Interview with Bendroid, developers of Mystique Android Game Series
by Antonio Wells
Apr 20, 2010 11:00 AM –
Today we are interviewing Bendroid LLC, developers of Mystique 3D horror puzzle game series for Android. Taking a look at what sparked the game, technology use and what’s in store for future games. Learn more:
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
We are members of Bendroid LLC (www.bendroid.com), a group of enthusiasts who decided to spend their free time working with Android.
Why did you create Mystique?
We are great fans of all the spooky films and the room escape genre. We decided to combine that into the Mystique game series.
What technology did you use in creating the Mystique chapters and why?
We used Blender for 3d modeling and animations, eclipse with Android plug-in for development and GIMP for artwork. All are open source and easy to use.
About how long did it take to create the latest chapter of Mystique – Mystique Ch3: Obitus?
Obitus took about 2 months of hard development, whereas Chapter 1: Foetus took about a week and Chapter 2: The Child took a month.
What is a cool uncovered tip or trick you can do with Mystique Ch3: Obitus?
The game has lot of cool features and puzzles that are generated in real time. Pay attention to the boxes in the warehouse!
What other interesting uses can come from Mystique Ch3: Obitus?
The main goal of the game is to entertain the users and challenge them to really think hard in order finish the game. Since most of the puzzles are generated in real time (uniquely to each user), walkthroughs are not going to be as much help in this chapter. 
Can you tell us about future feature enhancements with the Mystique series?
We are thinking of making more chapters for the Mystique series, pushing the envelope on graphics, puzzles and user experience. We will listen hard to the user feedback on Obitus in determining how to proceed with the next chapter. In the meantime, we will be working on some other amazing 3d Games across different genres.
What did you really like about creating Apps on the Android platform?
The thing we like the most about Android is that it’s an open platform with a rapidly growing community. It feels a lot less restrictive than iPhone, for example, which allows us the flexibility to be creative and get our games to market quickly.
What are some things you would like to see improved with Android?
It would be nice to see paid games available in more countries. As the paid market grows, so too will the quality of games developed and the popularity of Android among mobile audiences worldwide.
What is your opinion of the Android App Market’s distribution method? In comparison Apple’s model (strict control over the iTunes store) or the Windows Mobile model (no store at all).
We think that having some Android PC software (similar to iTunes) would be a nice move, as it may make the synchronization process a lot easier. Other than that, we are happy with the model that Google has put together and have no real complaints about the Android marketplace.
What is your Opinion on the state of the Rating/Feedback system in the App Market?
The rating system works great. As for feedback, we are getting emails from our users all the time and it rather easy to manage all the correspondence via the support email we list with our games. We’ve gotten to know our users quite well as a result.
Do you have plans on releasing Apps for other markets (i.e. iPhone, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, etc.)?
We haven’t thought about it too much… for now, we are focused only on maximizing our efforts in the Android world and putting out the best games and apps possible.
Your app is a paid app, why did you choose this model over the free model, and how to you project its success?
We have free games too – Mystique Ch1. Foetus and Tangram Lite – both of which show users the main idea of their respective paid versions. The user can try out the free versions and, if they are happy, elect to download the corresponding paid games (Tangram Pro, Mystique Ch2: The Child and Mystique Ch3: Obitus).
Must-have Android Apps?
There are bunch of Android Apps all of us are using: TasKiller, Quick Settings, Solitaire, ColorNote, etc.
What advice would you give to another aspiring mobile application developer?
Be creative. Do not be afraid of fulfilling your very own idea instead of copying games or applications that are already out there. Users love to explore new games and apps!
Can you tell us what future Android Apps you have brewing?
Right now we are finalizing a 3d game that will hit the market in the coming weeks. It will prove to be a nice, relaxing and colorful game that is quite opposite from the Mystique series.
Awesome we look forward to more games from Bendroid and maybe Chapter 4?!? Don’t forget to check our Android app reviews of Mystique Chapter 1: Foetus, Mystique Chapter 2: The Child, and Mystique Chapter 3: Obitus!