# Villagers vs Vampire - Our first game is on Amazon!



## wavsite (Nov 12, 2008)

My husband and I just started a small game company called Perceptive Pumpkin Productions, and our first game is now available on Amazon for Kindle Fire (as well as iTunes and Google Play for phones and other devices). It's called Villagers vs Vampire, and it's an addictive puzzle game with a supernatural twist.

The hero is a young vegetarian vampire named Reggie, who's just moved into his first castle. The local villagers are none too pleased to have a vampire living next door, and they attack the castle. Your job is to scare them away with the help of your allies (bats, rats, zombies, etc) that you collect by drawing paths and matching items on the game board.

We have a free (ad-supported) version available on Google Play, iTunes, and Amazon, and a $0.99 version (no ads) available on iTunes and Amazon's App Store.

If you want to try it out right now, we also have the game on our website, at http://vvv.perceptivepumpkin.com/playonline/ The game uses the Unity web player, not Flash, but it's a quick install, and you might already have the plugin if you play other online games.

I'm a long-time Kindle owner, so it was important to me that it looked and played properly on the Kindle Fire, not just on iPhones or iPads. My husband did all of the coding and artwork, while I handled the heavier mathematics, user interfaces, and testing. Fortunately, we love each other very much, as the last 6 months have been somewhat stressful! 

I'd love to hear any feedback from fellow board members, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you have.

Villagers vs. Vampire


_* Updated to add a link to Amazon's free version._


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## wavsite (Nov 12, 2008)

I just wanted to say thanks to the board members for all of the post views (82 and counting!), and apparently also sales - the game is selling better on Amazon than iTunes, at least so far.  So, thank you!

I'd love to hear any feedback, either here or as an Amazon review (we don't have any yet, and even a 3-star review is better than none!).  

For some reason Amazon is being excruciatingly slow with the posting of our free version of the game, but when that's available I'll add the link to my post here, for those of you who want to try before you buy.


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## wavsite (Nov 12, 2008)

Amazon has (finally!) posted our free version of Villagers vs Vampire, you can grab it for your Kindle Fire (and other Android devices) at:



The only difference between the free and paid versions are advertisements (and for iTunes versions only, the inclusion of achievements via Game Center), so you'll have full access to everything in the game if you want to try it out.

Take a look, play a little, have fun, and leave a review! 

_Fixed first link and added KB image link. Betsy_

Tiff here, again - 
Actually, the subdomain site off of our Perceptive Pumkin site IS "vvv" - Villagers Vs Vampire!  So the proper link to the game site is http://vvv.perceptivepumpkin.com, whereas the *company* site is http://www.perceptivepumpkin.com. I must have typo-ed the original link, since it didn't work at first, sorry about that. I have it typed properly now.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Your first link is broken. . .I think you put "vvv" instead of "www".

_---Fixed... Betsy_


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Bought the paid version after you posted, and I think it looks great and plays well.  However, I'm not quite certain of what each sets of things does and what the strategy I should use is.  There doesn't seem to be a help scrren

What's the difference between the coffins with torches and without?  What does accumulating them do?  What good does having high health do?  

How do I use the pumpkin money? When I tap on the money, I get the "Shop."  What does "Upgrade Point" mean?  I see I can get increased chance of veggies, which last five turns.  Again, how does having the high health do me?

I think there was a brief explanation at the start, but I can't get back to that info.

Betsy


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## Q Optional (Jul 1, 2012)

Thanks, I just downloaded it! I'm not much of a game player but I thought it might be fun to have a game on my Kindle Fire. 

(Besty, that Winter Chair quilt is an amazing work of art! Beautiful!)


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Thanks, Q!  

Betsy


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

I know, off topic (but I did go look at the game), but I'm so happy to see the Return of the Quilt avatars!!!


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

I bought the paid version too, and my comments are the same as Betsy's. The instructions are pretty thin, and I don't think it's possible to return to them.

I went to the developer's website and found some helpful information about gameplay and strategy there, but some of this needs to be built into the app.

I'm at Level 6 now.  It's not very difficult to get there, but I assume it will get harder. I'm gradually figuring it out.

One comment: the app does allow in-app purchases with real money. I don't object to this, but I seldom download these "pay, then pay again" games. The developers should make it clear in the app description if this is the case.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I'm on level 19, as you say, it's not hard to progress.

I haven't come across any in-app purchases yet that I recall and couldn't find them...

Off to check out the website.

Betsy


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

I've played enough to post a review. After I've played some more, I may add or revise my review. It's a pretty good game once you get the rules down.

http://www.amazon.com/review/R1QODU2DP8UMRP/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B008CPV6OE&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=


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## wavsite (Nov 12, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Bought the paid version after you posted, and I think it looks great and plays well. However, I'm not quite certain of what each sets of things does and what the strategy I should use is. There doesn't seem to be a help scrren


Thanks for the feedback, and I REALLY appreciate the targeted questions! The only way to see the help screen currently is when you start a "New Game". As JimC1946 said above, I did add both "Tips" and "FAQ" pages to the game's web site, but I agree that the information should be incorporated into the game somewhere.

