Blocklove: My Audiobook Fidget

I'm a big fan of audiobooks and often listen while driving. The miles and minutes melt away when absorbed in a good story. But I have a hard time listening when not driving. I can't sit in a chair at home — or on a train or plane — and just listen. I need to do something or the narrator's words become little knives pinging off my brain. Activity or movement is required.

Walking, biking, shopping, cleaning, and other movement-oriented verbs work well. But when sitting still, the multitasking requirement becomes much more specific. The activity needs to hold my attention, but not demand it. And it can't involve any reading, writing, or sound — sadly I can't process words with my eyes and ears simultaneously. Lame.

A Puzzling Discovery

A few months ago after some trial and error (mostly error), I discovered a block-clearing puzzle game that perfectly scratched the low-level multitasking itch. I could don headphones, push play on the audiobook, fire up the game, and listen without any anguish.

Then came the ads. Once I'd played a while, the game started spewing full-screen interactive ads at me. In general, ads murder my soul. It was worse in this context — they broke the listening experience. I'd often have to kill the app, re-enter, and start a new game.

I went looking for an ad-free alternative. I would've happily dropped a few bucks. But such a game didn't exist.

So I made my own.

Available Now

Blocklove is now live on the App Store (and there was much rejoicing). It’s simple, addictive, and requires very little focus. I launched it ad-free for a buck. The process was fun. I'm hoping the game will cover my annual Apple fees and help me justify more games. Take it for a spin?