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[Christian]

TIGForum Devlog Showcase #5 (8/27/2014)

Yes, this is still a thing. Sorry for the delay

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Devlog Showcase #1 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #2 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #3 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #4 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #5 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #6 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #7 | Q&A

This week, the games featured include:

• Caracal
• Greedy Guns
• Levity
• Planet Explorers
• Soft Body
• Tim Cosmonaut

Caracal
Devlog
Status: Playable demo available
A roguelike shooter through the dark deadly corridors of derelict space ships and stations


Greedy Guns
Devlog | Site | Greenlight Concepts | Twitter | IndieDB
Status: Release planned for 2014
Meet aliens then blow them to gory bits in this co-op action shooter inspired by Cave Story and Gunstar Heroes


Levity
Devlog | Site | Twitter | IndieDB
Status: Still in development
A blend of adventure game and puzzle platformer as you bring light back to a town plunged into darkness


Planet Explorers
Devlog | Site | Steam Page | Twitter | IndieDB
Status: Released on Steam Early Access, regular updates
Massive creatures, jetpacks, gliders, multiplayer, and more across an expansive diverse open world


Soft Body
Devlog | Site | Greenlight | Twitter
Status: Release planned for October/late 2014
Vibrant fluid bullet hell evasion in levels that react, adapt, and change as you play


Tim Cosmonaut
Devlog | Site | Twitter
Status: Still in development
An isometric voxel puzzler-shooter-platformer, as you save your ship from invading alien machines

[migrafael]

YEAHHHHH! Thanks for featuring Greedy Guns :D

[_metamythical]

bump! 

[dqhendricks]

Cool thread. Thanks for putting this together Christian.

[Christian]

Thanks for the comments! Waiting for a few more Q&A replies, should be up tomorrow or Wednesday

Next Showcase will feature

• Calvino Noir
• Eitr
• Ghost Song
• Parkitect
• Uncanny Valley

Had hoped to keep a more regular weekly schedule for this, but I started my last college semester a few weeks ago and I'm a psychology major, so been busier than before.

[Christian]

TIGForum Devlog Showcase #5: Q & A

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Devlog Showcase #1 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #2 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #3 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #4 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #5 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #6 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #7 | Q&A

kcbanner on the enemy design and atmosphere of Caracal:
"My inspiration for my environments and enemies comes a lot from Doom 3 and the Dead Space series. Dead Space did a really good job of using sound and lighting to set a mood, which I'm trying to replicate in my game. I basically want to give the player the feeling that they are alone on this big empty spaceship (except for the enemies of course). I haven't even designed many enemies yet, I only have one, the drone that you see in the sample videos that I've posted. I plan on created
humanoid and alien enemies with unique movement patterns that involve the lighting (some enemies might only move quickly in darkness, etc). I want to make the sounds that enemies make a pretty big part of the actual gameplay; for example, an enemy might start an attack sequence while still covered in darkness, and the only way the player could tell they are about to be shot at is the sounds the enemy makes."

migrafael on designing guns for Greedy Guns:
"For Greedy Guns we wanted guns that felt good while pressing the trigger and shredded a ton of enemies in the process. Right now my favorite weapon is the grenade launcher because it brings the most pain. Truthfully we're all still waiting to implement the really super-powered-why-are-these-in-the-game-anyway weapons. We have a couple of sketches already but had little time to implement them.

So for a game about shooting we still have to design the bulk of the game's weapons. Sorry but we've been really busy getting the right Metroid-like flow for the levels."

Matt Rohr on blending puzzler platformer and adventure game mechanics in Levity:
Pending

zede05 on creating the creatures of Planet Explorer:
Pending

godzekesatan on developing the reactive levels in Soft Body:
"The reactive level design has been the greatest challenge for me. Here is the basic concept for anyone who doesn’t understand the game: paint all the walls by getting close to it with the Soft Body. When all of the walls are painted, they will disappear and a new layer of unpainted walls will appear. After all the layers have been painted, the level is complete. Some levels have only 1 or 2 layers, and others have up to 12.

While the design is simple, it was the result of many months of iterating and adding to the game's core mechanics and rules: adding objectives, deciding on the abilities of the Soft Body and Ghost Body, color coding objects so that goals were discernible, and so on. But even with more stuff and tighter mechanics, I felt there was something missing with the game. I had gotten to the point where I would work on a level for around 20 minutes and wouldn't have any ideas on how to improve the level design. Large levels weren’t too different than small levels, and harder levels were pretty much the same designs as easier levels except with more enemies. In short, there wasn't much design in the game's level designs.

