Steve

A quote I often find myself thinking about is

The opposite of play is not work — the opposite of play is depression.
—Brian Sutton-Smith

An eighteen hour family road trip the week before Thanksgiving certainly gives your mind time to wander and the opportunity to play.

So, let’s play.

Steve is a new, casual, puzzle game for your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro.

The goal is simple. Fill the grid using the correct number of blocks. As my family and friends and (so far) five-hundred strangers will tell you, it’s easy to learn. But annoyingly difficult to master.

Here’s a short video of my son explaining how to play Steve.

And here’s a screen recording of a simple puzzle.

My wife loves puzzle games. I wanted to build something that would appeal to her but also be approachable enough for my kids to play. The four of us debated and play-tested the game mechanics throughout the road trip. My wife chose the name “Steve”.

I also wanted Steve to be an app you’d feel comfortable handing to your kids to play. No scummy ads. No subscriptions. No predatory in-app purchases. Just a single, one-time $2.99 unlock for unlimited puzzles.

If you don’t want to pay, that’s fine, too. The best part of Steve is The Daily Steve — a free, daily puzzle that all players worldwide compete to solve the fastest. (Or, at your own pace — you don’t have to look at the leaderboard if you don’t want to.)

Steve was a fun distraction to build, and the first game I’ve made since I was a teenager. I hope you enjoy playing it. As always, feedback is very much welcome.

You can download Steve on the App Store.