Skich is the next competitor to take a swing at the new alternative app store market

Skich: A New Contender in the iOS Alt-App Store Arena

Apple's ecosystem has seen a surge of alternative app stores vying for dominance. The latest entrant, Skich, is making a bold move by focusing exclusively on gaming. Can it carve out a niche in this rapidly expanding market?

Skich's core strategy revolves around enhanced discoverability. It boasts three key features: a sophisticated recommendation engine, a swipe-based browsing system for easy exploration, and a social element that lets users see what their friends and like-minded gamers are playing, all supplemented by curated lists.

This approach bears a striking resemblance to Steam, a platform renowned for its user-friendly discovery features. In contrast, the iOS version of the Epic Games Store notably lacks these social and discovery aspects, a weakness Skich aims to exploit.

Can Skich Make a Splash?

Skich's gamer-centric approach is a strong selling point. However, its success is far from guaranteed. Competitors like Epic Games Store (with its free game offerings) and Apptoide (with its broader app selection) already occupy significant market share. To succeed, Skich needs a compelling reason to lure users away from established platforms.

The landscape is shifting, though. Recent collaborations between major publishers like EA and Flexion suggest a growing interest in alternative app stores. This could pave the way for a future where official app stores are no longer the undisputed leaders. Whether Skich can capitalize on this trend remains to be seen.