David Guo on What’s Next After Evony: Insights on Run! Goddess

Top Games Inc. (TGI), the developer behind Evony: The King’s Return, took a bold leap in 2025 with the launch of Run! Goddess, a game that veers away from their traditional strategy titles and dives headfirst into anime-inspired action. Backed by an aggressive marketing campaign aimed at broadening its player base, Run! Goddess has recently rolled out several in-game events that have caught the attention of the mobile gaming community.

Run! Goddess regularly unleashes high-stakes, time-limited events designed to reward strategic thinking and competitive play. In the Miner’s Treasure Hunt Challenge, players across all servers compete to mine the deepest, with the top ten securing rare loot—most notably the ultra-rare UR Valkyrie YuSheng. She’s a game-changer, offering team-wide stat boosts and high-impact AOE attacks, making her the battlefield equivalent of a queen on a chessboard—every move matters.

Cute Meets Combat

Meanwhile, the Survival Trials event introduces a different kind of tension, driven by daily logins, quest completions, and gacha-based mechanics. Players can win exclusive gear and Valkyries, including the gravity-wielding UR Misty—an explosive addition known for her burst damage and enemy debuffs. She enters the arena like a meteor streaking across the sky—fast, devastating, and hard to ignore.

A major update also added Ultimate Weapons—special gear that amplifies each Valkyrie’s performance. Examples include Wendy’s Pumpkin Grenade, Rika’s Spirit Fox Claws, and Misty’s Meteor Bomb, each packed with flashy effects and combat bonuses. Like a magician pulling tricks from a sleeve, these weapons turn ordinary skirmishes into moments of spectacle.

Additional features such as the Alliance Duel PvP mode, the all-new Titan System, and an upgraded Dragon Fighter unit have also been introduced, giving combat more layers and intensity. Players can now enjoy smoother idle mechanics, overall performance improvements, and skill upgrades across a growing cast of Valkyries. It’s a symphony of chaos and polish—beautifully orchestrated yet thrillingly unpredictable.

Quiet Confidence

Interestingly, Run! Goddess has drawn particular attention from players in Japan. The anime-style visuals and charming, expressive female characters have proven to be catnip for fans of “moe” aesthetics. Player-generated gameplay videos are flooding social media, with enthusiastic reactions fueling organic buzz across multiple platforms.

Despite this growing spotlight, TGI has remained relatively low-profile as a studio. Rather than chasing headlines, the team stays grounded in its mission: to create high-quality, engaging games. As we’ve previously mentioned, founder and CEO David Guo has shared insights on game design, innovation, and the evolving demands of the gaming industry. His approach is more about planting seeds than seeking applause—quiet, calculated, and rooted in player experience.

So what prompted this pivot from mid-core strategy titles to anime-styled RPGs? David offers a clear answer:

“Today’s mobile audience is looking for more depth, more identity, and a stronger sense of agency in their gameplay. Run! Goddess delivers on that by offering not only fast, fluid movement but also meaningful character progression, customization, and mastery, all wrapped in an anime-inspired aesthetic that connects across global markets.”

Parkour Meets Progression

When asked how Run! Goddess plans to stand out in the crowded RPG subgenre, David elaborated further:
“With Run! Goddess, we’ve taken that familiar foundation and transformed it into something new: an action/parkour RPG. We layered in RPG progression, skill-based movement, real-time combat, and high visual storytelling, while retaining the satisfying, intuitive rhythm that made endless runners so engaging.

We’ve built a series of layered, bite-sized gameplay loops that reward quick sessions while feeding into long-term character growth. Whether it’s movement challenges, real-time combat, or side objectives that feel like mini-games, players are constantly shifting between modes. The result is a dynamic rhythm that keeps things fresh—like a well-edited music video, it moves fast, hits hard, and never outstays its welcome.”

Strategic Roots, Uncertain Future

One question still lingering in the minds of industry analysts is why TGI, a studio known for its strategic strengths, chose not to highlight those mechanics in Run! Goddess. Some speculate that this is only the beginning—that future updates may bring deeper strategic systems into the mix.

While it remains to be seen whether TGI will expand on its signature strategic DNA, one thing is clear: Run! Goddess has already captured the attention of both players and industry watchers. It’s shaping up to be one of 2025’s sleeper hits—a dice quietly rolled that might just land a perfect six.