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Sponsored Feature: Mail.ru Group on tooling up Jungle Heat for Android

Better run through the jungle

Sponsored Feature: Mail.ru Group on tooling up Jungle Heat for Android
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| Jungle Heat

Military strategy games are nothing new, especially in the crowded mobile gaming scene.

So a new title has to do something to stand out, and Mail.ru Group believe its latest title - Jungle Heat - can not only do that, but also be considered one of the best entries in the genre to boot.

Mikhail Ryazanov, head of mobile department at Mail.ru Games, spoke to us about how the game is played, what makes it unique, and what is planned to make it an even bigger and better experience in the future.

Jungle Heat is easy enough to get the hang of then, and Ryazanov says that the main objectives are clearly laid out for you when you step into the breach.

"You collect resources, build and upgrade your army, fortify your camp and defeat your enemies to cement your position as top dog on the battlefield," he explains. "You can also run against humans or the computer AI."

There is still a considerable challenge to be found in the game despite the soft introduction, and Ryazanov insists experienced strategy fans will find much to enjoy.

"From level to level the game becomes more complicated," he says. "When you start you just study how to build, train troops, and attack. After that the difficulty is increased and you are starting to think about how to better attack your enemy, by wasting as few heroes and as little time as possible.

"After this the game becomes just as challenging as surviving in a real jungle!"

What Mail.Ru claim helps the game actually stand out, however, is the way it builds on its basic strategy game structure - with polished presentation and a large number of ways to play.

"It has amazing graphics in the style of TV heroes from the '90s, and a variety of troops and weaponry types," Ryazanov explains.

Making a game like Jungle Heat will no doubt be influenced by other titles that have come before it, and Ryazanov is only too happy to reveal them.

"We were inspired by Clash of Clans," he says. "This is because the Android is a high-end device and a market leader in Russia and in most of other countries, so we were asked by our friends 'when will someone make a game like Clash of Clans on Android?' - so decided not to wait and made one ourselves as a present to our friends!"

Following in the footsteps of such a popular game might be daunting for some, but when asked what was the toughest part of making Jungle Heat Ryazanov replied: "We weren't afraid of the challenges. We just accepted them and looked to resolve them."

There are plans to improve the game in the near future too, allowing users of various versions of Jungle Heat to interact with one another.

"There will be not any major changes made, but we are going to have cross-platform functionality across two mobile platforms and Facebook," Ryazanov reveals.

You can play Jungle Heat on Android devices now, and the game is free to download [Google Play link].

An iOS version is also available and is free to download [iTunes link].