SmartOthello
by Anders Kierulf
2016-08-15
My Othello app is now available in the App Store — check it out at smartothello.com. Even if you’re not interested in Othello/Reversi, it will give you an idea of the future direction of my Go apps. And next time you play Go and somebody asks whether that’s Othello, at least now you have an app you can recommend.
SmartOthello is 100% Swift: it was a perfect way to learn Swift while building up code I can reuse for my Go apps. It’s also my first app to support Game Center, including achievements and leaderboards. My experience with Swift has been really good; my experience with Game Center less so.
SmartOthello is also a reboot in terms of user interface. The clean design that Scott Jensen came up with for Othello will definitely influence the Swift version of SmartGo. For example, the games list sliding in from the left leaves more room for the board on the iPad; the ability to turn off the status bar again provides more room and less distraction.
The tutorial in SmartGo Player uses Go Books under the hood, so the Swift version of Go Books is up next. Yes, this conversion is taking a while, but I’m planning to live with these apps for many more years. After launching my first Swift app, I’m more convinced than ever that the investment is worth it.