“But why aren’t my cherries touching each other? » If you hear this cry of frustration at the other end of the corridor, don’t panic: your neighbor is just having a bad time in his game of Suika Game, which can be translated as “watermelon game “. Like 2048 or Candy Crush before it, this little game, playable for free on a browser, is experiencing exponential popularity in this gloomy autumn.
But what is this “watermelon game”? What is the secret behind its success? And why does it work now, when it’s been available for almost two years? 20 Minutes went digital fruit picking, with the analysis of Guillaume Grandjean, researcher in video game studies.
What exactly is Suika Game?
Available since December 2021 on the Japanese Nintendo eShop, the game developed by Aladdin X consists of stacking fruits that must be merged in pairs, until you obtain a watermelon. So, two cherries make a strawberry, two strawberries make a grape, etc. Each fruit gets bigger and bigger, and you should not go beyond the edge of the jar where you stack the fruits.
In total, there are eleven fruits in the game. Using the words of the American streamer Ludwig, Guillaume Grandjean, researcher in video game studies, summarizes: “it looks like 2048, the difference is that there is more RNG”, understand chance.
What is the success of such a game based on?
Beyond the very cute design of the fruits and the simplicity of the rules, Suika Game is above all “a very good game in terms of game design”, salutes Guillaume Grandjean. The game combines two mechanics, with a “puzzle-reflection à la Tetris or 2048” side and a dimension of skill that the specialist compares to “a game of pétanque, with a double objective of arrangement and interaction between the balls “.
Because what makes Suika Game strong is also “sliding physics”. The fruits collide, slide over each other or to the bottom of the box, roll, and are sometimes thrown by the fusion of two other fruits. Without forgetting that having to arrange “round pieces in a square container is an engine of chaos” which creates “poorly filled gaps”.
Why is the game exploding now, two years after its release?
Available for almost two years in Japan, the game led a discreet existence until the end of the summer. “What propelled the game were Japanese streamers, in particular Vtubers”, represented by a digital avatar rather than directly filmed, says Guillaume Grandjean. During the month of September, the title was downloaded a million times on the Nintendo eShop, announced Aladdin X, and accumulated 2 million sales in Japan as of October 16. On October 20, Suika Game becomes globally available, before offering an English interface on October 24 and adopting a special visual for Halloween.
Here too, North American and European streamers will seize the phenomenon. “There is an adequacy of this game with the spectacularization of video games”, explains Guillaume Grandjean, for whom Suika Game “adapts particularly well to streaming”. On the one hand, because sliding physics “creates randomness, chaos, therefore frustration, excitement, therefore entertaining content”. But also because “there is no timer, no urgency, the streamer can take his time to think, that leaves space for discussion with his community,” adds the specialist in video game studies. He also notes that where this type of game is “often oriented towards the mobile market, Suika Game is released on Switch and browser, which is in perfect collusion with streaming”. A well-thought-out strategy from which Aladdin X reaps the rewards.