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/pic5612938.jpg)
Welcome to GEEK Digital Board Games. Tune in for digital board game news every two weeks. For more details about the changes and our goals check out this blog post./pic5612946.jpg)
Oceans is Out!
North Star Digital Studios is back with Oceans. You can try this one for free and then pay for additional expansions.
Platforms: iOS, Android
Fury of Dracula Swoops In
This classic game of deduction and terror is now on Steam from the folks at Nomad. Be sure to give it a play.
Platforms: SteamRoot Gets the Clockwork Expansion/pic5809880.jpg)
Root has added the Clockwork expansion. These new AI opponents will pack a challenge.
Platforms: PCTabletopia Additions/pic4003385.jpg)
More games to check out: Flourish, Anansi, Brick and Mortar, Deadwood 1876, Pandemic Hot Zone North America, Shogun no Katana, Rulebenders, Kodama Forest, Gates of Mara, Momiji, Salvage Hidden Treasures, and more.
Platforms: PC/pic5612945.jpg)
Something big is coming to the Tower this Thursday!! Stay tuned for more details!#WarhammerCommunity #warhammer #ageofsigmar #madewithunity #AppStore #GooglePlay #IndieGameDev #indiegame pic.twitter.com/52NNS10FAF
— Perchang (@PerchangAreUs) November 23, 2020
Perchang Teases New Silver Tower Info
Acram Digital has announced that their next title is Concardia: Digital Edition. Excited to see how this one shapes up.Mobile launch date for #TheCaptainIsDead confirmed as February the 1st - same as PC & Mac!
— Thunderbox Entertainment (@Thunderbox_ent) November 13, 2020
ššhttps://t.co/TAnKTHL9h9#boardgames #scifi #PocketGamerLP
The Captain is Dead Coming to Mobile, Console, and PC in February
Thunderbox Entertainment has announced that The Captain is Dead will be coming to mobile on the same day as console and PC. This is one to watch for next year.Save the date! Similo: Myths, the next downloadable deck for Similo: The Card Game, is coming as an in-app purchase on November 26th!
— Horrible Guild (@horribleguild) November 13, 2020
Join our #giveaway for a chance to win all of the previously released decks! š https://t.co/8D5gLBfGa9#horribleguild #similo #similocardgame pic.twitter.com/0AwVsnFl3W
Similo: Myths Coming on Nov 26th
This new deck looks like a ton of fun and adds a bunch of new cards to the game.
We posted a new update of our "Gaia Project" game. @FeuerlandSpiele @boardgames @boardgame @tabletop
— Digidiced (@digidiced) November 9, 2020
Have a look here:https://t.co/B4eVGHuwTL pic.twitter.com/3HS89bQyLJ
Gaia Project Update
More updates on this massive undertaking. Follow the tweet for more info.
Here's the latest design we'll be applying to the Automa in our app for #MaracaiboGame!
— Spiralburst Studio (@SpiralburstDev) November 11, 2020
We've programmed Jean's brains already and Medium/Hard modes are quite challenging...#boardgames #boardgame pic.twitter.com/BkGthYNTEB
Maracaibo Update
This latest update shows that they are adding the Automa mode to the game. It is great to have this option.
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Gnomitaire from Tiny Touch Tales/pic5809879.png)
A new game is out from Tiny Touch Tales who has delivered some amazing digital original board games in the pas (Card Thief, Card Crawl, and more).
Platforms: iOS, Android
Regular coverage of board game experiences on mobile, PC/MAC, Console and more.
Archive for |
Oceans, Fury of Dracula, The Captain is Dead, and more - GEEK Digital Board Games Issue #6
24
Nov
2020
- [+] Dice rolls
One Deck Dungeon, Concordia, Descent, Evolution, and more - GEEK Digital Board Games Issue #5
06
Nov
2020
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Welcome to GEEK Digital Board Games. Tune in for digital board game news every two weeks. For more details about the changes and our goals check out this blog post.Paper Tales/pic5761350.png)
This release seems like a bit of an early release that may be getting frequent updates.
Platforms: iOS, AndroidOne Deck Dungeon: Abyssal Depths/pic5761358.jpg)
This expansion for One Deck Dungeon is now available. This is a great game and every expansion just adds more awesome.
