Making a sliding block puzzle game - Shapist

Discussion in 'Public Game Developers Forum' started by takemuraori, Nov 5, 2013.

  1. takemuraori

    takemuraori Well-Known Member

    #1 takemuraori, Nov 5, 2013
    Last edited: Jun 14, 2015
    [​IMG]

    Shapist puzzle update is coming to ios on 25.06.2015 (Android will follow soon!):
    We added new levels, almost 20% more content, same price, same great puzzle!
    Support us, spread the word, download and try the game - its free for first 15 levels.

    https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shapist/id816551293?mt=8 Universal iOS.
    https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.playshapist&hl=en Android.

    WEB SITE: http://www.playshapist.com
    support us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/playshapist


    The game will be released as a "free to try", with more new levels, new mechanics and lots of other improvements!



    and some design \ dev log + details:

    Hi everyone, throughout this year we (a team of two, a designer and a developer) have been making a sliding block puzzle game we decided to call Shapist. Few months ago I have started a design blog at Tig Source
    so some history can be found there, and from now on I think it could make sense to post here as well. Just in case there are people interested in puzzles. We have all levels ready (50+) and working on polishing few game mechanics, we did play testing but plan to invite couple more people once we have a round of fixes and amendments finished, if everyone is into puzzles that look like this, let me know, you can also ask me about anything.

    [​IMG]

    The game is done in Unity. We wanted to focus very clearly on the game play with as little UI as possible, no tutorials or menus in conventional understanding (we do have a couple of buttons and level selection). :cool:

    I will keep this topic updated, we will have a web demo soon, but not very soon. Yours, Dmitry Kurilchenko (development) http://kurilchenko.com/ and me - Takemura Ori (idea & design) https://twitter.com/takemuraori.
     
  2. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    Think you will need a tutorial because looking at that I have no idea what you are doing. It is just a bunch of squares
     
  3. takemuraori

    takemuraori Well-Known Member

    I quite deliberately picked a level somewhere close to the middle of the game to show complexity and overall look, should I have picked the first level to show the idea of mechanics would be clear but visually that would look very simple, also this of course meant to be played not guessed from the pictures.
    That being said I do feel we need a gif with game-play to show soon.

    here are some more static pictures from the middle of the game
    [​IMG]

    anyway if not knowing from the picture what to do in the game doesn't turn you off yet we are welcoming puzzle passionate players for closed testing (just PM me or leave a comment down below)
     
  4. takemuraori

    takemuraori Well-Known Member

    Just in case anyone is interested, I wrote a couple of small article-notes when going through designing the game, those are very subjective of course, but hopefully could be interesting or inspiring for conversation:
    - Games designed as physical objects: http://goo.gl/L1fegC
    - Tension and creating a place for player to stay: http://goo.gl/WmQif
    - Telling the story though level design (not what you may think): http://goo.gl/2tPJUm
    - 9 dots puzzle and outside the box: http://goo.gl/oSTU7V

    There were more, those I think weren't worth sharing much, I am rewriting some of the texts linked here to put them on the site about the game later in a more polished and probably compressed form.

    would really love comments if anyone is interested in game theory and puzzles. negative, constructively critical comments are mostly welcome )
     
  5. BlindAlbino

    BlindAlbino Well-Known Member

    Dec 19, 2012
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    I am Co-Founder and Art Director for Blind Albino,
    La Habra Hights, California
    Hello takemuraori, I found this post after reading your reply to one of our own. (Thanks again for your support.)
    I am no puzzle expert, but I do enjoy the genre once in a while - everything from Blocked to Strata. With what I've seen and read here about Shapist, you have a unique challenge of giving that first impression. Even though the game itself may revolve around user experimentation, in a non-interactive demo, you may want to craft a very simple explanation of how the game will work. You're clearly passionate about how deeply you've investigated your concept, now you just need to bring your audience along, from the most basic elements of how it works, so they/we can catch up with what you're saying about its depth of concept, its history, etc. As for an aesthetic critique of these still images, I say that if i picked up a touch device that had these colorful patterns displayed, I'd definitely be curious and start playing around. I can see the merit in a designer game of cause-and-effect learning. I'm curious to see where this goes...
     
