quadline. How to create a new mechanic out of a rectangle without a single line of...

What the talk is about

Ivan Kovalev talks about his second game, quadline, an ultra-minimalist abstract puzzle he deliberately built as a personal playground for game design experiments. He set himself strict constraints: no tutorials, no text, no numbers, no color differentiation, one-finger controls, a square play area and symmetrical gameplay. These rules pushed him to unusual solutions: levels the player solves almost by accident and learns from, level previews instead of numbers, a non-linear map, and barely noticeable "breathing" icon animation. He shows how playtests revealed missing player skills and why a problematic level should not just be thrown out. He also explains why he chose not to limit the number of moves. Useful for game designers and indie developers interested in puzzles and teaching without hints.