Pocket God

For the comic, see Pocket God (comics).
Pocket God
Version 1.45 icon of Pocket God (December 19, 2012)[3]
DeveloperBolt Creative
PublishersiOS
Bolt Creative
Android
Bolt Creative
Windows Phone
ngmoco
Facebook
Frima studio
PlatformsiOS, Android, Windows Phone, Verizon Wireless
ReleaseiOS
January 9, 2009
Verizon Wireless
September 1, 2010[1]
Android
December 1, 2010[2]
Windows Phone
December 4, 2010[2]
Facebook
December 23, 2010
GenreGod game
ModeSingle-player

Pocket God is a simulation game developed by Bolt Creative,[4] in which the player manipulates an island and its inhabitants. It was released for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch on January 9, 2009, and released for Verizon Wireless on September 1, 2010,[1] Android on December 1, 2010,[2] and Windows Phone on December 4, 2010. The Facebook version was released December 23, 2010.

Gameplay

The player takes the role of an omnipotent being who rules over an island and controls everything. The primitive islanders, known as Pygmies, are subject to the player's god powers. These range from benevolent powers, such as giving the islanders a fishing rod, to destructive, such as summoning a hurricane, or simply entertaining, such as levitating the Pygmies. Built-in features of iOS, the iPad, and iPod Touch are used, such as the accelerometer to simulate gravity and earthquakes. Most of these features can be toggled on the game's menu bar. The "March of the Fire Ants" update also added a new feature known as OpenFeint, where players can access chat rooms, leaderboards, achievements, and announcements during gameplay.

One of the game's most notable features was the regular release of updates introducing additional content. The episodes A New Home, Dead Pygmy Walking, and The Pyg Chill added additional islands to the game, which can be toggled from the menu bar. The Fun n' Games until A Pygmy Gets Hurt update added mini-games for consecutive coconut bounces, consecutive shark snaps, underwater skewer, pygmy bowling, and hurricane zaps. The Ooga Jump update added the first crossover minigame, Ooga Jump, which was followed by a Harbor Master crossover. In the Idle Hands 2: Caught With Your Pants Down update more idle features were added to the Pygmies when they are not in use. Also, Buddy Challenges were implemented with OpenFeint. In the Good Will Haunting update, a downloadable content (DLC) store was added with changeable skins for the T-Rex. Other packs, such as the Halloween, holiday, and alien themes, have since been added.

In December 2012, it was announced Episode 47: Apocalypse Ow! would be the game's final major update.[5]

A bonus episode, Episode 48: Call of Booty, released to the App Store on November 27, 2014.[6]

Facebook version

A Facebook version of Pocket God was released on December 23, 2010, citing more features from the mobile versions of the game. It was co-developed by Frima studio and discontinued in 2015.

Comic series

Main article: Pocket God (comics)

Releases

Pocket God was released for iOS devices on January 9, 2009.[7]

Pocket God has since been released on several non-Apple platforms. A version was released for Verizon Wireless cellphones on September 1, 2010.[1] An Android port (published by ngmoco) was released on December 1, 2010.[8] A Facebook port (co-developed by Frima studio) moved to closed Beta on the same day. Pocket God was also released on Windows Phone.[2]

Spin-offs

Pocket God: Journey to Uranus, a spin-off title developed by Bolt Creative, was released on December 16, 2010.[9] Similar to the original title, this game was updated episodically, allowing players to travel to various planets and dimensions.[10]

In 2013, Bolt Creative released Pocket God: Ooga Jump, a platformer for iOS.[11]

Reception

Pocket God has received positive reviews. iTunes App Reviews gave the game 5 out of 5 stars.[12] AppStruck gave the game 5 out of 5 stars referring to the game as "endlessly amusing and is an easy way to completely lose track of time".[13] iPhone App Reviews gave the updated version of the game 4.8 out of 5[14] having given the original version 3.92 out of 5.[15] Appvee gave the game 4 out of 5 after episode 11 was released, having originally given the game 1.8 out of 5.[16]

