Filip Brož "I wanted to create something extremely simple and I only had forty-eight hours to do it," says Ján Ilavský, a Czech developer from Prague who comes from Slovakia. He is responsible for the jumping game Chameleon Run, which became a global bestseller and won, among other things, the Editor's Choice award from Apple developers.
"In the past, I have already created several more or less successful mobile games, for example Lums, Perfect Paths, Midnight HD. Chameleon Run was created in 2013 as part of the Ludum Dare game jam number 26 on the theme of minimalism," explains Ilavský, adding that he unfortunately broke his arm at the time.
"So I worked on the game with only one hand, and the game was created in two days. It ended up ranking an average of 90 out of roughly a thousand games. It was my best result at the time, although some of my later games made it into the top five," recalls the developer.
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Chameleon Run belongs to the popular game segment of jumpers, which can occupy every occasion. The game offers a fresh design, music and also an interesting game concept that sets it apart from others. The main character has to change colors, pink and orange, depending on what platform he is on and what he jumps to as he moves through each level.
"After Ludum Dare ended, I put Chameleon out of my head for about a year and a half. However, one day the exact same game appeared from some developer from India. I found out that he took all the source code from Ludum Dare, so I had to deal with it. Subsequently, I saw similar arcades again, but since it was (only) a very strong inspiration, it left me cold," says Ilavský, who, however, was motivated to finish Chameleon Run by finding about the fifth copy of his game.
"I guess it wasn't as stupid as I thought, when people create similar concepts," says the developer with a smile, adding that at the beginning he worked mainly on the visual style. The first playable form was then ready at the end of 2014.
However, the real hard work and full-time work did not come until September 2015. “I teamed up with Canadian developers Noodlecake Studios, who also negotiated with Apple itself. The latter requested various materials, screenshots and recommended that Chameleon Run be released on April 7. However, we originally planned for April 14th, so I had to quickly prepare a version for Apple TV as well. Fortunately, everything worked out and was on time," confirms Ilavský.
“I made the whole game myself, but I didn't want to deal with promotion and launch anymore, so I approached Canadian developers who liked the game. I am currently working on new levels and iCloud support. Everything should be launched within a few weeks, and of course it will be free of charge," adds Ilavský.
Chameleon Run is very simple to control. You control the jump with the right half of the display and change the color with the left. Once you miss the platform or change to the wrong shade, it's over and you have to start over. However, don't expect an endless runner, as all sixteen levels, including practical tutorials, have an end. You can easily handle the first ten, but you will sweat a little in the last ones.
It is important not only to change colors in time, but also to time the various jumps and accelerations. In each round, in addition to reaching the finish line, you also have to collect marbles and crystals and finally pass the level without changing color, which is more difficult. Through the Game Center, you compare yourself to your friends and play for the best possible time.
The Czech developer also confirmed that he has the idea of a so-called endless mode in his head, and also says that the new levels will be much harder than the current ones. “Personally, I'm a big fan of different puzzle games. I recently played King Rabbit or Rust Bucket on my iPhone. The game Duet is definitely among the most popular," adds Ilavský, who has been developing games for more than twenty years.
According to him, it is very difficult to establish yourself and it is almost impossible to succeed with paid games on phones. "According to statistics, 99,99 percent of paid games don't even make money. It is important to come up with an interesting and new idea and implement it as best as possible. The development of games also has to entertain people, it cannot be done only with the vision of a quick profit, which in no case will just come by itself," says Ilavský.
He further points out that games that are free can be understood as services. On the contrary, paid applications are already finished products. “The price of Chameleon Runa was set in part by the Canadian studio. In my opinion, three euros is a lot and no discount can be applied to the amount of one euro. That's why the game costs two euros," explains Ilavský.
According to Game Center statistics, there are currently around ninety thousand people playing Chameleon Run all over the world. However, this number definitely does not end, as the game is still in visible positions in the App Store, although it is not free, but costs the mentioned two euros. The nice thing is that for less than 60 crowns you get not only the game for iPhone and iPad, but also for the new Apple TV. In addition to the "Apple" Editor's Choice award, the recommendation also comes from the Game Access conference in Brno, where Chameleon Run won the best gameplay category this year.
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Congratulations! The key is really the idea, even if it looks like a simple trick. But also the timing. If anyone wants to help with design or graphics, I'd be happy to join.