With Apple's ecosystem now more open than ever, a wave of new alternative app stores has emerged, each vying to become the first successful alt app store on iOS. The latest to join this competitive fray is Skich, a gaming-centric platform that aims to distinguish itself from competitors like Apptoide by placing a strong emphasis on gaming experiences over general app offerings.
Skich's primary allure lies in its innovative discoverability system, which incorporates three key features: a sophisticated recommendation engine, a swipe-based discovery interface, and a social system complete with lists that showcase the gaming habits of friends and like-minded players. These elements bear a resemblance to the popular features found on Steam, which isn't necessarily a drawback. In contrast, the Epic Games Store for iOS, much like its PC counterpart, misses out on the robust social and discovery features that users of Steam and, to a lesser extent, GOG, have come to expect.
While Skich boasts a compelling core selling point with its focus on gamer-first features, the question remains whether this will be sufficient to secure its success in the burgeoning altstore market. The challenge for Skich, and indeed any new entrant, is to lure players away from their established preferences. Epic Games Store entices users with free games, while Apptoide diversifies its offerings beyond gaming. Skich's success is far from guaranteed, but it certainly has potential.
The landscape of app distribution may be on the cusp of a significant shift, with larger publishers like EA and Flexion collaborating on alternative app stores. This trend suggests a future where official storefronts could be overshadowed by innovative newcomers from outside the traditional ecosystem.