Platforms: iOS, Android, SteamTabletopia Additions
A big batch this time: Fluttering Souls, The Night Cage, Space Park, Capital Lux 2, Pendulum, Calico, Godzilla Total War, Hoope Godz, Carcassonne: Hunters and Gatherers, Paleo, Winter Kingdom, Posthuman Saga, Sakura Arms, Silencio, and more.
Platforms: PCConcordia is Next from Acram Digital/pic5761357.png)
Acram Digital has announced that their next title is Concardia: Digital Edition. Excited to see how this one shapes up.
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Arkham Horror: Motherās Embrace Coming in 2021/pic5761356.jpg)
Asmodee Digital announced that Arkham Horror: Motherās Embrace will be released next year. This is a more video-gamey take on this beloved property. Weāll have to see how this goes!
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Fury of Dracula Delayed/pic5761354.png)
Meant to launch just before Halloween, Fury of Dracula has been delayed to mid-November. Based on my posting schedule, you donāt have that long to wait. Youāre welcome.
Learn More
Descent: Legends of the Dark Formally Announced/pic5761355.png)
The new version of Descent looks great with a cool new art style. This version, like recent similar FFG games will be app driven. Iām a Journeyās in Middle Earth fan, so excited to see how this shakes out.
Learn More
Evolution is Coming to Switch/pic5761353.png)
Evolution is making its way to Switch on 12/10. You can pre-order now and receive the Evolutionary Arms Race Promo Pack. This should be a fun new platform to play this on.
Learn More
Digidiced Asking for Tournament Feedback/pic5761352.png)
My buddy Tysen is asking for feedback on the planned tournament structure for Gaia Project. Come share your opinion and feedback.
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Kurmitās Tale Addition/pic5761351.png)
Varfa the Ranger has been added to Kurmitās Tale. Try this new character and see if you can be victorious.
Learn More
- [+] Dice rolls
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Welcome to GEEK Digital Board Games. Tune in for digital board game news every two weeks. For more details about the changes and our goals check out this blog post.
Sorry for a missed week (or two)! I am back with all the latest. Tons of releases to report!Squire for Hire/pic5727934.jpg)
This interesting card placement game is now available! The art style looks great on a digital screen.
Platforms: iOS, AndroidA Game of Thrones: The Board Game - Digital Edition/pic5727933.jpg)
This mouthful of game is held up as one of the best to capture this series. As an outsider to this fandom, Iāll have to take their word for it.
Platforms: SteamTsuro Comes to Steam/pic5727928.jpg)
Tsuro is out on Steam. Come check out this classic tile laying game now on your PC
Platforms: SteamThe Captain Dies Tomorrow/pic5727929.jpg)
The Captain is Dead will release on Steam tomorrow. Check out this wacky space game.
Platforms: SteamRoot Now on Mobile/pic5727932.jpg)
You can now play Root on your mobile device. Weāll have impressions soon.
Platforms: iOS, Android, SteamClever Cubed/pic5581455.jpg)
The third Clever game is out. Try to see how long you can resist this puzzly good time.
Platforms: iOS, AndroidLorenzo il Magnifico/pic5672486.jpg)
This Cranio Creations title is now fully released on Steam.
Platforms: SteamCharterstone Comes to Switch/pic5727931.jpg)
This legacy village builder is now on Switch. If you havenāt played this one yet, there are so many platforms to choose from.
Platforms: iOS, Android, Steam,
Switch[/size]7 Wonders Duel is Now on Board Game Arena/pic3376065.jpg)
You can now Duel on Board Game Arena
Platforms: Board Game ArenaCartographers on Happy Meeple/pic5727930.jpg)
You can now play Cartographers in your browser via Happy Meeple.
Platforms: Happe MeepleTabletopia Additions
A big batch this time: Levitation: Masters of Magic, Riga, Emporous, The Village Crone, Celtic, Night Parade of a Hundred Yokai, Nova Luna, Twinkle, Silver Dagger, The Pet Cemetery, Penny Dreadfun, Dungeon Decorators, Colorful Treasure, The Quacks of Quedlinburg, Village Pillage, Soulgivers, Thereās Been A Murder, Streets, Lawyer Up, Macaron
Platforms: PC/pic5612940.jpg)
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Wingspan
I came to Wingspan later than most but it was always on my radar. When I finally got it to the table, I honestly was surprised by the complexity of information. While the choices are relatively straightforward, there is a lot of information to keep track of when it comes to board state.