  6. takemuraori

    takemuraori Well-Known Member

    We have launched Play Shapist .com with just a couple of screen shots and an announcement that the game will be available to try at Licence 2 Play event in Singapore this December. We will update the announcement page shorty within few days, and later, closer to the release there will be a full web site with a video, web playable demo (a couple of puzzles specially designed for the web not just levels from the paid game). And all the story behind of course.
     
  7. takemuraori

    takemuraori Well-Known Member

    [​IMG]

    Some give-aways for the expo.
     
  8. takemuraori

    takemuraori Well-Known Member

    Just a quick note that consists of two parts:
    a) We showcased Shapist in Singapore's License 2 Play - had lots of people to play (our estimate is between 50 and 100 in 3 days, we only had 2 ipads to let people play). Some would stay for an hour to solve puzzles - we were very impressed. Some feedback was very helpful, we changed few things over night, tested on next day's crowd etc.

    [​IMG]

    b) Shapist will first be released for ipads, very soon, and then iphone, android, hopefully desktop.
     
  9. takemuraori

    takemuraori Well-Known Member

    #9 takemuraori, Dec 28, 2013
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2013
    I wrote a small conclusions on the design process I had with Shapist and beyond,
    this text is work in progress but it could be interesting for those into UX, Product design and of course games. Video games designed as physical interactive objects I would be supper happy for any kind of comments. I keep updating the text, as well as I would like to point that it may serve as a basis for a more broad story i want to write that would include some background behind KeiKei watch project for example so that those interested in product design would find more value as well but for now it is what it is, and it is not a story of Shapist puzzle design etc, yet a more umbrella like thing.
     
  10. takemuraori

    takemuraori Well-Known Member

    Following the wrapping before the Ipad release we have finished the in game menu.
    [​IMG]

    Once again we follow our zero ui concept here - there are no numbers no words and transition to levels is done without loading screens etc, you zoom out to menu pick another level, it comes close to you - you can play...

    [​IMG]

    We have chapters in the game and each chapter has a certain highlight in the menu - a special type of the tile illustrating a new beginning.
     
  11. takemuraori

    takemuraori Well-Known Member

    #11 takemuraori, Jan 19, 2014
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2014
    By the way Shapist will be showcased at Casual Connect Amsterdam, feb 11 - feb 13. It is now part of the Indie Prize competition.
     
  12. takemuraori

    takemuraori Well-Known Member

    We made two game play gifs,

    first one depicts solving a fairly early puzzle in the game, that is the first chapter:
    [​IMG]


    And this is a puzzle from the second chapter (each chapter has around 10 levels, first one has less than ten and later ones have more than 10).
    [​IMG]
     
  13. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    you should of lead with these gifs, they very clearly show what the game is about.
     
  14. New England Gamer

    New England Gamer Moderator
    Staff Member Patreon Silver Patreon Gold Patreon Bronze

    Jul 30, 2009
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    This looks really good. Do you have an ETA? How far along are you in the process of development?
     
  15. takemuraori

    takemuraori Well-Known Member

    Thank you! Wrapping details for iPad release, and finishing the web site etc is how close we are. I would say we ship before Casual Connect - Amsterdam showcase on February 11th...
     
  16. takemuraori

    takemuraori Well-Known Member

    Great news - full web site with a demo (web exclusive 8 puzzles that are not in the main game) will be online tonight (that's like 12 hours from this post).

    and here are some posters i made in the in the midst of preparing for Casual Connect Amsterdam.
    [​IMG]
     
  17. takemuraori

    takemuraori Well-Known Member

    Dear all, I am very happy to inform you that http://www.playshapist.com/ is now live. You can play the web version, explore the site, see screen shots and game-play video... We will make a post in upcoming iPad titles section soon.
     
  18. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    I gave it a go and it was kind of fun. It reminded me of the puzzles you slide the blocks around to make a picture except you have multiple shapes.

    I think a simple instruction like reveal the thingy would encourage people to play. Or drag to move blocks or anything to let you know how to play.
     
  19. takemuraori

    takemuraori Well-Known Member

    Hey, thanks for playing! So how many puzzles did you solve, all 8?
     
  20. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    Nope just a couple.
     

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