We're currently working on adding a help button on the "gear" tab in the store. We should have that pushed out today, and I'll post here when Amazon makes the updated version available for everyone.



Betsy the Quilter said:


> What's the difference between the coffins with torches and without? What does accumulating them do? What good does having high health do?


Coffins are your defense, and matching them fills up the purple bar at the top of your screen. They can also be matched to the attacks that the Villagers are sending your way (the pitchforks, torches, swords, etc), which have a smaller coffin as their background.

Each attack icon does damage with every turn you take (every maaaatch you maaaake... great, now I have THAT song in my head...  ). From levels 1-9, the Farmers attack with Pitchforks, which do 1 damage per icon on the screen. From levels 10-19, the Villagers bring out the Torches, which do 2 damage each. And so on, increasing by 1 damage every 10 levels. So matching the attacks quickly is the best way to stay alive.

Health is the green bar at the top of your screen, which is filled by matching the veggies. The attacks damage your purple defense bar first, then start whittling away at your health bar. When you run out of health, the level ends. You lose any coins or upgrades gained that level, and you get to try it again. So high health means more time to scare away all the villagers before you "die" and have to start over.



Betsy the Quilter said:


> How do I use the pumpkin money? When I tap on the money, I get the "Shop." What does "Upgrade Point" mean? I see I can get increased chance of veggies, which last five turns. Again, how does having the high health do me?


The pumpkin coins are the game currency. You use them to purchase upgrade points, the premium upgrade, and bonuses in the store.

Upgrade points - these are used on the 2nd tab of the shop, the "+" icon. Here, you can add upgrade points to either Coins, Coffins, or Veggies. You can change the distribution at any time. Upgrades are multipliers - when you add a point, the multiplier goes up by one. So a 3x multiplier in Coffins means each Coffin you match is now worth 3 defense. At the higher levels, these upgrades are absolutely necessary to counteract the damage from each attack.

Premium upgrade - this one-time purchase provides you with a free 25 points of defense and a free 25 coins at the start of every level, as well as the ability to change your line color. It's mostly cosmetic, but starting a level with 25 defense is actually very handy at later levels.

Bonuses - these give you an increased chance of a particular icon appearing, which lasts for 10 turns. So for example, if I were having a hard time, I might start out with a Coffin bonus, to help fill up my defense bar quickly. If I can't quite afford the next upgrade, I might put all my points into the Coin multiplier, then buy a Coin bonus to get more coins on-screen.

High health doesn't really do anything on its own, except keep you alive. 

Hope that answered your questions, I'll answer the "real money" question separately. Thanks!
Tiff


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## wavsite (Nov 12, 2008)

JimC1946 said:


> One comment: the app does allow in-app purchases with real money. I don't object to this, but I seldom download these "pay, then pay again" games. The developers should make it clear in the app description if this is the case.


We would be happy to update the game description to include that information, but I just wanted to let you know it's not really a "pay again" type of game.

Basically, the only thing you can buy with real money are more Pumpkin Coins, which you earn during normal game play anyway. With a little patience and strategy, you can save enough while playing the regular game to purchase all the Upgrades AND the Premium pack, with plenty of coins left over for Bonuses.

For example, my sister played the game almost non-stop through an entire family gathering back in May, to the point that she ran my phone battery completely out. She made it to somewhere in the 40's, level-wise, and never once "purchased" coins - and they would have been free at that point, since that was our "test app" version. It just wasn't necessary for her to enjoy the game.

I hope that answered your question, and thank you so much for taking the time to do an Amazon review!
Tiff


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Tiff, thanks for getting back to us.  The tips on the website were very useful, but it would be great to have them part of the game!

Is online required for play?  I got a message, but seemed to be able to play anyway.

Betsy


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## wavsite (Nov 12, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Is online required for play? I got a message, but seemed to be able to play anyway.


You don't need to be online to play the game, but we are required by the various app stores to warn people when they aren't connected, because we do have in-app purchases enabled. Sorry about that, but them's the rules! 

Tiff


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Thanks, Tiff, that was very helpful information. Since it doesn't appear that the in-app purchases are essential to advance in the game, I revised my review to delete any reference to in-app purchases.

I'm looking forward to seeing the revised version with more detailed rules built in.

JimC


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Tiff--

I guess I've finished the game at level 69--got a congratulations screen?  

I think it would be fun to have a timed option...that would encourage me to play it again trying to beat my times for certain levels.

Betsy


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## wavsite (Nov 12, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I think it would be fun to have a timed option...that would encourage me to play it again trying to beat my times for certain levels.


That's a great suggestion, I'll pass it along to my husband! We're currently brainstorming ideas for an update to put out in late September, trying to add something new to the game in time for a Halloween audience. What *kind* of something, is still up in the air, ha.

And yes, you beat the game, congrats! 

