As you read last week, No Crusts Interactive is launching a new game for iPad very soon. By the time this publishes on Kidscreen, we’ve probably already submitted to Apple!

So on my mind this week is creating the app store description. In this case, I’m happy to stand on the shoulders of those who have done this before, which means I’ve been poring over existing descriptions to sort out the best practices and phrasing.

The majority of descriptions boil down to the following categories of information, generally in this order.

1. Brag (quotes, reviews, awards, etc.)
– If your app is on sale for a reduced price, include that here.

2. Pithy summary (think tweet-length)

3. Tips for successful play (if needed)
– You should already know if you need this based on user testing or previous reviews.

4. Additional longer descriptive points (optional)

5. Features in bulleted list form
– Anything goes, including types of puzzles, who made the music, audience information, etc.
– Some separate game features from educational features.

6. Additional information about the developer and/or cross-promotion

7. Privacy policy information and other legalese (if needed)

Like most marketing materials, the description is a living document. So plan to update and tweak descriptions regularly. Meanwhile, without further ado, here’s the working description we ended up with after all this research for our new iPad game, Williamspurrrrg.

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**Special $0.99 price for launch (66% off)**

“In the first few levels of Williamspurrrrg, you may chuckle at the ironic hipster cats and long for the Brooklyn of your youth. As you slowly get hooked into the wily feline logic of the game, though, you realize that you should, nay must, grab your kids and get them to play along with you.” – Amy Kraft, MediaMacaroni.com

Welcome to Williamspurrrrg, a family-friendly, cooperative, multitouch puzzler where you outfit cats in mustaches, fedoras, bowties, and other hipster accoutrements. To win the puzzles, hold all the pieces in place at the same time, creating finger-twisting awesomeness for kids and adults alike.

Before You Play

Turn off multitasking gestures to enjoy the full range of multitouch-based puzzles.

(Settings > General > Multitasking Gestures > Off)

Features

* Purrfect for hipsters, Brooklynites, cat-lovers, children, and anyone in between.

* Fosters cooperative play for two or more players. Or, if you’re feeling clever and cunning, finger-ninja the puzzles alone.

* Triggers hearty belly-laughs and hipster tendencies.

* Irresistible and adorable photographs of cats and kittens plus hand-crafted cut-paper props, like mustaches and fedoras. There’s a fixed gear bicycle, too.

* 30 puzzles with up to 6 simultaneous touches means double-jointed fingers may have an unfair advantage. (30 more puzzles are on their way!)

* Causes dog-lovers to smile, no matter how much they say they dislike cats.

* Original soundtrack, complete with cat choir, banjos, and epic win ditties.

* No in-app purchases or third-party advertising.

For more information on Williamspurrrrg, including how to submit your cat (or other animals) for possible inclusion in a future update, please see williamspurrrrg.com. (That’s four Rs.)

About No Crusts Interactive

Founded by expert children’s game designer Dr. Carla Fisher, No Crusts Interactive blends progressive educational philosophies and innovative game mechanics to create engaging interactive entertainment. You can reach us at info@NoCrusts.com or @NoCrusts on Twitter.

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So there it is! If you want to be in on the launch announcement, sign up for our No Crusts newsletter or follow us @NoCrusts! If you have particular questions about my experiences, please feel free to ask. Additionally, if you’re a developer willing to share some stories or post-mortems, please drop us a note at kidsGotGame@NoCrusts.com. I’d love to do a q&a or have a guest blogger share their experiences.

Otherwise, next chance to catch a session by me is Games + Learning + Society in Madison, Wisconsin, Cartoon Digital in Munich, The Children’s Media Conference in Sheffield, England, and Casual Connect USA in San Francisco.