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[Cheetah]

Codename: Zookeeper

Online Demo
http://zookeeper.azurewebsites.net/

Controls:
Jump = Spacebar
Charge Jump = Shift
Advance = Spacebar/Return

Platforms: Mobile, primarily iOS

Gameplay: Starting with a basic endless runner and working up from there. The hope is to try out various mechanics and move forward with what works best. This section will be updated as gameplay is refined and developed.

Programming: HTML5 in the ImpactJS game engine. Starting with some structure to get an introduction to game design and game programming.

Graphics: The project is currently using open source graphics. They will likely be regularly updated and changed as things progress, but credit will always be appropriately given.

The Team: One pediatric therapist game designer and one professional programmer.

Current Screenshot:

[Cheetah]

Screenshot 6.13.13



Credits:
     Character: The caveman is by Daniel Siegmunt of http://danielsiegmund.nl/, being used with permission and publicly available from http://opengameart.org/.
     Environment Art: The rest of the art is part of a recently started Open Pixel Platformer lead by Daniel and participated in by a variety of artists. For details I would recommend looking at http://www.pixeljoint.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=16386.

Blog 6.13.13

Why a tigsource devlog?
This is a hobby project between myself, game design and limited graphics, and my programming partner. Zookeeper is our third attempt at a small mobile focused game, the other two projects were overly ambitious for our time and current abilities. I hope to use this thread to get feedback and to discuss various issues surrounding the over done endless runner genre. In addition I will likely include some market research and analysis of other endless runners available. In particular I am interested in how the learning curve of these certain games relates to the length of time of single runs and how rewards or missions are structured to reinforce continued play. Thanks.

Gameplay:
Currently the game character can jump at varying height through two control schemes. First, through holding down the jump button for longer periods of time directly correlating to a higher jump. Second, is to hold and charge a jump, with the jump action executing upon release of the key. Both control methods will continue to be developed in parallel for the time being. There is a functional distance counter, coin entities, and coin counter. All platforms are completely solid, character can not jump through them and land on top. Hit a platform horizontally will slow the character and if the character reaches the left of the screen it is game over, however the character also accelerates after being slowed to reach maximum speed again after a short period.

Goals:
1) More layers for images to allow for more complex graphics.
2) Slanted platforms with graphics.
3) Verticality to gameplay, so that the screen will scroll up with the character and not simply autoscroll horizontally.

[Cheetah]

Credits: The tiles have been updated, still using assets from the Open Pixel Platformer project Jungle set.

Only a graphical upgrade. Significantly prettier to look at and including more gameplay elements. Primarily wanted to show off the great pixel art being done over at Pixeljoint http://www.pixeljoint.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=16385&PN=3

[Whiteclaws]

looking great !

But it may need something to set it apart from the others ...

[Cheetah]

Online Demo
http://zookeeper.azurewebsites.net/

Controls:
Jump = Spacebar
Charge Jump = Shift
Advance = Spacebar/Return

Here is a very early demo for playtesting. Note that the charge jump controls are experimental and not fully implemented. We just wanted to post something playable regardless of polish.

General updates include native resolution graphics, multiple layers, and a new caveman. All art assets are still coming from the Open Pixel Project. All feedback is welcome, are next step is hopefully to start implementing obstacles. We had to remove slopes for now because they were acting weird.