With Apple's ecosystem now more open than ever, a flood of new players are vying to become the first successful alt app store on iOS. Enter Skich, the latest contender in this space, which sets itself apart by focusing squarely on gaming, aiming to outshine competitors like Apptoide with a strong emphasis on game discovery and engagement.
At the heart of Skich's strategy is its robust discoverability system, built around three key features: a recommendation engine, a swipe-based discovery interface, and a social platform that includes lists showing what games your friends and those with similar tastes are playing. These features might remind you of Steam, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. In contrast, the Epic Games Store on iOS, like its PC counterpart, often lacks the social features and discoverability that users of platforms like Steam and GOG have come to expect.
While Skich's focus on these gamer-first features is a compelling selling point, it remains uncertain whether this alone will be enough to make it a major player. As I've noted previously, new app stores need to entice users away from their familiar platforms. Epic Games Store uses free games as its lure, while Apptoide offers a broader range of apps. Skich's success hinges on its ability to attract and retain gamers with its unique features, but it's far from guaranteed.
Nevertheless, with major publishers like EA and Flexion increasingly investing in alternative app stores, we might be on the cusp of a shift where these new entrants challenge the dominance of official app stores. Skich's journey will be one to watch as it navigates this rapidly evolving landscape.
