Ordia is the winner of a 2019 Apple Design Award, which recognizes the creative artistry and technical achievements of developers who reflect the best in design, innovation, and technology on Apple platforms.

Luke Holland, creator of Ordia, has received all sorts of feedback about his inventive puzzle game, but he’s noticed a recurring theme: People are really, really worried about its protagonist.

“They feel quite sorry for the blob!” he says from his London home. “There’s a lot of empathy and a certain amount of worry. I think it’s because the character is basically an eyeball.”

He’s right. Ordia may be a one-finger action platformer that blends rich visuals with a clever concept—but, yeah, you basically play an eyeball. As a new life-form exploring its primordial world, you slingshot yourself through a burbling alien landscape.

Playing couldn’t be simpler: Drag to aim, leap from dot to dot, avoid hairy-looking obstacles, and try to keep up as the game gets trickier over its dozens of levels.

Here Holland tells the creation story of his primordial world.

Design was first and the story followed. It was fun to think, OK, what would the narrative be if a blob was moving through parts of the world?

I set two main considerations: First, everything had to work with one input—that’s where the drag-and-release play came from. It’s something people do every day anyway, so they expect it when starting a game.

Second, I decided on portrait orientation, because I think it’s the most comfortable way to interact with your device, especially when you’re on the go. And the ability to play with one hand is always nice.

From there it moves on to: How do I design a level that’s more vertical? How do I design game elements that can work in a more narrow space, with gravity always pulling you back down? It’s a very fine line, creating something that’s challenging but not too hard.

We put a lot of care into making every part of Ordia feel cohesive and thoughtful, making sure the playfulness extends beyond just the gameplay into the controls, sounds, even the menus.

When I’m watching people play, seeing them scream when they die or get really tense when they’re being chased—it’s really fun to see that kind of emotional response. You want people to feel challenged. Challenge is fun. Having something to overcome is part of why we play.