Controversy

The game was subject to controversy when Pacific Islanders and anthropologists protested to Apple, claiming that the game was racist.[17][18][19] The game's creators defended the game, saying "it depicts no specific race or nationality." Pocket God programmer Dave Castelnuovo got in touch with one of the original complainants and proposed compromises: The islanders would be called Oogs instead of Pygmies, and the Moai statue would be replaced with a statue of an Octopus God.[20] On May 27, 2009, Castelnuovo announced that the characters would no longer be called Oogs, claiming that 'Pygmies' was a more suitable name, and that the original name did not actually cause any friction with Pacific Islanders.[21]

Collaborations

The addition of Doodler to Pocket God resulted in a new version of Doodle Jump being released on May 22, 2009, which allowed users to play as a Pygmy from Pocket God. To unlock the Pygmy, players must change the high score name to one of the characters from Pocket God: Ooga, Booga, Nooby, Dooby, Klik or Klak.[22]

The second crossover was with Harbor Master on August 8, 2009, where Pygmies replaced the normal boats in the path drawing game.[23]

The final cross promotion saw a new test added to "Moron Test" with a Pocket God theme to it, which characters from the Moron Test were featured on a new island and minigame within the Pocket God universe.

The Creeps released an update with characters based Pygmies.[24]

Trenches added to their "Zombie Horde" mode by allowing Zombie Pygmies to replace the Zombie Germans as the antagonists within the game.[25]

Announced in 2015 was the spin-off game Pocket God vs Desert Ashes.[26]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Pocket Blog: The Pygmies land on Verizon!". Pocket Blog. 2010-09-01. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  2. ^ a b c d "Pocket God for Android now available". Android Central. 2010-12-01. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  3. ^ "Official "State of the Island" entry". October 12, 2011. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  4. ^ "bolt creative". bolt creative. Archived from the original on 2009-11-24. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  5. ^ Corriea, Alexa Ray (2012-12-19). "Pocket God iOS final content update available today, brings the apocalypse". Polygon. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  6. ^ "Pocket God Returns with Episode 48: Call of Booty". Archived from the original on 2021-02-06. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  7. ^ "Episode 33 finally out". Pocket Blog. 2010-08-03. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  8. ^ "Pocket God". December 1, 2010.
  9. ^ "Pocket Blog". December 15, 2010.
  10. ^ "Pocket God Journey to Uranus - Bolt Creative". www.boltcreative.com. Archived from the original on 2020-08-30. Retrieved 2026-03-14.
  11. ^ "Pocket God: Ooga Jump App". App Store. 2022-07-25. Retrieved 2026-03-14.
  12. ^ "ituneappreviews review". Ituneappreviews.com. 2009-03-02. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  13. ^ "AppStruck Pocket God Review". Appstruck.com. 2009-06-14. Retrieved 2009-12-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  14. ^ Chris J. (2009-03-16). "iphoneappreviews updated review". Iphoneappreviews.net. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  15. ^ Chris J. (2009-02-08). "iphoneappreviews original review". Iphoneappreviews.net. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  16. ^ "appvee review". Appvee.com. Archived from the original on 2009-11-19. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  17. ^ Kerim (2009-04-18). "Savage Minds Criticism". Savageminds.org. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  18. ^ "nz herald criticism". Nzherald.co.nz. 2009-04-30. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  19. ^ "iphonesavour criticism article". Iphonesavior.com. 2009-01-09. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  20. ^ "The Dave Report Controversy". Forums.toucharcade.com. Archived from the original on 2009-05-07. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  21. ^ "The Dave Report Touch Arcade". Forums.toucharcade.com. 2009-05-27. Archived from the original on 2009-05-30. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  22. ^ "Pocket God In Doodle Jump". Pocketgod.blogspot.com. 2009-05-22. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  23. ^ "Harbour Master Pocket God crossover". ifans.com. 2009-08-08. Retrieved 2009-12-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  24. ^ "Pocket God in The Creeps". Pocketgod.blogspot.com. 2009-06-15. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  25. ^ "Stenches, Pygmies and Updates ... oh my!". Thunder Game Works. 2010-08-10. Archived from the original on 2010-11-29. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  26. ^ "Pocket God vs. Desert Ashes Coming to PS4, PS Vita". 19 March 2015.
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