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Case file 003 · Game
DEED WARS
An 8-bit real estate trading game set in Pittsburgh. Buy low. Sell high. Pay back Uncle Gip.
COMING TO IPHONE
WARS
01THE IDEA
Inspired by the trading games a generation played on graphing calculators in math class, rebuilt around Pittsburgh real estate.
You start with $25,000 cash, a $50,000 loan from Uncle Gip, and a city full of rowhouses, duplexes and Carson Street storefronts. Flip, renovate and hold your way across six neighborhoods. Keep Gip happy. He’s the best friend you’ve got, right up until you miss a payment.
02HOW IT PLAYS
- Buy low. Every neighborhood prices things differently. Look for DEAL and STEAL tags.
- Make your move. Each trip across town takes a month. Rent comes in, utilities go out, Gip’s interest ticks up.
- Sell high. Flip, sell five at once for an assemblage premium, or renovate and hold for the rent.
- Build a crew. A developer, a scout, a lawyer, an accountant and more, each changing the math.
- Four clocks. Sprint, Classic, Career and Endless, plus 18 achievements and real Pittsburgh seasons.
03THE VISUAL SYSTEM
Pittsburgh at night in 8 bits: deep navy panels, black-and-gold accents for the city’s colors, river blue, notched pixel corners and hard edges only. Motion steps like an old cartridge instead of gliding.
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04WHAT SWAMP KITTEN DID
- Game design: the economy, the crew, Uncle Gip’s moods and the four modes
- Writing: a friendly Pittsburgh voice, used sparingly, n’at
- Visual system: the 8-bit palette, type, pixel portraits and the shareable score card
- The website: the game page, support and privacy, plus an iPhone launch list