ASO AgencyGames · US iPhone listing
Does their ASO suck?
Listing creative score · first three captured iPhone screenshots
6/10Useful. Still leaving too much unsaid.
Brawl Stars shows the game, which already beats a surprising amount of game advertising. The opening still makes a newcomer decode a busy arena, then jumps from solo play to a victory poster.
Gab’s verdict · 6/10Gabriel Machuret
One storefront, one language and a dated capture. This is an independent editorial audit, not a client case study.
Gab’s take · Five criteria. Two points each.
There is actual gameplay here. Controls, arenas and different objectives do more work than another meaningless best-game-ever claim. I would improve how that action is explained, not pretend it is absent. Enlarge the crucial match action and replace celebration with a useful consequence. A recognisable cast does not get a bonus point for turning up.
The team-match opening gives an immediate playable proposition.
Real arenas, controls and distinct objectives provide product proof.
Landscape gameplay makes fine arena detail small in the gallery.
Team and solo modes progress, but celebration replaces the action payoff.
Playable arenas earn product-proof credit, but characters and mode names alone do not explain a particular advantage over other arena games. Genre recognition is not differentiation.
0: not earned · 1: useful but incomplete · 2: clearly demonstrated. Judged on the dated opening creative; public metadata provides context. These points assess creative execution, not private conversion or ranking performance. Read the scoring criteria · See all ten verdict levels
Inspect the numbered original, read the problem, then compare the proposed fix. The publisher’s creative stays unchanged.
What the visitor sees → what I’d change
Look at the original: The frame combines gameplay and a character illustration under a team-match headline.
Why I’m flagging it: Goals, timer, characters and controls compete at a small scale.
Highlight one authentic team objective with a tighter gameplay crop.
What the visitor sees → what I’d change
Look at the original: A solo headline differentiates this arena from the preceding team match.
Why I’m flagging it: The second arena changes mode without clearly teaching the immediate goal.
Enlarge the survival objective and retain truthful mode wording.
What the visitor sees → what I’d change
Look at the original: The creative highlights a victorious result rather than live controls or an action.
Why I’m flagging it: A number-one result does less teaching than an actual winning action.
Show a genuine match objective being completed without implying typical win rates.
Proposed copy for discussion. These are not current listing fields or tested winners.
Observed listing
PvP & 5v5 Battle Royale MOBA
Proposed alternative
Team battles & solo showdowns
Name 11/30 · Subtitle 29/30 charactersKeep the brand and describe the two play choices visible in the first two stills. Verify the current solo-mode terminology before release.
The tradeoff: The proposal removes explicit PvP, 5v5, battle-royale and MOBA terms. That is a substantial search-intent trade, so the creative test should run independently before any metadata decision.
Read the sequence from top to bottom on mobile, left to right on desktop. These are message-layout sketches, not screens from Brawl Stars or tested results.
Proposed headline
Put this in the frame: A current authentic team-mode view with the objective and relevant score state clear.
Why it earns the space: Give a newcomer a reason for the action.
Proposed headline
Put this in the frame: A legitimate action with real controls, readable teammates and opponents, and no fabricated outcome.
Why it earns the space: Explain what the player actually does.
Proposed headline
Put this in the frame: A verified solo-mode entry with accurate availability context.
Why it earns the space: Show variety without promising instant access to every character or mode.
The test: Does an objective-led third frame improve newcomer understanding and qualified acquisition? The sketch gives the designer a direction; the actual product and access conditions decide what can ship.
Bring the listing. I’ll help you decide what to keep, what to fix and what to test.
Observed competitor metadata
PvP Battle in Card Tower Duel
Clash Royale names PvP battles and a card-tower duel.
The lesson: It is a related competitive alternative with different mechanics. Brawl Stars should make its direct arena action clear without implying card-based play.
Observed competitor metadata
Choose a Pokémon and team up!
Pokémon UNITE names choosing a Pokémon and teaming up.
The lesson: The observed proposition gives character choice and teamwork a plain-language role. Explain what a Brawler does in a first match without claiming identical team formats.
Observed competitor metadata
Battle Royale & PvP FPS Action
Call of Duty: Mobile names battle royale, PvP and FPS action.
