Hey folks! Thanks to all of your feedback, tips, beta testing, and support, Pivot has come a long way. And now it's in the Apple App Store as well! Free of course, not trying to sell anyone...
Hey folks! Thanks to all of your feedback, tips, beta testing, and support, Pivot has come a long way. And now it's in the Apple App Store as well! Free of course, not trying to sell anyone anything. Just updating the community that helped bring this thing to "market." :)
Oo this was fun, well done! Very smooth experience. Also, I was like 'well, I like puzzle games, and I'm pretty good at these sorts of things, let me try'. Got second place for today :p missed the...
Oo this was fun, well done! Very smooth experience.
Also, I was like 'well, I like puzzle games, and I'm pretty good at these sorts of things, let me try'. Got second place for today :p missed the number 1 spot by 1 move, darn it hah.
Great job! Thanks for the kind words -- minimalism was definitely what I was shooting for. I've tried to be thoughtful about UI and any additional "thing" I clutter the screen with. I'm glad it...
Great job! Thanks for the kind words -- minimalism was definitely what I was shooting for. I've tried to be thoughtful about UI and any additional "thing" I clutter the screen with. I'm glad it comes through.
I'm not sure how I would add this while keeping the clean, simple feel of the UI, but I wish there were a visual indicator of what direction the letters would be rotated in. I keep thinking that...
I'm not sure how I would add this while keeping the clean, simple feel of the UI, but I wish there were a visual indicator of what direction the letters would be rotated in. I keep thinking that it's going to turn in the other direction for some reason, even though clockwise feels like it should be the intuitive direction.
One thing I would like on this is the ability to just hit a button to do a puzzle from a day I missed. Like a shuffle or something if I wanted to do a whole bunch of them at once. Really good as...
One thing I would like on this is the ability to just hit a button to do a puzzle from a day I missed. Like a shuffle or something if I wanted to do a whole bunch of them at once. Really good as is though.
So like "Archive" but at the end of the game it takes you to another day you haven't already played? Or maybe Practice Mode should just kind of keep the games coming? I like this idea.
So like "Archive" but at the end of the game it takes you to another day you haven't already played? Or maybe Practice Mode should just kind of keep the games coming? I like this idea.
That was charming, though i may be biased because im in 1st on the leaderboard. I think there has to be a transition between the final move and the name entry. Usually in casual games we do...
That was charming, though i may be biased because im in 1st on the leaderboard.
I think there has to be a transition between the final move and the name entry. Usually in casual games we do something like hold on the screen and just highlight the solved word in some way (light around it or even just scaling the solved puzzle letters up then down in an animation for a really low cost solution) before eog cleanup.
Either way, looks really good and quite fun. Definitely have to have a particular brain type for this but when it hits i bet it hits.
Thanks once again for all the great ideas and feedback, they're all going on the list and/or being implemented as we speak. One general guiding principle here for me is that I really don't want to...
Thanks once again for all the great ideas and feedback, they're all going on the list and/or being implemented as we speak. One general guiding principle here for me is that I really don't want to gather any meaningful data on the user, or throw up a login screen. I find that to be anathema to the very concept of the game (I sound so highfalutin, but you know what I mean), so that limits some of the more interactive things we can do well -- like, say, long term sub-leaderboards for groups.
Congrats, I love word games and it’s awesome to see indies sharing theirs with the world. Kudos for shipping it, and for your humane refusal to collect data or put up an authwall! Hope your costs...
Congrats, I love word games and it’s awesome to see indies sharing theirs with the world. Kudos for shipping it, and for your humane refusal to collect data or put up an authwall! Hope your costs remain manageable.
Personally I’ve always struggled with sliding-tile type puzzles, Rubik’s cubes, anything where the solution requires manipulating elements that move together, to reach some desired end state with specific pieces in specific positions. Not really sure why, it’s just the way my brain is wired; I’ve never been able to make strategies for those “click” in my head. But like I said, I love word puzzles and software passion projects so if you make any others I’ll be sure to check them out!
Spent some time after class today adding accessibility features (high contrast and better voice over support specifically). I also set the iOS app to honor the "reduce motion" options. I'd love to...
