Centerfold Squares
| Industry | Video games |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1980s |
| Products | Centerfold Squares |
Centerfold Squares, known as Centrefold Squares in the European market, is an erotic puzzle title created and independently released by Artworx in 1988 for the Amiga, Atari ST, and DOS platforms. The gameplay merges a modified form of Reversi with the gradual uncovering of sections of nude photographs as players accumulate points. In Europe, CDS Software handled distribution, while in Spain, Proein S.A published it under its original American name.
Gameplay
Centerfold Squares presents a 'Double-Up' version of Reversi played on a 10×10 board, beginning with four counters placed centrally. The player faces off against an AI opponent with selectable difficulty levels by default, placing discs to flip opposing pieces. Certain squares on the board affect scoring and turns: red squares lower points, green ones increase them, and yellow squares grant additional moves. A '???' button triggers unpredictable events, including significant point changes or immediate round conclusions.
Points are earned by flipping opponent counters; achieving a predetermined score secures victory for that round. Points are used to remove black tiles overlaying digitized nude images—each tile demands a specific point cost to clear. Should the AI win, any uncovered tiles are re-covered.
The core game features twelve photographs of female models, with an expansion disk offering eleven extra images. Each photo corresponds to an AI difficulty tier—Below Average, Average, or Above Average—tied to the image unlocked rather than chosen by the player.
Ports
Sound effects and the ability to save progress are exclusive to the MS-DOS version. This edition supports CGA, EGA, and Tandy Graphics Adapter display modes. The Amiga release can be initiated directly from the workbench, whereas the Atari ST version permits simultaneous use of two disk drives to run both game disks concurrently.
Development
In Europe, the title was changed to Centrefold Squares and published by CDS Software, with Proein S.A handling Spanish distribution. The Amiga edition was launched approximately in April 1988.
The game's nude digitized images were originally captured in 16 shades of gray and then digitally colored via a technique named 'Digitized Plus'. Designer Doug McFarland detailed that camera filters enhanced contrast levels and edges were meticulously retouched to remove aliasing artifacts, resulting in colors more vivid than standard digitization methods. Although initially intended to include ten female and two male models, the final product featured only twelve female models.
All versions were priced at US$29.95 in 1988 and sold for about 65-70 Deutsche Mark in Germany. The DOS release cost 2250 Spanish pesetas in 1990.
Reception
In a 1991 overview of adult computer games, VideoGames & Computer Entertainment referenced Centerfold Squares as an illustration of how advancing hardware capabilities allowed for more visually appealing adult content, comparing its quality favorably with men's magazines.
The magazine Ahoy! lauded the Amiga edition for its tasteful approach to erotic content and high-quality graphics, describing it as "a quantum leap ahead" with attractive models and expressive visuals. While gameplay received positive remarks, criticism was directed at the absence of a save function due to lengthy matches. Overall, Ahoy! characterized it as "pretty, sexy, and fun to play."
The publication .info gave the Amiga version three out of five stars, finding the gameboard graphics somewhat simplistic and the digitized nudes less sharp compared to free public-domain alternatives. Nevertheless, challenging AI opponents and engaging gameplay were acknowledged.
German magazine Power Play rated the DOS version poorly at 6%, dismissing it as a shallow "look-at-my-EGA-digitized-boobs" experience and labeling it tedious.
Spanish magazine Amstrad Sinclair Ocio awarded an 8/10 score to the DOS edition, commending its addictive nature, strong motivation through revealing squares mechanics, and "magnificent digitized graphics" noted for realism. Despite limited sound effects, it praised the inclusion of a save feature and summarized the game as "magnificent."
French magazine Génération 4 scored the Amiga version at 70%, emphasizing its innovative gameplay and attractive digitized graphics but criticizing prolonged matches caused by AI reclaiming uncovered squares.