London studio Space Ape Games' next games will look "radically different" from the build-and-battle genre in which it's established, says COO Simon Hade.

This was revealed as part of an interview with PocketGamer.biz about the evolution of the firm's second title Rival Kingdoms more than a year after its launch.

"Perhaps the biggest influence Rival Kingdoms has had is to inspire us to explore genres outside of build-and-battle," said Hade.

"Rival Kingdoms is objectively one of the best, some would argue the best, game in the genre."

Runner-up

Hade went on to explain how he feels that Space Ape's three build-and-battle games - Samurai Siege, Rival Kingdoms and Transformers: Earth Wars - have established its place as the number two developer in the genre, second only to Supercell.

However, that gap between first and second place is a significant one.

"[Rival Kingdoms] makes in a year the kind of money that Clash of Clans makes in a week," he explained.

"So what the Rival Kingdoms experience taught us above all else is that the mobile gaming ecosystem in its current form is a winner takes all market.

"...to really make it, you need to define new genres or play patterns, and then defend that with a brand that you make synonymous with that play pattern in the way Clash is synonymous with real time strategy, or King is synonymous with switchers, or Miniclip is to pool."

So what will these "radically different" games look like?

Hade was keen to assert that the experience from build-and-battle won't be lost, as Space Ape begins "building out from our core" to find new genres that serve a similar audience.

He also added that the firm will learn from its mistakes with the niche theming of Rival Kingdoms by ensuring that Space Ape's next titles are marketable to a broader audience.

You can read the full interview here.