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3 posts tagged with "backseat-games"

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Backseat Games — App Store 1.3.0 After Apple Closed the Train

· One min read
Mike Homol
Mike Homol
Principal Consultant @ ThreeWill

The polish build was ready for TestFlight — then Apple closed the approved 1.2.1 marketing train. This week’s story is less “new features” and more “ship the hardening under the next version Apple will accept,” while Android stays parked for the long haul. 1.3.0 is live on the App Store now; the next release is where new games show up.

What happened​

  • Hardened the three launch games: invalid Sign Game feedback, plate collection, scenery rotation, review prompts, and host-gone recovery (mostly polish, not screenshot-bait)
  • Pinned expo-store-review to 56.0.3 so the iOS archive compiles cleanly against Expo 56.0.9
  • Bumped the App Store marketing version to 1.3.0 after Apple closed the approved 1.2.1 train — and that build is live in the App Store
  • Left Android parked for quite some time (Play listing assets recorded; no public Android push and no “coming soon” tease)
  • Lined up the next version around new games, not more 1.3.0 polish

Backseat Games v1.2 — Free Solo Mode and a Clearer Monetization Line

· One min read
Mike Homol
Mike Homol
Principal Consultant @ ThreeWill

Solo Mode was the reliability win from v1.1 — this week I made it free and moved the one-time purchase behind Play online, so families can try the app offline before deciding to host a multiplayer session.

What happened​

  • Bumped to v1.2.0 on TestFlight with Solo Mode free and IAP gated behind Play online
  • Confirmed App Store / support pricing copy matches that line: joining and Solo stay free; the one-time host unlock sits behind Play online
  • Finished Travel Bingo per-item art across landmarks, businesses, scenery, vehicles, signs, and animals — generated icons and refreshed state plate art
  • Travel Bingo tiles moved from small stock emojis to custom illustrated sprites (same board, much clearer at a glance in the car)
  • Added plane propeller spin overlays and accessibility fixes; logged new game ideas in the backlog
  • Published Backseat Games marketing, privacy, and support pages on Homol Works (App Store URL, hero, and game lineup)
  • Refreshed the marketing hero and on-site game descriptions to match the current three-game lineup

Travel Bingo with custom sprites — canyon road background

Travel Bingo with custom sprites — snowy road background

Solo Mode — Offline Play Without a Multiplayer Lobby

· One min read
Mike Homol
Mike Homol
Principal Consultant @ ThreeWill

Backseat Games got a v1.1 delight pass — and Solo Mode so play still works when the relay lobby cannot. Offline-first turned out to be a product feature, not a fallback.

What happened​

  • Shipped jingle, SFX, icons, critter motion, and first-run teaching as one release theme
  • Added Solo Mode for offline play without a relay lobby
  • Useful for App Store demos and real car rides with spotty connectivity
  • Update is live on the App Store — Solo Mode and delight assets look right on device
  • Visual polish landed across the games (Travel Bingo board + License Plate Game cards)

Backseat Games Travel Bingo with delight visuals

Backseat Games License Plate Game card grid