Some people really don’t like paying for games – and that’s why developers tend to make free-to-play games for mobile. Well, the developer of Star Nomad ($1.99), Halfgeek Studios, decided to make their paid PC game a free-to-play game on mobile. Well, after a couple months, the developer has decided to reboot the game, and to re-release it as a premium game for mobile. This is the same game as the PC version, and lacking in-app purchases entirely, just with a $3.99 cost up front. The game itself is a space simulator that tries to be accessible while still deep. There’s plenty of space combat, but also loads of trading to undergo – or just be a straight-up pirate. It’s a sandbox game, but with an overarching story to follow as well.

This is quite the interesting scenario, mostly because paid games are a rough business on mobile at the moment, at least in terms of making a living off of them for many developers. So going free-to-play is an option, but it’s risky in and of itself because it’s hard to balance out. But hey, while there’s no guarantee that this will work out, at least the developer took a risk, and is trying again with a paid release that may appeal to the audience they’re looking for.