Search

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Getting Started with Search

The Search tool on Ludo.ai is a powerful feature designed to help game developers find inspiration, research market trends, and explore existing games. Here's a more detailed guide to getting started:

1. Accessing the tool: Log into your Ludo.ai account and navigate to the Search tool from the menu bar.
2. Understanding the search bar: The search bar at the top of the page is versatile. You can enter:
   • Game titles (e.g., "Candy Crush Saga")
   • Keywords or themes (e.g., "space exploration")
   • Game mechanics (e.g., "match-3 puzzle")
   • Detailed descriptions (e.g., "top-down shooter with roguelike elements")
3. Using the search options:
   • The dropdown next to the search bar allows you to specify if you're searching for All, Games, Icons, or Screenshots.
   • You can also upload an image or video to search for visually similar content.
4. Interpreting results: The results page is divided into sections for Games, Icons, and Screenshots. Each result provides a snapshot of information, such as the game title, developer, and a small preview image.
5. Refining your search: Use the filters on the left side of the page to narrow down your results. These filters include genres, platforms, release dates, and more.

Remember, the more specific your initial search query, the more targeted your results will be. Experiment with different combinations of keywords and filters to find exactly what you're looking for.

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Search Filters and Options

Ludo.ai's Search tool offers a comprehensive set of filters to help you narrow down your results. Here's a detailed look at each filter:

1. Genres: This dropdown allows you to select one or multiple game genres. Options include Action, Adventure, Puzzle, Strategy, and more. You can combine genres for more specific searches.
2. Platform: Choose the target platform for the games you're interested in. Options include:
   • Mobile (for iOS and Android games)
   • Desktop (for PC and Mac games)
   • Web (for browser-based games)
3. Stores: Filter by the digital storefronts where games are published. This includes:
   • Apple App Store
   • Google Play Store
   • Steam
   • itch.io
4. Release Date: Narrow your search to games released within a specific timeframe.
5. Graphic Style: This filter helps you find games with specific visual aesthetics.
6. Colors: Filter games or assets based on their dominant color scheme. This is particularly useful when searching for icons or screenshots with a specific palette.
7. Top Developers Only: This checkbox limits your search results to games from established and successful developers or publishers. This can be useful when researching high-performing games in the market.

When using these filters, start broad and then gradually narrow your search. This approach helps ensure you don't accidentally exclude relevant results. Remember that you can combine multiple filters for highly specific searches.

You can also toggle between searching for games, screenshots, icons, or all of them using the dropdown menu next to the search bar.

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Understanding Search Results

When you perform a search on Ludo.ai, the results are organized into three main categories:

1. Games:
   • Each game result typically shows the game's title, developer/publisher name, and a small icon or screenshot.
   • You may see additional information such as the game's genre, release date, or platform.
   • Some results might display a brief description or tagline for the game.
2. Icons:
   • Icon results show app icons and logos associated with games.
   • These are useful for understanding current design trends in game iconography.
3. Screenshots:
   • Screenshot results display in-game visuals, promotional images, or key art from games.
   • These can provide insights into gameplay, art style, and visual marketing approaches.

When you click on a specific result, you'll see more detailed information:

• For games, you might find:
  • An "Overview" section with key analytics and performance metrics
  • Chart positions (peak and current)
  • Number of ratings and average rating
  • Release date and last update date
  • More screenshots or gameplay videos
• For icons and screenshots, you might see:
  • Larger versions of the image
  • Related images or games
  • Options to generate similar images using Ludo.ai's AI tools

You can also click on a screenshot or icon to see other similar images directly in the sidebar.

Pay attention to the performance metrics and visual elements that resonate with you. These can provide valuable insights for your own game development process.

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Advanced Search Techniques

To get the most out of Ludo.ai's Search tool, consider these advanced techniques:

1. Combining search terms: Use multiple keywords to create more specific searches. For example, "casual puzzle match-3 garden" will yield different results than just "puzzle game".
2. Searching for game mechanics: Use specific terms describing gameplay elements, such as "tower defense", "roguelike", or "deck-building". This can help you find games with similar core mechanics to what you're envisioning.
3. Using existing games as a starting point: Type the name of a popular game into the search bar and select it when it appears in the dropdown. This will help you find similar games and understand the market landscape for that type of game.
4. Image-based search: Upload a screenshot or concept art from your game (or a similar game) to find visually similar titles. This can be particularly useful for art direction research.
5. Video-based search: If you have a gameplay video, you can upload short clips to find games with similar visual styles or gameplay elements.
6. Trend exploration: Search for broad categories like "hypercasual games" or "battle royale" to get an overview of current trends in these spaces.
7. Competitor research: Search for games from specific developers or publishers to understand their portfolio and market position.

