By now you may be as tired of endless runner games as, well, the people in them doing all that running. But with Galaxy Run, Spiel Inc. founder and CEO Mohit Sureka is hoping to do something a little different by making the game easier to play without it being as easy to master.
For those who haven’t played it, what kind of game is Galaxy Run and what makes it different?
Galaxy Run is an auto-runner platformer with more than 350 single-screen unique levels and one-touch gameplay. There are eighteen unique gameplay mechanics introduced evenly throughout the game, including jump, double-jump, anti-gravity, speed boosters, grappling hooks, springboard, cannons, guns, etc. The player has to guide Rez through these levels and get him home.
What other games were an influence on Galaxy Run?
The game is actually a good mix of platformer and strategy, and we have not seen many games of this hybrid genre where there are such bite sized levels, controlled with a single-touch. The only other game that comes close to this is Run Roo Run, which was released nearly two years ago, but the gameplay mechanics and physics treatment are completely different.
Are there influences on Galaxy Run that aren’t other games, though? Like, was the desert planet of Drak-Nok inspired by the desert planet Tatooine from Star Wars?
Our artists are big fans of Star Trek, Star Wars, and other sci-fi. The visuals have definitely been inspired from these, as we all have grown up watching them. But we have not tried to replicate anything specific from them in the game.
One of the things that distinguishes Galaxy Run from other auto-runners is that you made it easy to play. Why did you decide to go that route?
While developing the game, our top priority was to keep the mechanics as simple as possible, so that even a four-year-old could pick it up and quickly start playing it without much of a learning curve. The game employs a simple tap-to-jump control, and all eighteen gameplay mechanics have been created around this. Each level feels fresh and there is never a sense of repetition. Because of its simplistic controls and challenging levels, it makes the game very addictive.
But is it actually easier or is there still some challenge to it? I’m curious if people who play a lot of auto-runners will still find this challenging, and thus enjoyable.
The game may sound easy, but despite the simple controls, the levels are beautifully designed to challenge even the hardcore gamers. Some levels require strategy, whereas the others would require good hand/eye co-ordination. Also, in every chapter, there are five extreme levels, meant for experienced gamers who like challenges.
Galaxy Run isn’t free, and also includes micro transactions. What are some of the things you can buy?
Players can buy special power-ups to complete challenging levels. Using the power-ups, you can slow down the player, run through obstacles, or even skip the level. By default, there are three of each power-ups available, but you can buy more if required.
It’s important to note that Galaxy Run is not a freemium game, which means its not built around in-app purchases. Once you buy it from the App Store, you can play through the whole game without any need of further purchases. The game is also ad-free, and without any waiting timers either. It’s a traditional pay-to-play model, which works best for this game.
You have plans to add a level editor. Will people be able to share their levels somehow? If so, will there people monitoring things so that some jerk can’t make a level that’s impossible to beat, or one that’s shaped like a penis? Cuz you know someone will use your level editor to make a super difficult, penis-shaped level.
The level editor will take some time before it is released. The users will be able to create their own levels, test it and share it within the community. It is too early to comment right now on this, but we have some great plans.
Galaxy Run is currently only available on iOS devices. Is there any difference between the iPad version and the one for iPhones and iPods?
There is no difference between the iPad version or iPhone/iPod. Galaxy Run is a universal app which works the same on all iOS devices.
Are there plans to bring the game to Android or other mobile platforms?
Currently, we are busy with the iOS version, and there are no immediate plans to port it to other platforms.
I assume that also means PCs and consoles.
The game should work well across all platforms due to its simple controls and addictive gameplay but, again, we will look into it later.
Finally, the hero of your game is named Rez. Is this because you guys are big fans of the Dreamcast game Rez, the bad guy in the game Gex, or the song “Rez” by Underworld?
We really liked the name Rez, and earlier the game was called Get Rez Home before we decided to rename it Galaxy Run.
