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[CiroContinisio]

Breaking news The game is complete and you can find it on Steam, on the Humble Store, App Store

Hello TIGers, let me introduce you to...

UFHO2 is my beloved project, the sequel to the first game of 2008.
It is a strategy game, or a puzzle game, or a board game, it depends on how you see it. Anyway, it's turn-based.

The rules are simple: get as many gems as possible before your opponent does. The game is turn-based, so you can move only in you turn. You have 6 moves to spend each turn, with these actions and costs:
- move your character: 1
- rotate a room, by clicking on it: 1
- rotate an area (big hexagons), by clicking on the gears: 2
- powerups: costs vary
If you use all of your moves or the time is up, your turn is over and it's the opponent's turn.

Gameplay video:



I'll post updates regularly, in the meanwhile, you can follow the development on the blog, on Facebook on the Twitter and here of course.

One last thing: it may seem that we are going slowly on this one. Truth is that I am developing it alone, only with the help of a musician friend. Updates soon!!


Update: 03/08/2010
I have put online a small playable version:
http://www.tinycolossus.com/ufho/demo/

Update: 04/14/2010
I've put offline the demo, because I need a tutorial before I can let you play the game :D

Update: 05/07/2010
We have announced that before UFHO2 we will release an introductory game called UFHO: Space Academy. Know the details on the blog: http://blog.tinycolossus.com/2010/05/ufho-space-academy.html

Update: 12/15/2011
We definitely dropped the name Space Academy. UFHO2 will be for PC, Mac and tablets.
We've put UFHO2 on Kickstarter looking for funds!

Update: 01/12/2012
New trailer:



Update: 02/03/2012
Release a playable demo of the Flash version: http://tinyurl.com/UFHO2demo

Update: 08/09/2012
Released a gameplay video of the new version! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9p1FKR5JfI

Update: 03/04/2014
The game is DONEEEE!!! Out on the on Desura, on the Humble Store, App Store

[Levin]

That's a really cool teaser I think I get the gameplay: looking forward to see more about it   

[CiroContinisio]

That's a really cool teaser I think I get the gameplay: looking forward to see more about it

Thanks Levin! Here's a couple more images of the 'art'... screens of the game will come soon!

The galaxy of UFHO (seen from afar), the Sticky Way:




A Jeevil (bad aliens) near a Gem:




A Gooy inside the UFHO:

[CiroContinisio]

Here's a link to the latest, if not playable, interactive version!

The level shown here is called N 09°12'86" - S 12°10'84" <- name of the level
http://www.tinycolossus.com/ufho/demo/ Temporarily Offline

What is there:
- movement between rooms
- change of turn
- 4 players of two different races
- a little bit of background animation
- music (not final)

What is not there:
- taking gems
- a limit to the moves per turn
- winning conditions (so ending)
- all of the background graphics

Brief instructions:
Click on a room: rotate the room
Click on a pale blue wheel: rotate the whole area
Click + Drag from the active character to a near room: move the character

Please take a moment to watch the interface, and tell me if with this basic explanations + the ones on the first post, the game and controls are clear. Thanks guys

[CiroContinisio]

A little update to the post above, now you can take gems and there's a lot of background animation.

http://www.tinycolossus.com/ufho/demo/ Temporarily Offline

What do you think of it? Especially a question: do you think that the animation slows down when there's a lot of asteroids moving? I'm trying the game on my PC which is very ok, I'd like to hear about feedback from someone playing on worse configurations as well.

[Hockey kid]

Whoa man! It looks great! Especially in motion! I don't get well how to move, but you say you're going to put a tutorial in it? Very good, keep up the good work! 

[CiroContinisio]

Yes a tutorial is a must have. I posted it just to show how things are in motion, and I didn't expect people to get the game at first sight.

[CiroContinisio]

quick news: I've created a page on Facebook and a Youtube channel for Tiny Colossus, my new indie reality that (accidentally) is going to be the driving force behind UFHO2.
If you want to follow them, I won't be offended  

This weekend I will be in Naples (Italy) to speak to a conference inside the Comicon, if there's italian readers... join us! I will make an important announcement about UFHO2.

[CiroContinisio]

Hi all, a quick announcement:
We have decided that due to the big dimensions of the UFHO2 project, we are going to split the development in two parts. The first part will be all about single player, with an in-depth tutorial and a story mode, and it will be (hopefully) ready in a month or so. The name of this game is UFHO: Space Academy.

I have posted something on the blog about it, you can also see the trailer there: http://blog.tinycolossus.com/2010/05/ufho-space-academy.html

[Levin]

Nice trailer. Thumbs up, but I think you deserve more visibility than you actually have.

