Zynga’s highly successful social media game Farmville is finally coming to mobile devices. This time around, it’s not just a weak attempt at a port. Zynga dangled with porting Farmville to mobile devices before, but it didn’t prove to be a successful endeavor. This time around, with Farmville 2: Country Escape, Zynga did it right, building the game from scratch specifically for iOS and Android. Farmville 2: Country Escape remains a free to play game, being available as a free download on the App Store and Google Play Store. Recently launched, the game already shows signs of success, becoming the 3rd best game on Apple’s Top Free Apps charts. It’s also the 42nd in terms of profitability.
Farmville 2: Country Escape isn’t doing as well on Android devices however. It’s still in the top 100 Google Play free games, but it’s overshadowed by still extremely popular games such as Temple Run 2 or Subway Surfers. Still, the new Farmville game managed to improve greatly upon its predecessor’s visual appeal. Social interactions remain, but the game now offers an offline mode and an anonymous online mode, so if you don’t want your friends catching you playing Farmville, you now have the option to milk your cows and harvest your crops without outside interference.
Zynga’s business model has seen a huge decline in the recent past. Compared to the huge financial boom Zynga saw following the release of the original Farmville, the company is doing rather poorly now. It’s still profitable however, and there definitely are talented people working at the social game developer. While it’s doubtful Farmville 2: Country Escape will be a huge hit similarly to the original Farmville, it’s still a rather well built game that certainly deserves a shot, especially considering that it is completely free to download and play, and the in-game purchases aren’t necessary for enjoyment or progression.