Crab War - Interview with the developer of a fantastic app

Did you have any prior development or coding experience?

I've been working as an artist in the gaming industry developing triple-A games and online MMORPGs since 2004. In 2011, my partner Desmond Lee and I co-founded Appxplore, a mobile game development studio consisting of a small four-person team, where I handled almost all aspects of game development, including game design, art assets, UI/UX, analytics, and monetization. Nowadays, I have a team I trust to continue working on Crab War, but I'm still closely involved in every step of the game's development.

What was the most challenging aspect of developing mobile app?

The most challenging aspect was how to develop a game in a genre I disliked. Originally, I wanted to make Crab War a strategy game, but my team convinced me to give idle clickers a chance. Once I did, I realized that idle games are actually quite fun in certain aspects, in addition to being a perfect fit for mobile. I could see the huge potential in this genre, which is what led us to finally begin developing Crab War.

_{Jenn-Yu Lim - CCO & Co-founder Appxplore}

Jenn-Yu is a highly skilled artist with more than 15 years’ experience specialising in conceptual drawing, 3D animation and game design. He is one of the pioneers in the Malaysian gaming industry where he assisted Phoenix Game Studios to develop Malaysia first MMORPG game, title Fung Wan Online back in 2004. In 2007, Jenn Yu joined Codemasters, an international game studio, as a Senior 3D Artist where he was involved in the design and development of its AAA game titles.

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

I have a special appreciation for games that have simple yet fun mechanics with in-depth gameplay, like Hearthstone, Triple Town, Monument Valley, Dungeon Raid, Clash Royale, etc.

How long have you been working on this app?

I was involved in Crab War ever since the beginning, so about five years now. We've come a long way since then, consistently expanding the game with new features and content that keep players coming back.

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

Mobile game players lead busy lifestyles, often turning to mobile games to fill fragments of downtime. Keeping that in mind, we designed Crab War to be a mobile-friendly game that fits perfectly into the modern lifestyle, where you can have fun with it and feel a sense of progression with even just a minute of playtime.

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.

Instead of controlling a specific protagonist like many idle clickers, Crab War allows you to control a constantly evolving swarm of crabs! Players get to enjoy the visual feast of our colorful crab swarms that take inspiration from elements of classic games such as the intricate bullet patterns of bullet hell games and Starcraft's Zerg rush.

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

We just launched the Skull Bug's Trial, which is a recurring mini-tournament that happens once or twice every day and gives out valuable rewards. In the future, we also plan to ramp up the frequency of our events by holding a major event every month for players to enjoy, as well as some exciting little competitive or co-op events.

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.)?

If you are looking for a unique idle game that brings you colourful swarm aesthetics, a massive skill tree, and a fascinating evolution path, Crab War is designed for you. Please give Crab War a try at appxplore.com/crabwar and share your thoughts with us!