Magic Numbers: Help Wanted

For many people, when they think of mathematics, they tend to think of boring, tedious problems that they hated throughout their time at school. However, what if we mix the formula a bit and try to get people to look at numbers from a different perspective? Magic Numbers is a mobile game for Android that helps players think of mathematics problems from a different angle while mixing it in with a simple, yet challenging puzzle game.The player will be presented with a grid of magic runes that contain numbers and mathematical operators in which the player will need to connect together to form equations that sums up to specific values.

So far, we have the following two game modes:

Arcade Mode: In this game mode, the player will need to create numerous equations that add up to the specified number within the allotted time. Bonus points are awards to players who are able to complete the task in the least amount of time possible with the least amount of moves. As the player progresses through this game mode, the target number increases by 100 and different mathematical operators begin to appear on the screen.

Survival Mode: Like with Arcade mode, the player will need to obtain target number by creating equations from the tiles on the board. However, in this game mode, the target numbers need to be achieved within one move. More points, time, and experience will be awarded by the length of the equation and by the type of mathematical operators use within the equation. All points earned within this game mode are multiplied by the player's current level and 30 seconds are added to the timer after every time the player has leveled up (with a maximum of 60 seconds that can be stored within the timer).

Keep in mind that these screenshots come from an early build of the game and may change later on during development. Although the game has made significant progress since I started working on it last fall, there are still a few things that need to be done before it is ready to be released on the Play Store. Feel free to leave any feedback about your thoughts on the game idea and any suggestions for improvement.

However, the main reason why I am writing this post is to let people know that I currently need some assistance in finishing the project, specifically when it comes to art and music. Although my team has much of the programming covered, if you wish to help us in the technical aspect of the game, feel free to contact me and I can see if I can find a job for you.

For those interested in working on the project, here are answers to some of the questions that I expect many of you to have:

Q: What game engine/language are you using to make the game?

A: We are using LibGDX as our game engine, which is based in Java. We decided to go with this engine because not only is it open source, but it would easily allow us to port over the game to platforms such as iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Q: Do you have a prototype for the game?

A: We have a working pre-alpha version ready to go with the main mechanics of the game working (although with a few bugs that need to be tweaked). Unfortunately we don't have any animations or sounds created and placed within the game so the overall interface is barebones, but we hope to implement more art assets soon once they get created.

Q: If LibGDX allows you to port over the game easily to iOS devices, then why aren't you bringing the game over to iOS?

A: Simply put, neither I or anyone else on the team has a Mac and  have no way of testing the game on iOS devices. As you may know, the Apple ecosystem is closed-source, meaning we would need to buy Apple equipment (Macs, iPod Touch, iPad, Developer License) to test it out. Since we're basically working on this game for free during our spare time, we do not have the money to afford all the equipment we need and to then try to get it working on iOS. I'm not going to say an iOS version is out of the question in the future, but as of right now, it's going to remain as an Android exclusive.

However, if you are an iOS developer with the tools required to set up and test the game on various iOS devices, then we want to talk to you. We want as many people as possible to enjoy the game, and if you're able to bring the game over to other devices, then you would be a great asset for our team.

Q: If you need an artist for the game, then why are you presenting screenshots?

A: I would like to  personally thank GlidedGuy (the creator of the Slush Invaders Flash animations) for creating all the artwork for the game at this point, and he has done an amazing job. Unfortunately, because he has too many projects to work on at the moment, he had to leave the project, leaving us without an artist.

What we're look for is an artist who preferably has experience drawing medieval, fantasy themed characters, backgrounds, and objects. It's an added bonus if you also know how to work with animation and texture atlases so we can make the game more robust and look more professional.

Q: How much will you pay us to do the work?

A: This is a question that does not have an easy seeing, as you probably guessed from the iOS question, we do not have much money to go around since we're doing this for free during our spare time. However, I am more than willing to negotiate any arrangements that fit your needs.

So if you're interested in helping us out with the project or if you have any further questions, feel free to leave a comment underneath this post or contact me directly via my email address attached to my profile. Thank you for taking this offer into consideration and I hope that I will be able to work with you and to see this game to completion.