PARALLAX—a perspective-shifting, dice-based puzzle game, coming to iOS early 2026

Match poker-style hands by shifting perspectives. Your viewing angle changes everything, even how the board refills. Two game modes:
- Infinite (think: Tetris)
- Override (think: Balatro)

#indiedev #puzzlegame

Leveling Up ☝️

Added a points and level system: rarer hands = more points and each level requires ~20% more points to advance. Plus, I also set the dark dice to spawn more frequently as you level up.

So your reward for playing well is… escalating tension!
You’re welcome.

#indiedev #puzzlegame

Dice Throne is probably my favorite dice-based board game, so backing their new set, Vanguard, on @kickstarter was a no-brainer! @dicethrone.bsky.social

LASERS! 🔥

From the beginning I knew I wanted a retro sci-fi / arcade aesthetic. A laser grid is badass and it heightens the effect of the perspective shift. I started with neon green, but after I tried switching to neon blue, there was no going back. 🕶️

#indiedev #puzzlegame #retro #scifi

One of my biggest influences: Drop7 🎯 by @flantz.bsky.social

This was one of the first games I bought on my first iPhone (a 3GS). I’ve been playing ever since. It brilliant and it’s part of why I’m making an endless puzzler. I hope it can stick with even one person that way.

#puzzlegame #indiedev

Not all dice are friendly 💀

Gray dice can only be cleared with large hands (5-6 dice). And if the gray dice ever show all six values at once in any one perspective? Game over.

Now you're not just making matches, you're managing perspective-specific threats. 👀

#indiedev #puzzlegame #gamedev

Implementing the perspective-based gravity system 🍎

The direction you're viewing the board determines how dice refill after you clear a hand. Makes every angle matter strategically. First time this worked felt like magic ✨

#indiedev #puzzlegame #gamedev

Turns out, the month I announced my upcoming puzzle game, Parallax, my all-time favourite podcast, 99% Invisible, is releasing a series on video game design!

Elbowface Games is headquarted south of beautiful… downtown… Calgary, Alberta
99percentinvisible.org/hl/
@99pi.org @romanmars.bsky.social

Jumping ahead for #screenshotsaturday! Here’s where Parallax is at now, about one month into development. The journey continues—follow along for the full story 🎲✨

#indiedev #iosgaming #puzzlegame

Step 3: Teaching it to recognize poker hands ♠️♦️♣️♥️

Straights, X-of-a-kind, full house, plus some new ones for 6-die hands!

Easier to implement than selection, but getting it working was SO satisfying. First time it felt like playing a real game 🎲

#indiedev #iosgaming #puzzlegame

Step 2: Selection 🎯

Rule: You can only select dice in a straight line & each perspective has 2 valid axes for selection—along dice with adjacent sides. This makes perspective shifting matter because different views = different lines

Adjacency logic and hit detection were TOUGH

#indiedev #iOSgame

Step 1: Building the board 🎲

Here’s the twist: Parallax doesn’t just have ONE board—it has FOUR perspectives of the same board. Everything else is built on this. Getting all four angles working and switching between them was my Dr. Frankenstein “IT’S ALIVE” moment ⚡
️
#indiedev #iosgame #puzzlegame

Meet PARALLAX—a sci-fi flavored, dice-matching, perspective shifting puzzle game for iOS. 

I’m building this solo and sharing the journey from concept to launch—follow along! These are my original sketches from when the idea first hit me. Excited to share more!

#iosgaming #puzzlegames #indiedev