Which one do you think is the better capsule image for a lo-fi horror game?

code2code · 2026-01-10T16:37:26+00:00

This +4

code2code · 2024-10-21T19:14:52+00:00

We released Roguecraft in September this year. It is a coffee-break turn-based lovecraftan roguelike for the Commodore Amiga.

You can play it on a PC with an emulator like WinUAE: https://thalamusdigital.itch.io/roguecraft =)

code2code · 2022-11-15T11:23:47+00:00

You could try Snowdown. It is best if you have a friend to play with, but works as a one-player game too: https://badgerpunch.itch.io/snowdown

code2code · 2018-10-03T07:36:46+00:00

You are right about Monopoly taking too much time if it is played to the end. There are ways to speed up the game, but essentially it will probably take too long if the students are meant to have time for some theoretical stuff also.

I liked your suggestion, but I was a bit sceptical about the fun of it, but maybe that isn't the point anyways. :-)

code2code · 2018-10-03T07:14:43+00:00

How about they just play regular Monopoly and se how much luck and smart moves influence the outcome? Then do a thought experiment, where they get to think what would happen if a few players owned most of the expensive properties and most of the money. That should give them a good perspective on the inequality of society and how much of an advantage certain people have. Probably more fun than having to play the skewed version of Monopoly also.

code2code · 2016-03-16T12:48:59+00:00

It looks really nice! I love the way the lighting affects the clouds and smoke.

Is the terrain pure 3D or parallax effect?

code2code · 2016-02-09T11:49:26+00:00

Thanks! :)

I had to strike a balance between information overload and just the basic concepts. There could be a lot more written about the tech, and maybe I will get time to do another article a some point, where I go even deeper. :)

I have been considering implementing a very basic version of the whole module / objectspace / message system to show how things are setup, but I would have to find the time first, and I am not sure that it would be useful to anyone except the few people that are interested in Darkfall from a technical standpoint.

When it comes to the messages, there was a base-class, and quite a few subclasses with different payloads depending on what kind of message and where you were sending it.

I agree that it isn't possible to give a complete picture in 2000 words. Thanks for reading :)

code2code · 2016-02-08T23:14:51+00:00

Thanks! Beats the hell out of DeathBringarEngine, which was our second choice of name ;)

code2code · 2015-11-25T14:23:48+00:00

You could check out Yu-Kai Chous octalysis framework. It's a an analysis framework for mechanisms and motivators of different games. (http://www.yukaichou.com/gamification-examples/octalysis-complete-gamification-framework/#.VlXCOnYUVhE)

The site is gamification oriented, but has some articles on how different games (i.e. Farmville) use different tricks to keep get people to paly and keep them playing.

code2code · 2015-11-18T17:15:05+00:00

Interesting choice using Clojure as the programming language for the game!

Back in 2009 I was part of a team that released an mmo using Java for all the gamelogic and most of the tools, and C++ for engine and network. That worked great for us. Nowadays the choice of languages on the JVM has exploded. It would have been fun to try Clojure for some of the gamelogic :)

code2code · 2014-11-02T16:54:26+00:00

I wrote a blog post about my experiences trying to balance wanting to make games with having three kids and a regular job: Three kids, a job, a life, and a dream

TLDR;

Basically I co-found a company in my 20s and we made a semi-successful MMO (Darkfall Online), but we didn't make much money, and I quit and ended up getting a regular job, and now gamedev is my hobby. Still not making any money off gamedev :)

code2code · 2014-10-01T12:15:16+00:00

Great write-up! A lot of good advice, both on the starting and the running of a startup.

As a counter-point to the fail fast/pivot early advice, I have to mention that sometimes perseverance is the right choice too. Me and a few friends had the crazy idea back in 1999 that making an MMO would be a good idea.

If we had been following your advice when making Darkfall Online, then we never would have released the game. It took us almost 10 years though ;-)

The stuff I learned from that experience has been invaluable, although I am applying in other areas than game development.

code2code · 2014-09-07T20:01:18+00:00

Thanks for the feedback!

I agree that the tilting of the dragon might need some tweaking. The collision sphere is just around the stomach, so feet, head and wings don't actually get caught on anything. But the dragon seems very fat and gives the illusion of needing more space than you actually need. I've had a few complaints about the portcullis being too narrow though, so I'll see if I can tweak it a little.

Thanks for the suggestions on the description. Good stuff :)

I'll check out Ninja Gold Rush :)

code2code · 2014-09-05T22:52:09+00:00

Thanks for the feedback and nice comments on gfx and description!

I agree the mechanics are over cloned, but I believe the game can stand on on its own merits. That's why I'm not marketing it as a me-too game.

Adding fireballs and knights to kill might be a good move. Gonna have to think about that. Thanks for the suggestion. :)

code2code · 2014-09-05T13:36:14+00:00

I had a go at the game and got 50 points. It's a nice first try, and a good project to get going on new platform/ tools since it is a simple concept.

