Urban Beaver

Overview

Urban Beaver is a relaxing 2D puzzle game where you become nature's engineer. Using drag-and-drop controls, you place logs and twigs to build dams that stop flowing water and create serene beaver ponds. Watch as individual water particles collide with your structures, accumulate behind your dam, and gradually fill the pond to your target level. It's a meditative experience that combines physics-based puzzles with the satisfaction of creating something beautiful.

Designed for anyone seeking a calm, focused puzzle experience. Whether you're decompressing after a long day, looking for a mindful mobile game, or just love nature-inspired challenges, Urban Beaver offers a unique blend of strategy and serenity. The game rewards thoughtful placement and experimentation—every gap in your dam matters, and every successful pond feels earned.

Built from the ground up with Swift and SpriteKit, Urban Beaver features realistic physics simulation, smooth touch controls including two-finger rotation, and a growing variety of building materials. The landscape-only orientation maximizes your workspace, giving you the full riverbed canvas to express your inner architect.

Why we built it

Most mobile puzzle games rush you with timers, lives, and constant pressure. We wanted to create something different—a game that respects your pace and rewards thoughtful experimentation. The idea came from watching real beavers work: they're patient, methodical, and create something genuinely impressive through incremental effort. That felt like the perfect metaphor for a puzzle game that's actually relaxing.

We also wanted to explore physics-based gameplay in a way that feels intuitive and satisfying. Every water particle, every collision, every leak in your dam is simulated in real-time. When your dam holds and the pond fills, it's not because the game scripted it that way—it's because your structure actually works. That cause-and-effect relationship creates a deeply satisfying gameplay loop that never gets old.

How it works

Gameplay Flow:

1. Place Pieces: Drag logs and twigs from your supply area and drop them anywhere in the riverbed. Use two-finger rotation to angle pieces perfectly.

2. Stop the Flow: Water particles continuously flow from left to right. When they hit your dam pieces, they splash and accumulate behind the structure.

3. Build the Pond: As water builds up behind your dam, a pond visual grows upward. Your goal is to reach and hold a target fill line for a few seconds.

4. Mind the Gaps: If your dam has gaps, water will leak through at those specific points. You'll see leak particles spawn and your pond level may drop. Plug the gaps with more pieces to maximize water retention.

5. Win or Adapt: Successfully hold the target water level to complete the level. If time runs out before you reach the goal, you can restart and try a new strategy.

Technical Approach:

Urban Beaver uses SpriteKit's physics engine for realistic collisions and settling behavior. A particle pooling system keeps the game performant even with hundreds of water particles on screen. The dam effectiveness algorithm scans vertical slices across your structure to calculate the maximum water height and identify leak points, creating emergent gameplay where every placement decision matters.

Feature highlights

• 🪵 Drag & Drop Building - Intuitive touch controls for placing logs and twigs
• 🔄 Two-Finger Rotation - Precise angle control with multi-touch gestures
• 💧 Real-Time Water Physics - Individual particle simulation with collision detection
• 🌊 Dynamic Pond System - Watch water levels rise and fall based on dam effectiveness
• 🔍 Smart Leak Detection - The game identifies gaps in your dam and spawns targeted leak particles
• 📊 Dam Effectiveness Scoring - Real-time feedback on how well your structure blocks water
• 🎯 Target Fill Challenge - Reach and maintain pond level goals with visual indicators
• ⏱️ Time-Based Objectives - Complete levels before time runs out or hold water level thresholds
• 🎨 Landscape Canvas - Full-screen horizontal gameplay optimized for building
• 🧘 Meditative Pacing - No lives, no ads, just you and the river

Notes

• Current Status: Sprint 2 in progress - Core water simulation and dam mechanics complete; working on win/lose conditions and level progression
• Tech Stack: Swift, SpriteKit, SwiftUI, OSLog for debugging
• Requirements: iOS 16.0+, Xcode 15.0+ for development
• Orientation: Landscape-only for optimal building experience
• For whom: Puzzle lovers, nature enthusiasts, anyone seeking calm mobile gameplay
• Development Philosophy: Iterative sprints with clear MVP goals; no feature creep
• Performance: 60 FPS target with particle pooling and optimized physics