Spent some time after class today adding accessibility features (high contrast and better voice over support specifically). I also set the iOS app to honor the "reduce motion" options. I'd love to make it as accessible as possible -- the lazy part of me is asking "any thoughts?" right here, but I'm also going to do some research into best practices. I'm sure folks are tired of having to tell every dingaling developer the same things over and over again.
I think it would be great to make a write-up of your findings including an email address for comments. And that you also link to this write-up somewhere in both the web & app versions. This would...
I think it would be great to make a write-up of your findings including an email address for comments.
And that you also link to this write-up somewhere in both the web & app versions.
This would accomplish three things:
A kind of design document that will help you stay on course with regards to accessibility in this and future projects.
A way for the next dingaling developer to get a starting point without requiring the affected people to inform about the easy, first steps, general, bare minimum "adjustments"
By encouraging comments by email you show interest and if you follow through you get an education and an even better write-up that helps spread the word.
I'm a firm believer in that accessibility is not only the right thing to do but that it also leads to more elegant design and solutions.
I found this the other day: gameaccessibilityguidelines.com Looks very helpful and good-quality! I don't need many accommodations myself though so I can't vouch for most of the information it...
A collaborative effort between a group of studios, specialists and academics, to produce a straightforward developer friendly reference for ways to avoid unnecessarily excluding players, and ensure that games are just as fun for as wide a range of people as possible.
Looks very helpful and good-quality! I don't need many accommodations myself though so I can't vouch for most of the information it provides.
Thanks for the follow-up post. Looks great. The archive modal and the "more" modal don't seem to stay open for me. I had to press and hold which then selects text and then it stays open. If I just...
Thanks for the follow-up post. Looks great. The archive modal and the "more" modal don't seem to stay open for me. I had to press and hold which then selects text and then it stays open. If I just tap, it opens and closes immediately. The leaderboard and stats page don't have the same issue.
The archive modal seems fixed. More is still wonky. I think because the close button perfectly aligns with where the more button is below it... It clicks 'close' really quickly after I click more....
The archive modal seems fixed. More is still wonky. I think because the close button perfectly aligns with where the more button is below it... It clicks 'close' really quickly after I click more. Pressing and holding allows it to stay open...
Maybe add a debounce or something. Seems to be loading so fast it's also getting clicked!
Looks like you fixed the "more" modal. Is there a minimum date? Like the date of the first puzzle? Right now I can navigate back to Jan 1st with the date modal but I think there is no puzzle? Jan...
Looks like you fixed the "more" modal. Is there a minimum date? Like the date of the first puzzle? Right now I can navigate back to Jan 1st with the date modal but I think there is no puzzle? Jan 2nd also doesn't work (they all day the word is "play"). For date inputs, you can set a min and max date which should fix this issue (for most browsers).
You can also have a backup for "no puzzle found" for a specific date.
Edit: I think the hint modal has a similar closing issue as well.
I don't particularly care about it. With something like wordle. I just get to look at my result and share it. Currently before the pivot animation even finishes I get hit with "enter name", and no...
I don't particularly care about it. With something like wordle. I just get to look at my result and share it.
Currently before the pivot animation even finishes I get hit with "enter name", and no way to dismiss it.
Since you're offering to play the replay of the current leader after completing the puzzle maybe you could also offer that same replay from the leader board... Something like: 👑 name 📽️ other name
Since you're offering to play the replay of the current leader after completing the puzzle maybe you could also offer that same replay from the leader board...
I like that, how about after completion? That way the chances of being accidentally spoiled are reduced.
Since you're offering to play the replay of the current leader after completing the puzzle maybe you could also offer that same replay from the leader board...
Something like:
👑 name 📽️
other name
I like that, how about after completion? That way the chances of being accidentally spoiled are reduced.
Sorry for the name-entry outage this morning folks, twas developer error. I instituted some security policies to prevent spamming on the leaderboard (and blocks for some low-hanging offensive name...
Sorry for the name-entry outage this morning folks, twas developer error. I instituted some security policies to prevent spamming on the leaderboard (and blocks for some low-hanging offensive name fruit) and I did so with a bit too much gusto. Like, all the gusto.
I stared at the screen for like 5 minutes and replayed the tutorial a few times trying to figure out how you're supposed to create the word "tone" when there wasn't an N or an E on the board....
