Merge Mansion is a mobile game for Android and iOS released in 2020. It is the first game by Metacore.[1] The company is based in Finland, as stated on Merge Mansion's YouTube channel about page.[2] As of August 16, 2021, it has been downloaded over 40 million times.[3] From January 1 to November 16, 2021, Merge Mansion generated $38.6 million.[4] A large contributing factor in Merge Mansion's success has been the advertisements by Metacore promoting the game. The game was promoted with ads described as "weird",[5] "dramatic", "plot-driven", "interesting", and created for "virality".[6] The official gameplay soundtrack, titled "Merge Mansion (Official Gameplay Soundtrack)", was released on April 16, 2022.[7][8] It featured 12 tracks.
| Merge Mansion | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Metacore |
| Publisher(s) | Metacore |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | September 2020 |
| Genre(s) | Puzzle |
Gameplay
editMerge Mansion is a puzzle game where the player completes tasks as the character, Maddie, whose grandmother (Grandma Ursula) owns the mansion.
The game starts with Grandma Ursula handing Maddie a set of keys, which turn out to unlock the gate of the mansion. Maddie has to renovate the surroundings by cleaning and repairing everything, or the entire place will be condemned. During gameplay, you merge existing items and spawn new ones in order to clean up different areas of the mansion. As the player unlocks new areas, the story continues to unfold and Grandma Ursula reveals some of their family mysteries.
Players need to merge two items to create a brand new, upgraded item. These items include tools, furniture, plants, etc. For example, two knives turn into pruning shears, while two lightbulbs make a post light. In order to renovate the mansion and progress through the narrative, players need to continue to merge different items such as these.[9]
Advertisements
editMerge Mansion's advertising campaigns have received notable attention on the internet from famous YouTube content creators, such as Danny Gonzalez[10] and MatPat.[11] A series of live-action advertisements were created, hiring Kathy Bates as the actor for Grandma Ursula[12] and Grace Rex as Maddie.[13][14] Bates described the filming experience as "so much fun".[13] In early 2023, Merge Mansion started sharing new advertisements, featuring actor Pedro Pascal. In the ad, Pascal plays detective Tim Rockford, who's trying to capture a mysterious grandmother who is insinuated to have committed a murderous crime.[15]
The advertisements were created in collaboration with W+K[16] and were directed by Jim Jenkins.[13] All advertising campaigns created have been posted to their YouTube channel, garnering more than 6 million views and 35,000 subscribers in total as of January 5, 2022.[2] It is unknown where the ads were filmed, but the mobile game advertisements were set in Montgomery County in Maryland, USA.[17]
The advertising campaign for the game has not gone without criticism. Many have noted the similarities between the ads for the mobile game Lily's Garden and Merge Mansion's ads. On top of this, some have criticised Merge Mansion by arguing that the gameplay is not fully true to the ads, and that gameplay is more akin to Candy Crush in its simplicity.[18]
Some have also noted Merge Mansion's similarity to other mobile games, such as Whispers, Choices,[19] Homescapes and Gardenscapes.[20] Despite this criticism, Merge Mansion's campaign is ongoing on most social media platforms including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.[21]
In 2023, a series of advertisements created in collaboration with Reaktor featured American actor Pedro Pascal to promote a new game update.[22] In an interview, Pascal stated that filming the ads was a "real fantasy fulfilment, in terms of getting to immerse yourself into an experience, especially if you love mystery."[23]
References
edit- ^ "Metacore secures $179.9M in credit from Supercell for casual games". VentureBeat. 2021-05-05. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ^ a b "Merge Mansion - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
- ^ "Case Merge Mansion – Metacore's First Hit Game". bou.co. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
- ^ Forde, Matthew (16 August 2021). "Internet-obsessed Merge Mansion closes in on $40 million revenue". pocketgamer.biz. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ^ "What Is Even Happening In These Video Game Ads, Help". Kotaku. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ^ "Why The Hell Are Mobile Game Ads So Damn Chaotic These Days?". Junkee. 2021-08-25. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
- ^ "Merge Mansion (Original Game Soundtrack)". music.amazon.com. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
- ^ Merge Mansion (Original Game Soundtrack), 2022-04-16, retrieved 2022-05-09
- ^ "Merge Mansion: Monetization Strategy Behind Its Success - Udonis". Udonis Mobile Marketing Agency. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
- ^ Merge Mansion Ads Are Movies Now, 8 January 2022, retrieved 2022-04-01
- ^ Game Theory: The Disturbing Lore of Merge Mansion, 24 October 2021, retrieved 2022-04-01
- ^ "Merge Mansion - Live Action - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
- ^ a b c "Director Jim Jenkins, W+K Visit Kathy Bates At Merge Mansion". SHOOTonline. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
- ^ "Those Wild "Merge Mansion" Ads Have Gotten the Live-Action Treatment With Kathy Bates". The Mary Sue. 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
- ^ "Pedro Pascal Stars In Mysterious New Merge Mansion Short". Game Informer. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
- ^ "Kathy Bates Is a Grandma With a Mysterious Past in W+K's Merge Mansion Campaign". Muse by Clio. 5 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
- ^ Game Theory: The Disturbing Lore of Merge Mansion, 24 October 2021, retrieved 2022-04-10
- ^ Silva, Christianna (2022-05-12). "WTF is going on with the Merge Mansion ads with Kathy Bates". Mashable. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
- ^ McKinnon, Alex (2021-12-14). "Strange, horny game ads are flooding social media. I accidentally became obsessed". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
- ^ "Why The Hell Are Mobile Game Ads So Damn Chaotic These Days?". Junkee. 2021-08-25. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
- ^ Wedding Day - Merge Mansion, 10 February 2022, retrieved 2022-04-01
- ^ Williams, Leah J. (2023-03-12). "Merge Mansion nabs Pedro Pascal for new campaign". GamesHub. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
- ^ "Real-life Merge Mansion opens its doors to some VIP guests". Pocket Tactics. 30 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-06.