Puzzle game Threes is one of the simplest, most addictive games on iOS. It’s also, by virtue of that same simplicity, an easy game to clone. Something that’s happened a lot, with sad/hilarious results.
As a result of the flood of clones, each of which has not only robbed of them income but confused the marketplace, Threes’ developers have written a long post (we’re talking 45,000 words) over on their site showing how they made the game.
It’s as good a look at the creative process as you’re ever going to get. There are emails, text messages, drunken playtests, disagreements, early art, the works. You can see the game go from idea to finished product in its entirety. It’s incredible. AAA studios take note: when people want to learn how games are made, they don’t want your boring-arse developer diaries. They want this kind of stuff.
The point being that it shows while Threes is simple to play, it was not simple to make. And that anyone just strolling in to piggy-back off their hard work is an arsehole. OK, that last part is me, not them, but it’s still true.
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