In Chrome, a dinosaur appears when the browser can’t display a webpage - like when your Internet connection is offline. Oh, and yes - in case “Steve” looks familiar - the dinosaur character and the gameplay itself was inspired by the Google Chrome Easter egg. “I wanted to do a simple game just to improve my code skills and decided to do so in the Notification Center for two reasons: to challenge myself and to see if it was possible,” says De Cabo.

“Steve,” meanwhile, was a side project built in a weekend. The game was created by 22-year old founder Iván De Cabo, who currently works as an iOS junior software developer in Spain where he’s also involved in other startups, including one he co-founded. (To be honest, the game is not complex enough to require an explanation, but there you go anyway!) And when you die, you can tap to start over. You can even choose to turn the game’s arcade-like sounds on or off right within the Notification Center, too. Once added, you simply drag down the Notification Center from the top of your iPhone’s screen and then tap to start playing. You don’t even have to launch an app.Īfter installing the game, if you tap its app icon, it will just display the steps required to add a widget to your Notification Center, in case you’re not already familiar with how iOS widgets work. “Steve” changes that by offering a mindless time-waster of a game requiring little commitment on the user’s part. To date, these sort of tappable widgets have been more purpose-based or utility driven, however. In the past, that’s led to interactive Notification Center apps like Launch Center Pro, which lets you launch apps right from the Notification Center, or Workflow, which puts shortcuts to frequent actions into the Notification Center, for example. It’s always interesting to see what app developers can come up with when they push the boundaries of what’s possible with the current technology, of course. But what’s clever is the integration with the iOS Notification Center - a place you don’t normally find entertainment experiences like this.

Called “ Steve – The Jumping Dinosaur Widget Game,” the game is a very simple experience involving a dinosaur that, as the name implies, you make jump to avoid obstacles in order to achieve the highest score.Īs a typical game, there wouldn’t be much to write home about here.

App Store and is flirting with becoming a top 50 Overall app. A mobile game that you can play in your iPhone’s Notification Center - yes, without even unlocking your phone - is now the No. Casual gaming, say hello to super-duper casual gaming.

Steve the jumping dinosaur gets bigger