BlockedIn: My first (free) retro inspired iPhone game!

Posted by roberto, 18 March 2012 · 355 views

Hey!

I realized I didn't post anything on my blog over here for quite some time. Time to catch up then!

Indeed I was quite busy with work and also with a small side project: "BlockedIn" my first iPhone game.

As you can easily guess, gameplay is clearly inspired by classics like BreakOut and Arkanoid, with a bit of Ram It thrown in-between. It's a very simple concept with minimalist graphics but I feel it can work well for a few minutes of fun while commuting.

It is free, supports leaderboards on Game Center and works on any iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S and iPod touch.
If anyone gets it (it's free!) here http://itunes.apple....88931?ls=1&mt=8 I'd be happy to hear you comments and feedback.

Cheers!

EricBall
Mar 19 2012 10:23 AM

Advert supported is close enough to free for me.

I've downloaded and played a couple of games. Unfortunately I haven't figured out how to make the balls go in the (general) direction I want them to. They also tend to get stuck mostly bouncing up & down and not advancing towards the blocks. (Although on the second game I had one which was absolutely stuck in a single row.) In both games I lost mostly because I forgot I couldn't advance past a block (versus being run into by a block).

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EricBall
Mar 27 2012 10:30 AM

I think the major problem with the game is the lack of control you have over the balls compared to a traditional Breakout game. Because the rows advance so quickly, the player has to feel they have a chance of directing the ball to a specific block (or at least in the general direction). Tapping to pull the balls back provides some of that control, but not a lot.

Maybe with more instructions it would be easier to control (and understand what the various powerups are and how to trigger them).

Finally, it's minorly annoying that the options aren't saved.