Bamboozle, my card-pairing memory game, was first launched just over a year ago in November 2024. The idea was simple: instead of playing against a real opponent with cards on a table or the floor, Bamboozle players would play on their mobile devices against built-in AI.
Over the first three months, the game developed quickly and became the “Best commute buddy” for one of its early users. Offering a variety of game sizes and increasingly challenging AI competition, Bamboozle enjoyed modest popularity on the App Store with regular downloads.
Then, in early summer of this year, three things happened that would greatly change this fun little app.
1. I hosted a Gaming Cafe to gather feedback from Bamboozle gamers
They loved the way Bamboozle’s AI offered the choice between a relaxed way to pass an idle hour at ‘Easy’ level or an almost unbeatable ‘Wicked’ game. But when they’d played well, they wanted the world to know! “Could we maybe use Bamboozle to play against each other?” they asked. Great requirements!
2. I met the younger generation on a family holiday
They’d grown up with online gaming and explained the ingredients of a game that can’t be put down! There needed to be a ‘meta-level’ that sits above the basic game. A sense of progression. Rewards for winning. Levels of play with visual cues to show advancement. It became clear what I had to do.
3. I met a technology guru at Cambridge University
They showed me how to take my AI-assisted programming to the next level with Cursor AI as a virtual pair-programming partner. This opened up possibilities I hadn’t imagined.
Bamboozle 3.0
Today’s Bamboozle is a very different game from the one first launched a year ago. Version 3.0 makes full use of Apple’s Game Center to connect players across the world.
In Solo Play, points are won by playing against Bamboozle’s AI, and players can now see themselves moving up the Game Center leaderboards. There are attractively themed levels of play where players rise through levels by collecting special cards and playing promotion games.
And beyond all these fun challenges, the new Bamboozle offers Duo Play gaming: for the first time, Bamboozle players can compete against each other in real-time, across the world. You can play nearby players connected by Bluetooth, or challenge any Bamboozle users worldwide over the internet.
My new best friend Cursor and I hope you enjoy playing the new Bamboozle! We’ve had great fun creating it, but what do you think? What would make Bamboozle better for you?
Opsisoft Apps 