LudumData

Snake Using Windows by LDJam user 221199

[raw]
made by LDJam user 221199 for Ludum Dare 49 (COMPO)

Banner.png

This is a game made out of multiple app windows. What that means is that the game makes multiple copies of itself and moves/stretches these app windows to make Snake!

Since the theme of the jam is "Unstable" I decided to make a program that was itself unstable. (Although somehow, the game ended up being almost stable)

By the way, this was my first game jam. It was fun!

IMPORTANT

Press escape to close the program.

If the program crashes, delete info.txt and all the programs SHOULD close.

You should also make sure the info.txt doesn't exist before running the program.

CONTROLS

Arrow keys to move

SCREENSHOT

ScreenshotSmall.png

HIDDEN FEATURE

Press "B" to show the window borders

THINGS TO ANSWER PEOPLE'S QUESTIONS

This was made in Gamemaker

The programs use a txt file to communicate with each other

Each rectangle is separate window and every time you turn it makes a new window

CHALLENGE

Try and beat the default high score of 2000 or my personal best of 4000!

https://benjamin-halko.itch.io/snake-using-windows
https://benjamin-halko.itch.io/snake-using-windows
https://benjamin-halko.itch.io/snake-using-windows
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/snake-using-windows

Ratings

Overall 190th 3.645⭐ 64🧑‍⚖️
Fun 231th 3.476⭐ 64🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 7th 4.336⭐ 66🧑‍⚖️
Theme 304th 3.476⭐ 64🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 434th 2.968⭐ 64🧑‍⚖️
Given 117🗳️ 10🗨️

Feedback

Arash Ghorban
03. Oct 2021 · 23:47 UTC
Just a heads up... the game app crashes when you quit.
but cool idea with the windows
Jellybean
03. Oct 2021 · 23:51 UTC
Wicked idea, does the game scale to different monitors or do you get a larger game area?
c64cosmin
03. Oct 2021 · 23:54 UTC
Wow, this is suck a smart thing, the fact that the windows sometimes blink just adds to the fun and theme. Great job with this one!
🎤 LDJam user 221199
03. Oct 2021 · 23:55 UTC
@jellybean it is actually a bit of both. The game forces you to have 9 rows and then uses your screen aspect ratio to figure out how many columns it needs.
🎤 LDJam user 221199
03. Oct 2021 · 23:57 UTC
@arash-ghorban How does it crash?
Arash Ghorban
04. Oct 2021 · 00:12 UTC
@benjamin-halko just says the app exited unexpectedly (or something like that)
JaviCoder
04. Oct 2021 · 07:45 UTC
I love the idea, that the game itself is unstable! boom! I think it would be a good idea to exploit this with different graphics or icons
shp
04. Oct 2021 · 15:13 UTC
Quite the funny experience, got too laggy to register my inputs properly after playing for a short while, kinda fits the theme, heh
PartTimeIndie
04. Oct 2021 · 19:19 UTC
Thats a great idea, but when I try to start the game windows will not let me, it tells me it contains some form of malware. I guess its nothing, but this might cause you problems to get ratings.
🎤 LDJam user 221199
04. Oct 2021 · 21:10 UTC
@parttimeindie Thanks for the heads up. I will try to see what I can do.
ELVEVERX
05. Oct 2021 · 03:58 UTC
I love the creativity of this! Using windows to play a game is such a cool concept!
Adam Jewell
05. Oct 2021 · 11:16 UTC
I love this! the title screen is so clean and smooth, it feels so seamless running the game like this, like it's not a game but part of your machine. And same with the actual snake too. the borderless effect is so cool, I didn't know it was possible! and it makes my whole computer feel like a basic hardware screen of a nokia 3210. Awesome work.
orangutanrider
05. Oct 2021 · 12:55 UTC
Awesome.

