‘Suika’ is a Japanese word that directly translates to ‘Watermelon’ in English. And so, Suika Game literally means the Watermelon Game. This is a cute, indie watermelon game that has recently taken the Internet by storm and has been gaining the well-deserved momentum online. This is a Nintendo Switch game that revolves around the goal of creating a big, juicy watermelon by blending and combining different berries and fruits.
Here's all you need to know about this watermelon game and why it is gaining massive popularity online.
What Is the Suika Game?
Suika Game is a Japanese puzzle video game developed and published by Aladdin X. It was originally developed for the company's digital projectors. However, after seeing initial success, it was later released on the Nintendo eShop in December 2021 in Japan. Following this, in October 2023, the Suika game was given a global release.
The Suika game combines simple physics-based mechanics along with the falling and merging elements of tetris to create a giant watermelon in the end.
In the Suika game, player try to get a high-score through dropping fruits into a container without having them overflow out of the container. In order to earn points, players must combine two of the same fruits together.
Suika Game's Sudden Popularity
There are different reasons why a game goes viral online. Sometimes the game is able to combine the best of everything and cater to the audience’s needs. Thanks to popular streamers like Ludwig and LilyPichu, the game has stepped outside of Japanese borders. These players can be seen streaming for long hours, trying to solve different puzzles while also managing to entertain the audience. Many Twitch streamers like Marc "Caedrel" Lamont who stream the Suika Game also saw a surge in their viewership.
But that’s not the only reason this fruit game is able to retain the popularity it has. It’s extremely cute and wholesome graphics have also contributed to its popularity.
The game has simple graphics with aesthetically pleasing artwork that appeals to a massive audience that's looking for different entertainment modes.
The game also boasts a range of simple, easy-to-understand mechanics that don’t take a lot of time to catch up with. It has straightforward rules and engaging puzzle-solving mechanics that contribute to its universal appeal. The physics-based mechanics tend to impact the game’s layout, taking a unique and fresh approach to this fruit tetris game. As fruits fall on top of each other, as in tetris, they bounce and roll, causing a delightful cascade, squeezing some fruits up or down in the box and reshaping the puzzle in unexpected ways.
Rise in Suika Game Sales
As reported by Automaton, as of October 2023, the Suika Game's developer, Aladdin X, said that sales of the game have increased "by more than 50,000 times" compared to before the game went viral. The game has multiplied its daily sales by more than 50,000 times, consistently claiming the top spot on the Nintendo eShop.
It has also surpassed a million downloads, a huge testament to the Suika Game’s simplicity and universal charm.
In an era of gaming where the community is dominated by cutting-edge graphics and complicated mechanics, the Suika Game has proven to be a testament to simplicity.