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Sponsored Feature: XiMAD on how Throw the Knife on iOS is a cut above

Far from a grind

Sponsored Feature: XiMAD on how Throw the Knife on iOS is a cut above
|
iOS
| Throw the Knife

When you think of a crowd pleasing concept for a game, it's probably fair to say your first thought won't involve flinging knives about.

So you might think a game called Throw The Knife – the latest title from developer XiMAD – isn't a title that appeals to everyone.

In actuality, XiMAD believes it's designed a game that can be enjoyed by all, thanks to its simple concept and some built-in censorship options.

Vadim Gilvarg (product manager) and Pavel Fedkevich (game designer) at XiMAD spoke to use about how Throw the Knife's gameplay, inspirations, and any future plans they have for the title.

Pocket Gamer: What do you think Throw the Knife offers that you can’t get from any other title on the App Store?

Vadim Gilvarg: Throw the Knife was created as a good arcade game. It's an ideal time-killer – the better you play, longer you play.

The features we've included really make it an explosive experience as well. Take the “Bloody Mode”, for instance, that’s quite something, and it's exactly how it sounds - really bloody! The beautiful, fun and quirky artwork, sound effects, the large variety of targets, fun Buddy costumes, and a great collection of very sharp objects also help to make this an app that's easy to fall in love with!

Were you concerned that the game's focus on knives makes it unsuitable for younger players?

VG: For our young players we have arcade and target modes without the blood and some of the crueller elements. The characters and flies in the game are very friendly and aren't designed to be scary. We plan to add more game modes for all categories/ages of gamers too.

How did your team make sure that the game's knife flinging doesn't get too repetitive?

VG: At the moment there are only 3 game modes in the game - arcade mode, target mode and bloody mode – but more gameplay modes will be added with future updates so that the game will become even more interesting.

Furthermore, if the user is bored he or she can always change something in the game. After all, there are several different types of background boards and variety of targets to choose from, and the cute little jackstraw Buddy has a large wardrobe full of fun costumes too.

Oh, I had almost forgotten to mention this (it is top secret information), but somewhere in the game something mysterious is hidden. Have a try and maybe you'll be lucky enough to uncover it!

Were you inspired by any specific titles when designing Throw the Knife?

VG: The game idea belonged to someone from our team, and our game designers and developers have brought this idea to life. Pavel Fedkevich: My inspiration comes from other illustrators' blogs, which I read fairly often. Some pictures sometimes inspire me.

What challenges did you face during the game's development, and how did you overcome them?

VG: It was our first project made on a Marmalade SDK, so there was some difficulties during the product development, but it wasn't anything critical that affected the final title.

Which part of the game are you the most proud of and why?

PF: The flies! I'm really proud of my flies, as they are so cute...

VG: It's hard to say which part of the game i'm the most proud of, but i'm happy with Throw the Knife's quality – namely the level of artwork and sound design. The game ended up being very entertaining and not boring - even after you've played it for many hours.

Throw the Knife is available on the App Store now, and is currently free to download [iTunes link]. You can also find it on Android and Nook devices, and a Windows Phone version is coming soon.

You can see the trailer for the game below:

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