We talked with Denali Publishing about the future of this free-to-play endless runner.
In December of 2019, Denali Publishing released Spies in Disguise: Agents on the Run, a free-to-play mobile game on iOS and Android devices that was set in the world of the family-friendly film Spies in Disguise.
Agents on the Run is an endless runner that challenges players to run for as long as they can while avoiding obstacles and enemy agents in their path. Runners can collect coins and other objects as they play, which can be used to upgrade the game’s multiple playable characters.
In addition to this normal mode, a new update for Agents on the Run has added a Missions mode to the game that provides a different way to play. Missions are level-based, and will challenge you to complete a specific task before running out of time. For Instance, one mission may ask you to collect at least 50 coins in a run that lasts only 45 seconds. You can earn up to three stars on each mission, depending on how well you perform.
The game’s latest update also added a new playable character, Eyes, who has powers that allow her to slow time, duplicate coins, and more.
SuperParent had the chance to chat with Troy Correia, director of product at Denali Publishing, about Spies in Disguise: Agents on the Run, and what players can expect from the game going forward.
SuperParent: How have players reacted to the game since its launch last December?
Troy Correia: The overall reception has been extremely positive for both the game as a new title in the runner genre as well as an expansion of the Spies in Disguise film. Our average app rating since launch has maintained around 4.5 or higher on both iOS and Android. While we are pleased with the performance, we continue to engage with players daily through our social outlets and app store reviews to work towards making their experience even better.
SP: Agents on the Run is obviously family-friendly, but how did you work to ensure the gameplay is fun for players of multiple ages (that is, both kids and adults)?
TC: One of the features that we added to Agents on the Run which is unique to the large majority of the runner games that I am familiar with, is the concept of different run speeds for characters. Our goal with adding this feature was less about age and more about making the game more accessible to any skill level. The Spies IP lends itself really well to this design as it makes sense that Walter is not as fast as Lance. The instant misconception from outside the game team was that kids would gravitate to the slower characters but it tends to be quite the opposite.
SP: Can you talk about the process of creating a movie-based game so that it continues to be fun and engaging even months or years after the film has left theaters?
TC: A large part of this is making a game that is fun at the core, even if there was no IP attached to it. We saw this with our first game, Highway Traffic Rider, which spawned our endless runner game engine that we used to create Agents on the Run. Expanding on what we learned from our previous runners, as well as competitor titles, we feel that we were able to make a new runner experience that will continue to be fun to play for years to come. Especially as we release more of our planned features.
Integrating the IP with that foundation, we focused on understanding and doing justice to the brand itself. This goes beyond just getting the details like the color of Lance’s suit right. The experience as a whole has to feel like an authentic interactive expansion of the world. The Spies story made sense for a runner game but we knew that it had to be more than just a reskinned clone. This quickly directed us to designing exciting action-packed moments during gameplay and ensuring that the look felt very high tech and cinematic. Giving fans a chance to feel like they are going beyond the film and have the chance to interact with their favorite characters in new ways keeps them coming back for more.
SP: How can players expect the game to change or evolve going forward?
TC: As I mentioned, we have a lot of new features planned for release over the next year that will expand on what is currently in the game. The first big feature release will be Missions. Missions allow players to progress through challenging campaigns by completing and mastering individual mission objectives in timed runs. It will also be a key tie-in to the RPG style, character progression system and allow players to replay or Auto-Run completed missions to collect resources needed to upgrade the characters.
Many of our other planned features take the same approach as Missions and expand on systems that you already see in the game now with a few that will bring something new into the mix. Beyond the features, we have a large list of new characters, abilities, and locations that we will continue to add on a regular basis. Keep your Eyes out for more announcements very soon.
SP: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
TC: If you want to keep up with the game follow us on social and join our mailing list. Our social team will be teasing future content and have the latest on new features. Members on our mailing have also been known to receive bonus redeem codes for free content in game.
Note: Spies in Disguise: Agents on the Run is rated 9+ on iOS and E for Everyone on Android. For more information about the game, check out our SuperParent First Look.
Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.