The digital version had a unique challenge to tackle by attempting to communicate all this info while being manageable on a digital screen. I would say largely, this is a task they succeeded at. Since this is a tableau style game, you do still swap through to see other playerās information, but it is all presented pretty clearly. It also does a good job of communicating quickly what other players did during their turns and interrupting when you need to take an action.
The game also looks fantastic. Each bird comes to life and the backgrounds have a real calming vibe. This is a big plus in our current turbulent times. All in all, Wingspan Digital Edition is an enjoyable take on this modern classic.
Platforms: Steam/pic5612944.jpg)
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The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle Earth - Shadowed Paths Expansion
This expansion has been one of my most anticipated titles. Journeys in Middle Earth is a system that uses digital connection very well. It is dependent but uses it to weave a richer story and add in more randomness.
This new expansion adds a lot of variety. There are tons of new enemy types, new heroes, and new tiles. Plus, all the new content can now appear in old adventures, adding more variety. The new roles are also very interesting and seem more reliant on player interaction than before. Iāve really been enjoying it.
The new campaign also seems to be going in a fun direction. Iām only a few missions in but there are branching paths now and very interesting exploration maps. I am really excited to dive in further.
Overall, I think this is a great addition and makes me hopeful for the future of this system. It really has the ability to continue to expand.
Platforms: BGG Listing
- [+] Dice rolls
-
Welcome to GEEK Digital Board Games. Tune in for digital board game news every two weeks. For more details about the changes and our goals check out this blog post.Wingspan Out on Steam/pic5672488.jpg)
The digital version of Wingspan is now available. This one has really tackled the complex information management. Check it out on Steam.
Platforms: Steam][size=12][b]Similo: The Card Game/pic5672489.jpg)
Another blast from the past - Warhammer Quest is back with Silver Tower! Need time to dive in but this one is free-to-play so no reason not to jump in.
Platforms: iOS, Android, Steam[b]Scythe Comes to Mobile/pic5672487.jpg)
Scythe Digital Edition has been on PC for a while. You can now get it on your mobile device as well.
Platforms: iOS, Android, Steam[b]Blood Rage Adds Mystic of Midgard/pic5672497.jpg)
Expand your Blood Rage gameplay with this expansion.
Platforms: Steam][size=12][b]Tabletopia Additions
They just keep coming: NEXUS, Bonfire, Reckless Sloths, Damnation: The Gothic Game, Skeptics, Trust Me, Iām a Super Hero, Rurik, Battle Bears: The Board Game, The Umbrella Academy Card Game, Break the Code, and Isle of Cats
Platforms: PCCranio Creations is Back with Lorenzo il Magnifico on October 5th
Cranio Creations is back in digital with Lorenzo il Magnifico, coming to Steam on October 5th. It looks like you balance success and relations with the church in this Renaissance game.
Learn More
Charterstone Digital on the way to Switch/pic5672484.png)
They wonāt reveal the release date, but Acram Digital posted that they do have approval from Nintendo. Should be coming sooN!
Learn More
Squire for Hire Available for Preorder/pic5672483.jpg)
The art on this one looks really engaging and it is planned for release on September 29th. Follow the link for details on pre-ordering on iOS and Android
Learn More
Cascadia Browser Version/pic5672482.png)
Cascadia is a game now on kickstarter and tried something pretty unique. You can play an online version for free now online to give it a try.
Learn More
Silver Bullet Roles Added to Silver/pic5672481.png)
Bezier Games has added the roles from the Silver Bullet Expansion to their digital port of Silver. You can now mix and match and learn the ins and outs.
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Root comes to mobile on September 24th/pic5624165.jpg)
The Root digital version on Steam has been a lot of fun. The fun is coming to mobile this week!
Learn More
A Trailer of Thrones
A Game of Thrones: The Board Game is coming out soon and is now up for pre-order. This latest trailer shows more of the game.
Casual Slay the Spire Tournament/pic5672480.jpg)
Through the end of the week, follow this link to try your hand at a special seed and post your high score. This is being run by some amazing folks on board game Twitter. My highest score is only the 800s!
Learn More
SlacknSleuth
Thanks to a user tip on this one! This is a hybrid game that combines mystery boxes with an companion app to create a mansion exploration game. This one looks really interesting
Learn More
- [+] Dice rolls
Convoy, Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower, Wingspan, Gloomhaven - GEEK Digital Board Games Issue #2
08
Sep
2020
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Welcome to GEEK Digital Board Games. Tune in for digital board game news every two weeks. For more details about the changes and our goals check out this blog post.Neuroshima Convoy/pic5624161.jpg)
The latest from Portal Games is here. It is fun to see another entry from the Neuroshima world on digital platforms.
