Hi, this is my first time. I don’t know where or if I have to post this “I’m in” :))

I’ll probably be using JavaScript, MS Paint and sfxr

Here’s a screenshot of the rogulike-sort-of I’m working on.

I’m proud to announce I’m on schedule 😀

I’ve finished!!! my first LD :D:D:D

Online version –> http://madflame991.blogspot.com/p/gather-10-keys-to-escape.html

Zipped version –> http://gamejolt.com/data/games/5932/files/ld21_gather10keys_madflame991.zip

This has been my first LD. I've managed to complete a game and the whole
 weekend was a nice experience. Here's what I've thought...
 
 Before LD21
 
 + you can't possibly make interesting levels by hand in whatever little
 time you have left after finishing the engine and art, therefore you need
 to make a game that doesn't rely on levels
 + you can't make decent 3d games in 48 hours
 + you can't balance a game in 48 hours
 + libraries are for lazy programmers

After LD21
 
 + you can make interesting levels because developping with libraries saves
 you lots of time or you could make a level generator
 Astar
 Hell fortress escape
 
 + you can make nice 3d games in 48 hours with the proper tools
 Stratus
 Under a watchful eye
 Prelude of the Chambered

+ libraries are mandatory if you want something more complex than a tic-tac-toe like game
 Gather 10 keys to escape

+ mining games are pretty damn popular
 Lost in the shadows
 Caved in
 Tea powered escape!

+ 48 hour entries can provide an interesting atmosphere
 Escape from the labytinth
 AWOL

+ you can write a story-based game in 48 hours with superbe pixelated graphics
 A tale about life, death and a loser

+ WordPress hates me

LD seems to be a very nice opportunity for a game dev to experiment. Since I managed to make a working and frustrating game in 48 hours it seemed like a good idea to enhance and polish it. Now the game is more tactical thanks to future-seeing glasses, your conscience has longer arms and you can grow a binary tree of life.

Original entry

Enhanced version

I am in. Can’t wait. Joy!

I’m gonna participate!

I will be coding in JavaScript/ HTML5 and painting in MS Paint, Paint.NET and GIMP… and I’m probably going to “compose” using SFXR

It would be pretty interesting if Evolution wins this time. I’d love to see what games could come out of that

While voting, I came across a lot of games that didn’t really fit the theme. However, among the games I’ve played so far I noticed four games which perfectly fitted the theme:

1. Cage by epicSpeedTurtle

This is may personal favourite so far as it resonated pretty well with me. At a glance you’ll see that the game has really few and HUGE pixels, but despite that it manages to convey a very strong mood and a sense of tinyness: You’re an awfully sad hamster living in a cage (yeah, you probably have one in your home)  – and that’s its world – A CAGE! A f***ing 48×24 pixel cage! To make things worse, a fly comes by and makes fun of the hamster – a fly of all things, yeah that annoying flying creature that is free as a fly can be. If I continue writing I’ll spoil too much… I liked the game!!!

2. Casal Navity by Nanofus

This one is pretty original – it’s actually the most original and weird game I’ve encountered so far (and I thought my game was weird). You’re a small (really small) funny looking creature thingie living in someones nose :D. Yeah, it’s pretty yucky from our perspective, but the story-line is presented from its perspective: the nose is its world, its home, its comfy moist cave full of “life-giving substance”. It becomes kind of dangerous after a while and fun :D. PLAY IT!

3. Atom Planet by NMcCoy

This one suits the theme AND it has complex gameplay elements: it’s 2d Minecraft like game – so, it’s rather complex for a 48 hour game. It’s very fun to play as you always try to find all the possible recipes. Moreover the world is also affected by weather (it’s not there just for visuals) and you even get to pick clouds (and even make them).

4. Gum Crisis In Pipe City by jason.bakker

This was the first I’ve played from this LD. It’s really nice and original: you control multiple worm like creatures of all sizes (I mean, from tiny to supertiny) and you… aah I don’t know how to describe the game best – just play it!

I’ll continue playing and judging. I’m planning on making a list of not so great games but with huge potential because one shouldn’t stop developing after the first 48 hours.

(oh, I hate WordPress)

Tags: best, theme, tiny world

1. There are only two days left to vote. So how about we start voting like in the first 2 days, with endless enthusiasm. Everyone has to learn something from this LD, so while you’re voting you’d better comment as well – it really helps.

2. I hate the fact that this LD starts exactly when my examination period starts and the same happens with the winter LD

3. The miniLD #34 rule is AWSOME!!! Restrictions like these really trigger innovation. I can only hope to see themes/rules like these for main LD events.

4. I’m really happy to see that more and more people are using Java + LWJGL or other real programming languages or Unity instead of resorting to game makers. I know not everyone is a programmer and I know of the technical burden one has to face when using general purpose tools for creating something as specific as games, BUT no game making software will grant you the same freedom of expression you could get from something as C++ + OpenGl or equivalents. AND PROGRAMMING IS GOOD FOR YOU.

5. I’ve stumbled upon the tiniest game ever! Give it a go, and really try to find WHERE the game is. If you find it you’ll agree that it’s REALLY unexpected and original. It took me a 5 minutes to sweep the screen in search of the game but twas fun! PLAY –> http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-23/?action=preview&uid=7465 It’s called “It’s a tab”

6. I’ve also prepared a list of not so shiny games that have huge potential. I would play an enhanced version of all of them with great pleasure.

