Stymied

Stymied was originally developed by another developer, unfortunately, the quality of the game provided to the client was poor.

We were brought in to redevelop the game for Warwick, a UK-based mathematician and puzzle maker. His first attempt to bring his dream game to life, developed by another team, had resulted in a substandard product. Determined to try again, the client approached us to help realise his original vision properly.

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From the very beginning, the client knew Mode was different from the other game developers he had worked with before, and he has never looked back. Our client loved working with Mode on the redevelopment of his game. Here is what our client Warwick had to say about working with Mode on his game.

“Stymied puzzles are extremely happy with everything that Mode games have to offer. From day one we knew we had made the right choice. Even though they are on the other side of the world, they are always available to offer advice and guidance on every aspect of the game's production. It’s the attention to detail that makes them stand out, from every little sound to the game play and the awesome creative graphics. They truly have made what was once my dream become a success.”

Puzzle Maker & Mathematician - Warwick Blent

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The app contains the following:

• 18 fun blocks set within four distinct themed worlds
• Challenge and multiplayer match modes
• Player profiles; choose a name and fun badge icon
• Leaderboard with incentive mechanics

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We provided the following services:

• Game design and development
• Art direction; we gave an old game a brand new look and feel
• Concept direction and production of art for distinct environments
• Multiplayer and leaderboard services with Google Firebase
• Dynamic links; allowing players to share and download the app
• UI/UX development
• Data analytics
• Music and sound design

There are 18 fun and quirky blocks in the game, and they are embarking on a puzzle-solving journey within four distinct themed worlds. 

Designed by mathematician and puzzle maker Warwick Blent, Stymied is a challenging puzzle game. It is perfect for players who love to play tough puzzle games that make you think. In the original game (that we released first), players were challenged to test their intelligence to beat the 200th level. In the game, there are four block-ified worlds that are used to decorate the space around the puzzles.

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In each of the following worlds there was a different level of difficulty, these included:

• Forest (Easy)
• Desert
• Cave
• Space (Hard)

Stymied is a simple game to play, but as players progress through the initial levels, it becomes very challenging very fast, and thats by design.

Mode has continued to work with Warwick to add great new features to Stymied since its initial release. Most recently, multiplayer modes were added. Players can now play online or against friends. A player who wins a multiplayer match earns XP (Experience Points) and scores points. These points increase a player's ranking in various leaderboards. The experience level of each player is also taken into account when matching players. Additionally, players are encouraged to challenge more experienced players to earn higher match completion rewards.

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Our game relied on Google Firebase to handle real-time database interactions between players. We could have used many off-the-shelf solutions to implement this feature. We had all the tools we needed to develop multiplayer features for Stymied using Google Firebase. With Firebase, we were able to design the backend and data to suit the game instead of being locked into a system that didn't meet our needs, be that now or in the future. We provided a very low-cost, no-hassle option with rock-solid performance for multiplayer gaming that can scale to meet traffic demands. In addition to anonymous authentication, Firebase provides dynamic links; to invite friends to play matches and cloud storage for sharing levels.