Here is a little about the newest game we are working on: SyRUSH The game is created using HTML5 Canvas / JavaScript and is browser-based using Eric’s custom build Splat Engine, but we use Ejecta to package it for iOS mobile devices. Both The Engine and Ejecta are open source and can be found on github.
It is a fast-paced waffle-topping simulator that is designed for touchscreen devices. I started off with a simple concept of a grid of squares scrolling by on the screen, originally it was pink and green and you tap the pink squares to fill them in green and try to fill all of them.
Then the idea came to me to make the grid a waffle, and your goal is to put syrup in all of the holes as it slides by.
You would loose if you hit an already filled square, or let an empty square slide past the left side of the screen. We began to refine the game and added the mechanic of the waffle starting off sliding to the left, then after a set number of columns, the direction will switch and you start adding the ‘next topping’. The toppings are butter/syrup, then blueberries/whipped cream.
Since then we have added a background visible on either side with a table cloth, plate and knife/fork.
Then most recently we added new toppings! now the combinations are butter/syrup, blueberries/whipped cream, butter/powdered sugar, then finally strawberries/whipped cream. The other feature we have added was suggested by a friends who I had play-test the game for us, now tapping a ‘filled’ tile will speed up the game, instead of ending it. Next on the agenda is to add a ‘double tap’ feature where on the second topping half of a level there will be some filled with both, and some still empty that you will need to tap twice to fill with both toppings for increased difficulty.
When having friends play-test the game I have also heard several mentions that on the butter levels it is too difficult to differentiate the two tiles, filled and empty because of the lack of contrast in the colors. I might need to play around with this and see if there is a better color scheme that will still look good.