Platforms: iOS, AndroidWarhammer Quest: Silver Tower/pic5644035.jpg)
Another blast from the past - Warhammer Quest is back with Silver Tower! Need time to dive in but this one is free-to-play so no reason not to jump in.
Platforms: iOS, AndroidTabletopia Additions
Trying this out and grouping this together as there are just so many. Since our last issue theyāve added officially: Rise of Tribes, Chameleo, Plantopia The Card Game, Rebel Nox, Coatl, Ishtar: Garden of Babylon, Philosophia Floating World, Riftforce, Lunar Base, Dargonscales, and Doomtown Reloaded.
Platforms: PCWingspan Coming September 17th/pic5644032.jpg)
Coming to PC and Mac, you can wishlist now on Steam. Feedback from the beta has been positive.
Learn More
Tsuroctober is Coming/pic5644033.jpg)
Competitions, new updates and more are coming to Tsuro in October. Check out the Thunderbox blog for more info.
Learn More
Gloomhaven Early Access Gets Online Co-Op Beta/pic5644034.jpg)
The Gloomhaven Digital early access seems to keep progressing. Iām a bit outside on the Gloomhaven world so would love your impressions if you dive into this online co-op beta.
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Bloodbowl 3 Revealed
Maybe revealed at Gamescom(?), check out this trailer for Bloodbowl 3. These games are unique and can be good fun.
:strip_icc()/pic5644071.jpg)
Roll for the Galaxy
Roll for the Galaxy, like Race for the Galaxy is a game about information and process. Luckily for us, Temple Gate Games continues to be masterful in communicating this all in a digital package.
Roll for the Galaxy is great at walking you through every step of the process to get through a phase, a turn, a game. It is easy to understand what you can and need to do at any given time. The tutorial also does a great job of going step by step.
Like Race of the Galaxy, apart from the UI, the AI is the star of the show here. If you are up for a challenge, the higher levels are here for you. Ultimately, Roll for the Galaxy is a great port for those who love this game or for those who want to explore it for the first time.
Platforms: iOS, Android, PC[/b]:strip_icc()/pic5644030.jpg)
Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower
I spent many hours on the previous Warhammer Quest titles. The graphics and dungeons hearkened back to dungeon crawl board games in a really unique way. Each character felt unique, singular, and grew with me.
With Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower, the series goes free to play. This has pluses and minuses. First, there is a ton of content in here and many events, characters, and items to unlock. The breadth here is much wider than previous. Think of it more akin to a hero-collecting mobile game. You are constantly leveling to take on new challenges and watch those numbers go up. The combat is also more interesting than ever before with more options and strategies.
On the flip side, this sort of endless play is at the cost of exploration and interesting dungeons. Dungeons are more split into skirmish rooms that do lose that sense of wonder. The increase in the number of characters also makes each individual one less impactful.
Ultimately it comes down to the experience you are looking for. This will be a different feel than the previous titles but has the potential to keep going on for a long time. The devs that make these titles we love are in a constant battle to stay stable. So rather than gripe about payment models, I say we try things out and decide if it is for us or not.
Platforms: iOS, AndroidHere Be Dragons on Switch/pic5644031.jpg)
This digital original board game has been released on Switch. Plan to check it out this week and will be back with thoughts!
Platforms: Switch, PC:strip_icc()/pic5644036.png)
Crusader Kings III: The Sims for History Nuts
Having bounced on CK2 and EUIV, I was wary to give Crusader Kings III a try. A combination of assurances from other outlets that onboarding was easier this time and a bit of free time to actually watch and learn a few things managed to get me in.
I think my past failures stemmed from thinking of this series as akin to the Civilization series. While there is a world map and conquering territory can be part of the game, it is not the point of the game. Early on the tutorial makes it clear that you are playing a character and their descendants. Like any roleplaying game, you pick your own character goals and try to pursue them. Sometimes you succeed and other times you will not.
For example, the tutorial starts you out in Ireland and after it ended I proceeded to attempt to become the King of Ireland. I died before succeeding but had left things in such a spot that my heir could take over and finish the job.
