Game On: Intel® x86 and Unity Contest Challenge Success on the Android Platform

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Intel recently teamed up with Unity Technologies, maker of the Unity* game development engine, to offer a fun contest that gave game developers an opportunity to build their games with native x86 support for Android* using Unity 5. In February, hundreds of game developers took up the Intel x86 and Unity contest challenge, demonstrating the growing interest in providing native x86 support for the Android platform.

As you may know, x86 support for Android is now available in both Unity 4 and Unity 5. If you’re interested in seeing for yourself how easy it is to add x86 support to your existing Android build in Unity, check out how to produce a fat APK that includes both x86 and ARM* libraries.

The Intel® x86 and Unity* Contest

To participate in the Intel x86 and Unity contest, developers simply recompiled their existing games to include x86 support for Android; added the phrase, “Optimized for Intel® x86 mobile devices," to their app’s description in Google Play; and submitted their entry. Winners were selected at random and awarded one of three prizes: a Unity 5 Pro license, an Acer Iconia* Tab 8 with Android, or an Intel® Solid State Drive 730 Series (240‑GB).

We received about 300 entries, representing a large community of international developers, from Singapore to Mexico. Big production games, indie releases, and even students and hobbyists participated. A wide spectrum of games was submitted—role-player games (RPGs), strategy games, board games, arcade games, racing games, sports games, and action games.

We’re now in the process of shipping these prizes to the lucky winners. Congratulations to the winning developers! Let’s check out some of the games they made.

Some of Our Contest Winners

Candy World Quest from Ludic Side Game Studio in Brazil is a sweet confection of a game. This sugary adventure might appear reminiscent of Candy Crush or Angry Birds at first glance, but Candy World Quest has a charm all its own. In the game, players toss donuts onto the stick of a candy apple to unlock even more challenging, fun, and whimsical stages, with multiple targets and complicated obstacles.

Another standout contest winner is Farming USA by an American game developer Bowen Games, LLC.

In this farming simulator, attractively rendered in a realistic three-dimensional world, players follow the farming cycle—planting, growing, and harvesting crops—while feeding and raising cows, pigs, sheep, and horses. They can walk or drive anywhere on their farm, sitting in the driver’s seat of one of more than 25 farm vehicles, including tractors, combines, semis, and trucks as they perform their daily tasks.

MOB: The Prologue is a thrilling adventure from SOGWARE, a game development company based in Korea.

This prelude to the Mirror of Bestia (MOB) RPG features epic boss fights and exciting action battles in which pretty anime-style Hunting Girls defend towns on the Soria continent by fighting a series of progressively tougher monsters. As the challenges become more formidable, players can boost the girls’ power by selecting amulets for them to use in their showdowns.

Performance is also supercharged for x86, of course. As SOGWARE enthusiastically noted in its Google Play* app description of the game, “Now Intel x86 mobile devices are supported and optimized thanks to Intel and Unity!"

Crescent Moon Games also joined the party with its entry, Gear Jack Black Hole.

Well known for titles such as Ravensword: The Fallen King, this prolific publisher and developer contributed a game that is as artistic as it is unique. The visuals are truly remarkable, perfectly setting the scene for our hero Jack’s race to escape the black hole or face certain doom. Along this endless runner’s quest, he embarks on a series of missions through fascinating realms and scenes such as Japan, Iceland, a volcanic world, a desert, and an engine room.

Conclusion

All in all, it was amazing to witness the buzz and excitement generated among game developers as a result of the contest. Thanks to all the fantastic game developers that entered the Unity competition and shared their awesome games with us. We’re thrilled that you chose to participate. Thanks to Unity, too, for being such an excellent partner in this initiative!