+ POGO PLANET http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-23/?action=preview&uid=935

Just look at it – it’s a simple arcade-ish game with style and it’s rather unique. There’s nothing much going on – you’re jumping around, avoiding stuff and drooling on the great geometric-abstract graphics – but all the good ideas are there. It just needs more drive, levels, waves of enemies, or anything to add some sort of structure to its continuous, monotonous gameplay. Oh, and by the way, the color-state-changing mechanics can also be found in another great indie game, MONO –> http://www.binaryzoo.com/games/mono/index.htm

+ QUANTUM ENTAGLEMENT http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-23/?action=preview&uid=11319

It’s a really nice puzzle game, and I would really enjoy playing some more. You don’t get to see too many puzzle games at LD events mainly because it’s hard to come up with a nice puzzle game and once you do that you realize it’s hard as hell to make nice levels for it. So I really applaud Quantum Entanglement and hope to see more of it in the future.

+ MUNIVERSE http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-23/?action=preview&uid=12236

This game has solar systems, planets, suns, stars, ships, nice star backgrounds, space stations, missions, cargo stuff… It’s a really nice start for a really complex space faring simulator. It’s true, some things are missing, but I have a feeling the creator will add everything to make this game worth paying for one day. Disclaimer: no screenshot does this game any justice…

7. By the way, I’ve found another gem 😀 (of course it’s my game) –> it’s called Space Bear! http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-23/?action=preview&uid=5035

Hi!!!

My examination period ended just in time for this miniLD 😀 – So here’s what I’ve come up with: Sword and Circle – you’re a circle (cell, bubble, guy with a big round hat) and you have a sword. Enemies are all around you and they too have swords. You goal is to be the last man (circle) standing. It’s pretty tactical as everyone moves according to you…

Give it a shot here: http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/minild-34/?action=preview&uid=5035

By the way, the best comment so far is by TinyHat: Brilliant idea  It really shows that size does NOT matter…

Tags: Circle, sword

Hey! I’ve stiched together a particle systems library/framework. I thought it would be useful for any LD from now on – and as time pases I’ll refine it. It currently has 7 types of particles, and 3 types of emitters. Here’s a screenshot (note that screenshots don’t do this justice):

If you’re looking for the source just hit Ctrl+U

Link –> http://madflame991.blogspot.se/p/particle-systems.html

This is just a little teaser 😀

The game is finished, except for the title screen and instructions.

What better way to celebrate your birthday than by crunching some goodie-goodie-game for a MiniLD?!

I would also love to promote a new game engine! It’s called the Furnace Engine and it’s similar to increpare’s PuzzleScript, but is more focused on creating Minecraft-like games where you mine and build and use inventory items on the environment.

If you feel brave and this sounds interesting give it a try:  http://madflame991.github.io/furnace-engine/src/
See those little flowers? They are ANIMATED!

Furnace Engine

LINK to engine
LINK to convertor

Last MiniLD (#49) I used… the furnace engine!!! …and it was great – it was the first time that I did not have to code and I could focus on the content entirely*. I managed to create a fairly complex and decent Minecraft-like adventure-y game.

Unfortunately, I also discovered the most annoying aspect of this sort of language – it’s horrendous at defining sprites! Encoding images as letters is NOT a good idea (yes, I’m looking at you, PuzzleScript); it requires enormous patience. So that’s why I made a sprite sheet importer! What does it do? You just and drop your sprite sheet (an IMAGE made in an image-editing software), then you adjust the grid/sprite slicer and BAM! – you get them encoded as text in furnace-engine-format. Exporting images to the PuzzleScript-format is on its way.

*Digressing: I find it a blessing to not care/know about the underlying details of what you’re working with: I can’t see the pixels on my tablet – therefore images on it must be made out of magic! I also don’t have access to its file system – therefore files, if they exist at all, must be stored in a magical way and I love that I don’t know how! Same thing goes for Haskell – it’s sooo high level you can never know what the machine you’re running your program on is doing.

I thought I’d make a little guide to my submission, From under the snow

I’m very proud of it – it’s the second game I get to make in the Furnace Engine. I obviously recommend it 😉

Whenever I talk about Ludum Dare to others I like to advertise it as the best way of actually getting something done in a weekend, rather than just talking/dreaming about it or planning it endlessly.

I’ve come to terms long ago with the fact that I’m not an artist; I can’t create anything visually or audibly appealing and the only reason I’m into game-making is for the programming that goes into games. After judging a couple of entries, I have the feeling I’m not the only one in this situation.

My entry for this LD is written in ClojureScript, a very nice high-level language I’m learning now. When you want to learn a new language, the first hundred lines are typically a nightmare and LD is a good excuse and an incentive to start and finish a project. A few LDs ago I did a game in Scala and it was an equally pleasant experience.

What I originally wanted to post about was that I’ve listened to the feedback I got on my entry and I made a waaay better sequel/spin-off. It’s a numbers and characters puzzle game. For some reason, I got carried away explaining to the LD community why LD is a healthy habit.