[jpgray]

Mi piace il stile del tuo gioco.  E davvero molto migliore del mio italiano.  :-D

[CiroContinisio]

Mi piace il stile del tuo gioco.  E davvero molto migliore del mio italiano.  :-D

Thanks jpgray!
Actually, the only mistake you made is "il stile", should have been "lo stile". The rest is perfect. Where are you from and why are you learning such a language?

Anyway, just to state I'm not dead, here's a work in progress for another graphical level, the crashed UFHO:

Very very work-in-progress!!
I have to add vegetation around, and other touches, but is it understandable that it is a crashed UFHO?

[jpgray]

Thanks jpgray!
Actually, the only mistake you made is "il stile", should have been "lo stile". The rest is perfect. Where are you from and why are you learning such a language?

The rules I've forgotten could fill a warehouse at this point.  I'm from the US, and chose Italian for my second language requirement in college.  Probably the proudest of my Italian achievements is that I don't say "brooshedda" anymore.  :-D

Anyway: the rubble and the scar on the land are looking fine, but if the UFO crashed at high speed, perhaps some of the vegetation you add should be burnt, blackened and smoking from the energy and heat of the crash?  It would look neat, in any case.

[CiroContinisio]

Consider this: there's not even grass yet That is only green for me, I have to add a lot of details!!
Actually, that stage is on hold. I am making this one now: the holographic room, where our aliens learn to move in a safe environment!
(click for SUPER detail)

[Pippo89]

Hi everybody!

I think Ufho 2 is a great idea!
I really loved the first version, in my opinion it's a good game. I hope that this time you will do something more about promotion.
Facebook is a good way to show it.
Good Luck!!

P.S. Please, could someone tell me how to insert an image for the profile because I can't find the way to update an avatar...
Thank you 

[CiroContinisio]

I really loved the first version, in my opinion it's a good game. I hope that this time you will do something more about promotion.

Thanks! I am trying to spread the word already :D

P.S. Please, could someone tell me how to insert an image for the profile because I can't find the way to update an avatar...

The upload image feature doesn't work here on TIGsource... You have to host the avatar on your site, or to some image hosting service  like imageshack or photobucket, and then use the image url for the avatar.

[CiroContinisio]

As teased several times before in other posts, I said that several characters from other known indie games would make their appearance in UFHO2. Finally it's time to say the names, and the first is...


MORE info here: http://blog.tinycolossus.com/2012/01/commander-video-in-ufho2.html

YES! Alex Neuse and the guys at Gaijin Games were so nice to let me use CV as one of the characters players will meet, and use, in the game. Now around 30% of my interest in finishing the game is to be able to play with this awesome mysterious character (which I can already do with the current game version, but not with friends :D)

[CiroContinisio]

We just released an early demo of the game, grab it and give me some feedback if you want!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tinycolossus/ufho2-a-turn-based-strategy-game/posts/170042

[eobet]

Tried the Mac demo and I have to say, that I don't think that this game will be interesting until you add some building elements to the game. Unless I've misunderstood things, you just chase an item around the board, and whether you actually reach that item first or not is completely down to dumb luck?

So, I'd suggest somehow implementing a way to build obstacles or some other way of having a strategic chance of beating your opponent to the item despite starting out at a disadvantage. Perhaps something like Greep Corp has where you destroy the chances for both players to use a tile so you really have to think about what you are doing.

Or you could go the German board game route: Drop three items on the board at once, where each item gives a different bonus/ability that caters to different ways of interacting with your opponent, none better than the other, but each representing a different play-style, perhaps?

EDIT: Something just struck me that one game mode should be to try to trap your opponent inside a large hex. Each gem you collect enables you to destroy one small hex exit for both players, and as you move around and have to be careful where you end up so you don't lock yourself in. This would force the losing player to waste moves taking detours, so the random spawning of the gems actually ought to slightly favor the losing player to balance things out. Could get interesting?

[CiroContinisio]

Unless I've misunderstood things, you just chase an item around the board, and whether you actually reach that item first or not is completely down to dumb luck?

Mmm no. The only random thing is the spawn of the gems, but you can always turn the tide to you favor if you play well enough and you balance the use of your moves between moving yourself and rotating rooms and areas. Perhaps you didn't read the instructions?

I'm sorry the 'specialty' of the game is not that clear, I know it's not intuitive but we don't have the means to build a comprehensive tutorial that leads the player in understanding all the gameplay depth, that's why the demo is labeled "pre-alpha".

I strongly suggest to try it with a friend and try to hinder each other by rotating the opponent's room and area. This way you'll get the real thing of the game, since the AI as it is now... it's shit

Thanks for trying it out anyway! And for the suggestions!