Curve Ball was designed to deliver a rush — giving players the sensation of smashing through obstacles, bending gravity, and blasting through levels with unstoppable force. An arcade thrill ride that keeps you coming back for more. 

It was build when I was still in school (the Highschool of Arts, Utrecht).

Development started with a simple idea—a bouncing ball colliding with solid objects. Even the first playable level was surprisingly fun. Then, the concept took off: firing the ball from cannon to cannon, adding more challenge, more momentum, and a clear goal to hit. 

To keep things exciting, I added variety:

• Collectibles for points

• High-value bonuses

• Obstacles that slowed the ball

• Breakable objects that shattered on impact

It was also time to tackle the visuals—which weren’t cutting it. I went for a “gold jewelry” theme, aiming for a rich, extravagant look. After hours of research and photo editing, this was the end result: 

Looking back at this project after many years this result was mediocre at best and I should have hired a professional artist, which I later did when I partnered up with Yoyogames, turning this concept into the much bigger Rick O' Shea.

All these improvements made the game more fun, but there was still something wrong at the core of the game. The cannons rotated way too slowly, turning action into agony. Fixing this became a priority, fine-tuning the speed to give players just enough time to aim and shoot—without the painful wait. 

Regardless of many iterations and tweaks, something still felt off. Players weren’t excited, and the cannon rotation remained frustrating—too slow or too fast, nothing was 'just right'.

That’s when I shared the game with my fellow student, Toby Hazes. He spotted the problem instantly and suggested a brilliant fix: rather then fixing the speed adjusting the cannons’ starting angles so they naturally aligned with the best trajectory. This meant that if you played well and timed correctly, you would keep firing the cannons only 1 or 2 seconds after the ball would land in them.

It was a game-changer. I had assumed that tricky timing was the fun part, but this tweak made timing matter more—missed shots were now on the player, not the game.

With this breakthrough, Curve Ball finally clicked. I built 24 levels and felt proud of the result. Though it later evolved into the more successful Rick O' Shea, Curve Ball still holds a special place for me. It’s a reminder of my early days in game development—no revenue, just passion, learning, and the joy of making something truly my own.