I am impressed by the wide berth of characters and nations you can start with. Iāve been listening to a history of Gengis Khan and am now interested in trying out a game as a step people. It really is about that type of story you want to experience.
While not a board game at its core, if you are a fan of medieval history and like a mix of strategy and roleplaying, it may be worth checking out.
Platforms: PC
- [+] Dice rolls
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Welcome to GEEK Digital Board Games. Tune in for digital board game news every two weeks. For more details about the changes and our goals check out this blog post.Roll for the Galaxy/pic5624166.png)
Temple Gate Games has returned to space with Roll for the Galaxy. This also features the great AI from Keldon Jones. Weāll have impressions for the next issue.
Platforms: iOS, Android, PCRoot Early Access
Root is out now on Steam in Early Access. Itās hard to deny the appeal of this art style. See the First Look section for my impressions.
Platforms: PCCartographers/pic5624175.png)
This SDJ nomineed has made its way to digital platforms in a single player, leaderboard driven version.
Platforms: iOS, Android,Finished! by Friedemann Friese/pic5624164.png)
Not familiar with this title but worth an exploration on digital.
Platforms: iOSGloom: Digital Edition/pic5624163.jpg)
This release is not super fresh it turns out. Released to mobile about a month ago and out on PC in 2018. Either way, if you enjoy Gloom, it is time to check this out.
Platforms: iOS, Android, PCMaracaibo Coming to Mobile in Q4 2020/pic5624159.png)
Capstone Games let us know that this digital project is in the works. Developed by Spiralburst studios, the game will feature Solo mode as well as local multiplayer. We will share as we learn more.
Neuroshima Convoy Coming to Mobile Sept 5th
Teased earlier this week, Convoy is coming to mobile devices from Portal. If you love the world of Neuroshima Hex, this is an interesting card game take on it.
Learn More
Feedback Wanted on Gaia Project Digital Plans/pic3763556.jpg)
My friend Tysen Streib has taken to BGG to ask for feedback on plans he and Digidiced have for the digital version of Gaia Project. Come hop in and make your opinion known.
Learn More
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground Announced at Gamescom/pic5624160.jpg)
During yesterday's Gamescom Opening Night Live, a trailer was shown for a new Warhammer title: Storm Ground. Not much is known about it so far. Is it a MOBA? Can you pain the minis? Who knows! Follow the link to see the trailer shown at Gamescom.
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A Game of Thrones Wish List-able on Steam/pic5624162.jpg)
Not to rest on the laurels of Root, it appears A Game of Thrones the Board Game is coming to steam in Q3. This one is a bit new to me but appears to be in the grand strategy/area control space.
Learn More
:strip_icc()/pic5624157.jpg)
Cartographers: Doing a Lot with a Little
While Roll Player had been vaguely on my radar, I had not heard of Cartographers until the SDJ nominations. That was a serious mistake.
Cartographers is a writing game that takes cues from King Domino and adds in variable scoring mechanics, players interaction and more. It is right at home on digital devices for quick solo matches. The game does not have multiplayer but adopts the single player variant available in the physical game. Games are quick but full of satisfying decisions.
The digital version does not have multiplayer but does have competition through leaderboards. Each week there are two categories: one completely fixed and one with some randomness that players can compete in. Players rank on the leaderboard with their highest score in each puzzle.
While not the most robust port, it gets the job done and seems perfect for pick up and play.
Platforms: iOS, Android,/pic5612943.jpg)
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Root: A Joy To Look At
Root is now in Early Access, so these are early impressions.
The first thing youāll notice is the distinctive art style that manages to pay homage to the art of the tabletop game while becoming something unique and āvideo-gamey.ā It is truly breathtaking.
I am new to Root so my experience thus far has been the tutorial but...why did I not play this game sooner? They tutorials do a great job of walking you through the async nature of each faction. What I also enjoyed is how the UI easily walked you through changes or opportunities in your faction. I need to play on the tabletop to see how this is handled but the digital version seems great in being clear about each step.
Weāll keep an eye on this one as Early Access continues.
Platforms: PCMeteorfall: Krumitās Tale/pic5624174.png)
The sequel to Meteorfall: Journeys is now on mobile! The developer has actually reached out with a guide they created on Medium if you want a place to get started. Android is coming soon.
Platforms: iOS, Android, PC
I am looking forward to getting back to this part of the BGG community. If you are interested in getting a newsletter sent to your email, sign up on MailChimp and Iāll let you know if we hit a critical mass.
