Mobile Application
Car Jam – Escape Puzzle
Client: Mindscaplay Technology
Services Provided
Mobile App Development
Mindscaplay Technology Co., Ltd. envisioned Car Jam: Escape Puzzle to be a light, mobile-first puzzle game blending stress-free gameplay with satisfying challenges. The goal was to make an experience that felt instantly familiar to Android users of all ages, but was also interesting enough to keep players coming back. The outcome? A clean, 3D grid-based traffic jam puzzle powered by Unity. Its simple design but technically refined functioning amazed the client.
Business Goals:
The idea behind Car Jam was clear, ambitious and strategic:
Design a lightweight and engaging puzzle game with broad market appeal
Optimise gameplay for short sessions and high retention
Monitise through rewarded ads, interstitial placements, and in-app purchases (IAP)
Ensure optimal app performance across entire android ecosystem from low-end to flagship devices
Design a level structure for long term content updates without bloating the app size
Challenges:
The development team tackled a range of complex tasks to make the concept a reality:
Tap-to-move logic: Cars had to respond right away with smart directional movement and precise collision logic.
Scalable level design: There had to be dozens of levels, each one a little harder than the last, without overwhelming the player.
Device compatibility: The game had to run smoothly on hundreds of Android models and screen resolutions.
Ad integration: The game had to blend monetization seamlessly without breaking immersion.
APK size limits: The game had to balance beautiful 3D visuals with a tight package size.
Local data handling: The save/load mechanics and player progression had to work offline, securely, and reliably.
Solutions Delivered
We made Car Jam: Escape Puzzle from scratch with a high modular approach:
Game engine: Unity 6
Programming language: C#
Level format: ScriptableObjects and JSON for quick loading and easy extension
Monetisation: Unity Ads SDK and Unity IAP
Storage: PlayerPrefs and SQLite for offline progress
Game Systems Delivered
Grid-based car movement: Tap, slide, and react. Custom code handled directional indicators, collision detection, and escape paths
Level Manager: Dynamically loads difficulty curves, unlocks logic, and progress tracking
Ad Monetisation:
Rewarded advertisements: Players get hints and power-ups for watching ads
Interstitials: advertisements that play between stages with sophisticated logic to keep players engaged and avoid fatigue
Analytics: Tracked user behavior, ad interactions, and level completions
Save System: lightweight and offline-first, with PlayerPrefs and SQlite as a backup.
UX/UI Strategy
The player interface was made to be clear and easy to use.
Easy tap mechanics with arrows to guide new users
A tutorial for new users that explains the essentials in the first 60 seconds
Power-up buttons that are strategically located around the edges for easy thumb reach.
3D low-poly graphics with soft shadows and graceful movement
Adaptive Layouts for all Android screen sizes
Visual feedback: Subtle animations for moves, successful exits, and level completion
Process and Workflow
To make sure it was fast and could grow, the project went through a staged development process:
1. Prototype: Crafted the main movement and exit logic for the puzzle grid
2. Art Integration: Custom low-poly automobile models and tiles optimized for performance
3. Level Design: Manually curated and evaluated levels to see difficulty and engagement
4. Setting up monetization: Rewarded ad placement for power-up and skips balanced around engagement without frustration
5. Testing: Full QA on both emulators and real Android devices
6. Deployment: The app was released on Google Play with localization and testing before launch.
Client Feedback:
The client liked how flexible and speedy Unity was to develop. The game's monetization worked well without making users feel overwhelmed. The ability to swiftly provide updates, fix bugs, and add new levels kept users interested post launch.
Conclusion
Car Jam: Escape Puzzle shows how a Unity-based puzzle game with simple mechanics can become very popular by having optimal performance, easy-to-understand gameplay, and effective monetization. Its design consists of scalable level data and careful UX, which ensures it remains accessible while offering a satisfying challenge.
Business Goals:
The idea behind Car Jam was clear, ambitious and strategic:
Design a lightweight and engaging puzzle game with broad market appeal
Optimise gameplay for short sessions and high retention
Monitise through rewarded ads, interstitial placements, and in-app purchases (IAP)
Ensure optimal app performance across entire android ecosystem from low-end to flagship devices
Design a level structure for long term content updates without bloating the app size
Challenges:
The development team tackled a range of complex tasks to make the concept a reality:
Tap-to-move logic: Cars had to respond right away with smart directional movement and precise collision logic.
Scalable level design: There had to be dozens of levels, each one a little harder than the last, without overwhelming the player.
Device compatibility: The game had to run smoothly on hundreds of Android models and screen resolutions.
Ad integration: The game had to blend monetization seamlessly without breaking immersion.
APK size limits: The game had to balance beautiful 3D visuals with a tight package size.
Local data handling: The save/load mechanics and player progression had to work offline, securely, and reliably.
Solutions Delivered
We made Car Jam: Escape Puzzle from scratch with a high modular approach:
Game engine: Unity 6
Programming language: C#
Level format: ScriptableObjects and JSON for quick loading and easy extension
Monetisation: Unity Ads SDK and Unity IAP
Storage: PlayerPrefs and SQLite for offline progress
Game Systems Delivered
Grid-based car movement: Tap, slide, and react. Custom code handled directional indicators, collision detection, and escape paths
Level Manager: Dynamically loads difficulty curves, unlocks logic, and progress tracking
Ad Monetisation:
Rewarded advertisements: Players get hints and power-ups for watching ads
Interstitials: advertisements that play between stages with sophisticated logic to keep players engaged and avoid fatigue
Analytics: Tracked user behavior, ad interactions, and level completions
Save System: lightweight and offline-first, with PlayerPrefs and SQlite as a backup.
UX/UI Strategy
The player interface was made to be clear and easy to use.
Easy tap mechanics with arrows to guide new users
A tutorial for new users that explains the essentials in the first 60 seconds
Power-up buttons that are strategically located around the edges for easy thumb reach.
3D low-poly graphics with soft shadows and graceful movement
Adaptive Layouts for all Android screen sizes
Visual feedback: Subtle animations for moves, successful exits, and level completion
Process and Workflow
To make sure it was fast and could grow, the project went through a staged development process:
1. Prototype: Crafted the main movement and exit logic for the puzzle grid
2. Art Integration: Custom low-poly automobile models and tiles optimized for performance
3. Level Design: Manually curated and evaluated levels to see difficulty and engagement
4. Setting up monetization: Rewarded ad placement for power-up and skips balanced around engagement without frustration
5. Testing: Full QA on both emulators and real Android devices
6. Deployment: The app was released on Google Play with localization and testing before launch.
Client Feedback:
The client liked how flexible and speedy Unity was to develop. The game's monetization worked well without making users feel overwhelmed. The ability to swiftly provide updates, fix bugs, and add new levels kept users interested post launch.
Conclusion
Car Jam: Escape Puzzle shows how a Unity-based puzzle game with simple mechanics can become very popular by having optimal performance, easy-to-understand gameplay, and effective monetization. Its design consists of scalable level data and careful UX, which ensures it remains accessible while offering a satisfying challenge.
Results
More than 10 million downloads on Google Play within a few months of introduction
A 4.8-star rating from more than 15,000 reviews
Daily retention and replayability stayed high due to easy mechanics and quick rounds
Monetisation performance:
Rewarded advertising had a lot of engagement and minimal churn
In-app purchases led to consist revenue increase
Featured in the Editor's Choice and Trending Puzzle sections
User-requested features like additional levels and better button layouts were added swiftly.
