The crew behind the painted boat

Locksidelarks began with a game of mini golf scribbled on a napkin during a slow afternoon waiting at the bottom of a lock flight. By the time the boat had climbed to the top, there were nine hole sketches and a rough idea for a scorecard. We built that first course for ourselves, then kept adding games until the towpath was full.

Today there are six, each written in our own code and painted in the same bright, cheerful style as the roses and castles on a traditional narrowboat cabin. Hal the kingfisher skipper turned up early, cap and jumper and all, and has been minding the tiller ever since. You will find him on the start screens, keeping your scores company.

We are based in Britain and design for the way people really play: five spare minutes on a train, an hour after supper, side by side on a sofa with a child. Every game loads instantly in a browser, adapts to a phone or a big screen, and keeps your progress on your own device without asking for anything.

Above all, we care about calm and fairness. Points and stars come from skill, layouts can always be solved, and nothing interrupts you between rounds. If you leave the canal feeling a little more relaxed than when you arrived, then the boat has done its job, and we are very glad you came aboard.