The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max may have only just debuted the Dynamic Island that replaces the notch (something that’s been with the iPhone since 2017) but developers are already finding different ways to use it, including new game ideas.
An evolution of the notch has been a long time coming – it was getting to the point where it was getting stale to see it on an iPhone. While it reduced in size in 2021 with the iPhone 13 line, users were looking forward to seeing if the rumors were true that it was going, and in a way it did.
The Dynamic Island looks to be one of the biggest changes to the iPhone in years, both in hardware and software, and a developer by the name of Kris Smolka is already showing off one way it could be used to revolutionize smartphone gaming.
An island of opportunity
Who has an iPhone 14 Pro right now? Need to test this on device asap!🏝️ Hit The Island – our game concept for iPhone 14 Pro, still laggy but it’s turning out nice 🙂 #iPhone14Pro #iOS16 pic.twitter.com/kWLU77gk6dSeptember 13, 2022
In this concept called ‘Hit the Island’, based on the iconic game Alleyway (opens in new tab), you control a moving platform to hit a ball, and you have to hit the Dynamic Island to keep the game going.
With every hit, the color scheme of the game changes, and the Dynamic Island reduces in size, increasing the challenge. It’s a smart idea and goes to show how something as simple as this could be so appealing for a game.
This concept makes me wonder what other games could apply to the feature. Perhaps it could be a thundercloud in an endless runner game, moving around the top of your iPhone as you try to dodge it. Or something as small as the countdown lights before a race starts, before it changes into part of a user interface for the racing game.
We’re not far from the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max launch, so there’s a good chance we’ll be seeing plenty of other games and apps that take advantage of Dynamic Island in the coming weeks, months, and years.
Maybe we’ll even see something that’s worthy of a spot on our best iPhone games list.
