Dev Blog
How Pokémon Pocket Won Me Over

Another mobile spin-off cashing in on nostalgia?

When I first heard about this game I was skeptical and my expectations were low, but after playing it I have to admit I was wrong!

The real genius of the game lies in how effortlessly it keeps you engaged.

At its core, it's a masterclass in Skinner box mechanics (the psychological trick that rewards players at just the right moments to keep them coming back).

Many mobile games rely on this, but Pokémon Pocket executes it flawlessly. Every action feels rewarding, every wait is just short enough to build anticipation, and the battle system is balanced to keep things fresh.

It's pure engagement done right.

I went in expecting a forgettable mobile game. Instead, I found one of the most well-crafted engagement loops I've seen.

No matter your age or gaming background, it's worth a look; you might be surprised by how compelling it is.

...and if you're curious about the psychology behind its design, let me know. There's plenty more to explore.

Dev Blog
Prototyping?
Rolling Wave!

I love making games ...
... and I've always loved it, like, forever.

It has been a passion since elementary school, where I enjoyed crafting simple board games on paper and even made my first text adventure in GW-BASIC, a big thing in the '80s.

When I was young, I didn't follow any method, nor did I want to. I'd just sit down and write whatever came to mind, just for the fun of it. It was incredibly satisfying but naturally the outcomes were amateurish.

Starting in the summer of 2010, I took on the challenge of publishing games for mobile distribution platforms (first iOS, then Android). Wanting to create products for the public, I aimed to make the games more complete with deeper and more complex gameplay, and suddenly everything changed.

The new products I started creating required, without exaggeration, more than ten times the time I used to spend when development was just a hobby.

This led to the need for a structured prototyping phase.

In this blog I've mentioned the concept of MVP (Minimum Viable Product) several times, but I've never delved into the existing methodologies for implementing it.

There are many different life cycles in project management that cater to diverse needs, mainly driven by delivery frequency and the initial understanding of the scope. Based on my personal experience I find iterative cycles to be the most effective for MVPs, and particularly the Rolling Wave approach.

Oversimplification: It is a method where you plan a project in stages, adding more details wave after wave.

When designing gameplay on paper, it's hard to know if the final outcome will be enjoyable or if the idea is worth developing. The golden rule is to have a working prototype ready within a MAXIMUM of 3 weeks, regardless of the final product's size.

It's clear, then, that an RWP approach is perfect for connecting a series of MVPs, creating and testing one core gameplay element after another, and deciding at the end of each wave if the game will be successful and ultimately if it's worth pursuing further.

FUN FACT: So far I've published 14 games on the store along with a couple of experimental projects, but the number of gameplay concepts and prototypes I've created is far beyond 50.

The key question is how to decide which game to discard and which one to pursue; well, it depends on the underlying reasons. If this were a client project, I'd conduct a risk assessment, forecast monetization potential, and set preliminary KPIs. However, since it's a personal initiative driven by passion, I'm choosing to set rationality aside and trust my instincts.

It's easy to get captivated by a business case right after drafting it, but if I'm still passionate about it after three weeks of intense prototyping (at least 100 hours of work), that's a clear sign the project is worth pursuing.

During last summer, I was really tempted to make a sequel to Pizza Puzzle, but I concluded that those mechanics no longer work the same way, as the mobile game trend has moved in a different direction.

A few weeks ago, I "fell in love" with a new idea. I created detailed documentation and, as often happens, the more I wrote the more insights I gained. It was this that led me to revisit my blog and write this article to share the new project.

I finished the first wave just yesterday, and the MVP that came out of it is exciting. I've decided to conduct this prototyping with 4 waves, which means that if each iteration gets the green light, by January 2025, I'll be able to announce if this will be the next game I release.

In line with planning this new project, I've decided to experiment with a new article format for the blog: instead of short one-minute reads, I'd like to make it more in the traditional style of a development blog with longer posts.

I'll share more soon. In the meantime, if you're interested in being added to the list of first alpha testers, feel free to message me privately.