app/sliding-seas/id1436245163
Android – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mugshotgames.slidingseas

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp2kUXkZoow

Press kit:
Screenshots, app icons, logos and a fact sheet are available to download from the Sliding Seas press kit.
https://www.mugshotgames.com/downloads/Sliding_Seas_Press_Kit.zip

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Sliding Seas, our new Match 3 puzzle game, released today

Mugshot Games — Fri, 27 Aug 2021 00:45:26 +0000

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – August 27, 2021 – Mugshot Games, the independent studio of two Australian brothers, today announces the English-language release of their latest title, Sliding Seas.

Sliding Seas is the first puzzle title for Mugshot Games, after their tower defense classics, Digfender (2015) and CastleMine (2012), which have been downloaded over 4 million times.

Sliding Seas is available on iOS and Android.

Download:
iOS – https://apps.apple.com/app/sliding-seas/id1436245163
Android – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mugshotgames.slidingseas

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp2kUXkZoow

Press kit:
Screenshots, app icons, logos and a fact sheet are available to download from the Sliding Seas press kit.
https://www.mugshotgames.com/downloads/Sliding_Seas_Press_Kit.zip

The post Sliding Seas, our new Match 3 puzzle game, released today appeared first on Mugshot Games.

Digfender celebrates 1 million downloads on Google Play

Mugshot Games — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 22:00:05 +0000

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – October 19, 2018 – Mugshot Games, the Australian indie studio, today announces that Digfender has surpassed 1 million downloads on Google Play.

Mugshot Games’ founder Steve Yap says, “This is a happy milestone for Mugshot Games. It’s rewarding to know that players around the world are continuing to discover Digfender’s unique take on the tower defence genre.”

Screenshots

Additional screenshots, icons, logos and a fact sheet are available for download in the Digfender Press Kit.

App Downloads

Google Play – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mugshotgames.digfender
Apple App Store – https://itunes.apple.com/app/digfender/id957253933
Windows Phone Store – https://www.microsoft.com/store/games/digfender/9nblggh3vft5

Contact

press[at]mugshotgames.com

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Tough new levels coming to Digfender

Mugshot Games — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 12:00:15 +0000

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – February 15, 2016 – Mugshot Games, the indie studio of two Australian brothers, today announces a major content update for their critically acclaimed tower defense game, Digfender.

The night-themed update features 12 new levels, 4 new enemy types, as well as new upgrades and achievements.

Mugshot Games’ founder Steve Yap says, “We’ve been so lucky to have such loyal fans, some of whom have been with us since CastleMine in 2012. As a thank you, I’ve created some seriously tough levels for Digfender that will challenge even the most skilled players!”

The update will be released simultaneously on iOS, Android and Windows Phone on Thursday 18 February.

New Screenshots

Additional screenshots, icons, logos and a fact sheet are available for download in the Digfender Press Kit.

App Downloads

iOS – https://itunes.apple.com/app/digfender/id957253933
Android – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mugshotgames.digfender
Windows Phone – https://www.microsoft.com/store/games/digfender/9nblggh3vft5

Contact

press[at]mugshotgames.com

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Digfender – Out Now!

Mugshot Games — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 09:21:05 +0000

Digfender, the sequel to CastleMine, released today after a year in development.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – November 19, 2015 – Mugshot Games, the indie studio of two Australian brothers, today announces the worldwide release of their second major tower defense title, Digfender.

Mugshot Games’ founder Steve Yap says, “I developed my first tower defense game, CastleMine, in my spare time while working as a programmer. Digfender is the game I always wanted to make, and I’m proud to be able to release it to the world after a year of full-time development.”

Digfender features improved visuals, deeper gameplay and more of everything: defense towers, support towers, enemy types, traps, levels and upgrades.

Two new game types have also been added: Relic Hunter, where players dig up treasure maps to find relics that can be spent on special upgrades; and Survival Mode, where players can challenge their friends for the highest score.

Digfender is available on iOS, Android and Windows Phone in 9 languages.

App Downloads

Screenshots

Screenshots, icons, logos and a fact sheet are available for download in the Digfender Press Kit.

About Mugshot Games

Mugshot Games is an independent games studio from Australia. Their games are available on iOS, Android and Windows Phone – including their most popular game to date, CastleMine, which has had over 2 million downloads worldwide.

Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter

Contact: press[at]mugshotgames.com

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Digfender translated into 9 languages for launch

Mugshot Games — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 04:58:24 +0000

Mugshot Games translates Digfender from English to Chinese, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish and Turkish.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – November 11, 2015 – Mugshot Games, the indie studio of two Australian brothers, today announces that their second major tower defense title, Digfender, will be available in 9 languages when the game launches on iOS, Android and Windows Phone on November 19.