I'm surprised my computer was ok with this. Usually norton flags everything as a virus.
Shigor
05. Oct 2021 · 19:36 UTC
funny idea, but my old windows 7 hates it. original version wasn't working at all (didn't react on arrow keys), version 1.01 works, sort of but it leaves traces on the screen so after few moments I have no idea what's game and what's artifact from the windows gui rendering failing
loyance
06. Oct 2021 · 01:46 UTC
Wow what an interesting entry - made with game maker too, had no idea that you can just tap into winapi like that. Great stuff!
sockpuppetcow
06. Oct 2021 · 02:58 UTC
Having not read the description very thoroughly I thought it was going to be snake with a windows OS theme, I was pleasantly surprised, this is beautiful
Oliver Richmeier
06. Oct 2021 · 04:05 UTC
Super cool concept, also totally the sort of thing that would be setting off people's antivirus lol. My inputs did eventually get laggy, but it's otherwise well executed
🎤 LDJam user 221199
06. Oct 2021 · 04:27 UTC
@loyance Yeah, it is as simple as checking borderless window in the settings, getting a script that can run a program, and then using a text file to communicate "global" variables between the programs.
Shea Kelly
06. Oct 2021 · 11:02 UTC
it is good but idk why but my snake just cut it self in half. but it looks like it was hard to make.
PBG
06. Oct 2021 · 13:41 UTC
This cracked me up. "I can't believe I am running this on my computer" goes through my head as i do this lol. You really nailed the theme on the head. Very clever!

So, you are using the info.txt as a global variable store, and writing to it every "frame"? That kills me lol. Nicely done!!
Kyrell
06. Oct 2021 · 21:08 UTC
Fun variation of a classic, loved how it could continue through the side of the screen and appear through the opposite side.
jitspoe
06. Oct 2021 · 23:43 UTC
Very clever idea! Interesting take on the theme. While the gameplay isn't new, the implementation is very innovative.
LucDeligne
07. Oct 2021 · 00:05 UTC
Such a cool and funny game!
And especially impressive considering it's your first jam. Keep it up!
necauqua
07. Oct 2021 · 00:39 UTC
Bwahahahah, finally a unique idea, really cool! :)
Adhemar
07. Oct 2021 · 00:44 UTC
This reminds me of the widgets that I installed in Windows XP / 7 back in the early 2010s. A very interesting concept, the delay that had when changing direction bothered me a bit but in general I really liked it, and since I use wallpaper engine every time the background changes it accidentally creates a dynamic difficulty hahaha. very good.
T R E F E T H E N
07. Oct 2021 · 00:55 UTC
Very interesting idea, but it's just snake. I'm sure a lot of effort went into it, and you should be proud of your accomplishment. Keep making games, please!
LDJam user 156819
07. Oct 2021 · 03:13 UTC
The game thought (0, 0) is the top-left corner of the main screen, so on my system, it plopped itself half-and-half on a secondary screen and completely outside any screens. Nonetheless, a very interesting concept and a fun little bodge. Well done :D
Majadroid
07. Oct 2021 · 19:58 UTC
Amazing idea. You nailed innovation and theme. I was also surprised, that my computer was totally okay with it. It crashed when I died, but I take this as intentional :rofl:
popertots
07. Oct 2021 · 20:37 UTC
Linux user here. Only bug I could see was the that the shadows between windows would overlap and flicker which is absolutely acceptable for a 3 day jam. 5/5!
real_flamingicecubegames
07. Oct 2021 · 22:01 UTC
This is awesome! I've never seen anything like this. Kinda wish the gameplay was a bit more responsive but the concept is so damn good.
🎤 LDJam user 221199
07. Oct 2021 · 22:25 UTC
@popertots Thanks for telling me! Maybe I will take "The Buggy Version" part off the Linux version then!
nardandas
08. Oct 2021 · 03:19 UTC
What a unique take on snake! It worked well for the most part. There were some bugs, but nothing a restart didn't fix! I wish there was a score screen!
DrDrub
08. Oct 2021 · 05:00 UTC
Woah! Really well done! Love how it works!
José Bonilla
08. Oct 2021 · 17:34 UTC
Technically speaking, cool idea and nice execution! Also fun to try it out.
notke
08. Oct 2021 · 23:00 UTC
Really great idea! Finally, an actually unstable game!!!
Kapricorn Media
09. Oct 2021 · 00:38 UTC
Hahahaha, this is amazing. Very creative way to re-implement a classic, and it actually feels surprisingly smooth considering what it is. Great twist to the theme.
3mpty
09. Oct 2021 · 03:53 UTC
Interesting concept, would be cool if it interacted with the OS a little bit more, maybe by making you have to avoid existing windows or using popups as obstacles etc.