I stared at the screen for like 5 minutes and replayed the tutorial a few times trying to figure out how you're supposed to create the word "tone" when there wasn't an N or an E on the board. Which is to say, I'm not a fan of the splash screen.
Neat game though. Vibe-wise sort of like those puzzle games where clicking one dot causes all the neighboring dots to also toggle. Feels like one of those things that, once you get your head around it, becomes meditative to play in binge.
Good note, thank you! I can definitely think about how best to show the current word on the tutorial screen. Or maybe the entire thing needs a rethink.
Good note, thank you! I can definitely think about how best to show the current word on the tutorial screen. Or maybe the entire thing needs a rethink.
Not sure if it's just me @leahey, but I'm stuck on the screen to enter my name and submit my score. It tells me "Could not submit score. Please try again." I try again, get the same message. I...
Not sure if it's just me @leahey, but I'm stuck on the screen to enter my name and submit my score. It tells me "Could not submit score. Please try again." I try again, get the same message.
Thanks for this (and hey, congrats on basically dominating the game these days -- ha!). We had an influx of vulgar names on the leaderboard and I battened down the hatches a bit. Turns out, I over...
Thanks for this (and hey, congrats on basically dominating the game these days -- ha!). We had an influx of vulgar names on the leaderboard and I battened down the hatches a bit. Turns out, I over battened.
Just getting to this now, so it's not particularly relevant, but the issue is resolved! With apologies.
Hey folks! Thanks to all of your feedback, tips, beta testing, and support, Pivot has come a long way. And now it's in the Apple App Store as well! Free of course, not trying to sell anyone anything. Just updating the community that helped bring this thing to "market." :)
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/pivot-the-game/id6759224219
TestFlight to join the beta: https://testflight.apple.com/join/gJ5c8rj4
Oo this was fun, well done! Very smooth experience.
Also, I was like 'well, I like puzzle games, and I'm pretty good at these sorts of things, let me try'. Got second place for today :p missed the number 1 spot by 1 move, darn it hah.
Really like the minimalist design of it!
Great job! Thanks for the kind words -- minimalism was definitely what I was shooting for. I've tried to be thoughtful about UI and any additional "thing" I clutter the screen with. I'm glad it comes through.
I'm not sure how I would add this while keeping the clean, simple feel of the UI, but I wish there were a visual indicator of what direction the letters would be rotated in. I keep thinking that it's going to turn in the other direction for some reason, even though clockwise feels like it should be the intuitive direction.
Hmm, good point. I wonder if it's an "accessibility" feature -- we have options for more readable text, etc.
One thing I would like on this is the ability to just hit a button to do a puzzle from a day I missed. Like a shuffle or something if I wanted to do a whole bunch of them at once. Really good as is though.
So like "Archive" but at the end of the game it takes you to another day you haven't already played? Or maybe Practice Mode should just kind of keep the games coming? I like this idea.
Either or, just so one could get lost in a binge.
Love it, thank you!
That was charming, though i may be biased because im in 1st on the leaderboard.
I think there has to be a transition between the final move and the name entry. Usually in casual games we do something like hold on the screen and just highlight the solved word in some way (light around it or even just scaling the solved puzzle letters up then down in an animation for a really low cost solution) before eog cleanup.
Either way, looks really good and quite fun. Definitely have to have a particular brain type for this but when it hits i bet it hits.
Thanks for the tip, I just put it on the list!
Thanks once again for all the great ideas and feedback, they're all going on the list and/or being implemented as we speak. One general guiding principle here for me is that I really don't want to gather any meaningful data on the user, or throw up a login screen. I find that to be anathema to the very concept of the game (I sound so highfalutin, but you know what I mean), so that limits some of the more interactive things we can do well -- like, say, long term sub-leaderboards for groups.
Congrats, I love word games and it’s awesome to see indies sharing theirs with the world. Kudos for shipping it, and for your humane refusal to collect data or put up an authwall! Hope your costs remain manageable.
Personally I’ve always struggled with sliding-tile type puzzles, Rubik’s cubes, anything where the solution requires manipulating elements that move together, to reach some desired end state with specific pieces in specific positions. Not really sure why, it’s just the way my brain is wired; I’ve never been able to make strategies for those “click” in my head. But like I said, I love word puzzles and software passion projects so if you make any others I’ll be sure to check them out!