With a layered, reactive approach to level design, I am able to solve so many problems. It feels like an enormous game design victory: 1) levels can be longer without being cluttered or too big 2) it gives longer levels clear objectives and small victories 3) it is easier to carefully tune the difficulty throughout a level 4) levels are capable of more expressive, personal touches like surprises (e.g., trapping the player in a small walled-in space). In the past, I have talked a lot about how the feel and flow of the game, specifically the player movement, has been the main focus of the game’s design. But as those things begin to feel more complete, I’m finding that being able to step away from that space is central to designing a good level. Even if a level’s design starts off terrible and confusing, the new levels are more malleable, and it’s easier to surprise myself."

matpow2 on finding the balance between puzzles and combat in Tim Cosmonaut:
"Tim Cosmonaut is my attempt at minimal design in some aspects.
The core of the game is shooting, but I've tried to create meaningful variations instead of relying on a leveling/upgrade system. Basically, you only hold a single gun at once, and they stack up so you always have the better weapon equipped.
However, some guns work better against some type of enemies, i.e. lazer against hordes, block shooter against bigger enemies, and bubblegun for tipping over invincible enemies. Learning how to stack up and use the guns effectively is pretty important to progressing in the game.

One thing which has always stuck with me is that physics are fun. Like, nearly always. There's something inherently playful with physics puzzles, so it's something I always try to incorporate. This is why the game has jumppads, pushable blocks, ropes and boats; it's all stuff I found fun while playing around in the engine.

I generally find "pure" puzzle games boring, and "pure" arcade-type games too raw. Solving puzzles is rewarding in a different way than just gunning down enemies, so to me, they rather complement each other. Usually, I let rooms be hostile at first, then let the player explore and solve puzzles, but it really comes down to playtesting. At times, I'll find that dedicating a room to puzzles and the next to combat works better instead."

[Christian]

TIGForum Devlog Showcase #6 (9/20/2014)

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Devlog Showcase #1 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #2 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #3 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #4 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #5 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #6 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #7 | Q&A

This week, the games featured include:

• Calvino Noir
• Eitr
• Ghost Song
• Parkitect
• Uncanny Valley

Calvino Noir
Devlog | Site | Twitter
Status: Will be shown and playable at EGX
Atmospheric noir heist game, where you can rewind your playthroughs and work together with past attempts


Eitr
Devlog
Status: In development, steady progress on the alpha dungeon
Isometric action RPG, vanquish your foes as a ruthless shield maiden


Ghost Song
Devlog | Site | Twitter
Status: Successful Kickstarter & Greenlight, regular progres
Sci-fi metroidvania through the dank caverns and enemy-filled tunnels of Lorian V


Parkitect
Devlog | Site | Twitter | Kickstarter
Status:Currently on Kickstarter, 123% funded
Business simulator, build and manage your own theme park


Uncanny Valley
Devlog | Site | Twitter | IndieDB
Status: Succesfully Greenlit, has a playable demo, late 2014/early 2015 release
Uncover the dark secrets of a mysterious facility in this 2D survival horror game

[Aedous]

Thanks for putting us on the showcase Christian!

[Christian]

TIGForum Devlog Showcase #6: Q & A

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Devlog Showcase #1 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #2 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #3 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #4 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #5 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #6 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #7 | Q&A

robbarnsley on the solo co-op mechanic in Calvino Noir:
"We initially made a prototype that incorporated the ability to play out one character's actions, then rewind and play out the same timeline while controlling another character. The idea was that we'd sandbox this behaviour so you could play out a puzzle (for a simple example, one character would distract a guard, another would sneak past) and iterate on the specifics of the move until you found a solution that worked. As game development has progressed, however, this rewind feature became somewhat superfluous; in short, we felt it hindered the gameplay rather than added to it. As such, it has been removed. The ability to switch characters remains, so there are still strong aspects of self co-op (it will be necessary for some puzzles), but it is all linear. "

Derity on choosing the Norse mythology setting of Eitr:
"Eitr was conceived whilst watching the TV Show "Vikings", being fans of the show we were really enthusiastic about creating a game that would put players into a world full of pillaging, looting and raiding - neither of us had much (if any) knowledge of Norse mythology so we took to the internet and started to do some research and what we found was that Norse mythology has extensive, rich and extremely interesting lore that we could use to build our own story from.

