Domino!: indie game developer Flyclops launches iOS version of a classic

In the world of classic games turned mobile apps, it seems as though every possible game had been digitized.

But FlyClops cofounder Parker Whitney found the Dominoes offering lacking, as Technically Philly reported, deciding that he should just build the turn-based version of Dominoes he’d want to play, himself.

Yesterday, Whitney and cofounder Jake O’Brien rectified the dearth of quality Dominoes situation by launching Domino! an iOS version of the game. In addition to featuring turn-based play with the computer or Facebook friends, the game also has a chat feature similar to popular apps like Words with Friends.

This reporter tested it out and found the experience smooth and easy to understand. The only feature noticeably missing was the ability to make long domino chains and knock them over when it’s not your turn.

The app is free to download in the iTunes store, but if you’d rather play without ad interruption, FlyClops is offering an ad-free version for $1.99.

UNITY USERS

O’Brien, who also runs the local Unity Users Group, recently worked with Nathan Solomon to organize the Unity Game Developers Expo during Philly Tech Week as part of the Grassroots Game Conference. The final lunchtime event of the week brought six indie game developers (including Flyclops) to WHYY show off games they’d built using Unity, a professional game development software.

Participants included Cipher Prime, Dave Buchhofer, Sean Weiland, Shawn Pierre, Vance Souders, and Flyclops.

O’Brien said the reason there’s an entire event dedicated to a piece of software is because Unity has been “kind of a revolutionary thing.”

“It’s the most accessible pro tool game engine,” O’Brien said.

At the event, FlyClops was showing off a prototype of a very different game they’d been building using Unity prior to building Domino! O’Brien said the game, which he described as similar to Angry Birds, revolves around the concept of a little boy having a dream.

“He’s dreaming hes a gorilla because he’s a pent up a little boy who has destructive urges. Every level will start with a kid question like, ‘Why is the sky blue?'” O’Brien said. “In his weird kid dream fantasy it’s because there is this a weird alien plant shooting blue stuff into the sky.”