ZugZwang
August 7, 2025
Overview
ZugZwang is a fast, strategic mobile game where chess-like planning meets endless runner pace. The rook, knight, and bishop move automatically, so keep them alive as long as you can. Swipe to rearrange tiles, open paths, and outsmart obstacles.
ZugZwang was developed as a student project at the S4G School for Games between June and August 2025.
My Role as a Producer
Project Management
I managed the YouTrack backlog and planned features through detailed feature documents. For a mobile game, fast iteration was critical, so I implemented 1 week sprints to maintain momentum.
Since no one had used this tool before, I created a YouTrack guide so people could look up how to use it whenever they needed.
Team Communication
With 9 creative people, finding good times to ask for help or feedback was tricky. So I created a weekly schedule showing when people were available and open to questions. This made communication way smoother. We also did daily playtesting to keep iteration moving.
IFA
I represented Zugzwang at IFA 2025 with Tommy Grzembke. We gathered direct feedback from players and I also got features in a Interview with Gamereactor.
My role as a Designer
I co-wrote early stages of the GDD to define core mechanics and systems. I supported the level design by creating Photoshop templates for prototyping. I also managed playtests, gathered feedback, and handled quality assurance.
My role as a Generalist
I produced the SFX and half of the soundtrack. I distributed the game on Google Play. I created marketing content for social media (posts and videos). At each milestone, I presented the project’s progress.