With extremely challenging times ahead due to the wide spread COVID-19 virus, many people today are having trouble getting adjusted to their new reality of self-isolation. A lot of people finding ways to cope with the anxiety of being stuck at home can be challenging – that’s why one entrepreneur is helping out with the use of an app.
Christian Massa, an entrepreneur from West Haven, created an iPhone game app called Square Darr, back in 2014. He wanted to create a game that was not just fun but challenging. About a year after the release of the app, Massa pulled the game from the iTunes store and shifted his focus on a new business venture with his family.
“I released the app in 2015 but shortly after releasing I pulled it out of the iTunes Store to focus on a start-up with my family called Aquatec Flooring.
After hearing about how people weren’t taking covid-19 to seriously and not following the CDC guidelines, he thought the game’s re-issue could have a beneficial effect.
“I re-released the app back in the game store to try to see if I can curb the amount of people going outside by offering cash donations to those who play the app,” he said. “I’ve had over 1000 downloads since the re-release I do ‘pop-up challenges’ on my Instagram (Instagram.com/massa) where I post ‘insta stories’ (Instagram stories) giving challenge details,”
He recently hosted the “Square Darr 20-for-20 challenge.” The first three people who scored 20 were Venmoed them $20.
“We had three winners, two of them coming from the West Haven and the other from California,” he said.
A recent challenge had many players on the app for over three hours of play time per user trying to get 20.
The game is pretty simple; users must get a little black square through an opening in the falling red lines. Trying to keep as many people indoors as possible, Massa holds daily competitions on his Instagram page where he gives away cash prizes, which are sent via Venmo or Cash App.
Massa is 28, and a graduate of West Haven High School. He lists his occupations as actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur.
“I’ve been on a few investigation discovery shows in 2013-2014. I created a short film called Pressure with my brother Joe in 2016 that dedication to people suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts. That led into me being the assistant director of the documentary ‘My Suicide Story,’ which my brother Joe created. I’m also the co-founder of our family business “Aquatec Flooring” aquatecflooring.com.
If the name sounds familiar, his brother, Joe Massa, was the subject of a March profile for his Youtube documentary.
The re-release of the game has had its benefits, not only to the players, but to the inventor. He says since he put the game back out on the market, he’s been very hands-on.
“I play to maintain the app, bug fixes etc.,” he said. “People tell me all the time how addicting the app is and how hard it is. A lot of people compared it to Flappy Bird.”
In the coming weeks, once the COVID-19 era is behind us, he hopes to get back into those things that he does professionally. For the time being, he is doing what everyone else is doing, going along to get along. His game, though, has made that “going and getting” a bit more palatable for many thousands.
For more information on Christian Massa and to participate in the Square Darr challenge, follow Massa’s Instagram: Instagram.com/massa.