In a certain way, the advent of the iPhone and other touch devices is a blessing and curse go gamers and developers alike. On the one hand, the appstore and marketplace (on iOS and Android) offer a quick and easy way to get smaller, independently developed games to the customer, making those places arguably the biggest testing ground for indie games ever. On the other hand, most touch devices lack an essential feature most games need: Buttons.
It is of course possible to make a great game without the need for buttons. Or rather, without the need for phyiscal buttons. Games on the touch devices usually fall into two categories. Those that wish they had buttons and emulate them - usually a pretty clunky affair - with on-screen button overlays; and those which are truly at home on the touch devices, those which make the fullest use of swiping, pinching and tapping.
Usually, it is the latter ones which make for the best games on the platforms. This is the kind of category Actionbutton Entertainment’s Ziggurat falls into. While Tim Rogers might not now the blessings of brevity when it comes to writing, he sure seems to have a better grasp on delivering only the essentials in game design. Which is exactly what Ziggurat does. It is a small, very tight game, very old school arcady and barebones. And it’s control scheme is not one that quietly sits in the corner ...
