A New App To Climb

Mon, Apr. 13 2015

I’m pretty sure I just finished writing the script for our new app and I’m only a week behind schedule. I can’t tell you the name of the app yet but I can tell you we’re planning to release it in May. The fact that I’ve finished the script fills me with a great sense of accomplishment and a powerful urge to sleep. Just a couple of weeks ago I can remember staring up at the daunting mountain of to-do tasks ahead of us, and thinking, “the climb starts now.” Here is that steep task list:

  • Finish character script
  • Illustrate and animate all characters
  • Finalize content levels
  • Finish app layouts and design
  • Source and purchase all music
  • Source and purchase all sfx
  • Design app icon - all sizes
  • App Store screenshots - all sizes
  • App video? - all sizes
  • Make social media promo cards
  • Write Parent/Teacher/Help content
  • Record scratch audio for content
  • Recording party for character audio
  • Contact friends, bloggers, teachers, parents
  • Oh yeah, programming
  • Internal Alpha testing
  • Kid testing
  • Feedback
  • Revise content and record final audio
  • Make the game better
  • Write app description
  • More testing
  • More feedback
  • More making better
  • Update website
  • Social media updates and email list mailing
  • Go

Today, we have a rough, playable game that we’re testing and refining as I type. We pushed the build late last week and immediately opened up a punch list in Google Docs to detail everything that is wrong, broken or missing from the current game. Needless to say, it is a long list. The good news is, I can already see that the core mechanic works and I am eagerly awaiting the next test build. The builds will be coming fast and furious from this point forward in a sprint to reach our final app. Stay tuned - I hope to have more to share with you later this week.