At Symbolic Software, we build tools like Verifpal for formal verification of cryptographic protocols. We maintain Kyber-K2SO, a clean implementation of ML-KEM, the post-quantum key encapsulation mechanism standardized by NIST. We recently launched Magicall, an end-to-end encrypted video calling platform with verifiable authentication.

Today we release Drain Brain, a puzzle game about placing pipes before liquid catches up to you. This is our fourth game, following Piccolo: Othello, Runes of Ardun and Dr. Kobushi’s Labyrinthine Laboratory.

We have now released four puzzle games. I am occasionally asked to explain this. Some have questioned whether an applied cryptography consultancy—one that has conducted over 250 security audits for organizations including Coinbase, Mozilla, 1Password, and Zoom—should be allocating resources to games about pipe placement. These people raise an interesting point that I have decided not to engage with.

About Drain Brain

Drain Brain is a blast. It’s a fast-paced pipe puzzle game inspired by the classics—you’re given a grid, a starting point, and a goal. A queue feeds you pipe pieces one at a time. Place them. Build a path. You have a few seconds before liquid starts flowing through whatever you’ve managed to construct.

Every pipe the liquid fills scores points. Cross pipes can score twice if liquid flows through both directions. But if the flow hits a dead end before you’ve extended the path, you have a brief grace period to fix it—or it’s game over.

The tension is where the fun is! You’re always building just ahead of the flow, always one bad piece away from disaster, always scanning the queue for that elbow joint you desperately need.

Neo-3310 Aesthetic

Drain Brain is a love letter to the LCD handhelds of the late 90s. We call the visual style “Neo-3310”—the chunky pixels and four-shade palette of Nokia phones and the original Game Boy, with subtle modern touches for depth. The rules:

The constraints are strict: four colors only, no exceptions. Square corners everywhere—border-radius is banned. Shadows must be sharp-edged and offset, never blurred. No particle effects, no glow, no bloom. If it couldn’t run on a device from 1998, it doesn’t belong.

The Soundtrack

I’m thrilled to have Nobonoko on board for the soundtrack. Their tracks go really well with the gameplay, and are a joy to listen to besides!

Game Center leaderboards

Drain Brain features full Game Center integration, bringing global competition to your fingertips. Compete against players worldwide on leaderboards that track your highest scores across different game modes. Watch your name climb the ranks as you master the art of pipe placement and optimize your routes for maximum points.

Achievements add another layer of challenge for completionists. From placing your first hundred pipes to surviving marathon sessions without a single mistake, there’s always a new milestone to chase.

Get It

Drain Brain is available now on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It’s free, ad-free, and tracker-free. Go play it!