I get interested when I hear about some new program that really simplifies the game creation process so anyone can do it. I'm excited about Kodu- it's built for anyone to understand. And it's fun, too. There's a lot of other apps like that popping up these days, I especially like the browser-based ones. They don't often allow for much innovation exactly, but I like the idea that any kid can mess around for ten minutes and make a neat game, all their own. I'd like to get together a good list of these things.

[I'd say there's probably two types of these tools, the higher-functionality types like GM and Multimedia Fusion, and the more toy-like ones like Mockingbird or Sploder. I mostly want to discuss the toy-like kind listed below, but I'll list some of the others separately as a distinction.]


http://scratch.mit.edu/ - Neat learning tool aimed at kids.
http://www.simscarnival.com/view/create/gamecreator - there's a front page article on this one.
http://www.playcrafter.com/html/index2.php - pretty slick interface on this one, in browser.
http://www.sploder.com/ - Platform games or shooters with premade graphics, also in browser.
http://playmockingbird.com/ - You can take existing games and re-mix them. In browser, and you can upload custom art.
http://www.fyrebug.com/ - pre-made genres, custom art, in browser
http://zarat.us/olc - you'll know this one. It's like a game mash-up thingy.
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/games/media/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d8025855024c/ - Kodu!


- A preview of Warioware DIY for DS.
http://batmangamecreator.cartoonnetwork.com/ - Wanna make a Batman game? Here you go.
http://gameweaver.com/ - log in to make some games online.
http://www.mygamebuilder.com/ - build games.
http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/ZIhL8DajewM6w7pMaFOVrFYkcAh9T0dn - Customize shooters on the Wii.




Here are some of the more high-functioning types that can be more versatile but a bit harder to jump into.

Here's a comprehensive list of these kind of programs: http://www.ambrosine.com/resource.php
http://www.yoyogames.com - GM
http://www.clickteam.com/eng/mmf2.php - MMF
http://www.scirra.com/ - Construct
http://unity3d.com/ - Unity 3D
http://www.bigbluecup.com/ - Adventure Game Studio
http://gamesalad.com/ - For all you Mac people out there!
http://www.crankeye.com/index.php?page=downloads - Some various incarnations of RPGmaker.
http://www.gamebrix.com/ - Subscription based, in-browser creation tool.
http://www.byond.com/ - Make some online *multiplayer* games for free!
http://www.zgameeditor.org/ - makes 64kb games, even 3d ones.

You guys know of any others? I'll add here if there's more I see.

I was blown away by the style of this. It's an animated music video by David O'Reilly and Jon Klassen.





David O'Reilly does some awesome stuff, he even seems to be looking for some possible collaboration on an iPhone app: http://www.davidoreilly.com/2008/08/ihologram

I'm not much of a musician, but I put together a couple chiptunes with FL studio and Magical 8-bit plugin recently.

http://flipskip.com/archive/InnerThreats.mp3

http://flipskip.com/archive/AutumnFall.mp3

http://flipskip.com/archive/newSpring.mp3

I might use them for an upcoming game.

That's pretty cool! It has a good pace to the action. I like the way the weapon powers up/down, but hitting the big enemies is really difficult when they only zip past for a split second while you're still busy with a horde of little ships.

Having a different randomly generated ship for everything is awesome. I thought it might be nice if you could generate and choose your own ship beforehand, but it doesn't really need that.

That's an interesting idea. Not to say you didn't execute it well, but the general idea made me feel kind of like I was arm wrestling myself. I had to force one side to go easy on the other in order to get anywhere.

Definitely original, though! 

I thought you got the message across well, eventually. I felt like stopping a lot because I couldn't tell if the game was an infinite loop of the same exact scenario over and over, or if it would actually reach a conclusion. I tend to think 5 or 7 days worth would have been enough, and a slightly different dialogue each time would have kept my interest better.

Other then that, I liked the writing. The graphics worked for what they were, but the background could have used some furniture or something.

Very cool! It's a great, original idea with lots of casual appeal. I'm not sure how I like the way every ball counts as a shot/life, though. I think it would work just as well if it only counted goals and misses on attempted shots.

My game goes seriously slow.
he moves like 3 pixels then it freezes again.

Edit: button mashing kind of works.
Is that the point of the game?
i don't like it..

Same here. I did, however, love the opening theme.

Grandpa's an ass.

It's pretty funny to see the old philosopher in such a post-contemporary backdrop. It's like Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure only without Bill or Ted and now with Zombies and guns in video game form. I wished I could read the intro text better, because it was too fast for my 83 year old brain. (Damn you Brain Age!)

I kinda agree that it needs something to set it apart from like-minded games in that genre. Maybe is Socretes teamed up with Plato and they had debates about Hylomorphism for massive damage.

Haha, good irony at the end there. I didn't mind that part, I thought it was funny, but it'd be nice to have a true ending from it rather then me pressing escape.

I liked how you get your hat back. There was something else in there as well and I just realized it's probably the horse. Couldn't get it back because it was probably dead or dying or in a coma. (Might be funny, though, if you did get the horse back and played the rest of the game riding it.)


Oh, and the title is good. Sadholes. 

I...didn't get too far; the main reason I didn't try too many times was the opening loooong walk, I think.

Oh yeah, press 'Enter' to skip all that. Should've said that.

[Now on Yoyo.]

Now on Yoyo.

Press 'Enter' to skip the opening credits.






From the Poppenkast Noir competition.

I really don't think this name change is a bad thing, though Paul Eres has so far presented the only reasonable counter-point I've heard.

Having Braid and other indie games from Live Arcade in both sections does seem like a good idea, if only to communicate to the audience that those games are in fact indie too.

But if it's just to add 'prestige' to the term 'indie,' I really don't see how that matters. Indie is like the wild west-- the good, the bad, the ugly. It is what it is and you can't control the quality there.

There's a price-point difference between Live Arcade and Community Games, which I think matters quite a bit. Live Arcade games make more money then do the Community Games. In order to generate that much more revenue, a bigger budget is needed. A kind of budget that only a few indie devs have access to. Community Games provides a platform for the majority of indie devs. But they can also strive for Live Arcade too, if they have the will and the money. Community Games is like a vast plane of freedom for all indies to share. Live Arcade is the high-stakes poker room for indies. You can get in, but you're playing with Microsoft, with Microsoft's rules. You can win big, but it's gonna cost ya. Some indies have taken that plunge and succeeded. That's great for them, but it's not a necessary step for indies to take. That's why there's a different section, with a different price-point for indies.

I've always thought this game deserved a spot in the database. Here's a review of "Life of D. Duck."



"OH MY GOD THIS GAME IS AMAZING YOU HAVE TO PLAY THIS." was the phrase that first introduced me to Life of D. Duck, an epic AGS game manufactured by the mysterious auteur Bjornar B. You see, young Bjorny had always dreamed of one day becoming a Disney artist, especially for Donald Duck. However, this game has nothing to do with Donald Duck. This is the life of one D. Duck, upstanding resident of Andecity (Duckburg) and a role model for Olympic athletes and grain farmers everywhere.

A word of warning: Do not play this game if you are faint of humor. You will find none of your precious 'sense' here, D. Duck is a man-child on a mission and he has no time for such frivolities. As the game opens, Uncle Scrooch and Grandmother Duck happen upon an egg in the tranquil forest. When the egg hatches, D. Duck pops out and proclaims his intention of winning the Andecity (Duckburg) Marathon. Grandmother tells him he needs nutritious oat porridge for a strong body and D.'s life has begun!

The game's dialogue is well-written, the graphics represent the true cutting edge, the music is catchy like a crab fisherman on crack, and the puzzles will leave you scratching your head with delight. The download includes a full walkthrough in case you get stuck, because let's be honest - mystery solving is for nerds. Play this game, experience it, live it, love it, become one with it. The Life of D. Duck is the life of YOU.

This is excellent! I saw this on indiegames.com and loved the idea of wondering wandering around a chess board, interacting with it this way. This is definitely the kind of puzzle game I like, and thanks for reminding me of Chip's Challenge!

I was trying to make something unplesant to listen to. Congratulations, you did it.

Now now, let's have none of that. 

http://lab.andre-michelle.com/tonematrix

It's hard not to make a good tune with this. If this were combined with sfxr, it'd be so easy to make a quick little soundtrack for a project.

Let me know if the game gets confusing at all. That's one thing I need improving on. I don't expect full reviews on all the games either, just initial impressions on one or something like that is good to see.