A NEW number puzzler, developed in the North East, has reached number 32 in the top 50 iPhone games chart just weeks after its launch in America.

Players in 27 countries are now enjoying GoSum, which was invented and designed by Yarm-based entrepreneur Colin Thompson, after he realised there was a shortage of games on the market to teach children about numbers.

Thompson sought the help of project manager Jason Green, finance director Stephen Black and computer programmer Gary Boon, of Shout Digital in Newcastle, to develop the app and form the company, Aaptek.

It took three years, 40,000 lines of programming and a six-figure investment before the game was finally ready for release last month.

Players are now enjoying GoSum in the UK, US, China, Russia, Argentina, Germany, Canada as the language- transcending game is tipped to go global, delivering a twist to the classic word game Scrabble.

Thompson said: “I thought of the idea for the game back in the 1980s when I was trying to make maths fun for my children.

“It was originally developed as a board game but then Jason told me it would make a brilliant app.

“At 63 years old my initial question was, what’s an app? After a bit of research into the app market I quickly realised the game’s potential and our small team spent years honing in on a fun yet educational game that could translate the joy of numbers while appealing to an audience of all skill levels.

“It only launched in America on August 3 and we’re amazed at it reaching number 32 in the international iPhone games chart.

“However, we don’t want this to be a flash in the pan.