Skich Enters the Fray as a New Contender in Alternative App Stores

With Apple's ecosystem now more open, a variety of new alternative app stores are vying for dominance on iOS. The latest to enter the fray is Skich, an alt store with a sharp focus on gaming, aiming to stand out from competitors like Apptoide by emphasizing gaming over other types of apps.

Skich's main attraction is its sophisticated discoverability system, which is built around three key features: a recommendation system, a swipe-based discovery method, and a social component. This setup allows users to see what games their friends and others with similar interests are playing, much like the popular features on Steam. This approach could address a significant gap left by the Epic Games Store on iOS, which, similar to its PC version, lacks robust social and discoverability features that gamers have come to expect from platforms like Steam and GOG.

Big fish, small pond? While Skich's emphasis on gamer-centric features is a strong selling point, it remains uncertain whether this alone will be sufficient to draw users away from established platforms. Other alt stores, such as Epic, have successfully attracted users with free games, while Apptoide offers a broader range of apps. Skich's success is not guaranteed, but it certainly has potential.

The landscape of alternative app stores is evolving, with major publishers like EA and Flexion joining forces to create new platforms. This trend suggests a future where these emerging stores might overshadow the traditional official storefronts, making the competition even more intense for Skich and others in the space.