The Concept
I made Minesweeper Zen by removing the mines.
Classic Minesweeper is a punishment game. One wrong click = death. I flipped it and you're discovering treasure. No explosions, no fail state, no anxiety. Same logical deduction with a completely different emotional experience. No stress... and I think it looks pretty cool!
The Zen Transformation
| Remove | Replace With |
|---|---|
| Mines that kill you | Treasures to discover |
| Instant game over | Wrong taps just reveal tiles |
| Unsolvable boards | 100% logic-solvable puzzles |
| First-click gambling | Pre-revealed starting tiles |
| Time pressure | No timer, play at your pace |
Agentic Engineering in Action
"Vibe coding" gets headlines but agentic engineering is the real skill to flex. I'm building a factory for building games. Skills that we can all apply across architecture and development.
Specs before code
Product spec, design doc, theming system - all written before touching Xcode.
Persistent learnings
Gotchas documented and new projects start with that knowledge.
Reusable components
AdManager, design system, sound engine all drop straight into the next game.
Idea to Execution Speed
Traditional dev: weeks from concept to working prototype. Agentic dev: days from idea to App Store.
Decomposition Over Prompting
Break problems into features: 'design the theming system', then 'architect the tile state machine', then 'implement the reveal algorithm'.
The Pattern That Scales
Each project builds upon the foundations of the last. The specs get tighter. The components get reused. The learnings accumulate.
This isn't spin the wheel and "AI writes code for me" - it's a collaboration pattern that scales - something we can all need to get better at.
Game Features
100% Solvable
Every puzzle can be solved through pure logic
Level Progression
5×5 grids up to 8×8 as you advance
Daily Puzzles
Same puzzle for all players, seeded by date
Hint System
Progressive 2-step hints (50/50 → 100%)
ASMR Aesthetic
Soft sounds, gentle haptics, warm colours
Multiple Themes
5 accent colours, 5 gem shapes, 4 palettes
Design Philosophy
ASMR satisfying, not exciting. Think soap cutting videos, not slot machines.
| Wrong (Slot Machine) | Right (Zen) |
|---|---|
| Loud, jarring | Soft, pleasant |
| Screen shake | Gentle pulse |
| "YOU WON!!!" | Quiet chime |
| Heart racing | Deep breath |
The cascade reveal is the signature moment - tiles dissolve in a ripple pattern like dominoes falling. Mesmerising, not jarring.
Technical Highlights
- Board Generation: BFS solver validates 100% solvability before presenting puzzle
- Cascade Animation: Wave-based timing with 0.05s stagger between tiles
- Procedural Audio: Marimba/xylophone tones generated programmatically
- Monetisation: Rewarded ads for hints, interstitials after 5 levels
- ATT Integration: Contextual prompt when user taps "Watch Ad"
It's like regular Minesweeper but nobody dies. Turns out that's a significantly better user experience.