[DEV] EatIt! The Forgotten Snack Game with a Legacy: My Journey to Recreate a Lost Classic

It began once I by chance deleted a sport off my girlfriend’s laptop computer, not realizing it was tied to a deeply private reminiscence. This wasn’t just a few previous sport to her; it had been her go-to consolation throughout one of many hardest instances in her life. As a child, she’d misplaced her beloved pet, who had bravely defended her towards a pack of stray canines, a second that left a long-lasting mark on her. The grief that adopted was overwhelming, and to manage, she’d discovered solace on this easy puzzle sport.

By deleting it, I’d unknowingly eliminated that quiet supply of consolation she turned to when issues obtained powerful. Decided to make issues proper, I dove into the sport’s origins, hoping to recreate it. That search turned a deep dive into a bit of gaming historical past that few individuals keep in mind.

The sport was referred to as Линия вкусов—Line of Tastes—a unusual, Russia-only snack-themed sport from the early 2000s. Created as a snack firm promotion, it had easy mechanics that made it addictive, however data about it was virtually nonexistent on-line. I used to be compelled to increase my search, digging by means of boards and websites in a number of languages.

Line of Tastes

However that was simply the tip of the iceberg. Line of Tastes had a a lot deeper lineage; it was based mostly on the Vietnamese basic Traces 98, created in 1998 for Home windows by Vietnamese developer Nguyễn Hòa Bình. The “98” in its title wasn’t only a random quantity; it was a tribute to Home windows 98! With its easy but infuriatingly addictive mechanics—lining up coloured balls to stop a board overflow—Traces 98 turned successful throughout Vietnam and Asia, the place it’s nonetheless fondly remembered right now.

Traces 98 – 1998

Traces 98 was, in flip, impressed by Colour Traces, a Russian sport from 1992 for DOS. Developed by Oleg Demin and Igor Ivkin, Colour Traces launched a easy but ingenious system: line up coloured balls to maintain the board from filling up. This mechanic captured tens of millions of followers, notably throughout Japanese Europe and Asia, and would go on to affect puzzle video games worldwide.

Colour Traces – 1992

However Line of Tastes? This descendant of Colour Traces and Traces 98 was misplaced to time, leaving no hint of its quirky legacy—aside from my girlfriend’s reminiscence and a single screenshot I’d managed to save lots of. Impressed, I made a decision to recreate it from scratch, including just a few fashionable twists. And after sleepless nights coding and designing, my model is lastly right here.

EatIt!

EatIt!, my fashionable tackle this misplaced basic—full of tasty graphics, excessive scores, and simply the correct amount of frustration to maintain issues fascinating.

It’s lastly up on Google Play if you wish to test it out: 🧀 EatIt! on Google Play.

I’ll be glad to obtain any suggestions from you!