Tag: Funky Smugglers »

Having won two Editor's Choice awards and a 2011 Best Apps Ever Award, it was about time we took a few moments to find out more about Polish developer, 11 Bit Studios.

Who is 11 Bit Studios?
Based in Warsaw, Poland, 11 Bit Studios is made up of experienced game industry professionals, with many of the team having worked in the industry since the 1990s. With 20 years of experience under his belt, Grzegorz Miechowski is the CEO alongside directors Bartosz Brzostek, Przemysław Marszał, Michał Drozdowski and the rest of the team.

What is 11 Bit Studios most famous for?
Most recently, Sleepwalker's Journey, a fantastic environmental puzzler that richly deserved its Editor's Choice award last week. Fast paced and topical title, Funky Smugglers and Tower Offense game, Anomaly: Warzone Earth have proven to be similarly high quality.

What's next on the horizon?
As announced earlier this year, Anomaly Korea is in the works and 11 Bit Studios reckons that they are "squeezing as much as possible from iPads and iPhones with this one and the graphics looks stunning." The developer also promises to be "putting more emphasis on [the] game's dynamics" with "more explosion effects". Next year promises the announcement of 11 Bit Studio's "biggest project" yet, but that's as much as were able to gleam from them.

What else is there to know about 11 Bit Studios?
We took some time to chat to senior writer, Pawel Miechowski, about just what makes the studio tick when it comes to iOS development.

148apps:What’s your favorite thing about iOS development?
11 Bit Studios: We are producers of PC and console games too, and iOS development is pretty different. The entire design process begins (after typical dev brainstorm for game's main theme is over, hehe) with thinking about how to make touchscreen gameplay enjoyable in the project. At least that's our way. We believe this particular gaming platform is based on the controls in the first place. PC games may be pad-controlled, keyboard-controlled, mouse-controlled or even be turn-based in a model where controls are totally less important comparing to story. That, of course, does not mean we are not putting attention to story, visuals et cetera, but there's something in the statement, that iOS development is very controls-oriented. And those controls are all about tapping and finger-swiping.

148apps: What do you enjoy most about making iOS games?
11 Bit Studios: I think I can say it for all of us, but this is my personal opinion that I find it quite enjoyable [to] bring ideas for nice gameplay when you just tap here and swipe there. I know it sounds obvious, but look at how games do that in many different ways and how many different things you can experience in gaming just by tapping. From Halfbrick's Fruit Ninja (oh mama what a game!), through Flight Control to Real Boxing, where you can feel how to be a boxer. When we were developing Sleepwalker's Journey the fun was coming up with ideas for different mechanics, implementing them, giving the build to our family members and then listening to their feedback. Feedback from kids is total fun! :)

Pawel explained to us the story behind the visuals of Sleepwalker's Journey, which was particularly charming. "I was given some drawings and early concepts from the main artist...our wives, sisters and daughters were involved in [this] design process…not full-time, but we purposely involved them in gameplay, audio and visual design by making them first critics and trying to be responsive as possible to their feedback."

Where can I find out more about 11 Bit Studios?
There are plenty of places to learn more, besides this very site. There's the developer's website, Facebook page, Twitter account, YouTube channel and the developers' official forums, also.