Did you ever get a 25-item chain? (you can see it under the Gears tab, "Stats") I think, in all of my test playing, I only managed it once, on a very early level - so if you did, I'm jealous!


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Tiff--
> I guess I've finished the game at level 69--got a congratulations screen?


CONGRATULATIONS, BETSY!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

wavsite said:


> That's a great suggestion, I'll pass it along to my husband! We're currently brainstorming ideas for an update to put out in late September, trying to add something new to the game in time for a Halloween audience. What *kind* of something, is still up in the air, ha.
> 
> And yes, you beat the game, congrats!
> 
> Did you ever get a 25-item chain? (you can see it under the Gears tab, "Stats") I think, in all of my test playing, I only managed it once, on a very early level - so if you did, I'm jealous!


No, my longest chain was 18....that gives me something to aim for.

Here are my stats:
Coffins Matched 5931
Coins Matched 8069
Veggies Matched 7603
Minions Matched 8137
Coins Spent 22600
Times Defeated 13
Total Damage Received 2785
Veggies Bonuses Bought 1
Coffin Bonuses Bought 0
Minion Bonuses Bought 0
Longest Match Chain 18

I probably would have bought a coffin or minion bonus if I'd realized they were there, I didn't think to scroll to see more options on that page....

Looking forward to the upgrade. 

Betsy


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

I reached the Congratulations! screen a couple days ago on the free version. I found that it is possible to keep playing the last level after reaching the Congratulations! screen. I had been defeated 10 times the first time I got the Congratulations! screen.

I also had not realized that Coffin and Minion bonuses were available. I would have bought Minion/Ally bonuses. 

Current stats  before starting over:

Level 69
Coffins Matched 6030
Coins Matched 7939
Veggies Matched 79000
Allies Matched 8164
Coins Spent 10700
Times Defeated 12
Total Damage Received 2448
Veggie Bonuses Bought 2
Coffin Bonuses Bought 0
Ally Bonuses Bought 0
Longest Match Chain 22


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Longest chain 22, well done!

Betsy


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Thanks, Betsy. I think the longest chain may be mostly luck since the generated new tiles need to mostly match the remaining tiles. 

ETA: Decided to see if I could deliberately get a string of 25. I was on level 4 with an unplanned long string of 21. By level 10, I have been able to deliberately get to 22 without being defeated. 

Another ETA: I saw a message that there were no matches and the board was automatically shuffled.


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## wavsite (Nov 12, 2008)

Thanks for letting me know about the other bonuses being hard to find, I'm pestering my hubby to add a visible scroll bar on that screen in the next update!

Also, I love seeing your stats, so thanks for taking the time to type those in here!  It's neat (from a "staff mathematician"'s point of view) to see actual numbers from actual players, not just my wildly inconsistent testing numbers, ha!

Annalog, thanks for letting me know about the error message in this last update - I replied to your message but thought I should mention it here.  Basically the game reports a "phone state" error between every level, and is quite annoying - sorry about that.  Derek (the hubby) sent Amazon an update over the weekend to take care of the error, so it should be up in about a week or so, whenever they approve it.  We're torn about updating too often - on the one hand, it might annoy players, on the other, it's a bug and needs fixin'!

As for long chains, the only time I got 25 during testing I was saving veggies, matching everything else and buying lots of Veggie Bonuses.  Not sure I could do it again, it's tricky!


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Saving veggies and buying veggie bonuses was how I thought that a 25 string would happen. I have already discovered that if I focused too much on long strings, coins, or any one thing, the probability that I would be defeated became pretty high. 

Adding self imposed goals has changed my game strategy. 

In addition to a scroll bar (doesn't  need to control scrolling, just show that it is possible), an option to clear stats would be nice. Also, it seemes that upgrades purchased with game coins are retained when starting a new game. While I see how this is great if the upgrades are purchased with real money, it might be nice to be able to clear those as well without needing to uninstall/reinstall the app. I am currently saving up game coins to "buy" the premium upgrade. It might be nice to have the option of keeping that one while clearing the others.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Annalog said:


> In addition to a scroll bar (doesn't need to control scrolling, just show that it is possible), an option to clear stats would be nice. Also, it seemes that upgrades purchased with game coins are retained when starting a new game. While I see how this is great if the upgrades are purchased with real money, it might be nice to be able to clear those as well without needing to uninstall/reinstall the app. I am currently saving up game coins to "buy" the premium upgrade. It might be nice to have the option of keeping that one while clearing the others.


Yes, I would like to be able to start the game over from scratch without removing it and re-installing...

Betsy


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## wavsite (Nov 12, 2008)

Annalog, just wanted to pop in and say that Amazon released our bug fix last night, so you should see a game update that will solve that "phone state" error message.  Thanks for letting us know!

Real life and "real" work has stepped in for a bit, but we're hoping to get started on a major Villagers vs Vampire update in August, for a late September release.  Hubby is really wanting to start on our next game as well, so it's a bit of a tug-of-war right now, priority-wise, ha!


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