One big difference from our original idea to what it is now, is mistaking Norse and Viking for the same thing, Vikings are raiders who would capture and seize land and treasure, whereas Norsemen were just men of the north. All traditional Vikings were Norsemen, but not all Norsemen were Vikings. The story of Eitr is built around the tales of Norse Mythology, rather than from a Viking standpoint."

twotimingpete on the atmospheric level design in Ghost Song:
Pending

Sebioff on maintaining your park behind the scenes in Parkitect:
"The inspiration for this comes from reading about how Disney theme parks operate - they have tunnel networks below the parks with hidden access points for allowing staff members to discreetly and quickly move between places, special waste removal systems...it's really fascinating! As a visitor you don't notice any of this of course as they don't want to bother you with it. We thought this would create some interesting gameplay mechanics and challenges that work together nicely with some other features we have like the resource transportation - shops in our theme parks require resources and it'll be your job as the park designer to organize transportation in a way that doesn't annoy your guests. It also gives a purpose to scenery apart from looking nice - you'll be able to use it for hiding things like technical infrastructure from the eyes of the guests."

TadejVig on creating 2D horror in Uncanny Valley:
"There's an obvious limitation when it comes to 2D horror - immersion. Of course 3D horror games are more immersive because they look realistic, plus in first person games you don't see what's behind your back so you always nervously look around if something is about to grab you. And that's great, as you can scare the player without any real effort.

But, because our game is 2D and pixel art, we can tell the story as a good book - let the players imagination fill the gaps and visualize the environment or gore in 3D, which can be scarier if you have a good imagination (and most players do). It also allows us to add more content to the game, since making 2D models, objects and levels is easier than doing everything in high quality 3D graphics with realistic animations. So we were able to do the consequence system, where there are multiple ways to do most things and multiple outcomes to your decisions."

[Christian]

Updated the Q&A with the reply about Eitr, thanks Derity!

[Christian]

Don't worry, I'm still here. And there'll be a new Showcase tomorrow

Huh, been a month since the last one. Guess I should try and make this ever other week. Should be easier now that my semester is winding down

[twotimingpete]

Don't worry, I'm still here. And there'll be a new Showcase tomorrow

Huh, been a month since the last one. Guess I should try and make this ever other week. Should be easier now that my semester is winding down

pretty sure I finally turned in something, did you get it?

[Christian]

TIGForum Devlog Showcase #7 (11/13/2014)

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Devlog Showcase #1 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #2 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #3 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #4 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #5 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #6 | Q&A

Devlog Showcase #7 | Q&A

This week, the games featured include:

• Concrete Jungle
• Desolus
• Laser Fury
• Spacejacked
• STEAL
• Zarvot

Concrete Jungle
Devlog | Site | Twitter | Kickstarter | Steam Greenlight
Status: Currently on Kickstarter, 300% funded
City building meets card game, with a colorful isometric aesthetic


Desolus
Devlog | Site | Twitter
Status: Pre-alpha, 30% done
Explore a weird alien structure and use singularities to manipulate gravity and solve puzzles


Laser Fury
Devlog | Site | Twitter | Steam Greenlight
Status: Planning another Kickstarter for early 2015,
Co-op action RPG, with wonderful pixel art and animations


Spacejacked
Devlog | Site | Twitter
Status: Several months into development
A mix of tower defense and arena action as you fend off waves of alien invaders


STEAL
Devlog | Site | Twitter
Status: A year in development, playable demo in a few months
2d stealth action, steal and evade guards using a variety of gadgets and skills


Zarvot
Devlog | Site | Twitter
Status: release planned for late 2014, new trailer yesterday
Hectic multiplayer arena combat with destructible environments and explosive power-upss

[Mark Mayers]

Hey! Thanks for including Desolus in the showcase! I was excited to read that earlier.

[Jon]

Thanks for including Spacejacked in the showcase!

[firstordergames]

Super cool thread.  The updates come so quick and plentiful here it's hard to keep up.  This digest really helps introduce me to stuff I might have missed.   

[Impmaster]

Because there hasn't been a post since 2014, I'm going to start this back up. So let's get into this week's set of amazing looking games!

TIGForum Devlog Showcase Impmaster version #1 (3/7/15)

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This week, the games featured include:

• Wanderer
• Family Man
• Nikra
• Knuckle Sandwich
• Spherify Effect
• Void & Meddler
• Forgotten Passages
• Lithium City

Wanderer
Devlog || Twitter
Wanderer is an episodic 2D, low-res Sci-fi cinematic platformer/adventure game that tells the tale of a man named Rook, a greying convict who wakes from cold sleep aboard an orbital prison facility that's crash landed on the ruins of an Earth that's been abandoned by humanity.



