How I Made a Game on hyperPad

About Me

My name is Yasad, I am a 20 year old entrepreneur, game designer, and graphic artist who loves making enjoyable experiences that expand people’s knowledge and bring creators together.

I started my journey in digital art when I was a kid. Being homeschooled K-12, I got to explore a variety of subjects related to technology, mathematics, and animation freely throughout the day. I was encouraged to get books and online courses surrounding my interests.

For years I wanted to launch my own business, and as a pre-teen, I spent most of the school day tinkering with animation, coding, and graphic design. I was always fascinated with animals, nature, and educational technology, so most of my games and animations from childhood centered on these themes. Today, I am the founder of YasadCreativeStudios and my game studio, Sleepy Turtledove Games. I first developed these ideas back in middle school and finally got the seed funding to launch it when I was 18. I’m very excited to be using hyperPad’s gaming engine to launch the first game from my company. It’s been a long time in the making!

How I Found hyperPad

Honestly, I feel like hyperPad found me! It's been a part of my life for years, and I’ve grown and developed beside it. When I first discovered hyperPad in childhood, I dreamed of publishing a game using hyperPad. I first found it on the Apple App Store over a decade ago, and I’ve been using it ever since. This year will be the first year I am going from planning to publishing for a game using hyperPad, and it launches to the App Store soon!

What is the Game About?

My game is called Star Glide, an action-packed, endless underwater runner. Right now, it’s available on the hyperPad Hub. You play as an echinoderm—a starfish, sea cucumber urchin etc.—gliding and swimming endlessly through the ocean floor, dodging hazards, and collecting seashells to unlock power-ups.

This marine adventure is also inspired by real life animal behaviors, allowing you to learn about the vast world of the ocean while collecting coins and beating your high score.

My Inspiration, How I Got Started

The concept of sea life and ocean exploration has always been a huge interest of mine. As a huge fan of the games Super Starfish and Sling Kong (and a fan of the movie Finding Nemo), I started with an octopus game years ago, called High Eight. I couldn’t quite get the game mechanics and graphics the way I wanted them, so I put it on pause as life got busy. Last year, after my sibling had a health emergency, I wanted to do something positive while dealing with this scary moment. That prompted me to get back into gamemaking and leverage my existing passions for design and ocean life. I knew it was important to do something I loved, and Star Glide was officially born!

What’s Next

Keep an eye out for a pre-release on the App store in the next few months! I’d love for people to download the app when it comes out. You can also follow me on all major social media @TurtledoveGames, and subscribe to my YouTube channel (@TurtledoveGamesYT) for updates. I also always welcome playtesters in hyperPad’s hub (@Ya7) to continue making it better before and after its App Store release!

Watch the Video Here