Remember, the Search tool is not just for finding individual games, but for understanding market trends, exploring visual styles, and gathering inspiration for your own projects. You can also save time by favoriting frequently searched games, icons, or screenshots for quick access later.

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Working with Search Results

Once you've found interesting results, Ludo.ai offers several ways to interact with and utilize this information:

1. Favoriting:
   • Click the heart icon on any game, icon, or screenshot to add it to your favorites.
   • Access your favorites later for quick reference or to include in your game design documents.
2. Adding to projects:
   • You can add favorited items directly to existing Game Concept projects you're working on in Ludo.ai.
   • This helps you organize your research and inspirations alongside your own game development materials.
3. Generating new ideas:
   • For games: Click the three-dot menu and select "Generate based on this game". This will open the Game Ideator tool with the selected game as a starting point.
   • For icons/screenshots: Click the pencil icon and choose "Generate similar images" or "Generate similar icons". This opens the Image Generator tool to create new assets inspired by the selected item.
4. Finding similar content:
   • Use the "Search similar" option in the three-dot menu to find games with related themes, mechanics, or aesthetics.
   • This function helps you explore a specific niche or game type more deeply.
5. Detailed analysis:
   • Click on a game to view more detailed information, including performance metrics, chart positions, and user ratings.
   • Use this data to inform your own game design and marketing strategies.
6. Integration with other Ludo.ai tools:
   • The Search tool seamlessly connects with other Ludo.ai features like the Game Ideator and Image Generator.
   • This integration allows you to move smoothly from research to ideation to asset creation, all within the Ludo.ai platform.

By leveraging these features, you can turn your search results into actionable insights and creative starting points for your game development process.

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Searching for Visual Assets

When focusing on visual elements like icons and screenshots, consider these strategies:

1. Using the Graphic Style filter:
   • Select from options like 2D, 3D, Pixel Art, or Stylized to find assets matching your desired aesthetic.
   • Combine this with genre filters to find genre-specific art styles.
2. Color-based searches:
   • Use the Colors filter to find assets with specific color schemes.
   • This is particularly useful when developing a cohesive visual identity for your game.
3. Keyword-based visual searches:
   • Include descriptive visual terms in your search query, such as "minimalist UI" or "hand-drawn characters".
   • Combine these with game genres for more specific results, like "cartoon platformer assets".
4. Exploring similar visuals:
   • When viewing a screenshot or icon, look for options to see similar images.
   • This can help you explore variations on a particular visual theme or style.
5. Trend analysis:
   • Use the search results to understand current visual trends in your target genre or platform.
   • Pay attention to color schemes, art styles, and UI designs that are popular in successful games.
6. Inspiration for original assets:
   • While you can't use the exact assets you find, they can serve as inspiration for creating your own original artwork.
   • Use the Image Generator tool to create unique assets inspired by the styles you discover.
7. Refining searches:
   • You can refine icon and screenshot searches by art style or color palette using the appropriate filters.

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Troubleshooting

If you're experiencing difficulties with your searches, try these troubleshooting steps:

1. Refining overly broad searches:
   • If you're getting too many irrelevant results, try adding more specific keywords to your search query.
   • Use filters to narrow down by genre, platform, or release date.
2. Expanding overly narrow searches:
   • If you're getting no results, try removing some of the more specific terms from your query.
   • Check if you have too many filters applied and try removing some.
3. Dealing with irrelevant results:
   • Ensure your search terms are specific to gaming. General terms might yield unexpected results.
4. Issues with "Search similar" function:
   • If you're getting inconsistent results, try using this function on different games within the same genre.
   • Ensure the game you're using as a base has sufficient metadata available.
   • Be aware that the relevance of "Search similar" results can sometimes vary depending on the specific game and how much data we have on that title and closely related titles.
5. Problems with image-based searches:
   • Make sure your uploaded image is clear and relevant to gaming.
   • Try searching with different images that represent various aspects of your game concept.
6. Video-based search issues:
   • Ensure your video clip is short and focused on the key visual or gameplay elements you want to search for.
   • If you're having trouble with video uploads, try using a screenshot from the video instead.
7. Technical issues:
   • Log out and log back in, clear your browser cache and cookies, or try a different browser.

If you continue to experience issues after trying these steps, consider reaching out to Ludo.ai's support team for further assistance, or join our Discord server: https://discord.gg/FmTPyugsrR.