When it comes to computer games it’s often the simple ideas which are the most addictive and compelling. Hitting on a winning combination of simplicity but in a way which engages the game player so well they keep wanting more is like writing that elusive musical chorus; the ear worm, the thing which feeds some deep pleasure center of our distractible brains.
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Software developers are the kindred spirits of musical maestros
If you can come up with that must-have app formula it’s a golden moment and extremely satisfying for a software developer. After all, we want our programs and apps to be used and, even better, we want them to be loved. We developers are an odd bunch but the music industry is also full of that same kind of slightly left-field thinking. Like a song writer or musician harnesses that creative side of mankind while working within the science and rules of the musical keys, developers turn ideas into apps while they corral the capabilities and restrictions of the hardware device and operating system. Programming is an art…and a science.
Xpand takes a simple idea and executes it beautifully
The rules of Xpand are simple; conquer the board or leave opponent out of moves by filling fields until they expand to nearby fields where the opposition become overwhelmed. The gameplay allows you, the player, to pit your skills against a custom-written AI opponent who plays a surprisingly strong strategic game!
The game uses touch to control where you place ’tiles’ or discs. Like similar games such as Reversi and checkers or draughts there are not a whole load of different moves. The skill is in the strategic choosing of cells or squares and anticipating your opponent’s next steps. There’s a great twist where ‘chain reactions’ are created and corner fields hold a special significance which becomes clear as you play along. You can choose to play against the computer/device’s AI opponent or against a real live friend.
Another great game written using RAD Studio Delphi
Xpand is just one of an increasingly substantial cohort of mobile games written using Delphi and the powerful cross-platform capabilities of the FireMonkey FMX framework to work its magic. Reusing the same code base the winning combination of FireMonkey and Delphi allows US developer Davor and Robi to offer Xpand on both iOS and Android devices with little or no code changes. Delphi is pretty much the original low code platform and it continues to meet this challenge even on today’s constantly xpanding range of platforms, devices and operating systems.
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