Shapes: Puzzle ’em up

Note: The sixtyFrames Homepage has been merged with Pixels|Bytes, so there’s no need to be irritated when you’ve expected another site ;)

Update: Unfortunately you can’t download Shapes at the moment. My Apple Developer membership expired and I’m not planning to update it right now, since I want to concentrate on some other, not iOS based projects at the moment. But I’m quite sure that I will renew my membership sometime later this year again, so stay tuned.

Get ready to catch some shapes! Shapes: Puzzle ’em Up combines the action of arcade shooters like Space Invaders or Asteroids with the challenge of puzzle games like Tetris. This is my first game for the iPhone and iPod (works on the iPad as well) and has been downloaded from the App Store more than 5000 times since October 2010. Since end of July 2012 you can get Shapes for free from the Apple App Store.

In Shapes you have to navigate a space-ship through waves of Tetris-like shapes, which are flying towards you, without getting hit. Apart from not being hit you also have to collect points by destroying and collecting shapes to succeed in the worldwide challenge for the ultimate Shapes high-score.

Your ship is equipped with two fire modes: Shredders destroy shapes and Catcher, which fit them into a bigger figure in the background. Your mission is to get as many points as possible by destroying the flying shapes and/or catching them to fill the figure. Each destroyed shape gives you points while a completed figure multiplies them, so you have to find a balance between destroying and catching the shapes. The less shapes you need to fill the figure, the higher the multipler will increase, so choose wisely between catching and shredding a shape and hurry, because the difficulty increases with every second.

A built-in tutorial will explain the game to you and train your skills, before you start hunting for shapes and competing with yourself in the local high-score lists or with others via Apples global GameCenter network. Or tease your friends and followers with your scores via the built-in Facebook and Twitter connection – it’s up to you who you want to challenge!

This development preview video gives a good impression of the Shapes gameplay (even though some features are still missing):

Read my blog post about Shapes, to find out more about the ideas and history behind it and don’t forget to get Shapes for free from the App Store and try it for yourself. Happy gaming :)

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