Skich is the next competitor to take a swing at the new alternative app store market

Skich: A New Contender in the iOS Alt-App Store Arena

The explosion of alternative app stores on iOS has created a fiercely competitive landscape. Skich, the latest entrant, aims to carve a niche by focusing exclusively on gaming and bolstering its discoverability features. Can it succeed where others have struggled?

Skich's core strategy revolves around a sophisticated discovery system. It leverages three key elements: a recommendation engine, a swipe-based browsing interface, and a social network integrated with friend lists. This allows users to easily see what their friends and like-minded gamers are playing. The system bears a resemblance to Steam's popular interface, a design choice that isn't inherently negative. A significant weakness of the Epic Games Store's iOS iteration, for example, is its lack of robust social features and discoverability tools that gamers on platforms like Steam and GOG take for granted.

Will Skich's Focus on Gamers Be Enough?

Skich's gamer-centric approach offers a compelling selling point. However, its success isn't guaranteed. Other alt stores have employed different strategies to attract users: Epic Games Store offers free games, while Apptoide casts a wider net by including non-gaming apps. Skich's success hinges on whether its gamer-first features are enough to entice users away from established platforms.

The increasing involvement of major publishers like EA and Flexion in the alt-app store market suggests a potential shift in the balance of power. The future may see official app stores playing a less dominant role, potentially paving the way for innovative newcomers like Skich to gain significant traction.