I really enjoy playing Skip Rummy. It’s clever and requires thought, strategy, and planning. It’s easy to learn. The interface is smooth. The ads are a bummer, as they always are, but they don’t interrupt the game, aren’t overly-frequent, and not excessively long. Plus, a developer has to earn a living!
But the game is ugly and overly-cluttered. I play on an iPad so don’t know if the game looks better on other devices, but assume it would appear even more cluttered on the iPhone’s smaller screen.
And there’s one bug: if I open the color palette, I cannot close it. I can change the color or not change the color; either way, the palette window won’t close. Only way to continue playing is to leave the game, clear the cache, then open the game again.
About the ugliness and clutter: First, the colors are garish. The primary colors don’t look good because the game uses all three, but the non-primary colors don’t coordinate with all three as that’s the nature of primary colors. Suggest you use one color for all the cards, preferably not a primary color because on the screen, those colors shout. Look at other card games, especially solitaire and poker games, and you will see they don’t use primary colors except as accents or notifications.
The four differently-colored cards make the appearance even more unattractive. Why are they even there? Anyone who is able to play this game can count from 1 to 12, so the three-card color groups serve no purpose; all they do is look ugly.
The yellow type in the blue rectangle is ugly because it’s close in location to the white type. Either use the same color or at least one bright yellow and the other a more pastel yellow. Similarly, the three maroon rectangles should be the same color as the blue rectangle, to avoid more color clutter. And the type should be the same color as in the blue rectangle, again to avoid color-clutter.
Some of the text in the red rectangles shouldn’t be on the home screen at all. “New game” is fine, but an icon would be better. “Remove ads” and “restore purchases” are better in a menu accessed via the more commonly-seen gear menu, along with How to Play and statistics. There is a reason other developers keep that stuff off the home screen! As long as How to Play is in the usual location (gear), everyone will see the other menu options.
The color palette, aside from not closing, is too complcated for most ordinary users to understand. It’s odd how the rest of the game seems intentionally simplified, but the color palette isn’t. Also frustrating that the color that can be changed is the background, when it’s the cards and type color that are so unappealing. Perhaps you can just design a few themes, such as softer-colored cards (with a black outline) and coordinating background color, and users can toggle through and pick their favorite. Also it’s a very good idea to make one theme for people with color blindness or low-vision. These use patterns instead of colors. Check the ADA protocols on-line for more info.
The only interface change that comes to mind at the moment is to get rid of the annoying white arrows that show where we can put a card. People who play this game can count up and down between 1 and 12. Much more elegant (and easier on the hands, so more accessible to people with disabilities) if players could tap anywhere in the card column to choose that card stack, except when adding a lower pip card; then, we must tap the top of the column. Besides, there are only, at the very most, eight places to place a card, and one place to end the turn. It’s not hard to know what one’s options are, especially because one must be able to count between 1 and 12 to play the game. So, the arrows are just more clutter.
Alternatively, include arrows only if a player elects Hints from the gear menu. But they aren’t really hints as much as highlighting available plays, so better to call them that.
I have more thoughts but this is already really long, so I’ll stop. Again, I like playing this game and have played every day since I discovered it. It could be better, though, with the changes I suggest. Thank you for your work on this game.
Show less
~Pure~
420Minnnie
spyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyu
