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[Radiant]

META is a game about game design. It consists of several layers, including an intentionally amateurish adventure game called Awesmoe Quest (sic) and a parody game editor called BHT, that comes with its own office assistant called Cuppit. Since Awesmoe Quest is very buggy, you have to use the BHT editor to modify things while you're playing them, which requires metagaming. Hence the name. How many games let you modify themselves while they run?

I'm afraid this is a bit hard to explain properly in text (e.g. one early review blogger completely missed the point) but if you've done some game design and like twisted logic and/or a game that messes with your expectations, the result is very funny.

http://crystalshard.net/?g=4

It's a complete game, and feedback is welcome. Particularly about gameplay; that the graphics and music are like that is pretty much the point.

[increpare]

I like the idea

hmm; I'm not getting any objects appearing in the object screen...confusing

hmm..wandering about...getting lost...hmm...(i'm playing this on crossover (OSX), which might mean that I'm missing a thing or two)....confused...

[Radiant]

I like the idea

Thanks!

The game is confusing because it's a bit of a mind screw. The first step (after talking to the blue cup) would be to Test the game (it's on the File menu). You'll find out that it's impossible to pass the first room, yet. You'll have to find a way to talk to the First Guardian, which would be the guy on the left.

[increpare]

The game is confusing because it's a bit of a mind screw.

I can't be certain here, not having finished the game, but I think it's confusing because you're simulating a very limited subset of a quite expansive program and assuming that the player will eventually stumble across the one option that you have enabled/implemented.

okay; I got past the guardian eventually, having stumbled across the appropriate thing.  will toy about with it more later.

[genericuser]

I can't get past the Second Question 

[Zaratustra]

Having the "helper" crop up every time you go to edit mode is not funny and is downright annoying.

[Cymon]

Love, love the idea.

Conceptually it reminds me of the old type-in books that mixed narratives with blatantly obvious bugs in the BASIC code for you to fix, usually associated with some lame way of making it sound like you're saving the world.

The challenge with this sort of thing is that if you're going to keep people's interest you have to... at least for the first little bit until they've vested and interested in playing the game and get used to what the game's demands are like. Judging from first impressions and the comments here this one seems a little rough around the edges. You're too close to it as the developer to realize that anyone else is going to have a challenge with it. I know I should download and play it before I pass judgment, tho.

[Radiant]

I think it's confusing because you're simulating a very limited subset of a quite expansive program and assuming that the player will eventually stumble across the one option that you have enabled/implemented.

Hm, you may have a point there. BHT is a parody of AGS (hence the name), and therefore a familiarity with AGS will help you to find the appropriate things in BHT. I am under the assumption that such familiarity is not in fact necessary to play the game, but I'm open to suggestions to the contrary.

I can't get past the Second Question 

You mean the second room? Or the second question posed by the last guardian?
In the former case, you can place an object in the editor, and use that to cross the "chams". In the latter, remember who is asking the question, and which game he would probably refer to.

Having the "helper" crop up every time you go to edit mode is not funny and is downright annoying.

Hm, good point. I'll do something about that in the next release.

Love, love the idea.

Thanks!

You're too close to it as the developer to realize that anyone else is going to have a challenge with it.

Also a good point. I am aware that it isn't easy (none of my games are), but it's not supposed to be frustrating. Perhaps I should add more documentation?

[genericuser]

I can't get past the Second Question 

You mean the second room? Or the second question posed by the last guardian?
In the former case, you can place an object in the editor, and use that to cross the "chams". In the latter, remember who is asking the question, and which game he would probably refer to.

It's the second question, and I can't figure it out.

[sergiocornaga]

I remember this from when you first released it! I would have thought AGS knowledge was fairly essential to playing and understanding the game, but I suppose it's possible to play without.

[Cymon]

You're too close to it as the developer to realize that anyone else is going to have a challenge with it.

Also a good point. I am aware that it isn't easy (none of my games are), but it's not supposed to be frustrating. Perhaps I should add more documentation?

Documentation is always a good and cheep fix.