Six Weeks From Empty Repo to the App Store: Building Pulse Gate for RevenueCat's Shipaton 2026

Pulse Gate, a one-tap timing puzzle game developed for iOS by RevenueCat's Shipaton 2026, went from a six-week build to the App Store with just one designer and developer. The core mechanic involves a continuously rotating pointer that locks in an anchor angle when tapped, and a pulse expands outward to register a hit if the target gate is open, at the correct angle, and at the exact moment the pulse reaches it.

This single primitive forms the basis of 200 levels featuring rotating, shifting, blinking gates, and inverted polarity from level 61 onwards.

The game's monetization model evolved from an all-free concept to a single 0.99 EUR non-consumable unlock for levels 11-100, adhering to App Store rules and RevenueCat's requirements. Initially, the game avoided in-app purchases, but this approach was discarded due to App Store rules and the need to meet Shipaton's economics. The purchase model remained consistent with a single unlock, one price, and no recurring elements.

RevenueCat became a necessity for eligibility, as native StoreKit 2 implementation disqualified the entry from Shipaton. On August 5, just a day before submission, the purchase system migrated from StoreKit 2 to RevenueCat. The app retained its original purchase interface, with only the underlying source of truth changing from StoreKit to RevenueCat's customerInfoStream.

Two API keys and separate debug and release builds were required, including generating an In-App-Purchase key in App Store Connect before real-world purchases could be validated.

Three critical bugs influenced the development process. Firstly, a string literal comparison error caused solvability issues in the game's validation script, resulting in 46 levels needing rebalancing. Secondly, the pulse visual effect appeared incorrect on-device despite correct game logic, highlighting the importance of testing across different devices. Lastly, a rule change in the App Store affected monetization, a topic many iOS Shipaton entrants encountering paid content may soon confront.