Preface
Games rule mobile devices. The iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch are all
phenomenally powerful gaming platforms, and making amazing games that
your players can access at a moment’s notice has never been easier. The
iTunes App Store category with the most apps is Games; it includes games
ranging from simple one-minute puzzle games to in-depth, long-form
adventures. The time to jump in and make your own games has never been
better. We say this having been in iOS game development since the App
Store opened. Our first iOS game, in 2008, a little strategy puzzler named
Culture, led us to working on hundreds of other awesome projects, ranging
from a digital board game for museums to educational children’s games, and
everything in between! The possibilities for games on this platform are only
becoming wider and wider.
This book provides you with simple, direct solutions to common problems
found in iOS game programming using Swift. Whether you’re stuck figuring
out how to give objects physical motion, or just want a refresher on common
gaming-related math problems, you’ll find simple, straightforward answers,
explanations, and sample projects. This book is part tutorial and part
reference. It’s something you’ll want to keep handy to get new ideas about
what’s possible through a series of recipes, as well as for a quick guide to
find answers on a number of topics.
Audience
We assume that you’re a reasonably capable programmer, and that you know
at least a little bit about developing for iOS: what Xcode is and how to get
around in it, how to use the iOS Simulator, and the basics of the Swift
programming language. We also assume you know how to use an iOS device.
We don’t assume any existing knowledge of game development on any
platform, but we’re guessing that you’re reading this book with a vague idea
