Case Study: Angry Birds and Worms

Angry Birds and Worms presents two interesting case studies into successful video game franchises that have been able to captivate audiences through its simplistic designs with deep mechanics.

Since launch, Angry Birds has recorded over 4.5 billion downloads across its franchise and has spawned its own movie series and cartoon show. The key draw of Angry Birds is an easy to understand gameplay that is enhanced by deeper mechanics and optimization. With a simple premise of dragging to aim and shoot slingshots, the game draws in users of all ages and backgrounds. However, with countless levels, leaderboards and PvP features, it allows hardcore players to get more invested and engaged with the game. Notably, Angry Birds 2 has been a huge success with over $600 million of lifetime revenue since 2015 and remaining in the top 20 Action and Puzzle games even 7 years after release. It also boasts one of the highest retention rates on IOS and has received Editor’s Choice Awards on Google Play and App Store.

Worms is one of the oldest and most notable franchises of all time, recording over 75 million units sold since its launch 25 years ago. The simple turn based artillery game is a proven formula that provides thrilling PvP action, but Worms has been able to remain relevant and captivating through its cartoonish characters and wacky weapons that introduce a layer of humor into the game. Notably, the latest release Worms W.M.D. has recorded very positive reviews on Steam and Metacritic, and has an estimated 442 estimated active players. Without deviating from its core premise, Worms has been able to stay relevant through its continual introduction of new and weirder ways to compete in its games.

Ultimately, it is the success of these two games that inspired the development of Angrymals, and the reason why we are confident that it can capture the mainstream gaze.