Polyhegrams

Introduction

"Awaken guardian! The galaxy is being invaded by strange polyhedron shaped beings from another dimension which we have come to call Polyhegrams. They are stealing all the planets and pulling them through the rift. If you do not act to defend us then all will be lost."

Description

Polyhegrams is a game that combines word knowledge, 3 dimensional spacial relations, and dexterity.

There is both a single player story mode which allows the player to challenge the various puzzles as they attempt to steal back the captured planets from the Polyhegrams.

And then there is a multiplayer mode which allows the player to compete in short 3 minute games against any and all comers to find as many unique words that can be formed on the faces of a large 12 or 20 sided Polyhegram.

Finally there is Random game mode which serves up random types of Polyhegrams for instant enjoyment.

The game is supported by a cloud based service that can update the dictionary, add new puzzles and even new levels to the game.

There is also an awards section that contains a modest number of accomplishments for you to shoot for.

Developer Perspective

This application was originally developed for the Windows Phone 7 using Silverlight/XNA however I postponed the release when I had the opportunity to expand it onto the Windows 8 platform. Currently it is awaiting certification.

Since the Windows 8 tablet does not support XNA I had to convert the project to utilize MonoGame 3.0 for Windows 8 and refactor large portions of the code to isolate the platform specific details. In addition I modified some of the libraries that I was using for particle effects(Project Mercury) and 3D Fonts(Nuclex fonts) to support this new platform. Finally I had to rework the local database and file storage mechanisms so that I could take advantage of Windows 8 remote settings.

Since there is a multiplayer component, I had written a WCF backend server that I was able to host on AppHarbor and utilizing a MongoDB database. In addition to serving up the current multiplayer puzzle and high score list I also was able to leverage it to supply updates for new puzzles, dictionary terms and a few other clerical duties.

In Progress or coming soon

  • Improving the graphics, sounds and overall experience

  • Keeping track of the best overall scores of all time for a particular puzzle

  • Adding the ability to share your accomplishments with your friends including exporting the leaderboard or the result of a particularly challenging puzzle

  • Head to Head mode.

  • Local network multiplayer.

Screenshots

Comments

RobCurr Oct 23 at 17:32
Polyhegrams is now available in the marketplace. Please give it a try and let me know what you think. I am already working on the next version which includes some bug fixes and updated GUI and I plan on rolling out a new release every 30 days or so depending on need.
RobCurr Oct 18 at 13:40
Just as a heads up for those submitting to the marketplace, go over the criteria with a fine tooth comb. Polyhegrams was just denied certification because I neglected to supply a url link to a privacy statement. I have a privacy statement accessible via the settings charm and was told by the Microsoft Engineer that was sufficient but according to criteria 4.1.1 it has to be in both places. I guess I get to wait another 5-6 days to see what else they might find.
RobCurr Oct 17 at 5:39
Just a question to you all. Currently this app supports being able to have multiple players stored under the same login account. So, for instance, you buy the app for your own account and play the game but if your wife or brother wants to play they can just pick a different save name and it will start the single player story mode all over. Should I continue to do this or limit the game to 1 player per install? Since I am using remote settings the saved game(s) will travel with whomever's account it is installed on and I dont want to cause confusion.
Mamta Dalal Oct 16 at 4:08
Does this conform to all the guidelines laid down by MS for Windows 8 Store apps?
RobCurr Oct 16 at 5:04
I went through the application certification interview with a Microsoft engineer a little while ago and made quite a few changes based on his suggestions. Games, it seems, are given a little latitude when it comes to the guidelines but they like to see you utilize as many as possible. I added integration with the snap toolbar, changed my fonts in most areas to the suggested ones(Segoe UI), added remote settings and then satisfied all the more technical requirements.
Mamta Dalal Oct 17 at 3:55
Ok, thanks for the reply.