The lesson: Battle-royale intent overlaps, but perspective and gameplay expectations differ. Distinguish Brawl Stars’ actual arena experience rather than compete on generic battle wording alone.
Intent candidates grounded in the listing—not fabricated search-volume or difficulty scores.
Visitor’s job: Play an arena match with teammates.
Evidence: The first still explicitly names 3v3 and shows a scored arena.
Decision: Verify the current depicted mode and its entry requirements before making beginner-access promises.
Visitor’s job: Enter a competitive arena without forming a team.
Evidence: The second still names solo play and the subtitle includes battle royale.
Decision: Explain the supported solo mode without claiming every match has identical rules or opponent composition.
Visitor’s job: Find a team-based competitive game with a particular format.
Evidence: Both terms appear in the observed subtitle, while the opening promotes 3v3.
Decision: Map terms to currently available modes. Do not call the metadata wrong simply because the first screenshot features another format.
The unseen keyword field may already cover some of these terms. Build an evidence-backed keyword shortlist before making a metadata change.
Three 2022–2024 accounts were chosen for matchmaking expectations, mode-specific waiting and newcomer progression. They refer to historical systems and cannot establish today’s economy or balance. Reviews consisting largely of invented Brawler concepts were excluded from product evidence. No reward odds, win rates or retention claims are inferred.
Sample: 3 selected accounts from 8 displayed reviews. Dates: 9 January 2022–3 February 2024. No sentiment percentage is calculated.
9 January 2022 · 5/5 stars
“match making”
A January 2022 reviewer enjoyed the game but questioned how club-league matchups accounted for player and character strength.
What I’d investigate: Treat the proposed matchmaking explanation as speculation about a historical system, not a confirmed current algorithm.
Listing review source · Review ID 82216874487 March 2023 · 5/5 stars
“matchmaking times”
A March 2023 experienced player praised the game and team play but reported long waits in a high-rank solo context.
What I’d investigate: Keep the rank and mode context. The claimed queue time and explanation are not typical-user benchmarks or proof of current newcomer waits.
Listing review source · Review ID 96885974823 February 2024 · 4/5 stars
“new player”
A February 2024 reviewer enjoyed the game but felt new characters and monetisation made entry harder for friends who were starting.
What I’d investigate: Use the concern to research expectations, not to establish current balance, intentional pay-to-win design or today’s pass rules.
Listing review source · Review ID 10898088361A displayed review can be old, unusually positive or internally inconsistent with its star rating. These accounts suggest questions; they do not establish current defects or typical customer experience. Use the Review Research Desk to keep evidence and interpretation separate.
Goals, timer, characters and controls compete at a small scale.
Deliverable: Highlight one authentic team objective with a tighter gameplay crop.
Creative brief and current-product checkThe second arena changes mode without clearly teaching the immediate goal.
Deliverable: Enlarge the supported survival objective and retain truthful mode wording.
Creative brief and current-product checkA number-one result does less teaching than an actual winning action.
Deliverable: Show a genuine match objective being completed without implying typical win rates.
Creative brief and current-product checkDoes an objective-led third frame improve newcomer understanding and qualified acquisition?
Check Apple’s current product page optimization guidance and custom product page guidance before configuring a test. Write your experiment brief.
1–3: thumbs down · 4–6: thumbs up and down · 7–10: thumbs up
The basics need a serious rethink.
Too many obvious things have been left unfinished.
There is a useful product here. The listing needs to show it.
Some basics work, but the opening wastes attention and under-explains the benefit.
There is usable creative here, but too much of the sales argument is left to the visitor.
Real strengths, undermined by meaningful gaps in the opening story or execution.
A clear, useful demonstration with specific refinements still needed.
The main promise is clear and supported. Refinement matters more than reinvention.
Clear positioning, thoughtful choices and very few loose ends.
An unusually clear, convincing storefront worth learning from.
An editorial verdict on the captured storefront, not a measured ASO score or an assessment of an agency’s private work.
No private analytics, search-rank dataset or internal keyword field was supplied. Review quotations are short excerpts; explanations are our summaries. App names and screenshots belong to their respective owners. We are not affiliated with Brawl Stars. Read our editorial methodology.
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