Hey there! Have you tried Spitfire Sheep yet? If not, then give it a whirl and prepare to have oodles of fun! I’m Spitfire Sheep’s designer and producer, so you can trust my totally unbiased opinion!
It’s free to play, but you can also buy the full version for $1.99 (that’s only a couple hundred pennies!) to remove all ads, unlock all costumes (including exclusives and ones that may be added in future releases), and gain the ability to play offline and resubmit your highest score when you get back online.
Just grab your preferred mobile device to start zapping sheep and dousing fires! You can even share your scores on Facebook and Twitter for bragging rights healthy competition!
Click on the Google Play Store link or App Store link below to go directly to the corresponding store page:
Spitfire Sheep was released late last night for Android devices! Now that you’re, presumably, refreshed, go ahead and download it on the Google Play Store! We’ll be preparing an iOS build for the App Store this year.
You may also be wondering what the origin of the name is. There are actually multiple reasons that I chose it!
First of all, as a game developer, it’s important to have a sense of what supports good flow in a game. The term “flow” as a psychological concept was conceived by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi back in the 1970s. He interviewed artists who would lose track of time as they created art and felt as if they were being carried along by water.
In a 1996 interview with Wired, when asked about the what he means by “flow,” Csikszentmihalyi replies:
“Being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.”
A game with flow will cause a person to become so immersed that they enter “the zone,” though as with the aforementioned artists that Csikszentmihalyi spoke to, this can also apply to other activities that evoke a meditative state.
Csikszentmihalyi posits that in order to reach the state of flow, there must be a well-defined task or goal, immediate feedback delivered by the task, minimal distractions that could disrupt focus, and proper balance between an individual’s skill and the task’s difficulty.
If you’re interested in reading more about the topic, please check out these articles:
Why “Flow Wing” and not just “Flowing,” though? Well, I played around with the words a bit. “Flow Wing” still sounds like the gerund form “flowing” when spoken, yet it takes on an extra meaning when separated.
Flying is magical, inspiring, and ethereal. Birds flow through the skies with their wings. I wanted to become a pilot at age 5 or 6, and although it didn’t become my career, my fascination with flight is still intact.
“The smooth, uninterrupted flow of air over the contour of the wings, fuselage, or other parts of an aircraft in flight. Laminar flow is most often found at the front of a streamlined body and is an important factor in flight. If the smooth flow of air is interrupted over a wing section, turbulence is created which results in a loss of lift and a high degree of drag. An airfoil designed for minimum drag and uninterrupted flow of the boundary layer is called a laminar airfoil.”
Obviously, I like to play with words.
My 2017 had a lot of ups and downs, and I hope that Flow Wing Studios and my wonderful team will soar in 2018!
A new teammate has joined the project as a composer. Give a warm welcome to Oliver O’Neill! We’re banding together to jazz up the game with some catchy music.
During MAGFest‘s Q&A panel for renowned game composer Manami Matsumae, I asked how I could ensure that players would like my game’s music. I haven’t even played an instrument since I was in elementary school, so I’m not at all knowledgeable in music theory or composition. Although my question was too general (I wish I had thought of something more specific), she confirmed and emphasized the overall importance of sound design for games. Afterward, Oliver approached me and expressed interest in lending his aural talents to my project.
As for the game itself, while it has been progressing more slowly than intended, I’m planning to start releasing some teasers in the near future. I’ve purposely been secretive to protect the project from being shown to the public before it’s ready, but I’m eager to stop harping on about delays and start drumming up interest.
In the past, I worked as a freelance game designer and QA tester. I enjoyed assisting my team and working toward the goal of releasing a digital experience for people to enjoy. However, a new phase of my life is beginning.
Here’s the official public reveal from yours truly: I’m starting my own game studio. Although I can’t reveal the name or logo yet, I’ll divulge more information when the time is right.
I will be managing the project and juggling other tasks, including design, art, animation, and marketing.
My company’s first project will be a mobile game for iOS and Android. The game will focus on providing an accessible, quirky, and compelling experience with gameplay inspired by classic arcade titles.
Arielle Shander 