— a calm, independent game studio —

Manu Games

A one-person studio in the western mountains of North Carolina, making patient, deeply systemized work. Our flagship game Tideward is in open alpha on every Apple device; under the Cruxsmith mark we build the software and search systems behind other people's businesses.

An illuminated manuscript page: a hooded figure on a misted cliff at dusk, looking out over a valley with distant towers and a glowing beacon, framed in gold celtic knotwork with rampant lions in the lower corners.
— from the studio's first folio, A.D. mmxxvi —
Join the Tideward alpha → Open the Arcade Join the assembly
— Chapter the First —

The library.

Two cabinets, illuminated. The works of the studio, set down in order: games on the left hand, lighter cartridges on the right.

GamesTwo volumes

The Tideward app icon
Volume the First Alpha · February ad mmxxvii

Tideward

An idle almanac for every Apple device. Patient, deeply systemized.

A privacy-first idle role-playing game, native to every Apple device. Twenty-four trades, twenty-four hours of offline progression, twin combat and gathering loops, and a small crafted world to explore at your own pace. Saves live only in the player's own iCloud.

  • Devices iPhone · iPad · Mac · TV · Vision · Watch
  • Launch February A.D. mmxxvii
  • Price Free · $9.99 unlock · no ads, no subscription
Play the free alpha → tideward.app ↗
A heavy oxblood-leather grimoire on a dark table, sealed with a tarnished brass clasp, lit by a single candle. The cover bears an unreadable gold sigil.
Volume the Second Sealed · in concept

— sealed —

A second volume, not yet ready to be read.

A second game is in early design. We will say more when there is more worth saying. Subscribers to the assembly will be told first; the rest of the world will be told eventually.

Hear it first

Apps & lighter worksOne leaflet

An illuminated cartouche titled Peanut Gallery: three hooded medieval figures on a stone bench, gawking and gesturing at something off-page, surrounded by a marginalia border of peanuts, vines, and theatre masks.
A Leaflet Live

Peanut Gallery

Not a game. Still ours.

A small Chrome extension at peanutgallery.live. Built between bigger projects. Open-source under MIT, BYOK by default, no ads, no tracking cookies. It keeps its own privacy policy and terms on its own site.

Open the app →
— Chapter the Second —

The wider studio.

The games are the heart of the work. Two other ventures share the same hand: software built for hire, and a small register of names for sale.

The Workshop Open for work

Cruxsmith

The technical partner a small business does not keep on staff.

Manu Games' software and search practice — websites, AI automation, custom software, and the infrastructure underneath. The same hands that build the games, hired out. See the two tools the studio built for itself first: Sextant and Indenture.

Enter the workshop → cruxsmith.com ↗
The Cartulary Names for sale

Domains

A short register of names, held for the right end-user.

The studio keeps a small portfolio of brandable .com names, claimed just ahead of demand and priced for the company building the thing — not for resale. Listed on the major marketplaces; transferred through escrow.

Read the register →
— Chapter the Third —

The Scriptorium.

An oxblood wax seal stamped with an ornate letter M, the studio's mark.
— studio mark, mmxxvi —

Manu Games LLC is a single-member LLC, run by one person from a small office in Waynesville, North Carolina, the western mountains of North Carolina. Pure SwiftUI. CloudKit sync only. No ad networks. No third-party SDKs. No cross-site tracking of any kind.

The studio's posture is patient. Games here are built the way books used to be made: a single hand, a long table, and time enough to get the small things right. The work is meant to last — to be played slowly, kept on a home screen for years, and trusted with one's quiet hours.

Read the longer chapter on the studio →

— Chapter the Fourth —

The Assembly Line.

A bulletin on factory and idle games — design notes, patch readings, and the occasional dispatch from the studio. Written by a working developer.

— Tuesday —
The Deep Dive
One long-form essay on a system, a design choice, or a quiet trick of the trade.
— Friday —
The Conveyor Belt
A curated dispatch — the few things from the week that are worth your attention.

Past issues are bound at blog.manugames.com.

— Chapter the Fifth —

Frequently asked, plainly answered.

A short folio of questions the studio receives most often. For App-specific questions, the longer FAQ lives at tideward.app/faq.

What is Manu Games?

Manu Games LLC is a one-person indie game studio in Waynesville, North Carolina, founded in 2026. The studio makes patient, deeply systemized games for Apple devices — built in pure SwiftUI with CloudKit-only sync, no analytics, no ads, and no third-party SDKs.

Who makes Tideward?

Tideward is developed and published by Manu Games LLC, a one-person studio in Waynesville, NC. The official site for the game is tideward.app.

When does Tideward launch?

Tideward is in TestFlight alpha now and ships in February 2027 on the United States App Store, native to iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, and Apple Watch.

Is Tideward free?

Tideward is a free download with a one-time $9.99 unlock that grants access to the full game on every Apple device you own. There are no subscriptions, no in-game currencies, no ads, and no battle passes. The TestFlight alpha is free to join while the game is in development.

How do I join the Tideward TestFlight alpha?

Open https://tideward.app/install/ on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac running a recent OS. Install Apple's free TestFlight app first if you do not already have it; Tideward will install like any other app.

What is The Assembly Line?

The Assembly Line is the studio's free newsletter on factory and idle games — long-form Deep Dives and curated Conveyor Belt roundups. Written by a working developer; subscribe at blog.manugames.com or via the form on this page.

What other games is Manu Games making?

A second cabinet is in early concept; details will be announced when there is more worth saying. Subscribers to The Assembly Line are told first. The studio also maintains Peanut Gallery, a small open-source Chrome extension at peanutgallery.live.

What is Cruxsmith?

Cruxsmith is Manu Games LLC's software and search practice — websites, AI automation, and custom software for small businesses, built by the same engineer who makes the studio's games. It keeps its own site at cruxsmith.com, and the studio runs its own tools (Sextant and Indenture) on it.

Does Manu Games sell domain names?

Yes. The studio holds a small portfolio of brandable .com domain names for sale to end-users, listed on the major marketplaces and transferred through escrow. The current register is at manugames.com/domains.

Where is Manu Games based?

Manu Games LLC is a North Carolina single-member LLC, headquartered at 89 Waynesville Plaza #1028, Waynesville, NC 28786. The studio operates from the western mountains of North Carolina.