Sometimes the best projects come from unexpected circumstances. In our case, we built an entire game not because we had a grand vision for the next mobile gaming hit, but because Google was about to suspend our developer account. Here's the story of how Jumpin' Elephant came to be—and how it became the perfect showcase for our own tool, the App Store Manager.
The Email That Started It All
If you're a developer with a Google Play Console account, you might be familiar with Google's developer account activity requirements. Google requires developers to maintain some level of activity on their accounts—whether that's updating existing apps or publishing new ones. Inactive accounts can face suspension or termination.
We received one of those dreaded emails: our Google Play developer account, which we primarily used for testing purposes with the App Store Manager, was flagged for inactivity. We had a choice to make: let the account go dormant or actually publish something.
The account was essential to our work. We use it to test the App Store Manager's integration with Google Play Console—uploading metadata, screenshots, and release notes. Without it, we'd lose a critical part of our testing infrastructure.
From Problem to Opportunity
Instead of seeing this as a burden, we decided to turn it into an opportunity. Why not build something fun? Something that could showcase what we do while also keeping our account active?
The idea for Jumpin' Elephant was born. A simple, addictive arcade game featuring—what else?—an elephant. After all, we are I WANT AN ELEPHANT.
The game itself is straightforward: tap to make the elephant jump, avoid obstacles, collect coins, and try to beat your high score. It's the kind of game you can play for two minutes while waiting for coffee or lose an hour to when you're determined to climb the leaderboard.
Building the Game
Development was a fun side project. We kept the scope intentionally small—no complex mechanics, no elaborate storylines. Just pure, simple gameplay that anyone can pick up and enjoy. The colorful graphics and cheerful design reflect our brand's playful nature.
What made this project particularly interesting was that we built it with a dual purpose: creating an enjoyable game for users while also having a real app to demonstrate the App Store Manager's capabilities.
Publishing with App Store Manager
Here's where things got meta. We used our own tool—the App Store Manager—to handle the entire publication process for Jumpin' Elephant. It was the perfect real-world test case.
Translations Made Easy
One of the App Store Manager's core features is handling multi-language metadata. For Jumpin' Elephant, we wanted to reach players worldwide, which meant localizing our app store listings into multiple languages.
Using the App Store Manager, we translated the app title, description, and keywords into over 30 languages. What would have taken hours of manual copy-pasting into Google Play Console and App Store Connect took just a few clicks. The tool handled the formatting, character limits, and upload process automatically.
Screenshot Uploads
Screenshots are crucial for app store conversion rates. Players want to see what they're downloading. For Jumpin' Elephant, we created a set of vibrant screenshots showcasing the gameplay.
The App Store Manager's screenshot upload feature let us push all our screenshots to both Google Play and the App Store simultaneously. Different device sizes, different aspect ratios—all handled seamlessly. No more dragging and dropping individual files into each store's console.
Cross-Platform Publishing
Jumpin' Elephant is available on both iOS and Android. Managing two platforms can be a headache—different consoles, different requirements, different workflows. But with the App Store Manager, we managed both from a single interface.
We uploaded metadata to App Store Connect and Google Play Console without switching between tabs or re-entering information. The time savings were significant, even for a simple app like this.
The Result
Jumpin' Elephant is now live on both stores:
Our Google Play developer account is safe from suspension, and we have a live showcase app that demonstrates exactly what the App Store Manager can do. Whenever we want to show potential customers how the tool handles translations, screenshots, or metadata updates, we can point to Jumpin' Elephant as a real example.
Lessons Learned
This project reinforced a few things we already knew, but it's worth sharing:
- Keep your accounts active. Google's developer program policies require ongoing activity. If you have a developer account, make sure you're using it—or be prepared to lose it.
- Use your own tools. There's no better way to understand your product than to use it yourself. Dogfooding Jumpin' Elephant through the App Store Manager helped us identify improvements and appreciate the time savings firsthand.
- Simple can be effective. Not every app needs to be revolutionary. Sometimes a simple, well-executed idea is exactly what you need.
Try It Yourself
If you're managing apps across multiple platforms and languages, the App Store Manager can save you serious time. And if you just want to help an elephant jump over some obstacles, give Jumpin' Elephant a try.
Sometimes the best things come from the most unexpected situations. A warning email about account inactivity turned into a fun project, a useful showcase, and a reminder of why we built the App Store Manager in the first place: to make app publishing easier for everyone.