Apps & Games
I managed and produced a wide range of interactive experiences and mobile apps for the Playmobil brand, leading the production from early concept approval through final review, signoff and beyond.
Take a look at some selected projects below.
The six Space playsets provided us with a great opportunity to develop a fun game for kids set on the Red Planet. To bring the toys to life on mobile screens, we resolved to create an expansive and compelling world that offers zero combat, but countless hours of exploration.
The game features all the products of the PM Space playsets and keeps in line with the story of the promotional mini-series.
Through intuitive tutorials, players are led through the onboarding process so that they can easily discover the game's fun potential.
Returning players can earn random resources as a daily meteor shower rains valuable materials around the planet.
Players can choose between all five heroes from the original movie, or create their own personalized Ghostbusters™ character.
The game concept is based on classic 2D arcade games with players traveling across multiple floors to capture ghosts with their Proton Blaster.
Horse Farm App
The Horse Farm playsets have proved to be one of the all-time favourites with kids.
It’s an evergreen roleplay that allows children to create a special bond with their animal friends. Consequently we opted for a virtual pet style gameplay, featuring similar nurturing mechanics as a Tamagotchi game.
ROLE: SENIOR PRODUCER
PLATFORMS: iOS AND ANDROID
The game offers two intertwined modes of gameplay: Nurturing and Landscaping.
Players can choose from seven different coat colors to feed, groom and style their favorite.
The Landscaping mode lets players customize the paddock and earn new items step by step.
#1
Apple App Store Ranking in 4 Categories (DE)
Family | Role Playing | Kids | Kids Ages 6-8
Objective
Development of a free mobile game for kids (age 5+) showcasing the Playmobil Horse Farm playsets.
Deliverables
iOS Release Bundle | Android Release Bundle | Web Release (WebGL) | Marketing Assets | Localisation
Top Agents App
A fast-paced action shooter with a highly polished user interface and a sleek vehicle transformation system. We specifically chose this genre and gameplay to put the functionality of the Spy Team vehicles center stage.
While the depth of gameplay caters to the upper end of the targeted age bracket (7-10 years), the simplified controls make the game accessible to younger spy action fans,
All the apps go above and beyond COPPA and GDPR requirements.
No personal information. No Social Networks. No Ads.
Procedurally Generated Levels
To encourage repeat play and drive player retention, each playthrough is unique with varying environmental features.
Be it Commerce, Entertainment or Education...
Digital products and services are vital parts of our everyday lives. For brands, they not only have become indispensable marketing tools to boost customer engagement, brand loyality and sales, they also open up new digital business models and an enormous potential to grow the international footprint.
For brands, going digital isn’t an option. It’s a crucial necessity to stay relevant.
Playmobil Scan AR App
A branded Augmented Reality app that turns selected catalog pages into captivating animated 3D scenes. Over the years we produced more than 25 interactive sequences.
Kaboom! Toys-to-Life App
A first of its kind Toys-to-Life Experience that combines real physical Playmobil cannons and virtual targets. Quite a UX challenge, given the massive device fragmentation on Android.
PLAYMOGRAM 3D App
A stunning Visual Illusion based on the Pepper's ghost technique. Each playset contains a small projection pyramid. In combination with the app, it creates the illusion of a floating spectre.
My area of expertise includes all forms of interactive entertainment, from mobile games and companion apps to AR filters and VR prototypes.
Dinos App
An Endless Runner at its core, the Dinos App comprises several other features, including base building, managing the team's vehicles and protecting the dinosaurs from the storyline's villain.
Crystal Palace App
A winter themed Management/Pet Nurturing experience for kids aged 5-8. Players can take care of the characters' needs, groom and ride the mystical Phoenix, or solve various magical puzzles.
RC Porsche App
A Bluetooth Remote Control App designed to be used with the licensed Porsche Mission E car.
The car can either be operated via the virtual control sticks on the screen, or in gyro mode.
“Awesome! There must be a huge digital team behind all this!”
“Erm... let's move on, shall we?”
VR App Prototype
A VR Escape Game where players need to solve the mysteries of the pyramid playset.
I conducted user tests with kids from different age groups that were great fun and brought lots of useful insights.
Novelmore App
Running on a tight budget for this project, we re-skinned the popular Playmobil Knights app (honored with a TOMMI Award in 2014) , added a bit of extra content and made only slight adjustments to the gameplay.
Playmobil Pirates App
The first and so far only F2P title has been licensed to Gameloft and features the iconic pirates range. Users can complete quests and mini-games while building their own pirate camp.
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Past Digital Projects
Before taking on a managing role, I developed more than 30 Online Games and Branded Interactive Experiences. I'm a dedicated generalist and wore every possible hat during the production: from UI Design, Illustration, 2D Animation, VFX, Sound Design to Project Management, Coding, QA and Localization.
YOU CAN FIND MORE OF MY UI DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATION WORK ON ARTSTATION.
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I'd love to help your products grow and connect with their audience.
Since more than 10 years I monitor, analyze and evaluate market trends in consumer behavior with a special emphasis on kids entertainment.
I organized six Digital Strategy Workshops in cooperation with former Toca Boca CEO Björn Jeffery, co-created a set of Corporate and Product Strategy Principles, planned the organizational structure and helped to prepare the business case for a longterm digital product.
If you want to learn more about my professional background or a specific project, please reach out via LinkedIn or email:
“Think we smashed it?”
“Just smile and wave...”
©2022 Christian Buchner | Contact me on LinkedIn