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Michael Flarup

Secret Signs - Visual riddles with a hidden purpose

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"How do you solve a riddle that poses no question?"
Try to uncover the secret purpose behind each riddle. Poke it, move it and look at it from all angles, because both problem and solution are hidden in plain sight.

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Danny Cohen
Just downloaded and got through the free puzzles. Thinking about purchasing more but seems expensive for only 16 more.
Wouter Walmink
Maker
@danny_cohen1 That's a fair concern, with so many games these days giving lots of content away for free. Here's why I hope you will consider spending $2 to unlock all levels: - It's a single purchase unlock, no luring you into ongoing spending like many free-to-play games. - As I hope you can tell, this game was lovingly made to be full of fun discoveries and surprises. There's no milking the concept, each level is meant to be memorable in and of itself. - You support an indie developer that made a risky game because it's worth making, not because of the profit potential. - Some of the later riddles are actually a lot harder, so if you raced through the first 8, expect to get some more challenge in the latter 16. Regardless, thanks for giving it a go and posting your feedback!
Danny Cohen
@wwalmink I ended up purchasing before seeings your response (I'd say your response of "You support an indie developer that made a risky game because it's worth making, not because of the profit potential." I'd be curious from your analytics what % of people who complete all 8 go onto purchase. (Giving 4 free with the ask for $2 for an extra 20 sounds a lot more apealling but you could always A/B test.)
Wouter Walmink
Maker
@danny_cohen1 I see where you're coming from and I've considered various free/paid splits. Most game developers carefully guard their numbers (Monument Valley being a welcome exception), but I enjoy this kind of discussion, so here we go :) In the first 10 days: - 50% of installs finished 8 levels. - 14% of installs purchased the unlock: 16% on iOS and 12% on Android. - I don't know exactly yet when people buy, but assuming most finish the 8 free levels first, about 25% of those convert to pay. - The drop-off per level is pretty linear and between 5 and 15%. About 80% of all installs finish 4 levels. (Sidenote: Numbers are still small enough that a noticeable part of these purchases may have come from people I know or were on the mailing list) Assuming the same conversion ratio, there’s obviously a lot be won by limiting the free levels to 4. But I wonder how big the difference would be! Firstly, the user downloads a free-to-play game and expects some amount of playtime before hitting a paywall, so any early paywall may be perceived as unfair or "being tricked". Secondly, many mobile users won’t ever pay for apps: about 30% for young people but up to 60-80% for older people. You won’t convert them by reducing free playtime. Lastly, I like the idea that everyone can get some playtime for free, even if they can’t or don’t want to pay (if you haven’t noticed by now, this is not purely an economical exercise for me :-) In summary, the 33%-66% split of 24 levels is indeed pretty liberal. Maybe 25%-75% (6 to 18) would feel better, or if 20 is just a nicer and bigger sounding number, then maybe I need to make a few more levels…? :) Thoughts?
Michael Flarup
Hunter
My friend Wouter finally released his fantastic puzzle game. I have seen him work on this for a long time, sweating the details to create a very unique experience: a game where the point of the game is to figure out the point.
Mahesh Shrestha
@flarup Really enjoyed the game, and which is why I have featured the game in my July's top free apps list. Lemme know if you wanna check out that! You can add the link here on this post too!
Wouter Walmink
Maker
@alphahunter That's cool! Where's the list? :)
Wouter Walmink
Maker
Thanks for the hunt, @flarup ! A bit about the game and the thoughts behind it: THE GAME Most puzzle games follow an age-old recipe: here are the rules, there is your goal. Use logic and deduction to work your way through a series of similar puzzles with increasing difficulty. Secret Signs is different. It’s a collection of standalone visual riddles that come with no instruction. The point is to figure out what the point is, and to do so you’ll need a big dose of imagination of creativity. Each riddle is inspired by a theme, ranging from everyday objects to impossible shapes, ancient symbols and modern technology. Solve a riddle and it will share its story, celebrating our human ingenuity—and your tenacity to uncover it. THE GAME'S PHILOSOPHY The game sparked from a seeming paradox: “How do you solve a riddle that doesn’t pose a question?” It sounds like a Zen koan with no answer, but created a curious breed of puzzles. Testing a prototype back in summer 2013, I saw how people enjoyed deducing function and meaning themselves. Compared to most puzzle games, it is more similar to how we learn things in real life: making hypotheses about what we perceive and then seeing if those patterns hold up... can you tell I just had a baby? 👶 Designing each riddle, I searched for the least amount of form and behaviour needed to keep its meaning just within reach. As an additional design challenge, each riddle’s solution should rely only on basic knowledge (like how to tie your shoes) or human intuition (like harmony over chaos). With each riddle unique and being a solo project, it took 6 years to get from proof-of-concept to released product 😅 This design approach may explain why I’ve seen the game captivate 6-year-olds and hardcore puzzlers alike. Why don’t you give it a go and see if you can read the secret signs?
Wouter Walmink
Maker
P.S. The music was created by the talented Michael Callesen and will soon be released on its own. As one App Store review said, it would be great as a relaxing background to international flights 😄
Weronika Pomorska
It's beautifully designed and I love the little pieces of information at the end of the puzzles <3
Wouter Walmink
Maker
@wrnk Thanks for the kind words, Weronika!
Darren Jett

