A note from the developer
This is a translation: the French version is the original.
I love rub-on stickers. As a kid, I filled whole pages with them: the sheet laid flat, the pencil rubbed gently, and the picture moving onto the paper without anyone really knowing how. It's a childhood memory. Decalco was born from the wish to find it again, and then to share it.
A game that asks for nothing
I wanted an app with no ads, no trackers and no account. Nothing leaves the device. The windows announcing a sticker won can be turned off too: a long press (or a right-click) on the page, then the "Pop-ups" switch.
The game is played with a finger, without needing to read. I made it for children, but adults have their place in it too, next to them or on their own.
Children and screens
Children's well-being in front of screens matters to me. The guidelines advise waiting until age 6, and that is the age Decalco is made for. After that, everyone raises their children as they see fit: every family is free, and the game is made to fit in.
Many games are built to hold children's attention as long as possible. I wanted something else: a calm game you open, close, and come back to for the fun of it rather than out of habit.
Learning through play
As a kid, I had programs on the family computer. I learned lots of things from them without noticing, and that is where I got the taste for learning. In Decalco, every animal has its card, with real facts to discover. The landscapes also change a lot from one page to the next, to travel a little.
The game also teaches how to use a screen, whether a computer, a tablet or a phone. You drag a picture, enlarge it, rotate it, move it in front of or behind another, then save your work: a bit like in creative software. The first gestures of technology, learned with nothing at stake.
Pictures made with AI
I'd rather say it plainly: Decalco's pictures are made with AI, using ChatGPT, and the code was written with Claude Code. I have neither the time to develop everything myself nor the money to pay an illustrator who could draw this many stickers. Choices had to be made. I chose to make the game, and to use AI wisely.
I understand if you refuse to play a game made with AI, or don't want to show these pictures to your children. It's a choice I respect.
Respect first
I tried to be as respectful as possible. Animals, landscapes, peoples and their clothing: I wanted to show the diversity of the world as best I could, while respecting cultures and religions. The landscapes to come will follow the same path.
Who keeps the game going
Decalco is free. Later, extra landscapes may be bought in the app, as an option, once and for all. There is no one else behind the game: that money goes straight to my personal account, and lets me keep going.
Thank you for playing.