Pocket God was originally released for the iOS (iPhone Operating System) and was an instant hit, exceeding over 4 million downloads. It is one of the few games in recent years with an original game concept. Pocket God is not a strategy game, nor is it an arcade game nor even a puzzle, but rather a combination of all three, giving gamers the power of a god over their own little Pygmy race. If you enjoyed Pocket God for the iPhone or wished you had an iPhone just so you could play this remarkable game, you are going to love the Facebook version.

Facebook opens up interesting social gameplay elements, and Pocket God takes advantage of this opportunity by allowing you to perform “social” tasks, such as resurrecting your most (or more likely least) favorite friends as Pygmies. With some of the quests requiring you to drop sharks on the heads of these “friends”, their life on your island may be experienced in short interludes. Be aware that they are most likely doing the same to you on their islands.

The puzzle portion of the game comes in two flavors: first, some of the quests are purposely vague (such as requiring you to sacrifice 5 Pygmies by dragging them to the jaws of a green death… don’t ask me, I still haven’t figured it out). Second, and probably the most fun, is trying to see what new and inventive ways you can figure out to kill your Pygmies. For example, feeding a Pygmy one mushroom will make them grow larger; feeding the same Pygmy a second mushroom is slightly more lethal, albeit entertaining. Don’t even get me started on unicorns with lethal (although colorful) flatulence.

It’s not all torture. Well I guess it could be—you are God after all, and no one is going to tell you what to do. For those more benevolent deities, you can choose to reward your island’s residents by catering to their desires, which are usually as simple as “God please make a fridge appear filled with endless alcoholic beverages,” something every one of us has at some point in our lives prayed for. Performing these minor miracles rewards players with devotion, which is the game’s version of energy. As long as you have enough devotion, each sacrifice will award experience and bring you closer to the next level, and even more benevolent powers.

There are, of course, the usual customization options that allow you to customize the look of your Pygmies. You can even alter your own appearance, which I assume will be displayed to all of your friends during your brief and violent stay on their island.

This is one of those no-brainer games that is worth trying when you have some free time. Pocket God doesn’t take a whole lot of time. It’s not going to frustrate you with insufferable jumping puzzles, and it won’t be a drain on your wallet, unless you really enjoy it and would like to show your appreciation by supporting the developer and buying a few custom clothing items or a god power before you are high enough level to earn it. The only downside is if you have some OCD tendencies as I do, you may be rushing to finish your latest writing assignment so that you can login and sacrifice a few more Pygmies.

As luck would have it, the game gods have been kind this day and put us in touch with Frima Studios to answer a few questions.

AppSauna: While your studio has worked with some of the biggest publishers in the game industry, can you let us in on what it was like to work with Bolt Creative the brain child behind such an innovative title.

Working with Bolt Creative is terrific. They are a fountain of ideas, and despite the enormous success of Pocket God on iPhone, they have found time to provide detailed feedback on the Facebook application. The Bolt team is extraordinarily passionate, and their desire to satisfy to Pocket God fans knows no bounds.

AppSauna: How much freedom did Frima Studio have in the design of new items for the Facebook version of Pocket God both originally and going forward?

The Frima Studio team has had quite a bit of freedom, but at its core, the Facebook game is a collaborative effort. Our studio has acquired an expertise in the social gaming space, but Bolt really knows their fans, and we rely on their knowledge base. Development of new features in Pocket God on Facebook is a give-and-take process with the Bolt team.

AppSauna: A lot of emphasis is being placed on the emerging game development industry in Canada of which are you are certainly viewed as a leader. Do you feel a bit more pressure to perform because of this than say a US developer?

Because all of our games are digitally distributed, we view ourselves as global publisher. Even though we create the games in Canada, they will reach players across the world. That being said, we do take pride in being the leading independent game studio in Canada. In particular, our work ethic and creativity are strong points of pride for the studio.

AppSauna: Pocket god has seen a few updates since its release. Can we expect more content in the future?

Absolutely! Facebook is a living environment, and we expect on-going players, but also new players arriving to the game. Pocket God on iPhone has incorporated an episodic release model, and the Facebook game uses a similar model albeit with its own unique content. We create content that reflects what is happening in media and during the year (primarily holidays), but we also like to crossover popular content from the iPhone App into the Facebook game.

AppSauna: Now that your company has had a taste of Facebook, can we expect to see more titles for this platform?

We continue to be really excited about Facebook and social network gaming in general. We currently are working on multiple new Facebook titles, including a fresh, new take on our popular A Space Shooter… franchise. AppSauna readers can check out the prototype version of the game A Space Shooter Blitz through the following link:

http://apps.facebook.com/aspaceshooterblitz/?ref=ts

AppSauna: What is your favorite ability in Pocket God?

Wow… there are so many hilarious ones. I guess I would have to say The Unicorn. Having a cute, deadly, flatulent unicorn on your island is something that certainly is unique . The unicorn was all-new for the Facebook version of the game, and it gets a laugh out of me every time.

Thank you for taking the time to speak to us mortals.

What are you waiting for? Visit the AppSauna Pocket God game page for the direct link to your worshipers.