How I published 6 apps as a solo developer
From 0 to 6 published apps in 4 months. The reuse architecture that made it possible, Apple rejections, and what I learned.
In January 2026 I published Sudoku Play. By May I had 6 apps on the stores. It wasn't magic or 24/7 grinding: it was architecture designed from day one to maximize code reuse between apps. Here's the complete process, including the failures.
The first app: Sudoku Play (3 weeks)
Sudoku Play was the foundation for everything. 6,000 puzzles generated with a Python backtracking algorithm, complete game engine, progression system with XP and coins, 1v1 duels, adventure mode with 5,900 levels, event sourcing for offline sync, and server-side anti-cheat. Sounds like a lot for 3 weeks, but every architectural decision was made so the code would serve the following apps.
The reuse architecture
The secret was separating code into reusable layers. Auth, friends system, offline sync, AdMob, IAP, visual design, base components — all of this is identical between apps. The only thing that changes is the game engine and gameplay-specific components. In practice, when I create a new app, 70-80% of the code already exists. I only write the new game's core and adapt interfaces with Bridge Pattern.
The shared backend
All apps share one Supabase instance with separate schemas. The global schema has users and friendships. Each game has its own schema with isolated tables, views, and functions. A player registers once and can play any of my apps with the same account. Friendships are cross-app. But game data, coins, and progression are independent per schema.
Apple rejections
Not everything was smooth. Apple rejected Color Sudoku Play for guideline 4.3(a): too similar to Sudoku Play. I had to redesign the entire UI with a unique glassmorphism system. Apple also rejected Block Drop Merge for 4.3(a) spam: I had copied AdMob IDs from another app. I learned to do exhaustive audits with grep before every submission. Each rejection taught me something and improved my process.
The 6 apps and their timelines
Sudoku Play: 3 weeks (the foundation). Color Sudoku Play: 2 weeks (massive reuse + glassmorphism). Killer Sudoku Play: 16 days (Bridge Pattern + Killer puzzle generator). Block Puzzle Play: 2 weeks (new game engine, same infra). Block Drop Play: 2 weeks (SRS Tetris engine from scratch). Color Match Drop: 2 weeks (evolution engine + biomes). Total: ~4 months for 6 apps with a single developer.
Lessons learned
Investing in architecture upfront pays off exponentially. Every hour I invested in making Sudoku Play's code reusable saved me dozens of hours in subsequent apps. Apple rejections aren't the end of the world — they're free feedback that improves your product. And most importantly: a single developer can compete with teams if they have the right architecture.
You can try all 6 of my apps on App Store and Google Play. If you have a project and want a developer who understands scalable architecture, contact me.