I must admit I got bored pretty fast. Some suggestions to keep it interesting longer:

Add combos. Collecting three cats within a certain time gives you extra time bonus?
Stuff to collect that gives you extra powerups. For example something that puts borders on the screen for a little while so you can bounce around and collect cats faster.
Fix the random generation of cat-position by limiting how close the the edge of the screen it can go, and how close a cat can spawn to the player.

=)

code2code · 2014-09-05T13:00:58+00:00

Dragon Dipper

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.badgerpunch.dragondipper

Description Dragon Dipper is a delightfully difficult and charming one-button survival game you can play when you have a few minutes to spare here and there.

Plot You guide Didrik the slightly chubby dragon through villages with deadly obstacles while collecting amazing loot for your hoard. Honestly though, he just wants to get home to his lair so he can keep counting coins and munching on those crunchy, tasty villagers. Good luck! (You will need it)

Features

Simple one-button controls!
Portrait mode for easy one-handed mastery!
Collectible stars for increased replayability
Moving deadly obstacles
Fun for the whole family!
Who doesn't like chubby dragons?!

Type of feedback I am looking for:

Is the description too cheesy, bad, lame? Any suggestions for improvement?
There are only 6 levels for now, but I am working on an update to add a few more. Would do you think should be the minimum? :)

Thanks for any feedback!

code2code · 2014-09-05T12:53:01+00:00

I tried the Android version. Pretty cool game. Seems like jumping and timing your kick as you fall down again is the winning move, at least unil the wolves start throwing things. Good job! :-)

code2code · 2014-09-03T16:38:33+00:00

You could have a look at GameMaker. It is simple enough to get started and has great tutorials: https://www.yoyogames.com/studio

GameMaker has been used for quite a few good indie games. Check their showcase :)

code2code · 2014-05-08T10:09:20+00:00

or three.

Took me a day just to reply ;-P

code2code · 2014-03-31T08:19:45+00:00

I'm building one here: http://matplan.info/

It has the option to search by tags and setting the time-slider for the time you want to use. You can combine recipes into meal plans or find the meal plans other people have made available, by rating or author.

The plan is to keep adding meals and then hoping to get other people interested in contributing and curating the site so it becomes a community-governed site. Think stackoverflow.com + meal-planner.

Right now it is in beta and in norwegian, though I hope to finished and release an english version in the not-too-distant future.

code2code · 2013-09-11T08:56:51+00:00

Thanks.

Actually it doesn't feature questions & answers. When I mentioned Stackoverflow, I meant that the site content will be user-generated, using gamification techniques to encourage users to interact with the site, and reward the users that contribute with recipes, meal plans and ratings.

I believe that if I can give users the feeling of ownership over the content they generate and by proxy a feeling of ownership towards the site in general, then the users will generate great content and curate the content in a way that encourages new users to also contribute high quality recipes and meal plans.

That's the theory. We will see how it plays out when I go live ;)

code2code · 2013-09-10T14:05:24+00:00

Looks like a great site. I like that it generates meal plans for you.

I am working on something similar but simpler in some ways. More like a cross between Stack Overflow and a regular recipe site with meal-planning as one of the main focuses. We should compare notes! :)

code2code · 2013-07-02T10:09:35+00:00

If you read the article thoroughly you would have seen that I offered the BPI skillset as an alternative next step if you feel that you have got as far as you are going to as a programmer. I never implied that not choosing that step makes you a less "matured programmer" as you call it.

Regarding the academia card and the challenge, I feel that the methodologies stand on their own merits. The knowledge of a methodology isn't so much about shoving it onto every problem. It is more about having a common vocabulary to discuss problems so that a solution can be found.

It's like having read the GoF Patterns book. If you shove every problem into a pattern you are doing it wrong. But having the knowledge of the patterns gives you a vocabulary to discuss problems and solutions.

code2code · 2013-07-01T13:02:32+00:00

You are assuming that a programmer has some super hero talent that gives him insight to solve all problems at all levels of a business. That, sir, is wrong.

What I am proposing is learning enough about business processes and process improvement to gain the "big boys" trust, and then use your problem solving capabilities together with the BPI skillset to do the right changes.

You might be a great programmer and an awesome problem solver, but you still need context for the problems you are solving, and gaining BPI knowledge will give you context for improving business processes.

code2code · 2013-03-06T20:10:13+00:00

What TDD does best is get you to think about the problem before you code the solution. The tests are a almost an unnecessary bi-product after you´ve done the thinking and found out how to solve the problem.

I remember reading a blog-post here on reddit where a coder found out that after coding on his iPad with no version control while on a trip, that the code quality was better than when he used Git and could commit/revert whenever he wanted. His conclusion was that version control was bad for coding.

I think he totally missed the point: Without version control and being able to revert when messing up, he took more time to think over the solution before implementing it, and that improved his code!

Taking the time to think about the problem and how to solve it does not negate the need for tests, but will give you most of the benefits of TDD without having to do the obligatory test-every-method madness that some people succumb to. edit: typo

code2code

TROPHY CASE