Blocks (Paper Trail and later Puzzle Paradise) is a playful reinterpretation of a collapse-puzzle mechanic. Snappy & satisfying, gameplay involved strategically clearing groups of paper pieces by folding them into origami-inspired power-ups. This project was the first game at Dots to be developed by a small prototype team.
Role: Visual Design, Illustration, Product Design
Engineering: Eddie Cameron
Game Direction & Design: Grant Reid
Game Design: Chao Jin
Visual Design: Austin Roesberg
Additional Illustration: Ray Bruwelheide
Music & SFX: Ross Warriner, Cody Uhler
From early on, it was important that interaction with the game board feel tactile & rewarding. The paper & folding analogies gave us that. With a single tap, players turn creased sheets into paper planes, origami frogs or colored windmills. With a second, they flew, bounced & blew neighboring sheets off the board.
Initially, we got weird with it. Players earned thumbs-up by completing levels & unlocked “glory flair” for their thumbnail avatar as they progressed up leaderboards. It felt fun & testing backed that up, so we set about refining our visual approach & exploring thematic treatments.
The calming zen vibe of the paper folding interaction & playful surprise of the frog animations emerged as early strengths. We experimented further with those themes by creating a series of tranquil environments, filled with curious paper creatures.
