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Among Us App Store Video Spotlight
September 22nd, 2020
by David Bell
CEO at Gummicube, Inc.
Among Us is a game that was launched in 2018 but has recently seen an incredible growth in popularity. In addition to its popularity on gaming consoles, it is also a hit on the App Store and Google Play Store, ranking at the top of its categories.
This growth has been credited in part to its ubiquitousness across game streaming platforms and increased user interest. When users look for the game, will they be compelled to install it?
Does the app have the groundwork needed to keep converting users even when the viral wave dies down? Aspects of the app listing, including the App Store Video, can make a significant difference.
For today’s App Store Spotlight, we take a look at the App Store Video for Among Us and see if it’s performing its tasks, or if it should be voted out.
App Store Video
Optimized creative assets are essential for an app. Among Us is riding on a wave of popularity, but there’s no guarantee that will last. Once the virality ends, it will need to maintain optimized assets in order to stay competitive.
We can evaluate its App Store Videos to see how they can be improved upon based on ASO best practices in order to keep users engaged down the line.
App Store vs Google Play Store
While the Apple App Store and Google Play Store have different video guidelines, Among Us uses the same video for both stores. While this provides unified messaging, it also misses on some of the unique opportunities Google Play’s video guidelines present it with.
In order to be allowed on the Apple App Store, the video is 30 seconds long and utilizes in-app footage only. If it used a different video on Google Play, it could also utilize outside footage, such as players debating over who the impostor is and how it can be played across platforms.
Video Best Practices
The App Store Video provides a solid overview of the mobile game by combining video gameplay with narrative text.
It takes players through several features of the game, such as the multiplayer functionality, the impostor gameplay mechanics and the ship repair tasks. It doesn’t spend much time on the discussion section, which it could expand upon if not for the time limit.
The text does not call out many keywords, although it does mention the local play and multiplayer aspects. In this regard, it could feasibly utilize more keywords, such as the science fiction and survival themes.
The video is accompanied by a score from the mobile game’s soundtrack, which helps set the atmosphere of the game and video.
Competing Apps
What are other mobile games on the App Store and Play Store doing for their videos, and how do they compare to Among Us? If we look at similar games with relevant audiences we can see what they do differently.
There are plenty of apps with similar social deduction gameplay, many of which came before Among Us. Do its competitors have videos that can help them compete?
Triple Agent
On the Google Play Store, Triple Agent is a high-ranking mystery game. The game uses a stylized video, complete with graphics designed to look like spy serials and a narrator that sounds as though he’s giving a secret agent a mission briefing.
The video does not provide much information in terms of gameplay and does not utilize any on-screen text to call out features or connect the app to its keywords. In this case, it focused more on style and theme than on App Store Optimization best practices, although the following screenshots provide additional information that the video does not.
The fact that it does not include keywords or much gameplay puts it behind Among Us, so while there is still room for improvement, Among Us is ahead of this competitor.
While the Triple Agent video is 30 seconds long and utilizes in-app footage, it is only on the Google Play Store. On the Apple App Store, the app does not include a video. This is another area where Among Us has the edge in terms of optimization.
Party Mafia
Among Us is similar to party games like “Werewolf” or “Mafia,” where players have to root out a hidden saboteur among them. Another mobile game based on that concept is Party Mafia.
The video for this game walks players through a portion of the game, accompanied by music but with no on-screen text. Players will have to pick up on the gameplay and mechanics based solely on what the video is showing them, although each screen goes by quickly.
In this case, the video is shot portrait-style. On the Apple App Store, this would be acceptable as users could view the video in portrait mode, but it does not have a video on iOS. Instead, the Google Play video, which must be on a landscape mode screen, leaves sides of the screen black and empty. Those spaces could be filled with additional information, including descriptions of the game, character art and text calling out keywords.
Once more, this is a situation where Among Us is ahead of it competitors. Among Us makes full use of its screen on iOS and Google Play, compared to videos that don’t.
At the same time, this does not mean that Among Us has a perfect video. There is always room to improve, and it will need to continue optimizing in order to maintain its current momentum.
Overall
Among Us has a solid foundation for its video, but it has room to grow. Success is often fleeting, and while the mobile game is seeing a massive increase in users due to its sudden popularity, it needs a good App Store Optimization strategy to maintain that momentum once the hype wears off and other games rise to compete with it.
Good ASO, including a properly designed and tested video, can make the difference between a flash in the pan hit and consistent, sustained growth and usage.
Want to learn more about App Store Optimization? Contact Gummicube and we’ll help get your strategy started.
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