overall neat meta idea, I like it!
Alexthehuman2
09. Oct 2021 · 15:24 UTC
An amazing snake replica with the twist of it being ran with different windows, and the fact that it's played on the screen as opposed to being in the window. For compo, it's a really polished game! Good job!
🎤 LDJam user 221199
09. Oct 2021 · 20:24 UTC
@nardandas There is now a score screen!
yikescloud
09. Oct 2021 · 23:32 UTC
Love the concept, the only meta game I played in this jam!
Jupiter_Hadley
10. Oct 2021 · 12:08 UTC
What a neat idea! I included it in my Ludum Dare 49 compilation video series, if you’d like to take a look. :) https://youtu.be/T1tx-BQwhE0
🎤 LDJam user 221199
10. Oct 2021 · 13:11 UTC
@jupiter-hadley Thanks so much for playing it!
LDJam user 233347
10. Oct 2021 · 21:44 UTC
Awesome idea!
RookRules
10. Oct 2021 · 22:54 UTC
​DOOD! who thinks of windows? loved this game btw :D
ColeSlaughter
11. Oct 2021 · 00:16 UTC
[Thanks for submitting your game to stream!](https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1172137556?t=01h47m33s)

Quite the surprising entry here! I don't remember of the original Snake had screen wrapping, but it really adds some extra depth to the game, especially when it's taking up your whole monitor. :sweat_smile: Nice job!
potkirland
11. Oct 2021 · 02:43 UTC
oh wow! what an idea so out of box i loved it i save it i have it! good job thanks for submitting this game :thumbsup:
LadyMistLeaf
11. Oct 2021 · 14:56 UTC
Good ol' snake game! Always fun to play, but even more so on the background of your choosing! I like the concept that they are literally windows opening on your screen to make the snake and the apples. Neat game!
gamepopper
11. Oct 2021 · 19:08 UTC
This idea is just insane, that's all I can say. It just works.
BluishGreenPro
11. Oct 2021 · 19:39 UTC
The presentation was really novel, but I'd love to see a twist on the Snake formula to give this more replay value
megalukes
11. Oct 2021 · 21:18 UTC
This one was really unexpected. I wonder how you manage to do it. I've never used Game Maker, but now I want to check it out for more stuff like this. Really impressive and fun. Congrats!
CinderBlock
13. Oct 2021 · 01:05 UTC
Wow, what a crazy unique idea. More of a proof of concept than it is a game, but the fact that this actually worked blows my mind.
CodSalmon
13. Oct 2021 · 03:30 UTC
This is a crazy concept, loved it!
subcreation
13. Oct 2021 · 18:36 UTC
Wild idea. It's a cool and jarring feeling to see a game play out in the operating system rather than a particular window. Nice concept!
Simpathey
14. Oct 2021 · 06:24 UTC
wild idea! I wonder how it can be expanded upon. So I love games that break the 4th wall I am excited to see what else you can do with this concept. A solid poc and original entry.
BougieBirdie
15. Oct 2021 · 01:40 UTC
Thanks for sending your game to my stream! I really enjoyed it!

Snake has always been a favorite of mine, and I guess there's not really much more to say about that. But the idea to use multiple windows so you can overlay it onto your desktop? Too cool!

There's definitely some performance issues, and that completely makes sense given that you open a window for each 'pixel' - still I guess I'll have to download some more RAM so I can play this smoothly
LDJam user 269161
20. Oct 2021 · 19:44 UTC
Nice Idea, feels like augmented reality on the desktop screen :)
Its_F4llen
20. Oct 2021 · 19:45 UTC
Great game with such a unique idia wonderful experience!
Heiach
21. Oct 2021 · 18:45 UTC
Amazing idea! A game that itself is actually unstable!
LDJam user 259103
21. Oct 2021 · 19:55 UTC
Whoa, this was really cool! Obviously the gameplay itself wasn't anything new, but I wasn't expecting the game to look the way it did! Was really unique :)

Nice work!