2 Minutes in Space – a Free Offline Survival Game - Interview with the developer of a fantastic app

Did you have any prior development or coding experience?

Yes, I did. Gaming and programming are my passions. I'm programming since Z80, so since being 13 years old.

What was the most challenging aspect of developing mobile app?

You are probably expecting me to talk about choosing the best suitable development technology, creating graphics or struggling with the code, but handling requirements of Google and IOS Stores was actually my biggest challenge :) The game itself was quite easy. After programming Planes Control, I already know where to save time, what to watch and where to take more care. Besides this, I knew what I would like to play (what is missing in the market) and how I want to play it. It should be a survival game in a ruthless space full of invisible enemies and dangers. Fair challenges, unexpected scenarios, few ads, and the possibility to earn everything in-game without paying a cent. So I planned and created this game exactly this way, matching my personal gaming expectations.

_Antonio

Antonio grew up playing video games. His passion for games and electronics moved him to the next level: programming as a hobby. After getting a degree in physics in Spain, he worked for different international companies in different fields of programming.

Due to his degree and his hobbies he combined together the feeling of what gamers really want with the knowledge of how to create that high-quality games.

The results of this combination have names: Planes Control and 2 Minutes in Space. Feel free to check them out!

Name a few of your favorite apps and reason you love them.

Angry Birds, Flight Control, Clash of Clans and Clash Royale.
Reasons: I'm actually a video game player, but once playing mobile games, I like them to be simple & short time killers with high-quality graphics. These 4 games match my expectations to the fullest.
Apps:

Maps.me - Reasons: simple to use the app. Makes planning travels easier, saves me time.
Twitter - Reasons: A high-quality source of information/fast access to real-time uncensored news.

How long have you been working on this app?

2 Minutes in Space was done in c.a. 6 months. But you have to understand that we are talking here about the time till the launch. After the launch work is still not done. You have to work on improvements, prepare new levels, new challenges, adjust the game to the expectations of the players while still having in mind your initial goal.

What need of the user did you have in mind when developing this app?

In case of both our games, Planes Control and 2 Minutes in Space, we were striving to prepare fun for travelers, commuters, students and all the people spending a lot of time on the go in transport, lines, at waiting points being bored and searching for short-term entertainment exactly like us. In such situations people don't want and don't have the capability to think strategically, they just have 10-15 minutes and they are bored. So we've created easy to learn high-quality games, available online and offline, hyper-casual but still engaging and entertaining to the fullest. In the case of 2 Minutes in Space, the additional need was actually the need of fans of Planes Control to move to a higher/more advanced level. It should be in a kind of way "Planes Control for advanced users". Once you are bored landing planes, go to space and survive :) It really worked and we turned slightly bored fans of Planes Control to excited astronauts of 2 Minutes in Space. The game that we planned as a 10-min entertainment in public transportation turned to a long-time play ( a couple of hours) at home. People often send us long emails with ideas for the new levels, prepare exciting stories for the game, write introductions and draw new space ships. They truly inspire us with their dedication and support. So. besides entertaining people with our games looks like we also support their science-fiction fantasies. And this is fascinating!

In what way do you think your app is better than similar apps on the market? Please describe in detail what innovation you think you bring and what you are proud of in your app.

This question is probably one of the easiest ones but the answer will be one of the longest :) We are gamers in the bodies of developers. We go for the best user experience and not for the best monetization model. In fact, in each and every meeting with potential partners/publishers we are always asked, how exactly are we earning money with such unobtrusive ads and such modest/quite in-app purchases. The answer is always the same. We believe in constant growth & strong brand instead of fast money and broken image. Our games are pure quality, beautiful graphics, unique music, simplicity, basically no ads and/ hidden costs. This is why our fans move from one game to the next, providing high retention rates and in-game purchases. We see a lot of famous games that fail in-game production but are very successful due to high marketing budgets ( UA, etc). This is not our way. We provide high quality and strong connections with gamers. They are our teammates, friends, and referees. For example, we don't use bots or generic answers to the reviews in Google/IOS Stores. We literally read each and every review of fans, analyzing it as if it would be the opinion of a team member and providing our answer/feedback. You can't imagine how many times we change things in the game if gamers don't like them/ are expecting something else. We never saw such a strong connection between our competitors and fans.
I'm not sure there are any particular innovations in our app, but I'm proud of each and every levels/ship/power-up :)

What are your future plans and expected features of the coming new versions of this app?

The majority of our fans want 2 Minutes in Space to be multiplayer. This is our new highly expected feature :) We are also preparing a new game that will be different but still exciting ;)

Assuming new users of your app are reading this page. What do you want to ask them to do (contact you about X, Share the app, etc.)?

First of all, we want to thank each and every person for taking time and downloading our game. And a special thanks goes for reviews that gamers leave for 2 Minutes in Space. It's crucial for us to know why you like or don't like the game and to make it better together. Please keep providing us your feedback! We would be very thankful if you share your positive experience regarding the game with your friends, family members, class mates and colleagues. But only do it if you really like 2 Minutes in Space :)