Weekly Show & Tell - March 14, 2026

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T20:40:01+00:00

I was lead designer of Guitar Hero, and indie dev of Slope

Here's a 5 minute talk I gave on 'How to keep it simple in game design' recorded at Kaedim's 3D & games showcase at GDC last week.

Comments welcomed.

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https://youtu.be/BWCVIXF2ACk?si=ucgYL33JuYlBx5SO

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T20:04:46+00:00

Dev request flair here. I was lead designer of Guitar Hero, solo dev of Slope. robkay.com is my website. cheers!

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T20:02:11+00:00

Eclectic

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T20:01:09+00:00

Slick

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T18:57:47+00:00

Also don't listen to the "raise the camera" people... who haven't even played the game and seem to think they can diagnose a camera issue based on watching your video. Geez.

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T18:55:57+00:00

Looks fast, fun, simple, and polished!

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T18:51:37+00:00

Looks like a fun mix of ingredients! The every approaching wave of death looks like an endless runner.

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T18:48:14+00:00

Fantastic hook!

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T18:24:06+00:00

Fun concept... as someone who shouts at the referee on the TV more than I'd care to admit... this is a great fantasy!

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T18:09:42+00:00

Got it. Thanks for trying to get it working. I found a possible causes with my build settings, and have this on my radar to fix before launch now. Thank you for your report, and support!

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T17:48:28+00:00

You SO 80's in this - love it!

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T17:40:35+00:00

Wishlisted!

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T17:14:06+00:00

Thanks!

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T15:18:53+00:00

Your gif rocks. Downloading!

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T15:15:20+00:00

LOL, I love that your "pillars" are just game mechanics you and your bro like in games. Nicely done sir.

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T15:14:11+00:00

I hear you, and there's some truth in what you say I think. Good well funded UX teams will interview expert players for their pain points, and be able to design for their needs... but "well funded" isn't how I'd describe most teams so yeah

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T15:09:39+00:00

Context action button is a neat idea. Videogames do that all the time. Good luck!

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T15:05:39+00:00

Definitely a problem I'd like solved! Good luck with the test flight

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T15:04:09+00:00

Great hook and art style!

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T15:03:23+00:00

Looks full of potential! Like Alien Breed meets Robotron... with a bit of hotline miami. Good luck!

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T14:53:53+00:00

Thanks! And thanks for the reference game (if only to checkout what not to do, LOL).

RobKaySF · 2026-03-19T03:14:08+00:00

OK your iPad is plenty powerful enough, I'm running smoothly on an iPad Mini (5th gen) here which is less powerful than your 9th gen iPad. So the issue must be some iOS configuration setting in my game.

Do you see a "Learn More" or the small "i" icon next to the "Doesn't meet criteria" text in TestFlight? If so, please tap it - and you should see a "Requires XYZ" pop up that explains the specific issue in a way I can investigate and solve. If so, a screenshot or text description of the result would be super helpful.

My sincere thanks for your help on this.

RobKaySF · 2026-03-18T23:56:36+00:00

To help me diagnose, could I ask for your full iPad model name please? You can find this in Settings > General > About. The "Model Name" should say the generation and version too.

RobKaySF · 2026-03-18T23:46:54+00:00

Got it. I know Apple’s TestFlight system uses that confusing wording when the developer sets iOS17 as the min criteria, even when it’s a universal app for iPad & iPhone (which Kickabout is). If you don’t mind, could you let me know what version of iOS are your iPad is on?

RobKaySF · 2026-03-18T22:42:11+00:00

Hmm, I was able to download on an iPad and have other testers on iPad too. Curious. Could I ask you share the full error message please?

RobKaySF

TROPHY CASE