Check it out for what went right, what went wrong, and what is still to come for everyone’s favorite (and award-winning!) social mobile role playing game!

Thanks to Gamasutra for providing a platform to share our experiences in bringing SpellCraft to fruition!

Last Thursday, all of us at Appy’s Secret Worldwide Headquarters were, for lack of a better word, SHOCKED to learn that SpellCraft School of Magic was nominated for “Best Social Mobile Game” at the 8th International Mobile Gaming Awards. Then on Friday, we jumped around and threw papers in the air when we discovered we had not one, but TWO wins in 148 Apps’ Best App Ever: “Best Role-Playing Game” and “Best Free-to-Play Game.”

Much celebrating ensued, thanks to the Irish Pub strategically located under our offices. But it wasn’t enough to simply “pat each other on the back” and bask in our newfound glory. Best App Ever is voted on 100 percent by fans. We find it remarkable that SpellCraft School of Magic — which just debuted in December (!) — beat out so many AAA-type games from mega publishers like Chillingo and Gameloft.  We feel both wins represent a deep love of Appy’s games by regular people – from new smartphone owners to grizzled veterans from the Palm OS and Windows Mobile days.

A new generation arises. We call them “Generation M.” They never had to live in a world without Google; tablets are their natural habitats. It’s true that most of them love console games just like the next guy (or gal), but they are more than comfortable with the idea of gaming on the go. Nonetheless, this generation is going even farther: they’re also prolific social gamers. They made Zynga the giant it is today and will take gaming into the billions–eventually turning the world’s population into gamers. That’s a seismic shift for game development any way you slice it. In fact, we’d like to think Appy is at the tip of the spear in this space with SpellCraft; wait ‘til you see what we have in store for 2012

While a few years old, the “free-to-play” model is still in its infancy. It has a very different and always-evolving aesthetic plus sophisticated in-game market dynamics, player behavior, and much more. Mobile-social is where all the action on game design takes place today. Yes, we would love to also win “Best App Ever,” but we see “Best Free-to-Play” as arguably the most important category in the field — given the way the market is trending. It’s a huge achievement for Appy to win this category in our first attempt, given the many larger and more entrenched companies already doing outstanding work in this space.At Appy, we have a simple philosophy that guides everything we do: if we make our users happy, everything else will follow. That’s why we don’t release a game unless we think it’s great. It’s also a reason why we strive to have one of the friendliest, most responsive customer support efforts in the industry — a direct result from our stated mission to “develop lifetime relationships with our players.” While other games may do well with player churn and grubby monetization schemes, we try to keep our players happy thanks to the quality and depth of our games. We don’t want to be a casino constantly calculating the best way to separate players from their money; we aspire to be Disneyland!

In short, this is a huge deal for us. We want to share it with all our fans, the press, and everyone else who had a great time playing any of our games–whether on iPhone, iPad or Android. We consider these awards a vote of confidence from our players — that you like what we are doing, and that you want more. And we aim to deliver!

THANK YOU for your support, understanding and undying loyalty!

–Appy Entertainment

These awards are 100% driven by fan votes, and we think it extraordinary that a game released such a short time ago could emerge as the best game of 2011. Appy Entertainment extends sincere gratitude to our many players who have helped make SpellCraft a hit!

And if you are one of two or three people who haven’t yet played SpellCraft … what are you waiting for? It’s fun, it’s free, and now it’s an award-winning experience, too! Click the icon below to get your copy of SpellCraft School of Magic!

Now we need your votes on the final ballot itself!

Please click HERE to vote for SpellCraft as the 2011 Best App Ever

and

Please click HERE to vote for SpellCraft as Best Role Playing Game!

Thanks in advance for your vote — and please tell a friend!

(And if you have been living under a rock, and haven’t yet downloaded your own copy of SpellCraft, hit the big button below. It’s FREE!)

We’d like to extend holiday wishes and special thanks to our many players for their generous support of Appy’s games this past year!

To celebrate the season, we’re giving away FREE GOLD for our most popular games (FaceFighter Ultimate, Trucks & Skulls, and SpellCraft School of Magic) to the first ten thousand fans who visit our Holiday Gold Page!

Don’t delay, click today!

Thanks and best wishes from your friends at Appy Entertainment!

Touch the icon below to go to the 148apps site and let your voice be heard!

Every vote counts! Nominations close at the end of the year, so don’t delay!

Thanks from your friends at Appy Entertainment!

This is a nice big of exposure for our game, and it keep’s Appy’s streak alive of having all of Appy’s original games receive Apple’s endorsement.

Get your FREE copy of SpellCraft by tapping the button below!

SpellCraft School of Magic, FREE for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad!

In SpellCraft School of Magic, you are an apprentice wizard at the multiverse’s most prestigious magical university. To save your teachers – trapped in the dungeon beneath the school – you must nurse magical plants, brew and cast powerful spells, and battle horrific monsters and elemental creatures in limitless procedurally generated dungeons.

• Become a mighty wizard: Level up your character to command powerful magic
• Battle fearsome monsters: Learn the strengths and weaknesses of your many foes
• Study ancient rituals: Create exotic spells
• Master your friends and rivals: Defeat other players in the dueling grounds
• Plunge deep into the earth: Explore endless dungeon levels
• Discover powerful artifacts: Outfit your character with jewelry, clothing, and hats
• Grow bizarre magical plants: Plant and harvest eldritch plants from magic seeds
• It’s all in the wrist: Time your spellcasting for extreme prejudice
• Nurture magic pets: Rescue pets from the dungeon and make them your friends
• Find the lost teachers: Unravel the mystery of your missing masters

SpellCraft School of Magic is available now and it is FREE for your iPhone/iPod touch and iPad!

Get your copy by hitting the big black button below!

And if you want to see even more about our game, check out our gameplay walkthrough video, below!

Thanks in advance from your friends at Appy Entertainment!

Unfortunately, you still need to read Chris’ comments, rather than having them read to you … fortunately, they’re just a click away.

We are crunching to complete SpellCraft School of Magic right now, and hope to have the game on the market by the middle of November!