Good news! Since July 3, 2010, 100 Boxes version 0.8.0 is in Maemo Extras-testing for community quality assurance.
Please help testing the application so that it can be promoted to Maemo Extras. Cast your votes and comments to http://maemo.org/packages/package_instance/view/fremantle_extras-testing_free_armel/100boxes/0.8.0/

But what are the changes in the new version?

• Added localization support
• Added Italian localization
• Added personal game statistics
• Added automatic saving of game state and statistics
• Nicer game sounds
• Added the possibility to disable sounds
• Added daily and weekly views in the worldwide high score table

Haven’t you been persuaded? Here you are some screenshots:

New game

Playing a game

Game over screen, enhanced with personal statistics

Worldwide high score table, now with daily and weekly standings

This post is to celebrate the 30,000th download of 100 Boxes for Maemo Fremantle. In 144 days since its first appearance in the Maemo Extras application catalog, 100 Boxes has been downloaded 30,216 times, an average of 209.8 downloads per day. Moreover, 16,897 game scores have been submitted to the online high score table.

Thanks to Maemo.org community for software QA testing, to people who sent comments, complaints and suggestions, and to everyone who just downloaded and enjoyed the game.

Maemo Extras statistics say that, so far, there have been 9,423,777 downloads of the 278 available application packages, an average of 33,893 downloads per application. Therefore 100 Boxes is positioned roughly in the middle of the ‘long tail’ shape of the typical download distribution of application catalogs. Must-have and wildly popular applications are at the top of the tail, while applications that are useful only for very specific audiences are usually at the bottom. And then there is the bulk of packages that stay in between. Personally I am proud to contribute to this important part of an application software platform ecosystem, and even more for the high quality of applications to be found in Maemo Extras catalog.

And now what? Simple: let’s keep developing new compelling applications and improve the existing ones.

Edit: the number of score submissions was wrong. Now it is correct.

Some years ago a paper-and-pencil game had great success among school boys, in Italy at least. The goal of the game is to fill a 10×10 grid of boxes with numbers from 1 to 100. The rule is that you cannot use the same box twice, and if you move on the grid in horizontal or vertical direction, you must skip two boxes, while you must skip one box if you move diagonally. Simple game in theory, quite hard puzzle in practice.

Today, in computer and smartphone age, we can try to solve the puzzle practically anytime and anywhere. The game has been implemented for a wide range of platforms (actually, most implementations are by yours truly). Some versions even have an online high score table, to compare our own scores with those of players from all over the world.

Let’s list all the games here, so we’ll never miss the chance to try and reach the mythical 100. They are all released as freeware or free software, so read on and have fun!

Platform Name Link Online standings Java applet Puzzle 100 link No Palm OS 100 Boxes link No Windows Mobile Clockwork 10×10 link No Google Gadget 100 Boxes link Yes Opera Widget 100 Boxes link Yes Opera Mobile/Vodafone Widget (Windows Mobile, Symbian S60) HundredBoxes link Yes Maemo 5 100 Boxes link Yes

For me, 100 Boxes has been a sort of pet project since my brother taught me the game several years ago. It is usually the first thing that I try to make when learning to develop for a new platform. It is a quite balanced development exercise, and it is fun to see the game conquer new territory.

A word of caution: this game may give a great sensation of achievement when solved, but also a lot of frustration. I tried for several months version without success, then showed the game to a friend of mine. He solved it at his third attempt.