A 2D character runs in a straight line while collecting coins or other items, a 3D simulator tells you to build a house or take care of patients in a virtual hospital. Cheap looking mobile games can be found anywhere, whether it’s while scrolling through Instagram, Snapchat, or even while playing another game. Whatever the case may be, these apps all have one thing in common: unoriginality.

There’s a big issue when it comes to mobile apps, and it’s not the fact that they are addicting, slow, or buggy; it’s that most games nowadays are complete copies of each other. Before this was the case with mobile games, many games had varying concepts and ideas that didn’t often overlap. From “Subway Surfers” to “Angry Birds,” the plot and overall designs of the games have different visuals and storylines, making them individually interesting. 

As apps become more popular and more games are developed, it is reasonable that developers have begun to run out of original ideas. The main problem with games copying other games is that app templates can be easily accessed through a simple google search. This allows anyone to use templates as long as they have not been copyrighted. The most recognizable game formats are home and job simulators and scrolling screen coin collecting games much like “Minion Rush” and “Temple Run,” which are seen in many copycat apps today.

To interest people into downloading their games, developers use intriguing advertisements to capture the attention of potential consumers. An example of this is “Lily’s Garden,” a game that uses storytelling to grab people’s attention, with their movie-like. The advertisements feature a character named Lily as she struggles with relationships, parties, and other events in an exaggerated manner that intrigues people and leads them to want more. An article by NYmag.com explains the appeal of the ads viewers love, stating, “The increased emphasis on narrative and characterization has reportedly paid off. It’s not tough to find plenty of people praising the game’s story.” These ads can be found on all sorts of social media platforms and other mobile games that sponsor ads, and many like ‘Lily’s Garden’ are eye-catching and engaging to rope in potential players.

While the similar formats of games today is unavoidable because of how cheap and easy it is to develop games today, it does not take away from the fact that mobile games are fun regardless of how long you play it before losing interest.