New Work In Progress - Million Words: Multiplayer Crossword Game for Parents and Kids that Grades on a Curve

Although I do iOS Contracting to pay my bills (at least to date), I hope one day to earn a living from my own apps, and, although it’s not ready for release, the time has come to unveil my new project.

Million Words is a turn-based crossword game where you’re scored not by what letters you managed to get into your word, but by the grade level of your word, relative to your age. This way my six-year-old daughter could play “HELLO” and I could play “HELICOPTER” and we would get the same number of points (more or less).

Published at July 7, 2012 ·  5 min read

Halloween is to practice being scared

Now that Halloween is over, and the ghosts and goblins and trick or treaters and (most importantly) my daughter have gone to bed, I thought I’d reflect a bit on Halloween and when it means to me as a parent. My daughter is four, and she’s never been fond of scares, so this time of year any time we go out shopping, we’re braving a potential minefield. Stores seem to love putting motion activated spiders and skeletons up on candy aisles and endcaps.

Published at November 1, 2010 ·  3 min read

Hence the Name - Escort Missions: the Bane of my Gaming Existence

Fasten your seat belts. After all, I wouldn’t want you to get a boo-boo - ‘cause then I’d have to start the whole rant over from the beginning (or at least my last save point). The first Escort Mission I remember was, I think, X-Wing circa 1993. At least that’s the first time I ever remember failing to make progress in a game because some stupid computer-controlled moron paying no attention to the obvious fact that he was in a combat zone that I had no influence over had done something idiotic and gotten his dipshit Freighter-flying ass blown to tiny little bloody pieces, sparkling forever as the drifted through the cold vacuum of space.

Published at September 10, 2010 ·  6 min read