- [+] Dice rolls
-
Eric Snider(weasel)United States
San Jose
California
Check out on my games in the iOS app store
How's it going?
-
Where Do Puzzles Come From?ļæ¼Iām an iOS and Mac OS game developer. My very (very) old claim-to-fame is that I wrote Ericās Ultimate Solitaire for the Mac and the sample version shipped with every Mac up until Mac OS X came out. My new game, last year, was Ericās Sudoku for iOS. After it shipped I brainstormed ideas for similar puzzles. Nothing I came up with seemed promising, though.ļæ¼I realized that high-quality puzzles that were hand-made, not randomly generated, would be ideal, have more character, and be so much more fun. Thereās a lot of competition in the iOS App Store - I didnāt want another game with 1000 similar competing games! Thatās when I knew I needed to find a professional puzzle game designer (or maybe two!).
Butā¦ where to find puzzle designers? It dawned on me that my favorite puzzles were found at the annual BGG.con Puzzle Hunt. If Aaron Weissblum and David Arnott could come up with creative, challenging, and funny puzzles each year then maybe they could help. I emailed Aaron and we started talking about our favorite games and more. We agreed to meet at the next BGG.con.
A Quick Chat
Aaron, Dave, and I met for a āquickā chat at BGG.con 2013. It lasted 3 Ā½ hours. We talked about our favorite games, ideas, and more. It was really fun and Aaron had lots of ideas. Hereās a picture of the inspiration for Noodle Doodle that he made while sitting in the "War Room" at the convention with Dave.ļæ¼
Aaron:I just started making crude sketches and telling Dave how many letters were in it.
As far as individual ideas, I started with things I already "knew" how to make a recognizable doodle of. Like a fish, for example. Dave came up with lots of puzzle ideas and sometimes did his own doodles. Adapting Dave's doodles to make them fit the look was pretty fun.
The single doodle that I put the most work into was the shower stallā¦
The First Prototypes
At first Dave played in-person with Aaron at the convention (e.g.The snake above with the watch is a āTIMELY SNAKEā). I played with Aaron, via email, on my way to the airport.ļæ¼
Aaron made the next puzzles in Photoshop. He sent us specially-made files that had the answers hidden so we could reveal them for clues.
I got a playable iOS version working in a few days by reusing a lot of my existing Sudoku code. Our first design required the user to solve the puzzle by filling in all the missing letters correctly. It was an all or nothing experience. It was cumbersome but kind of fancy, with an insertion cursor so you could work on one word while leaving the other words alone. Instead of showing the entire alphabet we settled on 16 letters because they fit well in two rows and made the game easier.
Aaron identified an early, key problem: there was no sense of progress when solving a puzzle. Itās fun for players to see progress as they get closer to a solution, as thereās often that āAha!ā moment when they figure out the rest of the answer. So we moved from the āGuess the whole answer and see if youāre rightā game mechanic to more of a Hangman-style one. Players tap a letter and if itās in the puzzle, that letter is revealed. If not, the user loses a āLife.ā Much simpler and easier-to-understand.
We didnāt originally call the userās remaining guesses āLives.ā Originally, Aaronās idea was to show the userās remaining guesses with a long noodle image around the screen. It would get shorter as the player made incorrect guesses. I had existing code from Sudoku that referred to the userās currency as āCoinsā so we used that. It made sense since we were intending to sell hints to users, too. Players could spend Coins for hints to remove a bad letter or reveal part of the answer, or even skip a puzzle.
We talked, in detail, about charging and earning Coins. The goal was to have tension so players wouldnāt just guess too quickly, as they might get too mad to play more. We wanted it to feel fair. But if it was too easy they could just tap without being thoughtful and that wouldnāt reward experienced/careful play, and theyād rush through the content too fast. We settled on charging two Coins for a wrong answer. Solving a puzzle paid two Coins and a āPerfectā solve, with no mistakes, paid three. Ultimately, this simple system worked well with our test players and seemed solid.
We decided to simplify the game further and got rid of the hint items. Since players could always make progress towards a solution they werenāt necessary. But we found that players were confused about what the Coins were for. They didnāt even really notice they were losing them when they made a wrong guess. Dave came to an important realization ā
Dave:
āThe reason people are confused (or uninterested) in the coins is because they're COINS. As in currency. As in... they don't get why the game even has coins.
