First app rejected under 4.3(a) Design – Spam despite original code and assets — appeal guidance?

Question

Created 1d

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My first and only app, tower defense game (App ID 6802129713), was rejected under Guideline 4.3(a) Design – Spam. I'm a solo developer; the game is built on the open-source Godot 4 engine, with all code written from scratch and all art generated by my own tools in the same repository. The core of the game is a custom simulation running up to hundreds of thousands enemies on-device, which I believe no other App Store game does.

I replied in the review thread with a point-by-point response to each 4.3(a) factor and asked which app mine is believed to resemble, but received only the standard template in return, so I don't know what to change. I've filed an appeal with the App Review Board.

Has anyone successfully resolved a 4.3(a) flag in a similar situation? Is there anything else I can provide to demonstrate originality?

Answer 1

Tomato OP

1d

I replied in the review thread with a point-by-point response to each 4.3(a) factor and asked which app mine is believed to resemble

You've asked what!? Which app of yours? You've said it's your only app.

These days, they let a bot reject your submission a few seconds after they start reviewing it if the category you have chosen is very crowded. They are out of hand. I guess you have to tell them under the App information section how unique your app is, which sounds totally absurd, though, because you have to know how other apps similar to yours work.

Answer 2

Etresoft OP

22h

You've asked what!? Which app of yours? You've said it's your only app.

I think the OP was expecting app review to list the other apps from other developers that are similar to the OP's (singular) app.

Has anyone successfully resolved a 4.3(a) flag in a similar situation?

I just saw someone post that they had successfully challenged a similar rejection. So it is possible. But every situation is unique.