Serious games developer Persuasive Games has released Colorfall ($2.99), an iPhone color-sorting puzzle title promoting cognitive health and physical activity.
Created in partnership with Humana’s Games for Health initiative, Colorfall tasks players with arranging falling colored squares in the order in which they appear in the visible color spectrum.
Using the “ROYGBIV” mnemonic, players must match up three or more colored squares in order to form rainbow fragments, which then disappear from the game board.
Colorfall also allows players to influence the color of the next falling shape by pausing the game and taking a picture of a household object using the iPhone’s camera. The object’s predominant color will then appear as the next playable game piece.
Persuasive Games notes that this mechanic encourages physical activity and player cognition, as players are rewarded for quick thinking and action with in-game matches and higher scores.
Colorfall includes three gameplay modes, along with score sharing and challenge features via Scoreloop and Facebook.
Ian Bogost, founding partner of Jetset developer Persuasive Games, has released an iPhone port of his Atari 2600 homebrew title Guru Meditation ($0.99). Billed as a “relaxation game,” Guru Meditation challenges players to maintain inner poise and concentration for as long as possible.
In Guru Meditation, players must hold the iPhone or iPod Touch still and maintain a steady balance while pressing their thumbs on the corners of the screen. Eventually, a yogi will appear. As the in-game day passes, the yogi will continue to float in the air until the player’s balance shifts. Guru Meditation tracks the player’s average meditation time across multiple sessions.
Bogost is also offering the original Atari 2600 version of Guru Meditation in bundled form at his website. Limited to 10 units, the bundle includes a Guru Meditation cartridge, a custom yoga mat, a Joyboard balance board peripheral for use with the game, and even the Atari 2600 system itself, complete with hookups for modern televisions. Neat!
Persuasive Games co-founder and designer Ian Bogost brings word that his company’s airport security checkpoint simulation Jetset: A Game for Airports has recently received a major update. The new version addresses many of the game’s major criticisms, and likely makes for a much improved experience.
I was personally glad to hear about this update, as Mathew Kumar’s review made Jetset sound like a game that should have been more fun to play than it was. While most reviewers applauded its original concept, many found its constant switching of prohibited items to be detrimental to gameplay, regardless of its intended commentary on the state of airline security.
The update adds in an “unreasonable fairness” option, which will delay the switching of objectives during passenger searches. This eliminates the possibility of appropriate items suddenly becoming prohibited just before or after hitting the “proceed” button. Passengers have also been enlarged in this version, to more easily enable the player to remove their clothing.
The new release brings with it a temporary price drop to $3.99, so if you found Jetset’s concept intriguing but never got around to buying it, now might be the perfect time to pick up a copy.
Persuasive Games founder Ian Bogost writes in with word that Jetset: A Game for Airports ($4.99) is now available in the iTunes App Store. Billed as “a mobile game for business travelers,” Jetset challenges players to live a day in the life of an airport security agent.
Gameplay involves carefully balancing speed and alertness, as you’ll need to search baggage for evidence of potential terrorism while making sure that all passengers pass through the security checkpoint quickly. The game promises 100 different levels based on real-world airports, collectible souvenir items, and the ability to “strip search travelers for fun.” Excellent!
Particularly interesting is a feature that automatically selects the airport nearest to your geographic location, allowing for the possibility of playing a game about airport security…while waiting in a level’s real-world airport security line. The game promises to be just as fun as waiting in line, luckily, so there’s a lot of potential stress relief for frustrated travelers to be found here.
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