Butā¦ If we called them LIVES instead, they'd understand it 100% from the get-go.
Because thatās really what they are, right? They're lives in the true time-clock sense. Ā Remember Aaron's original idea was that you had a NOODLE that would wrap around the edge of the game, like a snake or a... well... noodle
And that it would be in little segments. And every time you clicked a wrong letter, you'd lose a piece of your noodle. And when you ran out of your noodle, the game stopped... until you got some more noodle back.āļæ¼
We never did give Aaron his noodle, but we did change to the idea of āLivesā instead of āCoins.ā In addition I added extra animations and sound effects to really show the user when they lost a Life. Users were happier and understood what was going on.
What About Napkins?
Doodles and napkinsā¦ they go together like salt and pepper, right? I was pretty sure they did so I kept pushing for interface designs where the doodles appeared on napkins. I was pretty excited to fly those napkins around too. I like flying things around. We all put together layout and design ideas and I implemented a few (usually my favoritesā¦) to try them.ļæ¼ļæ¼
The problem with the napkins, though, was that it killed us, space-wise. Aaron ultimately didnāt like the doodles being on the ridges of the napkin, and that made the doodles smaller. Without the ridges the napkin didnāt really look like a napkin. While Dave liked the thematic value of the napkin, he always felt the primary focus of the layout needed to be the doodles. We tried a lot of ideas and then Aaron came up with an idea for a flat & super-clean design. I was sold. It made things so clear and made the doodles the center of attention, too.
Oodles of Doodles!
Aaron drew and drew and redrew doodles. So many doodles. Hereās a glimpse of what Aaronās desk looked like along the way.
What about Music and Sound Effects?
We hired Josh Darlington (aka Prince Charming) to come up with a Noodle Doodle theme and matching sound effects. Josh came up with fantastic music and sound effects for a pop culture game that Robb Vest and I did called PopFU! He was the first person I thought of when I knew we needed great audio for Noodle Doodle.Once Josh had played the prototype and had an idea of what kind of music we were interested in he got to work. He set me up with a dozen short music clips that could be randomly linked together, mixed and matched depending on the puzzle, keeping the music less repetitive. I loved the idea, and that some clips would fit with certain doodles was appealing, too. We did some experiments but werenāt able to smoothly transition between the clips. It would require more work than we had budgeted for so we went with just one full song for the game.ļæ¼
Iām still interested in using game music thatās played dynamically like that in the future. Music that responds to the playerās actions is cool.
Josh set me up with a big set of sound effects to go with doodle animations. I added silly and simple animations to reward the users when they solved each puzzle. So the Pandaroo jumps up and down and the jet plane flies across the screen, etc. Joshās sound effects really sell the animations and make them more fun.
Can the Jet Land? Please?
I was so happy about the animations that I set them up to loop forever until the user tapped the button to go to the next puzzle. Aaron suggested, and then kept asking if we could have the animations stop after a second or two. I kept putting it off but eventually made the animations shorter, and then shorter again. He was right. Although the animations are fun, itās a better experience to see them briefly and then have the puzzle return to normal. That way the user can see the doodle and the solution and survey their excellent puzzle-solving work.
Refining, Re-refining and I Love Google Docs
We used, and continue to use, Google Docs a lot while making Noodle Doodle. Centralizing saved us a lot of time. Aaron shared doodle images with us there and we kept all the puzzle info in a fancy spreadsheet. At Daveās request I added some extra fields to show which letters each puzzle used in its answer.
Later, I learned how much Dave cares about the quality of puzzles. For each puzzle we would display the letters that are part of the solution and then the game would automatically fill in the others by randomly picking āBadā letters. Dave asked if I could add a field in the spreadsheet where he could hand pick those āBadā letters for some of the puzzles. I did, and then he proceeded to tune every puzzle. His attention to detail really shows.
It was easy for me to get the latest puzzle revisions and put them into the game. I could export the master puzzle list from Google Docs as a CSV (comma separated values) file and replace the old file. In our newer game prototypes the games just download their puzzles and info directly from Google Docs and the new puzzles just appear in the game. Itās much faster to iterate on the puzzles and try things out. Iām also always excited to fire up the game to see if Aaron and Dave have more puzzles ready.
In order to avoid any problems that might come from a Google doc being accessed a lot, all at once, when we ship the game we move those files to Amazon web services. While weāre in development itās fantastic to be able to make those puzzle changes on-the-fly.