Love the idea and find it relaxing. Especially love the little trivia bits after each puzzle because it's possible to accidentally solve them so to know what was supposed to be done and why is really cool.

Pros:

Relaxing, unique and fun.

Cons:

Needs more levels! I bought the remaining 16 levels but I'll be waiting (im)patiently for more levels.

Wouter Walmink
Maker
Hi Darren, thanks for your kind words :) The trivia afterwards was a little idea that I stumbled upon along the way and which I thought was fun because I hadn't seen it done before like that. Turns out to be one of people's favourite parts! Being a solo project and each level being unique, making levels is time-intensive (how I envy those template puzzles!). If the game is well-received, I'll definitely consider making more levels. How about a series of physics riddles...? If discovered it just today and already completed all levels, then you sound like an avid puzzler :)
Darren Jett
@wwalmink Yeah I think I have like 2 puzzles left that I haven't been able to figure out. I'm ashamed to say I did use the hints for a couple and fealt REALLY dumb when I realized what I was supposed to do :') Solving puzzles accidentally is fun, though!
Felipe de Araujo
That is pretty fun, just downloaded it and already showed to five people. Thanks for sharing!
Wouter Walmink
Maker
@felipedaraujo Cool to hear you're keen on showing it to others! The share option at the end of each level: does that work for you too, to share with others? If not, what could make it better?
Felipe de Araujo
@wwalmink I actually didn't use the share option inside the app. I just went around the house and showed to some family members.
Jenny

I would highly recommend checking out this game - it's been great for passing time on my commute.

Pros:

This game is so beautifully designed and such a simple concept that entertains. I'm loving it so far.

Cons:

Just wish there were more levels!

Tom Stenson

A beautiful and thoughtful puzzler that’s full of satisfying interactions. Every puzzle / level is unique so there is only a finite number of levels - but you can really see the care and craft that’s gone into each one. Recommended.

Pros:

Unique, beautiful, thoughtful

Cons:

More levels :)

Ethan
I like that kind of puzzle game that doesn't tell you how to solve it. Kinda similar to Blackbox in the low-level concept. Will test!
Wouter Walmink
Maker
@buzzb0x Yeh, also loved Blackbox! Secret Signs has a shorter gameplay, but is also a little less baffling (which Blackbox is by design, of course :-). Bart Bonte's colour series (Red, Yellow, Black and now Blue) also has a similar premise: the goal is always to make the screen one solid colour, but the method is different every time.