The supported languages are:

English
Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)
Brazilian Portuguese
French
German
Italian
Russian
Spanish
Turkish

Mugshot Games’ founder Steve Yap says “My first tower defense game, CastleMine had over 2 million downloads worldwide, but was only available in English. I’m happy to say that with Digfender, more of our fans will be able to enjoy the game in their native language.”

Screenshots

New multi-language screenshots are now available for download in the Digfender Press Kit.

About Mugshot Games

Mugshot Games is an independent games studio from Australia. Their games are available on iPhone/iPad, Android and Windows Phone – including their most popular game to date, CastleMine, which has had over 2 million downloads worldwide.

Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter

Contact: press[at]mugshotgames.com

The post Digfender translated into 9 languages for launch appeared first on Mugshot Games.

Digfender – Releasing worldwide November 19

Mugshot Games — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 16:22:55 +0000

Two brothers have dug themselves into a hole, but will emerge on November 19 with their latest release, Digfender.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – October 29, 2015 – Mugshot Games, the indie studio of two Australian brothers, has delayed the release of their second major tower defense title, Digfender, until Thursday November 19.

This delay will allow for the addition of new functionality, which will be announced to the press next week.

Mugshot Games’ Creative Director, Mike Yap says, “Deciding to delay the release of Digfender until November 19 was a difficult decision, but we believe that the functionality we’re adding to the game will be worth the wait.”

Digfender is the follow up to Mugshot Games’ 2012 hit, CastleMine, which has been downloaded over 2 million times.

Press kit: Digfender Press Kit
Contact: press[at]mugshotgames.com

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Digfender – Coming Soon

Mugshot Games — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 07:28:31 +0000

Mugshot Games digs deep and uncovers DIGFENDER, the follow-up to their #1 mining and tower defense hit, CastleMine, downloaded over 2 million times.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – October 12, 2015 – Mugshot Games, the indie studio of two Australian brothers, Steve and Mike Yap, today announces the November 19 (date updated) release of its second major tower defense title, Digfender.

Launching for free on iPhone/iPad, Android and Windows Phone, Digfender digs deep into tower defense, challenging players to hunt for resources underneath their castle while battling monsters rising from below.

Mugshot Games first introduced the digging concept to tower defense in their 2012 hit, CastleMine, which has been downloaded over 2 million times.

Digfender has been over a year in development and a considerable investment for Steve and Mike, who hope to introduce new players to the tower defense genre. Mugshot Games’ founder Steve Yap says, “My hope when designing Digfender was to provide a fun and accessible experience for all players while also providing new layers of strategy and surprises for tower defense veterans.”

Steve and Mike are committed to building Mugshot Games’ reputation for fun, accessible and player-friendly games. Digfender’s in-app purchases are entirely optional and the game doesn’t include paywalls or wait-timers.

Digfender will be released on the App Store, Google Play and Windows Phone Store on November 19 (date updated).

Screenshots

Press kit: Digfender Press Kit
Contact: press[at]mugshotgames.com

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Publishing your first game in 40 not so easy steps

Mugshot Games — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 02:00:29 +0000

By Steve Yap

What does it really take to be a solo indie games developer?

With the recent release of my mobile game CastleMine, I thought it would be good time to pause and reflect on the long road that brought me to this point. Looking back 2 years, it’s funny to think how naïve I was to think the only skill I needed to bring to this journey was programming. It turns out that this is only a small piece of the puzzle. Everything else must be learned along the way. Suddenly you’re trying to be an artist, a musician, a sound engineer, a salesman, an accountant, a graphic designer, a web developer, a social media expert and many other roles other people dedicate their whole lives to. It’s almost comical the number of hats you’ll try to wear on the way to the finish line.

This can be incredibly daunting and more than a little demoralising as you helplessly watch your release date slip further and further down the calendar. But now that I’m here, standing on the finish line, I’m ready to do it all again.

The following is a recreation of my growing task list as I discovered what’s really involved in creating and publishing a game on your own.

I’ve got a great idea, this will be easy.

Task 1: Write some code, release a game!

I missed some obvious stuff. This should cover it.

Task 2: Create some art. Lots and lots of art.
Task 3: Get some music. Trawl the web in search of royalty free music that suits your game perfectly.
Task 4: Get sound effects. Listen to 100 “swoosh” sounds to find that perfect effect for that one button. Repeat for every single sound in the game.

Wait I need a few more tasks. I’m going to have to make money somehow.

Task 5: Research and compare different sales models. Read dozens of articles on ad-supported vs freemium vs paid models. Realise there is no golden apple and just do what you had planned from the start.
Task 6: Research and compare a dozen different ad networks and incorporate their (sometimes buggy) controls into your code. Constantly feel like you picked the wrong ad provider.

