Ask HN: Which pricing model would you recommend for a Puzzle Game?

3 points by s-c-h 8 years ago | 3 comments

Hello, I am making a mobile puzzle game where players use a very simple programming language to solve levels. The target audience is people who like challenging puzzles even if they are not programmers.

I am thinking of two options for the pricing model. 1. Paid app (something like $2.99) 2. Free app with a single iAP to unblock the advanced levels ($2.99 too). There will be a lot of free levels, but the advanced levels have additional elements non available in free levels.

Also, I am well aware the many people here don’t like the pay-to-win model. But because of the nature of the game, some users will be stuck for a long time and may abandon the game. So I am thinking of introducing an iAP to access the solution of a single level. It’s a paid feature in order to encourage players to find the solutions themselves.

Which pricing model would you recommend? And what do you think about offering solutions with iAP?

twobyfour 8 years ago |

As a puzzle game fan, I'm most likely to download a free app whose IAP is ad removal. FWIW.

vinchuco 8 years ago |

Not serious: you pay for the game, and you have to solve the puzzles to recover your money :D

s-c-h 8 years ago | |

That may be interesting if there were a practical way to pay back customers in the app stores. At least more users will finish the game, which in itself is very satisfying after all the work I put in it :)