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Threes

A sliding number puzzle game by Asher Vollmer and team, cloned by 2048.

asherv.comApp Store1 source1 tips

Where Threes comes up1 episode or test

GYouTuber behind Game Maker's Toolkit and creator of Mind Over Magnet and Word Play testMy game was cloned with AI... what do I do?
At a glanceA simpler 2048 clone overtook Threes' slow, careful build
  1. Threes is builtSlow, careful build by Vollmer's team
  2. Rip-offs appearClones arrive before players grasp the design
  3. 2048 becomes far more famousMany play 2048, never heard of Threes

From Asher Vollmer on Threes and 2048

What was said about Threes

1How 2048 cloned Threes and overtook it

  • Threes took fourteen months to build and was cloned within weeks. Rip-offs appeared a few weeks after launch, and the simpler 2048 became far more famous than the original. Many people have played 2048 and never heard of Threes.

    Creator Asher Vollmer said the pile-on came before most players understood the design, which made the team sad. The source quotes: "it took just a few weeks before developers made rip-offs".

  • Move fast on distribution while your idea is still new. If your audience is still learning the game, fast followers can beat you to awareness. Threes shows that a slow, careful build can lose the market to a simpler copy.

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