Threes!
asherv.com
Minimal tile-sliding puzzle game about combining 1s, 2s and multiples of three.
AV
Asher Vollmer
American designer of the mobile puzzle hit Threes
Asher Vollmer at a glance
- Known for
- Threes!, Puzzlejuice and Royals
- Based in
- United States
- Indie since
- 2012
- Active products
- Threes!, Puzzlejuice and Royals
Facts checked 2026-10-22
About Asher Vollmer
Asher Vollmer is an American indie game designer best known for Threes, the 2014 iPhone puzzle game that inspired 2048. A graduate of USC's Interactive Media & Games program, he made the word game Puzzlejuice (2012) as a student with artist Greg Wohlwend, then worked briefly as a "feel engineer" at thatgamecompany before leaving in 2013 to go independent.
Threes, made with Wohlwend and composer Jimmy Hinson as Sirvo, took about 14 months to develop after a prototype written in one night. Released in February 2014, it topped the App Store paid chart, became one of its top-grossing apps, won a 2014 Apple Design Award and was named Apple's best iPhone game of 2014. Within weeks, free clones such as 2048 overshadowed it, an episode the team documented publicly.
Vollmer went on to make the pay-what-you-want simulation Royals (2015), co-founded Sirvo Studios, which released Guildlings in 2019, and co-founded Vodeo Games, whose brick-breaker RPG Beast Breaker launched in 2021; Vodeo closed in 2022. Threes came to Steam for its 10th anniversary in 2024.
Products by Asher Vollmer
Puzzlejuice
en.wikipedia.org
iOS word-and-block puzzle game made as a student with Greg Wohlwend.
Royals
asherv.com
Pay-what-you-want simulation game for Mac and Windows.
Guildlings
en.wikipedia.org
Mobile adventure game from Sirvo Studios.
Beast Breaker
en.wikipedia.org
Brick-breaking RPG from Vodeo Games for Switch and PC.
Timeline
- 2012 — Released Puzzlejuice and joined thatgamecompany as a feel engineer.
- 2013 — Left thatgamecompany to go independent.
- 2014 — Released Threes, which won an Apple Design Award and Apple's iPhone Game of the Year.
- 2019 — Sirvo Studios released Guildlings.
- 2021 — Vodeo Games released Beast Breaker.
- 2024 — Released Threes on Steam for its 10th anniversary.
How Asher builds
- Polish one simple mechanic until it feels perfect.
- Work with a tiny trio of design, art and music.
- Game feel matters as much as rules.
Asher Vollmer FAQ
Who is Asher Vollmer?
Asher Vollmer is an American indie game designer best known for Threes, the 2014 iPhone puzzle game that inspired 2048.
Who made Threes?
Threes was made by designer Asher Vollmer with artist Greg Wohlwend and composer Jimmy Hinson, released on iOS on February 6, 2014.
Did 2048 copy Threes?
2048 creator Gabriele Cirulli has said his game was conceptually similar to Threes and inspired by the Threes-like clone 1024; free clones like 2048 quickly overshadowed Threes after launch.
How much money did Threes make?
Sales figures were never published, but Threes topped the App Store paid chart and was among its 25 highest-grossing apps shortly after release in 2014.
What awards did Threes win?
Threes won a 2014 Apple Design Award, was named Apple's best iPhone game of 2014 and received an Excellence in Design honorable mention at the IGF.
What else has Asher Vollmer made?
He also made Puzzlejuice, Royals, Guildlings (Sirvo Studios) and Beast Breaker (Vodeo Games, which closed in 2022).
Where is Asher Vollmer based?
Asher Vollmer is based in United States.
What is Asher Vollmer doing now?
As of October 2026, Asher Vollmer's active products include Threes!, Puzzlejuice, Royals and Guildlings.
How long has Asher Vollmer been an indie maker?
Asher Vollmer has been building independently since 2012, about 14 years.
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