Original?

[nygelplays]

Is this the original game? I ask because I've seen different developers names in different platforms.

[Watashi Games]

These are the first watermelon merge games:

---

Synthetic Big Watermelon by Fromgame in China
Released in January 2021 on Google Play

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.cocos2d.HCDXGbate1&hl=en_US&gl=US

---

Watermelon Merge Game by Brilliant Games Private Ltd.
Released in February 2021 on Google Play

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=puzzle.big.watermelon.free.games&hl=en_US&gl=US

---

Suika Game by Aladdin X in Japan
Released on in December 2021 on Nintendo Switch

https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/suika-game-switch/

---

I'm not sure which you consider the original, probably the popular Switch version, though it's a clone of the Synthetic Big Watermelon by a Chinese studio which was released nearly a year earlier.

We are "My Suika" by Watashi Games, not associated with any of the other studios.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/watermelon-game-my-suika/id6470134069

[nygelplays]

Thank you for the answer. Yes, based on what I've read Synthetic Watermelon was probably the first game of merging fruits. I also prefer the Switch version. It looks better than the others. Yours drew my attention because it's very similar to it. Since I don't have Switch I am very interested in trying it out.

[Watashi Games]

Originally posted by nygelplays:

Thank you for the answer. Yes, based on what I've read Synthetic Watermelon was probably the first game of merging fruits. I also prefer the Switch version. It looks better than the others. Yours drew my attention because it's very similar to it. Since I don't have Switch I am very interested in trying it out.

Awesome great to hear!

We release on the 29th. Hope you enjoy the game!

[Prince Ali]

Why copy other games instead of making your own?

[yesiamroy]

Visuals look good, wish-listed!

[Knox]

Would love to support you here on Steam, but really going as far as copying the fruits, UI and cloud is a no-no in my book. You could keep those elements, but also choose to give them their own look instead of tracing over (or, let's say, being "heavily inspired" by) the most popular version of the game. Not cool and probably not legal, too. Hope you change your mind.

Edit: before the most disingenuous comment ever drops ("but Suika Game is a clone of another game"), it has been proved over and over again in court that you cannot copyright game mechanics. You can go and make your own Tetris or Bejeweled, but try copying every visual element that makes Tetris, well, Tetris, and see what happens.

[hun_bullseye]

Originally posted by Knox:

Would love to support you here on Steam, but really going as far as copying the fruits, UI and cloud is a no-no in my book. You could keep those elements, but also choose to give them their own look instead of tracing over (or, let's say, being "heavily inspired" by) the most popular version of the game. Not cool and probably not legal, too. Hope you change your mind.

Yeah, i can almost clearly see a cease and desist letter from Nintendo in their future.

[Knox]

Originally posted by hun_bullseye:

Yeah, i can almost clearly see a cease and desist letter from Nintendo in their future.

Unfortunately, Nintendo has nothing to do with Suika Game. The studio that developed the game probably only has a handful of people working there, so I think there's a very high chance the "My Suika" game gets away with it.

I think it's a shame because My Suika looks really nice and is cheaper than the game it's copying from. They had every opportunity to change the visuals of the game and people would still recognize it. They even have skins to unlock, so clearly there was an effort into not just copying the visuals of Suika Game. It seems they're hoping you get confused and think you're buying the same Switch game, or at least one made by the same developers.

[Watashi Games]

Originally posted by Knox:

Originally posted by hun_bullseye:

Yeah, i can almost clearly see a cease and desist letter from Nintendo in their future.

Unfortunately, Nintendo has nothing to do with Suika Game. The studio that developed the game probably only has a handful of people working there, so I think there's a very high chance the "My Suika" game gets away with it.

I think it's a shame because My Suika looks really nice and is cheaper than the game it's copying from. They had every opportunity to change the visuals of the game and people would still recognize it. They even have skins to unlock, so clearly there was an effort into not just copying the visuals of Suika Game. It seems they're hoping you get confused and think you're buying the same Switch game, or at least one made by the same developers.

Thank you for the feedback and acknowledgement that we’ve put effort into making this a high quality game.

Our artist is currently working to redesign many of the visuals to help us stand out against the other watermelon merge games.

Please keep an eye out for updates over the next few days. We hope we can impress you with the changes.

[The Real CHIM Shady]

holy moly reading is not some peoples strong suit
"How dare the dev copy another copycat game and release it on a platform not available to the original copycat game >:("

[Knox]

Originally posted by My Suika:

Thank you for the feedback and acknowledgement that we’ve put effort into making this a high quality game.

Our artist is currently working to redesign many of the visuals to help us stand out against the other watermelon merge games.

Please keep an eye out for updates over the next few days. We hope we can impress you with the changes.

Thanks, that's a very mature and level headed response. I think that what you already have looks great and there is no need to look exactly like Suika Game. I can see the effort and that's why it disappoints me to see 1:1 copies of the visuals. In a sidenote, would be really cool if you add workshop support to the game for player created skins. Hope you keep that feedback in mind and I look forward to support the game when you follow through with your promise.

Originally posted by The Real CHIM Shady:

holy moly reading is not some peoples strong suit
"How dare the dev copy another copycat game and release it on a platform not available to the original copycat game >:("

Fishing for clown rewards?

[Droopy]

Should be removed for pure plagiarism, as much I want the Switch version on Steam I can't support stuff like this, at least innovate on the idea and do some fresh concepts.

[Retro]

Yeah i am curious what will be the differences in this game what innovation you devs want to do to differentiate your brand as you'll be the probably visually a better looking game..will it be leaderboards,multiplayer, another game type...cuter creaters to combined, limited creatures you can acquire if you reach a certain score before anyone else...like what are the goods.

[Watashi Games]

Originally posted by Droopy:

Should be removed for pure plagiarism, as much I want the Switch version on Steam I can't support stuff like this, at least innovate on the idea and do some fresh concepts.

Thanks for the feedback. I'd like to note that we have the following features that most of the other watermelon games do not have:

Multiple Game Modes (Unlockable by obtaining high scores)
- Classic
- Speed
- Rescue
Earned game currency
Multiple Skins/Backgrounds
- Unlockable with IAP or earned game currency
Global Leaderboard
In-game Achievements

Compared to the first watermelon games, and the version released on Switch which is a copycat of earlier releases, we believe our product is of much higher quality regarding art and functionality.

If you are against playing games that build upon the watermelon merge genre, you shouldn't play the Switch game as well.

You can see "Suika Game" on Switch is extremely similar to the mobile app "Watermelon Merge Game" by Brilliant Games Private Ltd. which was released a year prior. Note the UI elements and fruit designs.

Linked below is the OG app. Feel free to play and test it out. Personally, I don't enjoy the physics as much as many of the others but it's arguably the inspiration for the Switch game if that's what you are looking for. Overall it's pretty solid considering it was released almost 3 years ago.

---

Watermelon Merge Game by Brilliant Games Private Ltd.
Released in February 2021 on Google Play

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=puzzle.big.watermelon.free.games&hl=en_US&gl=US

[Soushi [SSRB]]

Originally posted by My Suika:

Thanks for the feedback. I'd like to note that we have the following features that most of the other watermelon games do not have

Sold! :)
I was really on the fence about getting this game preciely because of the suspicion that it's simply a 'clone' of a game popular on another platform. Glad it was unfounded, waiting for the release day to come.

Game industry as a whole is highly iterative, everyone takes succesful ideas from everyone else. There's nothing wrong with taking an existing game, copying it and developing it further by adding your own ideas and mechanics.