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Ask HN: Well-designed, simple-but-complex games like Letterpress?

13 points by achompas ↗ HN
I've gotten hooked on Letterpress again this weekend, and wanted to ask if anyone could point out any game that works like it.

Specifically, I'm really interested in its:

>> minimal graphic design with excellent interactive flourishes (popping sounds and shaking letters adorning flat & matte color scheme)

>> simple-to-learn gameplay (this is obviously DECEPTIVELY hard to design, but I'd love to see other examples)

>> and ultra-competitive gameplay at the high end (I guess this is the difficulty curve?)

I guess one could summarize points #2 and #3 as "easy to learn, difficult to master?" Not sure, but I'd love to find other games like this (any platform) as inspiration for personal projects.

Would also appreciate references on game design if anyone has them--I've got "Art of Game Design" by Jesse Schell, for starters.

15 comments

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19_ploT
Dots: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dots-a-game-about-connecting...
achompas
I'm not fan of Dots, actually. While Eliss and Letterpress have their own rules and strategies (similar to Braid, for example), Dots feels too much like a Bejeweled clone to me.

Maybe I didn't give it a fair shot? What do you think?

asselinpaul
it gets quite addictive when you want to get a good score. A small tip, make squares (2x2), this will clear the colour from the board.
po
Eliss was the first game for iPhone that I played that really took multitouch to a new level. It's been around for a while now but it is still good. The music is fantastic. The creator's (steph thirion) next game Faraway is supposed to be really interesting but it is still under heavy development.

http://www.toucheliss.com/

http://www.playfaraway.com/

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pubby
> minimal graphic design with excellent interactive flourishes

Why is this relevant?

achompas
Because I think this type of design invites the player, instead of frightening or intimidating them. Visual clutter can discourage potential gamers (especially the casual audience I have in mind).

The lack of clutter (along with a well-designed game) also suggests the designer thought deeply about the necessary components.

fiatmoney
Circadia on the iPhone.
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anonymoushn
Tetris Attack can deliver #2+#3, but will fail at #1 in every iteration other than Planet Puzzle League for DS.
captn3m0
Try out Super Hexagon. Very easy to grasp the controls. Ridiculously hard to actually play. See the trailer to check whether you like it or not. Available for all platforms.

[1]: http://superhexagon.com

IsaacL
I've been addicted to Dice Wars www.gamedesign.jp/flash/dice/dice.html for a while now. Solarmax is cool too http://armorgames.com/play/11965/solarmax. I love these types of games - don't know what you'd call them, but they simplify the concept of a strategy game to map + units + bases. Dice Wars and Solarmax are two of the best, they're surprisingly deep.
keywonc
Not exactly a graphical iPhone game, but I am a designer and this is the first game I'm enjoying in a long time.

http://candies.aniwey.net

- Minimal visuals: Check

- Simple to learn: Check, more enjoyable with a mentor/more experienced person I can reach.

- Not sure how competitive it gets at the high end.

I'm surprised I am enjoying this, since I was never a RPG person. I am a casual-at-best gamer who finds Clash of the Clans boring after 5 mins and Letterpress gameplay too implicit(?).