The Client and Their Brief
Alphataire came to us with an exciting new word puzzle game, which played as a cross between Scrabble and Solitaire, with players scoring points by rearranging letters to form words in different columns. Alphataire had previously used a separate developer, but they found the app too difficult to produce, necessitating a move to a more development focused team. Alphataire’s ideal app would be an Android and iOS release, featuring multiple unlockable game levels and starring their company mascot, Alphy! The original UI was deemed to be unusable, and a new interface would have to be designed and implemented. Lastly, Alphataire would also need a marketing website and a free “lite” version, to allow players to try the game before purchasing it.
What We Did
We built the new version of the game using the Construct2 game engine, with CocoonJS used to compile the game for signing and release across iOS and Android. We also produced a “lite” version that contained three levels from the main game. This version was then deployed for web and hosted on the simple but elegant WordPress site created to market the game.
Redesign & Rebuild
Alphataire provided a previous code base from which to work, but upon inspection, we found the code was unoptimised and buggy. We therefore decided that a rebuild would be the most suitable course of action. As part of this, we created a new layout for the menu and gameplay interfaces that were better suited to different screen resolutions across devices. This rebuild also provided an opportunity to improve upon the game itself, allowing us to implement a better drag and drop interface as well as additional gameplay elements to encourage re-playability.
Implemented Levels
To make the game more accessible to casual players, we implemented a series of levels corresponding to the letters of the alphabet. This meant that each level would only allow the player to create words starting with the level’s letter. As each level contained 28 different letter tiles, not including the starting letter, there were on average 300 possible combinations. As a result, we were able to make the game easier for younger players without removing the challenge or spirit of the game. We also implemented a simple tutorial level that demonstrated the rules of the game and how to play.
Added a Scoring System
To encourage repeated play, we implemented a scoring system for each level. The score was dependent on the number of letters present in the words the player was able to create. This meant that words such as “Angle” would gain 5 points and shorter words such as “At” would earn only 2. The player’s final score was represented in the form of bronze, silver and gold trophies. The trophies were earnt by reaching certain score thresholds, 25% for bronze, 50% for silver and 80% for gold. This meant that players struggling to complete a level could opt to finish it early with only a bronze trophy.
Implemented a Dictionary
One of the key challenges encountered during this project was determining whether any given combination of letters matched a valid word. We were able to store a library of different words without issue, however as there are thousands of potential words, it took a long time to find a match. We therefore decided that it would be more efficient to generate a list of possible words from the letters generated, effectively reducing the number of possible combinations to around 300 per level. These combinations were then entered into a look-up table so that a match could be determined in an instant.
The Result
Alphataire is a fun little game available on both Android and iOS platforms. The UI and graphics overhaul made the game far more attractive and a lot easier to understand and play! To date, the app has been well received across both Android and iOS, featuring a five star rating on both. Additionally, Alphataire have very generously partnered with the Victoria Education Centre in Poole, offering a portion of all sales as charitable donations to assist disabled youth.
How It Looks
A Word From The Client
I have been working with these guys on a games app and website for about 3 months. Always inventive and practical solutions result. They are excellent and pleasure to work with!
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