Square Dots available in Google Play and Apple Store

jdbc · May 2015

I have published my new Android game "Square Dots" in Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=es.jdbc.squaredots

Similar to original "Dots", I have changed part of its gameplay and a new powerup to allow diagonal movements.

dreiko65 · May 2015

Downloaded it. Looks nice. Thanks

totebo · May 2015

Cool. Hey, get an error when signing into Facebook.

Niclas

jdbc · May 2015

Cool. Hey, get an error when signing into Facebook.

Niclas

What type or error?

jdbc · May 2015

Cool. Hey, get an error when signing into Facebook.

Niclas
What type or error?

I have tested in my Android mobile and it works.

keszegh · May 2015

i don't want to criticize much but designwise i think it lacks behind, say two dots.
some thoughts:

menu etc:
-the flat design does not look well combined with the marble texture.
-the rounded buttons (e.g. around the buttons in the game at the bottom) don't combine well with the squares, the whole design should reflect your core game i think.
-the gradiented buttons (in the game at the bottom) do not work well with flat colored squares
-the shades of grey (top and bottom of main game) do not work well with strong colors of the board
(not to go too far, check the gideros made 'games for two' for consistent flat design, good simplicity is a non-trivial thing to achieve, i admit.)

also the feeling when playing could be improved, this is another important aspect:
-notice in two-dots the pending line starting from the last dot and going to your finger
-also in two-dots see the increasing colored frame around the board
- in your game also after the explosion the new dots (squares, sorry) fall too quickly, i don't see them appearing.

finally, i'm not a big fun of clones-with-a-twist and so even though two dots is perhaps the only casual game i play regularly, and i admire many things about it, i don't think it's worth the effort to make a clone that does not differ that much, considering that they made the game already as good as possible in many ways, and every new set of levels introduces another twist (for better or worse) so it's hard to compete with them (and i think their budget and team can afford to spend all time on twodots and that shows).

sorry for pointing out only the negative things (or what i find negative), but maybe it gives some ideas to improve, if you plan to work on it more. i feel bad writing so long about problems but i think your evident programming skills could shine more with a bit more work on the design. all in all my rule is that a programmer needs a designer (i realized that quite quickly even though i also do some designing as a hobby).

jdbc · May 2015

I did not want to do a Dots clone, just my own game. I do not know if I will work more on it more, just an experiment.
May be I will sell this source code in Chupamobile and you could improve its design.

It was a 2 weeks programming project. Anyway I know about how Dots works, but I did not want to do the same game.

I would like to know more about this:
-the shades of grey (top and bottom of main game) do not work well with strong colors of the board. What colors should I use?

-the rounded buttons (e.g. around the buttons in the game at the bottom) don't combine well with the squares, the whole design should reflect your core game i think. Do you suggest I should use square buttons?

Thanks anyway for your feedback, I have a lot of experience in programming but not much in design.

keszegh · May 2015

it's too good to be an experiment, then.

keszegh · May 2015

also, what i pointed out about two dots is not for copying just to note strategies to make the interaction more responsive. surely there are other ways to give the feeling of responsiveness, which is important i think.

jdbc · May 2015

Do you think this design looks better?

totebo · May 2015

Hey, attached the error I get. Nexus 5, latest Android.

keszegh · May 2015

@jdbc, it's better but i think that the bottom could be as the top (no border around, just a division line) also i would even have those top and bottom areas white too and just draw the bordering to say black instead of giving a grayish color to the whole areas.

also the numbers and icons are 3d-ish while the game itself is 2d-ish (flat), so i would make everything flat. (although i have some unnatural aversion to gradients, so i'm not the best judge for icons with gradients, but maybe in this case i'm right)

jdbc · May 2015

Hey, attached the error I get. Nexus 5, latest Android.

It must be solved. I forgot to make it live to people. Thanks.

jdbc · May 2015

@jdbc, it's better but i think that the bottom could be as the top (no border around, just a division line) also i would even have those top and bottom areas white too and just draw the bordering to say black instead of giving a grayish color to the whole areas.

also the numbers and icons are 3d-ish while the game itself is 2d-ish (flat), so i would make everything flat. (although i have some unnatural aversion to gradients, so i'm not the best judge for icons with gradients, but maybe in this case i'm right)

I was thinking about it

Zizanyman · June 2015

I downloaded this game. It's great!

jdbc · June 2015

I downloaded this game. It's great!

Thanks!!!

What do you think I must improve?

jeromegsq · June 2015

@jdbc I downloaded it too, it's a great game ! Maybe your menu is not very friendly.
I mean, when i start the app, i don't know where i have look to start the game.

I think it will be good to set the play button to the first place for exemple.

Also, try to make something better than rectangle for the graphics button (and the icon of medal is out of the rectangle, i'm sure you can fix it simply)

Change your Font too, it is not very clear and it is hard too read when it is white on white.

And add some traductions. You can ask me if you want french and spanish traductions.

Of course, bravo for the In App Purchases, this is difficult to implements with Gideros according to me.

I don't have a very good experience of programming with Gideros but I hope I was useful and I respect your work

jdbc · June 2015

@jeromegsq

Thanks for your comment but I like those rectangle buttons. If you want a different style you can try my other Gideros game:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=es.jlbc.jewelofpersia

For in-app purchases you can use my Billing class and my Shop scene (use your own images files). You need to change local variable google_key with your Google Play and publish apk as beta or alpha for testing, and add test account diferent from editor account.

jeromegsq · June 2015

@jdbc Thanks for the classes !

I am a trainee in a little company then I had to find everything by myself so it was very difficult for me !

Maybe you can try my games too :

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dragonflyapps.whackazombie
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dragonflyapps.hitthezombies

Same graphics but two different gameplay

jdbc · June 2015

It has been approved in SlideME app store
http://slideme.org/application/square-dots

using OpenIAB and Gideros IAB plugin as I explain in this thread:
http://giderosmobile.com/forum/discussion/4578/openiab-in-app-purchases

SlideME in-app purchases is now available with Gideros now:
https://github.com/jdbcdev/GiderosOpenIab

jdbc · October 2015

After a month due to problems with approval, Square Dots is already available in Apple Store:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/square-dots-free/id1042461692?ls=1&mt=8

Feedback is welcome.

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