Free Software alternative to Homescapes (3-in-row match game)

> I have a video here that showcases the gameplay
> https://invidio.us/watch?v=3rDG4FnbAOI

> It's very addictive and fun because of the multiple ways you can try to win each level.

Based on that video, it seems more likely to me that the reason it is addictive is that it creates an association between success and vibrant stimuli so that the stimuli quickly come to trigger bursts of dopamine, which are then dolled out with a variable schedule ratio.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinforcement#Intermittent_reinforcement_schedules
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinforcement#Gambling_%E2%80%93_variable_ratio_scheduling

Many mobile apps, especially games but also social media apps, abuse their users with these tactics, which are the same tactics used in casinos to addict people to slot machines. Rewatch that gameplay video with your eyes closed. Doesn't it sound just like you're in a casino? And note the unpredictable pacing of the rewards, sometimes there is a constant stream of small rewards. Occasionally you get a "jackpot" whereby the sparkly bomb animation clears the board. Sometimes there's a long silence where you get nothing. However, unlike a real slot machine in which the rewards are actually random, addictive mobile apps often use AI to schedule the payout to optimally draw the user in.

https://invidio.us/watch?v=gvQxtotEX-M
https://web.archive.org/web/20180224003954/https://usedopamine.com/

The purpose of these tactics in mobile games is of course to turn some users into "whales" who spend large amounts of money on the game.

https://gameanalytics.com/blog/how-to-identify-whales-in-your-game.html

They'll even vary the pricing according to what they think the user will be willing to pay based on their current level of addiction and state of mind.

https://heavy.com/games/2017/10/scientific-revenue-mobile-gaming-jim-sterling/

But even users who resist the urge to spend real money on the game still spend their attention and are subjecting themselves to control and abuse by the developer.

It might be hard to find a free software game with these same antifeatures. I imagine that the kind of developer interested in making a game like this would not want to risk the user exercising freedom 1, since the goal is for the software to control the user and not the other way around.

Ok, while I know that commercial games try to make people spend time and money on playing because that gives money to the company behind the game, I think we might be reading too much into this. So, what... a game that has a fun upbeat sound, and well crafted graphics is evil by nature? I mean, a Free Software game like 0A.D has been addictive for me a while ago, because it was a good challenge, but I don't see it as being evil.

Anyway, thanks for the reply, I will consider your points. Even so, if someone can give a recommendation of a similar game in Free/LIbre world, I would be very glad to try it out :)

> Ok, while I know that commercial games try to make people spend time and money on playing because that gives money to the company behind the game, I think we might be reading too much into this.

I'm not reading anything into it. These companies say that this is literally what they are doing. It's not a suspicion I have. Most of the links I included are to sites that are open about this stuff because they see it as a good, profitable thing to do. I didn't link directly to Scientific Revenue's website because I couldn't get it to load without JS, but it's here if you're interested. https://www.scientificrevenue.com/

> I mean, a Free Software game like 0A.D has been addictive for me a while ago, because it was a good challenge, but I don't see it as being evil.

It is entirely possible for a game or other app designed without malicious intent to have some addictive features, either by imitating the attributes of a proprietary game it is replacing, or simply by accident. In fact, the effectiveness of these techniques was likely discovered by accident. The difference is that the developers of these proprietary mobile games (and the companies they outsource to like Scientific Revenue) are intentionally optimizing their games to maximally exploit the user using AI. I haven't played 0A.D, but I doubt the developers do this.

> Anyway, thanks for the reply, I will consider your points.

They aren't my points. I'm just relaying what these companies proudly admit to doing.

> Even so, if someone can give a recommendation of a similar game in Free/LIbre world, I would be very glad to try it out :)

I don't know of any in particular, but if you haven't already I would look at onpon4's list of libre games to see if there's anything you like.

https://onpon4.github.io/articles/libre-games.html

My girlfriend was addicted to that Homescapes game forever!

There are quite a few Bejeweled clones out there if you search through Github. Here's a couple.
• Monsterz (WTFPL) - http://sam.zoy.org/monsterz/
• Gweled (GPLv2) - http://gweled.org/

However, don't expect the same production quality as a small game studio with these little hobby projects.

Since these recommendations probably aren't much help, it's the best I could really find. Don't lose all hope though. There's a guy currently making tutorial videos (over 50 so far) on how to make exactly the same style of game using the free and open source Godot engine. From what I watched, it seems to be extremely thorough and you can follow along while developing your own version.

https://www.invidio.us/playlist?list=PL4vbr3u7UKWqwQlvwvgNcgDL1p_3hcNn2