Family Man
Devlog || Twitter
3D first person game based on the life of a family man pushed to the limits of his own morality for the sake of his family. Think Breaking Bad, meets Papers Please, meets Hitman.



NIKRA
Devlog || Twitter ||Facebook || Blog
NIKRA is a game about adventure, secrets, puzzles, gods, magic, and well... big-ass swords that have unbelievable power. Sounds cool, huh?



Knuckle Sandwich
Devlog || Twitter
Knuckle Sandwich is an adventure game with a cast of nonsensical characters, unique urban locations to explore, and a humorous (and often macabre) storyline. It features deconstructed elements of role-playing games that don’t take forever to master.



Spherify
Devlog || Twitter
This is "another platformer". But in a sphere. A reality show for robots. You need to stop the sphere and stay alive.



Void & Meddler
Devlog || Twitter ||Facebook
VOID & MEDDLER is a deep trip inside the mazelike mind of Fyn, wandering in an uncertain era, in an undefined city. People are used to taking hormone drugs and collecting false memories. This make it easier to change their life and become the person they want to be.



Forgotten Passages
Devlog || Blog
Forgotten passages is a game that is in the process of being composed of 100 bite sized visual levels.



Lithium City
Devlog || Website
Lithium City takes the shooting action of Hotline Miami and places it in a Ghost in the Shell-like cyberpunk setting, with art inspired by Tron and 80's Neon for some reason. It's gonna be good I swear.



Tell me if any of the links are to the wrong devlog, I might have copy pasted one or two wrong.

[Franklin's Ghost]

Great post Impmaster, nice to see this picked up again.

I never have as much time to check the forums anymore so it's good to be able to see a thread which covers some of the devlogs I've missed.

[jctwood]

Wonderful seeing a new showcase and some very well deserved entries!

[Impmaster]

Week 2 of the Impmaster Devlog Showcase!

TIGForum Devlog Showcase Impmaster version #2 (10/7/15)

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This week, the games featured include:

• Caretaker
• Somerville
• Aerobat
• ♜ Kingdom ♜
• Small Radios Big Televisions
• Guild of Dungeoneering
• ‌▼‎‌ ‎T E R R ][ T O R Y ‍  ‍
• Project Onikira

Caretaker
Devlog || Twitter
Caretaker is a first person adventure game that takes place at the end of everything. There's only you left to execute a last ditch mission that will decide the final fate of the universe.



Somerville
Devlog || Twitter
SOMERVILLE at it's core is an episodic cinematic platformer with responsive shooter mechanics. Expect a core mechanic that borrows a little bit of Treasure shooter, a smidge of rhythm action, bookended by a fleshed out adventure game experience. 



Aerobat
Devlog || Twitter
Absurdly high-speed arcade shmup-like. Boost to gain speed, jump to blast robots. Boosting longer means more speed, which means more jump height, which means higher combo, which means way more points. Points are, of course, the greatest reward one could possibly desire.



♜ Kingdom ♜
Devlog || Twitter
Establish a kingdom and ride out to discover how the world changes. Supply coins to your loyal citizens to build an economy and a fortress. Defeat is inevitable, so have a last look at the sun as it sets on your kingdom.



Small Radios Big Televisions
Devlog || Twitter
Small Radios Big Televisions is a point-and-click exploration game that focuses on worlds within worlds and the manipulation of audio-visual data.



Guild of Dungeoneering
Devlog || Twitter
Guild of Dungeoneering is a turn-based dungeon crawler with a twist: instead of controlling the hero you build the dungeon around him. Using cards drawn from your Guild decks you lay down rooms, monsters, traps and of course loot! Defeating monsters lets you place better items for your hero to use, but placing ever harder monsters is the only way to keep the Dread Meter in check.



▼‎‌ ‎T E R R ][ T O R Y
Devlog || Blog
Territory is an online slow-time strategy game played from an action game perspective. Initially players start as lone colonists, but after forming bonds through surviving the adverse conditions of the alien world, players can found factions and enter global politics.



Project Onikira: Demon Killer
Devlog || Facebook
Onikira: Demon Killer is a 2D side-scrolling beat 'em up set in a fantasy feudal Japan where you play a Samurai fighting to stop the forces of the underworld from breaking through into the world of the living.



Once again, notify me if any of the links are to the wrong devlog, I might have copy pasted one or two wrong. Please comment on which types of games you liked in the devlog!