Hole.io
{{short description|2018 arcade physics puzzle video game}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Hole.io
| image = Hole.io logo.jpg
| developer = Voodoo
| publisher = Voodoo
| platforms = Android, iOS, Web browser, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows
| released = 2018
| genre = Arcade
| modes = Single-player
}}
Hole.io is a 2018 physics puzzle game with battle royale mechanics created by French studio Voodoo for Android and iOS.
Players control a hole in the ground that can move around the map. By consuming various objects, holes will increase in size, allowing players to consume larger objects as well as the smaller holes of other players.
Critics praised the game when it debuted, and it took the top spot in the free apps section on the App Store and on Google Play. Some critics however, characterized the game as a clone of the 2018 independent game Donut County. It has also been criticized for being promoted as a multiplayer game when the other "players" are likely computer-controlled NPCs.{{Cite web |url=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mobile-gaming-fake-multiplayer-epidemic-jonathan-jungck |title=Mobile Gaming: The Fake Multiplayer Epidemic |last=Jungck |first=Johnathan |date=August 1, 2018 |website=www.linkedin.com |language=en |access-date=2019-04-03}}{{Cite web|last=Brotherton|first=Laine|date=2021-04-09|title=Are bots a threat to multiplayer games?|url=http://www.michigandaily.com/digital-culture/are-bots-a-threat-to-multiplayer-games/|access-date=2021-10-14|website=The Michigan Daily|language=en-US}}
Gameplay
Hole.io combines several gameplay mechanics. In Classic mode, the player's objective is to become the largest hole by the end of a two-minute round by traveling around the area and consuming trees, humans, cars, and other objects which fall into the hole if appropriately sized.{{Cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/hole-io-review-bright-colourful-game-player-with-biggest-black-hole-wins/articleshow/65369436.cms |title=Hole.io review: Bright, colourful game; player with biggest black hole wins |last=Bhagat |first=Hitesh Raj |date=2018-08-11 |work=The Economic Times |access-date=2018-11-15}} Gradually the hole becomes larger and capable of sucking in buildings and smaller holes. If an object is too big it will not fall in and might block the way preventing other objects from going through. Players need to utilize the game's real-time physics to their advantage and optimize their path for effective growth. Other holes can consume the player's hole resulting in "death" and respawning several seconds later.{{Cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/hole-io/Tips_and_Tricks/#General_Strategies |title=Hole.io Tips and Tricks |date=2 July 2018 |work=IGN}}
"Battle" mode is a battle royale mode that pits the player against multiple opponents with the goal of being the last hole standing. While players can still consume the environment, the goal is to eliminate all other holes.
Both Classic and "Battle" modes are not playing against players, but rather computers. Additionally, a solo mode exists which allows players to play alone with the goal of consuming as close to 100% of the city within two minutes. The simple mechanics of the game put it in the hyper-casual genre.{{Cite web |url=http://www.mobileindustryeye.com/featured/the-monumental-rise-of-hyper-casual-games/ |title=The monumental rise of hyper-casual games |date=28 March 2024 |publisher=Mobile Industry Eye}}
Comparison to ''Donut County''
Donut County is a 2018 independent video game that was in development for at least six years before its release on 28 August 2018, sparking allegations by that game's developer that Voodoo copied his idea.{{Cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/episode-397-journalism-and-black-communities-scott-thompson-video-game-clones-iceland-s-dna-and-more-1.4733558/maker-of-donut-county-is-shocked-when-a-free-knock-off-beats-his-game-to-the-market-1.4734793 |title=Maker of Donut County is shocked when a free knock-off beats his game to the market |last=Ore |first=Jonathan |date=6 July 2018 |work=CBC |access-date=15 November 2018 |language=en-US}} Both games use the same mechanic of a hole in the ground swallowing objects to grow bigger; however, Donut County additionally features a storyline and a cast of characters which Hole.io lacks. Conversely, Hole.io adds a cityscape. According to Variety, Hole.io
In an August 2018 interview, Donut County creator Ben Esposito remarked that developers like Voodoo who clone were on one side of the game making spectrum while he was on the other side coming up with new ideas.{{Cite web |last=Shanley |first=Patrick |date=2018-08-28 |title='Donut County' Creator Explains the Challenges Facing Indie Game Developers |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/how-donut-county-creator-ben-esposito-moved-game-was-cloned-1135228/ |access-date=2022-04-23 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}
Release & Reception
Soon after its release, Hole.io made it to the top of the free games section on the Apps Store{{Cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/6/25/17501882/donut-county-game-knockoff-ben-esposito-holeio |title=Donut County lookalike is number one on the App Store |last=Radulovic |first=Petrana |date=6 July 2018 |website=Polygon}} and Google Play,{{Cite web |url=https://appsamurai.com/mobile-app-success-story-hole-io/ |title=Mobile App Success Story: Hole.io |last=Taş |first=Yunus |date=18 July 2018 |website=AppSamurai}} receiving over 10 million downloads on Google Play alone.{{Cite web |url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.voodoo.holeio&hl=en |title=Hole.io on Google Play |date=2 July 2018 |website=IGN}}
While some reviewers criticized it for copying core mechanics of Donut County,{{Cite web |url=https://kotaku.com/clever-indie-game-donut-county-isnt-even-out-yet-and-al-1827117824 |title=Indie Games Are Getting Cloned Before They're Even Out |last=D'Anastasio |first=Cecilia |date=6 June 2018 |website=Kotaku}} others characterized the game as being "oddly satisfying and addictive".
In June 2024, the game was released on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, and Windows.{{cite web |title=Shove whole cities down your gob in Hole io on Xbox |url=https://www.thexboxhub.com/shove-whole-cities-down-your-gob-in-hole-io-on-xbox/ |website=The Xbox Hub |date=21 June 2024 |access-date=10 October 2024}}