Graduates make a splash with innovative iPhone puzzle game

A new gaming app, which simulates a puddle of moving water moving around the screen was launched in August by the University of Glamorgan’s GamesLab Wales.

Computer game Puddle Puzzles has been developed by Swansea-based games company ChaosTrend Ltd with support from the University’s Cardiff School of Creative & Cultural Industries’ GamesLab Wales, which has state-of-the-art facilities at the University’s city centre ATRiuM campus.

The game, for the iPhone and iPad, is a water based puzzle with a twist – rotating the device changes the orientation of gravity upon the ‘water’ inside. ChaosTrend developed their own multiplatform game engine called XPM which has been used in Puddle Puzzles and allows their game to runs on iOS and Android platforms.

The team who worked on Puddle Puzzles includes two graduates from the BA Creative Computer Games Design course based in Swansea Metropolitan University. They have been applying their skills working on artwork, animation and testing for the game since the project’s launch only 6 months ago.

GamesLab Wales is a digital games development initiative between the University of Glamorgan and Swansea Metropolitan University. As well providing creative and technical support to existing companies, it offers work-based learning opportunities for students and graduates with the aim of creating jobs to develop the next generation of the games industry. They have created three freelance positions in Cardiff within the last six months, each of which went to graduates of the BA (Hons) Animation course from the University of Glamorgan.

David Banner, Project Manager at GamesLab Wales said: “Wales has the talent and the skills for games development but lacks formal structure to support it. The GamesLab Wales Project provides that structure and support, and is already creating game industry development opportunities and jobs in Wales. In our short time in existence we have already become the creative hub for games development in Wales and we are hoping that through our project we can establish Wales as force for games development. Our main goal ultimately is to create sustainable game industry jobs that are based in Wales”.

ChaosTrend MD Darren Adams said: “GamesLab Wales provides a great service for games development in Wales and the support we’ve had with our latest game has been invaluable. The project GamesLab Wales collaborated on with us Puddle Puzzles is our best game to date, combining innovative addictive game play, lovely charming visual style, awesome sfx, and music all bound together with a high level of quality. We have really put a lot of effort into making Puddle Puzzles an engaging experience with all content lovingly crafted in-house”.

For further information on GamesLabWales select here

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