iOS Puzzle Game
Diadoku
A jewel-based iOS logic puzzle that reimagines Sudoku through color, visual deduction and polished mobile interaction. Currently in Apple App Review.
Overview
Diadoku is an iOS puzzle game that replaces Sudoku's numbers with colored jewels, turning familiar logical deduction into a more visual mobile experience. It has progressed from an initial concept through design, implementation and App Store preparation and is currently in Apple App Review.
The Idea
Diadoku takes the logic of Sudoku and swaps the numbers for colored jewels. Instead of reading digits, the player works with colored gem symbols — placing them correctly, ruling options out through logical elimination, and using visual markers for possible and excluded solutions. The goal is a puzzle that feels visual and approachable on a phone, with clear feedback for correct placements, wrong ones and excluded possibilities.
My Role
I designed and developed Diadoku from the original game concept through UI iteration, implementation and App Store submission preparation — owning the product direction as well as the iOS build. The custom visual assets were developed with AI assistance alongside my own direction and selection.
AI Usage
AI-assisted tools supported the development process — implementation support, iteration and debugging, UI ideation, and asset ideation and generation. Product decisions, integration, selection, iteration and quality control stayed with me.
Development Process
- 01Core puzzle concept: Sudoku-style logic expressed through colored jewels
- 02Game rules and interaction design
- 03SwiftUI implementation
- 04Visual and UI iteration
- 05Testing and polish
- 06App Store preparation
- 07Apple App Review: the current stage
Challenges
- Translating number-based Sudoku logic into a color-and-symbol system that remains easy to read at a glance
- Designing clear visual states for confirmed, possible and excluded placements on a small screen
- Taking the game from a working build through App Store preparation and submission
What I Learned
- A familiar logic mechanic can support a new visual language, as long as the feedback remains unambiguous
- In a puzzle game, UI and interaction iteration matter just as much as the underlying implementation
- App Store preparation is a distinct stage of product development, not an afterthought
Outcome / Current State
Diadoku is currently submitted to Apple and in App Review. It has not been released on the App Store yet.