Building Word of Treasure: Pirate word search adventure on Android

The Motivation Behind the Project

Word of Treasure sets word discovery inside a pirate adventure. Players navigate uncharted island maps, assemble letter tiles, and open secret treasure chests filled with gold and gems. Available on the Google Play Store.

Core Features and Design Goals

• Treasure Map Progression: Unlock islands, hidden caves, and nautical routes as you solve word clues.
• Chest & Gem Rewards: Earn sparkling jewels and gold coins to unlock hints and special explorer themes.
• Vocabulary Expansion: Handcrafted word challenges that reinforce spelling and linguistic dexterity for all ages.
• COPPA Compliant: Certified for families with restricted G-rated contextual ads.

Technical Implementation

• Implemented procedural level maps with SVG route paths and local level state persistence via AsyncStorage.
• Designed reusable syllable tile selection mechanics with smooth spring physics and coin reward animations.
• Configured Google Mobile Ads SDK with COPPA and GDPR-K tags to ensure full Google Play compliance.

The Technology Stack

Built with Expo, React Native, TypeScript, AsyncStorage, and react-native-google-mobile-ads.

Final Reflections

Theming elevates a simple word puzzle into an engaging journey that players want to continue. The game is live on the Google Play Store.