Featured!
We launched the game on July 9th, 2014. I emailed Apple three weeks earlier with a three sentence message explaining the game, who we were, and included the gameplay video thatās here. Iād done this many times before and had never heard back from them. But this time, I actually heard back from them. The next day Apple featured Noodle Doodle as a āBest New Gameā on iPad. Their email was so short that I wondered if my friends were playing a joke on me. We went from 200 downloads our first day to 3,000+ a day for the next week. It was fantastic to reach so many users so quickly.
Congratulations! Noodle Doodle is being featured under Best New Games!
Flappy Bird Millionaires?ļæ¼
It turns out that even though Apple featured Noodle Doodle weāre not, so far, App Store millionaires. We loved reaching so many users so quickly. We didnāt make $50,000 a day, though; more like $400/day for a week and then it plummeted down when the feature ended. We made $6,500 total in two months with 25,000 downloads. We all put in a lot of hours making the game and have definitely made less than minimum wage so far. Itās been making around $20/day now. Meanwhile, weāre super grateful for being featured and really happy with the great reviews and support from players. Itās fun to make people think and smile and make some money along the way, too.
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Whoops
We launched early in Australia, Canada, Malaysia, and the Philippines to gauge how things would go and see if there were any crazy problems before releasing to the rest of
the world. It seemed to go okay, but we reached so few users in those countries that there were some things we didnāt catch. But they came up all at once when the game was featured by Apple.1. It was really difficult for average users. We had balanced the game for players who were REALLY good at word games.
2. Players thought they could only get more Lives by paying money or watching ads. We didnāt communicate to players that they earned extra Lives over time, for free.
3. Players expected to lose one Life for a wrong answer, but we charged two Lives for a wrong answer. That wasnāt totally crazy sounding when they were called āCoins.ā It turns out that losing two Lives at once is unexpected and made some players really angry. Months earlier, Dave had mentioned this might look weird to players, but the math looked like it worked well for game balance so we didnāt change it. Now we know the answer to that question was āYES, ITāS WEIRD!ā Weāre going to pay closer attention to Dave from now on.
When I went to change the game settings to fix this, I found out that the company we had partnered with had some issues in their latest SDK (Software Development Kit). Ugh. We didnāt catch it in testing and the result was that we had no way to update the game settings without submitting a new build to Apple. I had put so much time into using this solution, to solve the exact kinds of problems we ran into, but hadnāt caught this last minute SDK problem.
Lots of users ran out of Lives quickly. They didnāt know they could earn more Lives for free, and were frustrated and mad - at us. Dāoh! I rushed out a build to address most of the problems but it took a week until Apple approved it. (This is normal ā it usually takes 5-7 days for an app to be approved.) It was exciting to reach so many users and most of the reviews/ratings were great. But it was disappointing to read the reviews of the frustrated users and tough waiting for that new fixed build to arrive in the App Store.
The solutions to the problems were straightforward:Quote:ā¢ Changed the cost of a wrong answer to one Life instead of twoWhatās Next?
ā¢ Increased the number of Lives awarded for watching an ad
ā¢ Increased the number of Lives included in the āLife packsā for sale
ā¢ Added an on-screen display to show when the next free Life would be awarded
ā¢ Added a news pop-up to make it easy to send out announcements
ā¢ Moved the game variables to our own more reliable server
Weāre working on three or four more game ideas now and I swear a day doesnāt go by without another game idea from Aaron. Itās been super fun to work with Dave and Aaron and Iām excited to keep making more games together. Check out Noodle Doodle if you have an iOS device. (Iām working on an Android version...) And if youāre at BGG.con you should absolutely play in Aaron & Daveās puzzle hunt. Itās awesome.
Download Noodle Doodle in the App Store here ā Itās fun and free, for iOS.
Eric Snider
www.sniderware.com
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Hi Everyone,
I will be attending GenCon 2013 and seeking interviews on iOS and digital board games and the like.
If you are a publisher/developer:
- We want to meet with you.
- You can book an appointment by geekmailing me or emailing brad(at)boardgamegeek.com
If you are a reader/game player:
- We need your help!
- We will be bound to miss something, so if you see something be sure to tweet or geekmail me about it.
- I want to meet you and hangout. Please say hello if you see me!
I hope to see you there and we will try to gather some great news!
Thanks,
Brad
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