Centerfold Squares

• Title — Centerfold Squares • Developer — Artworx • Publisher — Artworx CDS Software (EU) Proein S.A (Spain) • Designer — Douglas McFarland • Released — 1988 • Genre — Puzzle • Modes — Single-player • Platforms — Amiga, Atari ST, DOS • Programmer — Amiga Douglas McFarland Atari ST Couchman DOS Hill • Artist — Douglas McFarland

• Illustration — As the player earns points, sections of an asymmetric rectangular grid are removed, revealing sections of a nude model. • Illustration — The game is played on a 10×10 grid. Red squares cause the player to lose points, and green squares award points. Centerfold Squares is a variation of reversi referred to as 'Double-Up' that is played on a ten by ten grid; four counters of two opposing colors are placed in the center in a two by two alternating pattern. The game is played against an AI of varying difficulty, and each player takes turns placing counters on the board next to an existing counter, and if a player surrounds an opposing counter with two counters of their own color, that counter then becomes their color. Centerfold Squares has special squares in the grid, which activate different effects when a counter is placed on them: red squares subtract points, green squares give extra points, and yellow squares allow the player to take another turn. There is also a '???' button which takes up a player's turn in exchange for a random effect, such as large point changes or instant wins or losses. Points are earned through the player changing opposing counters to their color, and earning a set number of points (determined at the beginning of the round) will win the game. The points are then used to remove one of the black tiles covering a digitized image of a nude model - each tile has a set number of points required to remove it. If the AI wins, an already revealed tile is covered up. Centerfold Squares has twelve female model photos in the base game. An expansion disk with eleven additional model photos was released. Each photo is marked with the difficulty of the AI, and the difficulty is tied to the unlockable photo as opposed to being selected by the player. The available difficulty levels are Below Average, Average, and Above Average.

Sound effects as well as a save feature are limited to the MS-DOS version. It supports CGA, EGA, and Tandy Graphics Adapter modes. The Amiga version may be launched from the workbench. The Atari ST supports the use of a second disk drive to run both game disks at once.

Centerfold Squares was retitled Centrefold Squares in Europe, and published by CDS Software. Centerfold Squares was published by Proein S.A in Spain. The Amiga version of Centerfold Squares was released around April 1988. Centerfold Squares' digitized nude graphics were originally digitized in black and white, specifically 16 levels of grey, and subsequently colored digitally in a process referred to as 'Digitized Plus'. Doug McFarland, Centerfold Squares' designer, stated that camera filters were used "to achieve better contrast", and in addendum to the images being colored digitally, "all edges are retouched to eliminate any aliasing effects. The results are more vibrant colors, superior to conventional color digitizing." Centerfold Squares was originally planned to have ten female and two male models, but this was cancelled before release in lieu of twelve female models. All ports of Centerfold Squares cost US$29.95 in 1988, and 'around 65-70' Deutschmark. The DOS version of Centerfold Squares cost 2250 Spanish peseta in 1990.