It’s not looking quite right. I need to add some more tasks.

Task 7: Now that you’ve built half the game you finally know what you were really trying to make. Start again.
Task 8: Also, you know that art you did at the start? It was terrible and you can see that now. Start again.
Task 9: People keep talking about this thing called analytics. Research what this is all about. Add it to your game so you will be able to tell if your game is a walk in the park or a frustrating nightmare.

Intermission! Experience may vary.

Task 10: Welcome your second child into the world. Sleep is now optional. Get relegated to the smallest room in the house, next to the baby change table and diaper bin.
Task 11: Develop a deeper appreciation for fresh air and sunlight.

I slept last night. Maybe I should start looking into how to publish this?

Task 12: Register as an Apple Developer, learn all their certification requirements. Buy and learn to use a Mac.
Task 13: Register as a Windows Phone Developer, learn all their certification requirements. Buy and learn to use Windows 8.
Task 14: Register as an Android Developer, learn all their certification requirements. Wait, you don’t need to buy anything?

All those registration forms kept asking for a publisher name, who am I?

Task 15: Name your company! Possibly the hardest thing you’ll ever have to do. Your first 99 names will be taken and you’ll discover a deep, fiery hatred for domain squatters.
Task 16: Got a name? Great! Register as a company. Suddenly it all feels so real!
Task 17: Create a company logo. Add ghetto graphic designer to your resume.
Task 18: See an accountant because now that you’re a company you can’t just wing your taxes anymore.
Task 19: Setup a company bank account so your wife doesn’t spend your company’s money on handbags and baby clothes.

I’m a company now. But I’m invisible. I need to be the opposite.

Task 20: Create a Website. Learn WordPress. Write lots of text in case you get a visitor.
Task 21: Setup a Facebook page because all the cool companies have one.
Task 22: Setup a Twitter, Skype and YouTube account. Get hopelessly lost in a sea of usernames and passwords.
Task 23: Brand all these account pages to fool people into thinking you know how to use them.
Task 24: Post content! You don’t want your pages looking like a ghost town (note: your pages will look like a ghost town).

It’s been weeks since I looked at some code. Wasn’t I supposed to be making a game?

Task 25: Re-evaluate your game. Make sweeping architectural changes that break everything to fix that one stubborn bug that, realistically, no one will ever notice.
Task 26: Test. Beg, borrow and steal (don’t steal) as many devices as you can get your hands on and play through your game on each of them. If you still like your game after this you might be onto a winner.
Task 27: Rope in as many friends, family, co-workers and friendly folk from the internet to play-test your game and hopefully give you honest feedback.

I think the game is done. Maybe I should market it?

Task 28: Look into marketing. Realise you should have been marketing months ago.

Marketing!

Task 29: Find every site/blogger/youtuber who might be even mildly interested in your game.
Task 30: Listen to advice that you should individually tailor press release emails to each of your targets. Attempt this and give up. Promise yourself to use a PR guy next time.
Task 31: Create a compelling video trailer that really sells your game. No pressure, but if it sucks no one will play your game.
Task 32: Create some sexy screenshots. No pressure, but if they suck no one will play your game.
Task 33: Create a store description. No pressure, but… actually everyone just looks at the screenshots.
Task 34: Create a web demo version of the game and host it. The press (if they take interest in your game) will want instant, easy access.

Finally, it’s ready for release!

Task 35: Customise all your icons, screenshots and promo images to suit each of your target platforms’ 101 requirements. That’s 15 different icon sizes if you’re wondering.
Task 36: Create a privacy policy. Research what a privacy policy is. Make sure you’re not breaking your own privacy policy.
Task 37: Pray you haven’t added any last minute game-breaking bugs as you click the upload button. Be prepared to completely freak out if you did.
Task 38: Execute your marketing plan. Briefly hate your life. Wish your hobby was collecting stamps.

The aftermath

Task 39: If your game was a flop: Learn from it. Make another game.
Task 40: If your game was a success: Learn from it. Make another game.

The point of listing all of this is not to discourage the would-be indie game developer, but to show a glimpse of what might lie ahead should you choose to give up your life for this cause. If you have the determination and commitment to see your project through to the end, I can tell you it’s one of the most rewarding and satisfying experiences there is. Everyone who reaches the end of this path will tell you a different story, but this was mine.

So, if you’re about to start down this path, good luck to you! I’ll see you at the end and look forward to hearing your story.

* No children were neglected in the making of this game.
** If you enjoyed this story please consider tipping me by downloading my latest game, Digfender. It’s free (iOS, Android, WP8).

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