Spent some time after class today adding accessibility features (high contrast and better voice over support specifically). I also set the iOS app to honor the "reduce motion" options. I'd love to make it as accessible as possible -- the lazy part of me is asking "any thoughts?" right here, but I'm also going to do some research into best practices. I'm sure folks are tired of having to tell every dingaling developer the same things over and over again.
I think it would be great to make a write-up of your findings including an email address for comments.
And that you also link to this write-up somewhere in both the web & app versions.
This would accomplish three things:
I'm a firm believer in that accessibility is not only the right thing to do but that it also leads to more elegant design and solutions.
Agreed on all points, working on this as we speak.
I found this the other day: gameaccessibilityguidelines.com
Looks very helpful and good-quality! I don't need many accommodations myself though so I can't vouch for most of the information it provides.
Fantastic, thank you so much -- I'm currently sorting out how to roll in OpenDyslexic as a font choice. This is next on my list.
Thanks for the follow-up post. Looks great. The archive modal and the "more" modal don't seem to stay open for me. I had to press and hold which then selects text and then it stays open. If I just tap, it opens and closes immediately. The leaderboard and stats page don't have the same issue.
Made a tweak and the change should be rolling out shortly. Thanks for the note!
The archive modal seems fixed. More is still wonky. I think because the close button perfectly aligns with where the more button is below it... It clicks 'close' really quickly after I click more. Pressing and holding allows it to stay open...
Maybe add a debounce or something. Seems to be loading so fast it's also getting clicked!
Yesss, thank you! Huge help. I'm going to work on this right now.
Looks like you fixed the "more" modal. Is there a minimum date? Like the date of the first puzzle? Right now I can navigate back to Jan 1st with the date modal but I think there is no puzzle? Jan 2nd also doesn't work (they all day the word is "play"). For date inputs, you can set a min and max date which should fix this issue (for most browsers).
You can also have a backup for "no puzzle found" for a specific date.
Edit: I think the hint modal has a similar closing issue as well.
I think I have integrated these fixes, testing now. Thank you for the helpful feedback!
Kinda wish the "enter name" didn't appear, I'd much prefer just showing me the final result and letting me choose from there / click a quick share.
Hmm, so like you'd seek out the leaderboard entry (or not)?
I don't particularly care about it. With something like wordle. I just get to look at my result and share it.
Currently before the pivot animation even finishes I get hit with "enter name", and no way to dismiss it.
Great point, you should absolutely at least have the option to decline.
Since you're offering to play the replay of the current leader after completing the puzzle maybe you could also offer that same replay from the leader board...
Something like:
I like that, how about after completion? That way the chances of being accidentally spoiled are reduced.
Good idea!
Sorry for the name-entry outage this morning folks, twas developer error. I instituted some security policies to prevent spamming on the leaderboard (and blocks for some low-hanging offensive name fruit) and I did so with a bit too much gusto. Like, all the gusto.
I stared at the screen for like 5 minutes and replayed the tutorial a few times trying to figure out how you're supposed to create the word "tone" when there wasn't an N or an E on the board. Which is to say, I'm not a fan of the splash screen.
Neat game though. Vibe-wise sort of like those puzzle games where clicking one dot causes all the neighboring dots to also toggle. Feels like one of those things that, once you get your head around it, becomes meditative to play in binge.
Good note, thank you! I can definitely think about how best to show the current word on the tutorial screen. Or maybe the entire thing needs a rethink.
Not sure if it's just me @leahey, but I'm stuck on the screen to enter my name and submit my score. It tells me "Could not submit score. Please try again." I try again, get the same message.
I reload the page, still the same message.
Any thoughts?
Also ran into the same issue myself
Thanks for this (and hey, congrats on basically dominating the game these days -- ha!). We had an influx of vulgar names on the leaderboard and I battened down the hatches a bit. Turns out, I over battened.
Just getting to this now, so it's not particularly relevant, but the issue is resolved! With apologies.
I've got a niche talent for 2D slider puzzles, what can I say? Thanks for making, and promoting, a fun game.
Well this is actually a recruitment tool for a shadowy spy agency, we'll be in touch. :)