UNC undergrad, community entrepreneur team up to create mobile app game Stratagem!

The new strategy game is now available for download from the Apple App Store and Google Play

Published March 16, 2018

A lover of checkers, chess and connect four, Marcus Robertson has always been interested in puzzles and games of strategy. As a kid, he thought it would be cool to combine them to create his own game that was just as complex — and would involve being one step ahead of opponents. 

Along with the help of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Department of Computer Science, Robertson was able to bring his game Stratagem! to life.

 

“I picked the name Stratagem because it means ‘to devise a scheme against your opponent to outwit or outsmart them’,” says Robertson. “I had to find a way to get the game from out of my mind and into the world.”

Once the idea for Stratagem! was born, Robertson needed a team to make it a reality. Like many budding entrepreneurs, he was not sure where to start. As a new member of the Chapel Hill entrepreneurial community, he reached out to UNC’s Department of Computer Science to find the right person to develop the game and help bring it to the rest of the world.

“I reached out to the computer science department at UNC to get their help in connecting me with students willing to work on a group project,” says Robertson. “They agreed, and after careful selection, I chose to work with Jed Huang. Even though he was a freshman at the time, he showed great signs of potential and was extremely excited for the opportunity.” 

The clean design and interface of Stratagem! allows players to focus on the strategy of the game as they aim to beat opponents.
The clean design and interface of Stratagem! allows players to focus on the strategy of the game as they aim to beat opponents.
The game's opening screen makes it easy to get started and quickly learn the concept of the game.
The game's opening screen makes it easy to get started and quickly learn the concept of the game.
Stratagem! also have the option to play online to prove their skills against other opponents.
Stratagem! also have the option to play online to prove their skills against other opponents.

Although Huang didn’t have much experience yet as an app developer, he convinced Robertson he would do whatever was needed to learn how to code. 

“I wanted to develop video games but didn’t have mobile game development experience,” says Huang. “But I was willing to learn.”

Robertson and Huang clicked as a team and decided to embark on the Stratagem! innovation journey together. During an early planning meeting, Robertson physically pulled out two checkerboards with pieces to demonstrate the game. Huang quickly grasped the concept, and they continued to brainstorm how to take the game from simple to complex. Serious thought was needed to figure out the rules, the object of the game and how to outsmart opponents.

As Huang began to develop Stratagem! for mobile, both continued to iterate on the game – bringing in family and friends to test it, find the weak points and make them better. Huang relied on computer science professors for technical questions and used self-taught skills to develop the app.  The UNC Department of Computer Science is part of the Innovate Carolina network, which works to ensure faculty, students and staff at UNC-Chapel Hill have the knowledge, tools and resources they need to turn their ideas into real-world innovations. The network also connects entrepreneurs and innovators in the community with the right talent in UNC’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“You need to find a team you can depend on because you can’t do it 100 percent yourself. Leverage resources around you – there are always people willing to help, just like Innovate Carolina and the entrepreneurship network at UNC.”

Marcus Robertson, creator of Stratagem! Tweet

Once the team was moving on development, they added team member Patrick Terry – a senior at Duke University – to help create the logo and design branding materials. As the team members worked together, not only did they learn how to improve the game, they learned how to improve their innovation process.

“You need to have a really good team where you can all trust one another,” says Robertson. “We each had our own projects and lives going on at the same time, but we trusted one another to get the job done. Without a good team that has trust, it’s not going to work.”

“Communication is huge,” says Huang. “At the beginning of our work, we hadn’t formed a process for reliable communication. We weren’t giving each other consistent updates and determined regular check-ins would be necessary.”

In between academics, life events, internships and jobs, the team was able to create, develop and bring the unique game to market within a year.

“As a student you should always strive for your best and be certain of your priorities,” says Huang. “Entrepreneurship should be treated like an additional course as far as investing in and researching that topic. Put your interest at the top without sacrificing relationships with friends and coursework. It’s good to achieve that balance.”

“You need to find a team you can depend on because you can’t do it 100 percent yourself,” says Robertson. “Leverage resources around you – there are always people willing to help, just like Innovate Carolina and the entrepreneurship network at UNC.”

So far, the game is receiving strong reviews and has great potential to snag many users. Robertson plans to expand the capabilities of Strategem!, including updated graphics, different game modes and the increased ability to play with friends.

Download Strategem! at no cost in the Apple App store and on Google Play.