松松总动员 (Tsum Tsum All Stars?)

It’s now 2026 - Post has been sitting in my drafts since 2020. Post has been revived but unfortunately the game has shut down a long time ago. And I personally find it very unfortunate that it didn’t make it out of the Chinese market.

Now back to the original 2020 content below:

Chinese version of the Tsum Tsum game! Same same but different.

Another game based on the Disney Tsum Tsum franchise, plays slightly different from the international versions whereby this game’s overall structure follows a traditional match 3 layout of moving from level to level. The Tsums are also alive and are interactable which was super cute. Different series of characters had their own cake looking “home” and they could be levelled up with various tasks. More character content was unlocked through stars - gotten through repeat gacha pulls.

The UI visual choice was pretty fun but lacked a bit of polish. Also doesn’t immediately scream “disney”.

soft colors

textures

toy box

collection

artistic fonts

Developer: | Publisher: Happy Elements Technology (Beijing) | Platform: iOS & Android

Tsum Tsum Stadium

Like regular Tsum Tsum, but competing with 49 other players!

Plenty of new features with this game, it uses the same base mechanics as the original Tsum Tsum game, but this time adding a competitive edge. Innovative incorporation of Battle Royal without the need to hurt anyone else. 50 players are gathered for each round, players are then ranked by overall score at the end of a fixed time. Players can now use 2 Tsums instead of 1, and everyone has their own customizable avatar, how cool is that!

Art style represents a performance in a stadium, with lots of colorful bright lights with heavy use of blue. Shapes are rounded, with a little pop up effect, resembling the shape of the Tsums themselves. Information is displayed clearly, and every round feels very rewarding even if the player didn’t win.

Developer: LINE | Publisher: LINE | Platform: Mobile

第九所 (Ninth District?)

Going through the 60s trying to get to Mars

Interesting sandbox survival management game set in the early 60s when China was going through Cultural Revolution. The location is in a remote dessert with enough space for multiple factories and workers to build their way to Space. The game brings the player through the Cultural Revolution from the start with the Great Leap Forward (1958) focusing on industrialization. The player will then slowly go through the phases of revolution until ultimately they build a rocket. (I haven’t gotten that far yet.)

The game starts out with a book, therefore it makes sense to think of this as a diary, journaling the past, therefore the art style is worn and vintage looking. The details on every piece of paper are the most interesting part, all very simple and elegant. The art style suits the time period, whereby there was nothing too high tech, and everything was written in pen and paper. Big patches of color, NPCs have no faces, probably to represent Chinese culture of not standing out.

Developer: Netease | Publisher: Netease | Platform: iOS(China Only)

Rummikub

Digital version of Rummikub, still makes my brain hurt

Rummikub is easy to pick up, but difficult to master. This digital version of the board game is good for practicing solo, and also very fun especially during this period with social distancing. The tiles consists of 8 sets of 1 through 13 in 4 colors (if this makes sense). What I like about this version is how the game will stack and arrange tiles in a neat fashion for players, making the tiles easier to spot for manipulation. The tile holder automatically extends itself, and there is a sorting function too! Makes me not want to play the physical version anymore.

UI reminds me of classic casino games, with the royal blue background looking like a gambling table. Other than the tiles, the shapes used are rounded. Also, colors are barely used in the interface. Simple game, simple UI.

Developer: Kinkajoo Games | Publisher: Kinkajoo Games

Tour of Neverland

Kinda like Harvest Moon, but on the phone!

Cute little mobile game that got me hooked for a while until progression got really boring. Has all the mechanics one can think of when it comes to a country life game: farming, fishing, rearing animals, bug catching, mining, and of course making friends with NPCs. The most interesting mechanic would be the energy system, whereby there are 2 bars: 1 for expendable energy that you can use now, and stored energy which will convert into expendable energy every few minutes. In order to gain energy, the character has to eat, which fills up both bars depending on the type of food consumed. Players have the option to purchase a digestion potion which instantly turns stored energy into expendable energy. Other monetization aspects include dressing up your character with gear that can help boost daily activities, buying supplies / resources to upgrade the farm, food items that restore energy.

Art style is cartoon-ish, cute, using highly saturated and bright colors to bring out a cheerful, upbeat mood. Icons are colorful, and shapes are all round, giving a friendly, approachable feel to the interface. The panels are slightly more muted compared to the HUD, with brown and cream as the main colors. UX wise, functions are compartmentalized properly, information is clear, and use of icons are appropriate. Overall use of simple gradients, no textures.

Developer: 上海锐战网络科技有限公司 | Publisher: Mars Game (HongKong) Network Technology Co., Ltd.

Remnant: From The Ashes

Getting rid of the Root (of all evil) to save the world from their own subconscious.

Personally not a fan of soul-like games, but since it’s co-op multiplayer, I enjoyed the game even though it was a test of my endurance. Clearing maps and defeating bosses gave me a sense of accomplishment, especially after dying plenty of times. As the player collects gear and levels up, the game’s difficulty seems to scale accordingly.

Overall dark palette, with careful use of color to show importance of information. UI is grunge-y but neat, feedback is adequate, and never gets in the way. My guess is that the theme was probably chosen to represent the post-apocalyptic environment. Icons are very nicely rendered, highly detailed with good use of positive and negative space.

Developer: Gunfire Games | Publisher: Perfect World Entertainment | Engine: UE4