Welcome to pikXells

A one man

indie game development

studio recreating the magic of 1980s and 1990s video games

pikXells photograph

So this is me, Paul aka pikXells. I have spent the past seven years making a video game called XScape, which I am now giving away for free. I began this project with nothing more than an idea, I didn't even own an Apple device, let alone being able to program one. I just knew I wanted to create a mobile game that would capture the nostalgia and appeal of video games from the 80s and 90s. A magical time when games placed greater emphasis on simplicity, value for money and replayability. Chip away at the neo-retro gameplay and visuals, and you will find at the heart of XScape beats a true love for music; a part of the mobile gaming experience which is often overlooked, especially with freemium titles. Available now, XScape is a free download from the App Store for the Apple iPhone, iPad and Apple TV devices.

XScape level 15 Neon Lights

Level 15 from the Neon Lights world

taken from the game XScape © pikXells
xscape level 21 Kawaii Islands

Level 21 from the Kawaii Islands world

taken from the game XScape © pikXells

The idea for XScape comes from the good old days of 8 bit computing, and has its roots firmly on the Commodore 64. Having written a game called Square Scape 2 back in 1995, I thought a modern remake would be ideal to help me learn iOS development. I set out to build a game which was fun to play, easy to control, could be learnt quickly, and yet only mastered over time. Little did I know back then how long this journey would take. To give an example of the fun tasks I undertook, here are some of the features you will find in XScape:

  • 90 Levels spread across 3 unique world maps
  • Over 200 in game graphical blocks
  • 17 Unique backgrounds
  • 19 Tracks of music, spanning 40 minutes
  • 35 Achievements for in game tasks & 3 star ratings per level
  • Full Game Center integration with leaderboards
  • Bluetooth game controller support on iOS and Apple TV
  • Saving of progress and achievements between devices
  • Music visualiser with unlockable tracks
  • Retro puzzle gameplay with modern sound and visuals
xscape application icon

Download XScape for free today

iPhone and iPad versions are supported by adverts
and include all game content. Apple TV version features no
advertising but is restricted to the first 30 levels only.
Single in-app purchase of £1.99 GBP from any device, removes
adverts on iPhone / iPad devices and unlocks all levels on Apple TV.

xscape on iOS App Store badge
XScape on Apple TV App Store badge
XScape music visualiser

Music visualiser (extras menu)