Announcement: Greedy Bankers vs. The World for iPad

Following the success of Greedy Bankers for iPhone, I am now developing a version of the game for the iPad. The new game is due out this summer, and I hope to have it ready for submission to the App Store by the end of July.

Multiplayer is a key feature of the new game, pitting aspiring financiers head-to-head in a battle to secure market dominance! Stealing, cheating and underhand tactics are the order of the day as, after all, Greedy Bankers is quite literally the name of the game!

Greedy Bankers vs The World retains the simplicity and accessibility of its iPhone predecessor, with the added enjoyment of tricking your friends, and them tricking you right back!

Meanwhile, fans of competitive puzzlers such as Puyo Puyo and Puzzle Fighter will find a strong strategic core in a competitive puzzler designed solely for iPad.

How do I play Greedy Bankers multiplayer?

Two players share the iPad screen, with the game board split into two sides. Cash in gems on your side to add to your total, and drop rubble on your opponents. But watch out - some rubble contains power-ups, so you need to take advantage of your lead before your opponent bounces back!

Players are free to steal gems from across the board and cash them in on their own side, and there is no penalty for stealing. You can even set traps for your friends, turning their hard-earned gems into rubble, or blowing them up with bombs. Whether or not you play fair is entirely up to you!

You can choose to play at opposite sides of the board, or side by side, and stealing across the board can be disabled, if you're in the mood for a more civilised game. In fact, many of the game rules will be customisable, to make sure the game rules suit you and your friends the best.

What stage of development are you in?

I'm currently working on balancing the game, finding the optimum feature-set for the game, and optimising the display to make it as clear and punchy as possible. I also have some other big features which are being implemented, the details of which I will announce in the coming weeks. Suffice to say, once you've beaten all your friends, you'll still have a legion of opponents ready to battle you.

When can I play Greedy Bankers vs. The World?

I'm taking the game on tour during development, to build feedback and watch players interact with the game. This weekend, I will be at University of Warwick for the Warwick Game Design 48 Hour Competition. In July, I'll be taking the game to TIGJam UK 5 in Cambridge, and the Develop Conference. Perhaps I will see you there!

If you're interested in beta testing, comment below and I'll get in touch. I expect to have a beta ready for testing in July, and it would be awesome to have you on board!

Podcast: Interview for Against All Expectations

Leo Loikannen of the Against All Expectations podcast interviewed me today, and the podcast is up now!

Download the mp3 podcast from here, and view the Flattr page for the podcast here.

I talk about the upcoming iPad game, the state of the market for indie developers (on which I am generally optimistic!), developing for Objective-C, and my recommendations for gamers and developers alike.

This podcast was featured on the IndieGames.com Weblog! How cool is that?

New episodes of Leo's show can be found on the Against All Expectations Blog

Video: iPad Bankers AI demo

I've been working on the AI algorithm for Greedy Bankers iPad over the past week, and this is how it's looking so far. It's very early stages, but I've very pleased with how it's taking shape! The iPad version of the game will include local multiplayer, and a story mode against computer opponents. I'll be keeping you posted with more details as the game develops!

Interview with Players' Co-op and v1.3 release

I was interviewed recently by Players' Co-op, a neat little gaming-interest site which started up fairly recently and looks set to be full of interesting articles! Titled Indie Developer's One-Man Show I talk about the challenges and benefits of working as a one man studio, the development process, and my advice for aspiring developers. Check it out, and I hope you enjoy reading it!

--Read the full article--

v1.3.0 Released, with French translation

The latest update for Greedy Bankers is now available from iTunes. I've translated the in-game text into French, which was a fun excuse for me to brush up my old language skills, and also should open up the game to some new players. Thanks very much to Mathieu, Sacha and Klaim for their help with this update!

iPad Bankers underway!

The iPad version took a little while longer to get off the ground than I had anticipated, but the big-screen version is now well underway and the two player mode is really coming along! I'll be sure to post pictures and videos in the near future.

Greedy Bankers: Reviews Roundup

A roundup of some of the reviews that Greedy Bankers has had so far:

‎"Guaranteed to keep you coming back for more (and more and more!)"
iFanzine, 19 April 2011

"Great gameplay with an addictive core" 87%
The Smartphone App Review, 13 March 2011

"Immensely enjoyable and fast-paced fun"
Gamezebo.com, 28 Feb 2011

"Simple to describe but complex to master... Greedy Bankers delivers in short, healthy doses"
DIYGamer.com, 24 Feb 2011

If you're a game or app reviewer and would like to review the game, feel free to comment below, or contact me at aitchesongames@gmail.com for a free promo code

Video: Story of a Game Engine

The second instalment of my video series, Indie Developer Notebook is now available to watch online. It looks back on a platformer engine I developed at various stages from 2002 to 2010, how it developed, and why I ultimately put the project on the shelf.

The video also looks at platformer physics, and how breaking the accepted rules of physics can lead to exciting gameplay.



The first in the video series, Designing Greedy Bankers (Complexity from Simplicity) is also available to watch online.

Only the Beginning: Lessons from Greedy Bankers

This article was written as a guest post for GamesBrief.com. It looks back on my experiences up to, and in the first weeks following the launch of the game. The article was also featured on the IndieGames.com Weblog

Greedy Bankers, my arcade puzzle game for iPhone, is now available in the App Store. This is a perfect time to look back and see what I’ve learned from the development experience.

I am a one-man team, dealing with all aspects of development, artwork, business and marketing. Greedy Bankers is my first commercially available game since starting out as a full-time indie developer.

Video: Designing Greedy Bankers - Complexity from Simplicity

I just posted up a video about how I designed Greedy Bankers to foster complex strategies from simple mechanics.

I plan to make a series of these videos, so if there's anything you'd like me to discuss, expand on, or experiences you'd like me to share, please let me know!

Update: Greedy Bankers Now Available! 33%-Off Launch Sale!

Greedy Bankers is now available from the App Store!

Follow this link to find it on the App Store: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/greedy-bankers/id417814882?mt=8

More information about the game is on the Greedy Bankers website.



As an indie developer this is very exciting for me, as it's the first time I've brought a game to market. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it goes down well, and working very hard to spread the world. So if you know anyone who may enjoy the game, or be interested in reviewing it, feel free to pass on the message - I appreciate it!

Frequent updates are on the Greedy Bankers Twitter feed: @greedy_bankers and also on my personal twitter feed: @agaitcheson

Greedy Bankers for iOS: Designing Accessibility and Complexity

When I first came up with Greedy Bankers in June 2010, my intention was to create something simple to pick up, but with a depth that keeps you playing and trying to discover new strategies. I had been exploring real-world strategy games in the months previous to producing the first prototype, and desired to create a game where the player could explore deep strategies from a simple set of building blocks.
Beginning work on the iPhone version of the game, I knew I wanted to maintain the drive for complex gameplay, but realised I had new opportunities to make it even more accessible. The touch screen offered the potential for an even more intuitive interface for new players, and I hope to build up a community and a gentle sense of competition between players trying to maximise their scores.

Designing for Accessibility and Simplicity

The sliding-tile control system had been successful in my earlier Shifty Trains, which had proven popular with new gamers, so for the Windows prototype it made perfect sense to build on that. Using only the mouse, and avoiding the use of buttons, reduced the need to learn a control system. Translating this to a touch screen made it even easier for players to get to grips with, as players could use a single finger to play the entire game, and it resembled physical sliding-tile puzzles even more. Testing out the iPhone beta on new players was an exciting experience, as it was obvious how easy to pick up and explore the game was.