Japan was late in getting the iPhone, and sales of the device have been slower to pick up compared with the U.S. But app developers in Japan are now coming up with their own innovations such as Q?pid, a cooperative puzzle game that was designed as a flirting tool.

Q Entertainment, which has made games for Sony’s PlayStation Portable and Nintendo’s DS portable game devices, was inspired by the iPhone’s multi-touch feature to create a finger game that’s reminiscent of Twisters. In this game, two players must move their markers in a single gesture to reveal a mystery photo. The puzzles get progressively more difficult.

“We liked the idea of fingers naturally touching each other, as two people, who might not know each other well, are able to enjoy the interaction,” said Yosuke Yoshizawa, product manager at Q Entertainment.

The company says the game also plays off of people’s desire to show off their iPhones. It created a trio of promotional videos in which a man and a woman get to know each other by playing the game.

In one, the setup is laid out as follows: “The guy is hitting on the hottie at the bar. They met for the first time, but Q?pid helped him get daring.”

The game has also been popular in families. Q Entertainment’s president, Shuji Utsumi, said he enjoyed playing it with his five-year-old daughter.

The game was first available in Japan on Jan. 8, but has been on sale in other English-language markets since Jan. 12 for $1.99. No evidence yet of whether anyone has started to date because of the app.

Previously on App Watch

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