https://zafronix.com/blog/ Notes from building Zafronix games, siono.app, the World Cup API, and Next-Gen Chess. en-us Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Zafronix static blog https://zafronix.com/blog/why-we-built-siono.html https://zafronix.com/blog/why-we-built-siono.html Group chats are great at making plans, terrible at making decisions. siono is the smallest possible tool that closes the loop — in 15 seconds. Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://zafronix.com/blog/why-we-built-the-wc-api.html https://zafronix.com/blog/why-we-built-the-wc-api.html A developer-friendly JSON API for the FIFA World Cup — every tournament since 1930, sub-200ms responses, free tier with no card required. Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://zafronix.com/blog/92-years-of-world-cup-data.html https://zafronix.com/blog/92-years-of-world-cup-data.html 2,500 players, 23 tournaments, 6 confederations — birth-month curves, post-WW2 squad-size growth, and the surprising hemisphere split. Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://zafronix.com/blog/live-data-honesty.html https://zafronix.com/blog/live-data-honesty.html A 5-minute live-data lag isn't a compromise — it's a deliberate fit for fantasy games, prediction trackers, and recap widgets. Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://zafronix.com/blog/why-we-built-wayfinders.html https://zafronix.com/blog/why-we-built-wayfinders.html Wayfinders is a $4.99 historical-navigation edutainment title — sail as five great navigators. No ads, no IAPs, no dark patterns. Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://zafronix.com/blog/why-we-built-alchemymix.html https://zafronix.com/blog/why-we-built-alchemymix.html AlchemyMix is the element-discovery sandbox we wanted to play: 91 elements, 87 recipes, no daily limits, no IAPs beyond the unlock. Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://zafronix.com/blog/why-we-built-mergeblitz.html https://zafronix.com/blog/why-we-built-mergeblitz.html 2048 is a great puzzle idea, but you can't play one map forever. MergeBlitz adds 4 modes — Classic, Blitz, Daily, Campaign. Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://zafronix.com/blog/why-we-built-brainblitz.html https://zafronix.com/blog/why-we-built-brainblitz.html Mental math is one of the best 30-second workouts your brain gets. BrainBlitz is the ad-free, IAP-free speed-math quiz we wanted to play. Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://zafronix.com/blog/why-we-built-next-gen-chess.html https://zafronix.com/blog/why-we-built-next-gen-chess.html Most chess apps optimize for rating. Next-Gen Chess optimizes for learning — a free AI coach that explains every move while you play. Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000