Oopstacles - Interview with the developer of a fantastic app

Did you have any prior development or coding experience?

Yes! I have worked in the games industry for over 15 years now. Over that time, I gained experience in design and programming. A lot of that time was spent on making console games, so it was an exciting challenge to transition to mobile games!

What was the most challenging aspect of developing mobile app?

Oopstacles was our first app and I went all-out! We tried to do everything and include as many features as possible! This led to the initial schedule slipping. I wanted to have a fully-featured game to keep our audience entertained, so we added all the bells and whistles around the game including multiple game modes, multiplayer, voice control, achievements, leaderboards, iOS stickers, 3D Touch, and more! Managing all of this in an evolving OS environment was a real challenge!

After working at other large games companies for many years, Matthew took the risk of starting his own company from scratch - Crystal Pug - with a few friends and colleagues to contribute part-time. Videogames have always been a part of his life and he loves to design and innovate. Crystal Pug aims to bring the world quirky games filled with joy!

Name a few of your favorite apps and reason you love them.

I’m currently working on a text-based narrative game with interactive minigames and choices. So, games like Florence and Hooked have really inspired me! Florence has some wonderful story-based interactions and Hooked has many intriguing stories!

How long have you been working on this app?

I spent around 9 months part-time on Oopstacles, which included setting up the business and managing other team members. It was my first app and a big challenge! I wanted everything to be finely tuned and bug free!

What need of the user did you have in mind when developing this app?

I wanted to make a casual game that was easy to pick up and play but had a lot of replay value. Something someone could play on public transport while waiting for an appointment, or at home!

In what way do you think your app is better than similar apps on the market? Please describe in detail what innovation you think you bring and what you are proud of in your app.

With Oopstacles, I wanted to do things differently to other endless runners out there - I found the 3-lane, 4-direction swipe style had been overdone. I wanted to design something with beautifully simple controls, but elegance and depth to the gameplay. So, I created a single lane, one-touch control system that anyone could pick up and play with ease. Jumps, rolls, and other contextual animations occur automatically at trigger points. It relies on the player’s timing, dexterity, and ability to read upcoming visual patterns. For replayability, timing and order are randomized and different on each play. For a challenge, the further the player gets, the faster and denser the obstacles get! It draws inspiration from some of my favorite TV shows such as Wipeout, MXC, Slime Cup and Ninja Warrior!

What are your future plans and expected features of the coming new versions of this app?

Over time we have added many new avatars, obstacles, challenge levels, leaderboards, and seasonal events! Keep an eye out!

Assuming new users of your app are reading this page. What do you want to ask them to do (contact you about X, Share the app, etc.)?

Please give Oopstacles a try! It has many different game modes and daily rewards. Try to top the leaderboards! If you like the game, please give it a positive rating, share it with your friends and follow us on Facebook!

Oopstacles

About App: Help the captured creatures dodge their doom in the ultimate obstacle course!
- Chuckle at crazy physics-based wipeouts!
- Master memorable obstacles with wonderful one-touch controls!
- Record ridiculous GIFs to share with friends!
- Amass dozens of amazing avatars!
- Challenge Mode contains 1000 crafted progression levels, a new leaderboard, achievements, and awesome rewards!
- Scream Mode uses voice control to make your avatar jog or run! New leaderboard included!
- Versus Mode lets you race against players from around the world for big rewards!
- Use the button on the left in the main menu to switch game modes!
- Save your progress to the cloud and sync across all your devices! Simply log into Google Play!
- Login bonus: Unlock the new Damsel avatar for free!

Categories: Arcade

Date: November 17, 2019

Developer: Mattew Ota - Director, Crystal Pug

About developer: After working at other large games companies for many years, Matthew took th ... Read more

Website: https://crystalpug.com/

Download

App URL in iTunes
App URL in Google Play

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