Supercell’s Alex Roque on the secrets of Clash of Clans’ Builder Base mode

Supercell, the gaming company that has garnered massive success with their mobile games, has recently introduced a 2.0 update for their game, Clash of Clans. One of the key changes made to the game was the rebuilding of the Builder Base mode, which had gone without any updates for a while, with the help of game designer Alex Roque. In an exclusive interview with Game Developer.com, Roque shed light on the work they did to revamp the mode.

Meet Alex Roque

Alex Roque had been working with Supercell game developers for a year now and played a crucial role in the redevelopment of the Builder Base mode. Clash of Clans, which was first launched in 2012, has maintained its status as one of the most successful mobile games in the world. With the support of Roque and other developers, it has continued to scale new heights.

The builder base mode

The Builder Base mode was not working as well as Supercell would like, and they identified some pressing issues with the game’s pacing. To address these problems, Roque and his team decided to think outside the box.

“It was an interesting decision, instead of making more content, let’s go back to the core and fix the problem, so that then we can add more content,” said Roque.

The team knew that the game’s fan base had a genuine interest in playing, but their engagement level was low. Therefore it became crucial to find solutions to keep the Builder Base mode enjoyable.

The thought process

Roque mentioned that they had worked together as a team to identify the issues and brainstormed several solutions to fix them. They wanted to restructure the game mode, which initially seemed daunting, but due to effective communication and regular meetings, they found their way through. Ideas from everyone involved in the meetings found their way into the game. Every contribution to the redesign led to a well-informed decision-making process.

Feedback from the game’s community

In addition to their internal team effort, Supercell consulted with the game’s loyal fans to understand their issues with the Builder Base mode. Research showed that although players identified problems, they found it challenging to come up with potential solutions. Armed with this knowledge, the developers knew they had to work harder to come up with resolutions that could help drive engagement.

Bottom line

Supercell’s collaborative approach not only helped streamline the redevelopment of the Builder Base mode, but it also served to bolster their team spirit. Clash of Clans’ game-players can expect even more innovation moving forward, with the brand’s single-minded focus on delivering the best possible gaming experience for its loyal and growing fan base.