Learn Swift

Build Your First iOS Game

Swiftris is a free eBook that teaches the basics of Swift as you build a 2D puzzle game.

A free ebook. Get access here.

Who Is This For?

Whether you're a seasoned programmer or a programming tadpole dipping its tail into the proverbial water, this Bloc Book is for you. It provides a step-by-step process which anyone can follow to create their very first iOS game written in Swift.

Chapters

Getting Started
with Swiftris

This book will introduce you to the basics of Swift before acquainting you with some of its more advanced features. After completing this book you will be comfortable enough to write Swift code on your own. This book also covers the fundamentals of SpriteKit, Apple's 2D game engine API.

Introduction to Swiftris

Get acquainted with the APIs Swiftris employs and download the latest version of Xcode

Creating a New Game Project

Start with an empty SpriteKit game project

Adding Assets

Download and import the required sounds and images, add the background to the game scene

And Array We Go

Learn how arrays work in Swift and create your own 2D array class

A Ticking Clock

Prepare Swiftris to support a timed update loop

Block Party

Create a custom class to represent each block on screen

Shaping Up

Use Blocks to create shapes: L, J, T, S, Z, Line and Square

Let Them Fall

Draw shapes on the scene, watch them drop each loop

Playing by the Rules

Create a class which represents the mind of Swiftris

Touch Me, Move Me

Add tap, swipe and pan gesture handlers to your game scene

Adding Flare

Wrap everything together into one beautiful package

Here's What You'll Build

You may be familiar with other block-dropping games but don't be fooled, they all tore a page out of our book.

Well, maybe some of the ideas came from a Russian gentleman who wrote the very first iteration of it. Fine, we've built an homage to one of the greatest puzzle games ever made and its name happens to rhyme with Swiftris.

If you like that game , you're going to love the one you build yourself.

Get access to Swiftris.
It's free!

About the author

Stan Idesis

Swift begins with 'S' and so does Stan, it made sense for him to write this wonderful book. Stan is Bloc's Android director but he's no Google fanboy. When he's not busy developing mobile applications, he co-hosts a weekly podcast, performs long form improv, and writes articles targeting the parts of your brain which generate giggles.