More than the average checkers game.
Available for Download Now.
As a part of my initial education as a developer, I decided to create a brand and actually deploy some of my early projects. I always had the idea to create a series of games for kids that enable them to compete and beat dad. You can read more about the ideas behind Beat Dad Games here.
Tic Tac Toe was the natural first game. It was actually a little more complicated than I expected, but that all comes with the territory in creating my first game. The hints were fun to imagine. If you think of any new ones, please be sure to share them!
Figuring out the financial model is the nut I’ve yet to crack. The game features multiple ads, which are a necessity to incentivize users to upgrade. The ads are not so much a fruitful source of revenue as a socially acceptable form of nuisance to get people to upgrade.
I included rewarded ads to allow users to watch an ad to get a few minutes of full version play. Those are slightly more lucrative…in a fractions of pennies sense….not really lucrative at all.
“The ads are not so much a fruitful source of revenue as a socially acceptable form of nuisance to get people to upgrade.”
-Bryan
With that in mind, please consider upgrading!
Checkers will be the next game on the docket to develop. As I refine the games’ template and structure, I’m hoping that deployment of new games can greatly accelerate. Once I have 4-5 games, I can package them, and perhaps get enough purchase revenue to notice.
The hints I decided to develop in Tic Tac Toe are all intended to give some advantage to children, while also aiding their development.
The first hint I implemented is “X Moves Twice.” This allows the child player to play two X pieces to start the game. Dad’s got an uphill climb with this strategy.
Obviously this is particular helpful to very young children who are just beginning to play and need all the help they can get.
The second help is also intended for young audiences. The “Highlight” hint shows the player where they have three in a row opportunities and warnings against Dad’s options. It helps young players to see and recognize the patterns.
The third hint is more instructive to what the computer would do. The “brain” mode shows the X player where he or she should move. Using the minimax algorithm, the system iterates through every possible combination of moves, and suggests the optimal move. Here, the young player can gain some idea of what best moves look like.
The last hint is the most advanced. Did you know that in Tic Tac Toe, if the “O” player doesn’t move in the middle square (when X doesn’t play there), that an X victory is always possible? Try it out! Here we prohibit dad from playing in the middle square in his first move….so a win is always possible for X.
Have other ideas for hints or other advice or feedback? Please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Thanks for your support!
