next »

[Cirrus Minor]

Project

Witch Blast is a shooter roguelike-like heavily inspired from Binding Of Isaac, taking place in a fantasy universe, with cartoon art.
The game is free and open-source (it uses C++ and SFML).

Project (GitHub): https://github.com/Cirrus-Minor/witchblast
Download: https://github.com/Cirrus-Minor/witchblast/releases


Description

We play a novice wizard in a randomly generated dungeon.  
The player can move and fire independently, like in any twin shooter, cast a spell, interact with a merchant or with divinities and temple, switch weapon type and accelerate the time (to travel faster).

As in Binding of Isaac, the dungeon consists of connected rooms, and the player has to get rid of the monsters of a room to go on in the dungeon. Each floor has a guardian boss, a key to the boss, and we can find other special rooms like shops, temples, challenge rooms...


In a temple


Shopping!


Let's kill some witches!


Early boss fight


Features

• randomly generated dungeons,
• chests, keys, gold and artifacts,
• different shot types (the player can switch between the shot types he's found, like ice, poison, ...),
• randomly generated dungeons,
• shops,
• temple and divinities,
• spells with cooldown (like teleport, earthquake, spider webs...),
• achievements and bonus/items unlock,
• polished art and candy eye effects.

Advancement and goal

At the moment, the game is playable, there are already 7 levels (we plan 8 for the v1.0 release), and 16 achievements to unlock (we plan 16).
Most of the features are implemented, we're now working on consumables - it is the last "major" feature missing.
We plan to add new content too: items, divinities, mobs, the final boss...


Gameplay videos

Here a video of the (outdated) v0.5.0:



A short video : witches fight:

[Cirrus Minor]

How does the religion system work in Witch Blast?

First, I have to find a temple. In the temple, there are usually 2 or 3 altars, and at the altar, I can worship a divinity or make a donation.

Oh, I've found a temple!



I've chosen to worship Gaya, the divinity of earth and stone.
While being a worshiper, we can see on the user interface the following elements:
- an "icon" of the selected divinity,
- the piety bar - it's like an experience bar in RPG-games,
- the devotion level.

In the following pic, I can see I've chosen Gaya as my divinity, I'm still level 1 but I'll soon reach level 2.
We can gain piety by challenging monsters, going far in the dungeon, or by other means relating to the active divinity.



Now I've just completed a challenge, that brings me lot of piety, and I level up!
We can notice, in the following pic, divine light "strikes" me and the piety bar is now shining: I've won a divine intervention!
Sometimes, while leveling up grants some bonus too, that depends of the divinity and the level.



Oh, now, I'm in time of need...
The divinity, Gaya, intervenes automatically and gives me some life back and strikes the monsters.
Each divinity acts differently, the player has to test the different divine effects or furies in various situations...



Now, I've found another temple, and there is another Gaya's altar.
I can convert to another divinity (there's a piety cost) but I don't want to do that! I'm making a donation to Gaya, and...
Oh! He gives me something!



It's the stone shot type. With this shot type, I can repulse monsters, and as Gaya has a good stone affinity, slaying monsters with stones will provide me more piety.



Now I'm leveling up again, I've reached level 4, and Gaya grants me a bonus.



My stone bolt levels up, I can repulse the monsters stronger now.
Well, it clearly makes sense, using stone bolts while worshiping Gaya, as the piety gain is higher, and Gaya can enhance this weapon.

[Cirrus Minor]

During the weekend, I've been working on online scoring.
I've got a little test server, with a MySQL DB, the score is sending when the player dies, and in the game, we display the 10 best scores (all time), and the 10 best scores of the day.

To prevent sending a score from the same run twice, I don't send score from a game from a savefile: it means, the player has to start a game, play, and die, without leaving the game (and saving to a file) in between.

What I'm saving (in the DB) at the moment:

• the score (of course!),
• the name (of course!),
• the level (where the player dies),
• the stuff (displaying the player with his stuff in the Hi-Score screen is funnier),
• the version (I use some versioning to store and retrieve scores easily).

Online scores in-game screen


We are working on the next update.
I don't know if the online scores will be part of it, but there will be:

• updated art for dungeon,
• joystick support,
• improved player control,
• improved gameplay,
• bug fixes.

We should release it this week.

[Cirrus Minor]

New release: Witch Blast v0.6
DOWNLOAD
New in this release:

• online scores,
• joystick support,
• updated art for dungeon,
• gameplay improvements and bug fixes.

About the online scores:
- it's only available on the Windows build - I may have a Linux build soon too,
- they are experimental and can cause latency,
- you won't save a score on line if you're resuming a saved game,
- there are now 3 hi-scores screens: 10 best scores online, 10 best scores of the day, 10 best scores local.

At the moment, there are 7 levels in the game (we plan 8 ), lot of fun and challenge!
Enjoy!

[Cirrus Minor]

I can see players trying hard to be in the top!

Code:

	Name		Level	Score
1	Woum		19	36523
2	Ruckamongus	9	16680
3	Woum		6	3833
4	CirrusMinor	6	3230
5	Maeiky		5	2290
6	Pim		6	2252
7	Spip		5	2190
8	Yacre		5	2124
9	Spip		5	2123
10	Gouzou		5	2075
11	Pif		5	2057
12	Mizuki		5	1977
13	Ruckamongus	4	1967
14	Yacre		5	1668
15	dejam0rt	5	1563
16	FireCreed	4	1335
17	Ekron		4	1134
18	OrlandoFurioso	4	1040
19	dejam0rt	4	1013
20	MoDDiB		4	1005
21	Pif		4	999
22	Ekron		4	956
23	OrlandoFurioso	4	956
24	Pataf		4	934
25	Rcode		4	897

I'm working on the next version: calls to the score server are now done in threads, so freeze caused by network latency should not occur anymore, and there will be some (basic) data authentication.

Next version should have destructive tiles, like crates or barrels. It's my task of the day!

[Cirrus Minor]

The destructible stuff has been implemented.

Barrels will prevent player or non-flying monsters to move, they can be damaged, and the powder barrels will explode while being destroyed.
They will be available in the next release.

Here is a short in-game video with some barrels and monsters:

[Cirrus Minor]

The score screen has been redesign.
We don't have anymore the scores displayed on two columns, and we have more place to display more information, like the run duration or the equipment.

It currently looks like that:


The consumable process is now working:
- the player has 2 slots (can be extended with the appropriate item),
- potions are randomly unidentified,
- the scroll of revelation (a consumable item) can identify the potions the player is carrying,
- drinking a potion identifies the potion too,
- the scroll of revelation can reveal a door to a secret room, if a secret room is adjacent to the current room,
- the "map" item reveals the location of the secret room on the current floor on the minimap.

The rules for the possible locations of a secret room should be:
- a secret room is adjacent to one and only one other room,
- the adjacent room of a secret should not, if possible, be a "special" room (like shop, temple, etc...).

[Cirrus Minor]

After a summer pause, the development of the game go on. 
I hope we'd be able to release a new version soon.
________

The next release will feature:

• destructible obstacles, as shown before. Some obstacles can explode or drop things,
• potions - 10 different potions with good or bad effects have been added to the game,
• scroll of revelation, which can identify potions in the player's equipment, or secret door,
• secret rooms, which can be opened with the scroll of Revelation. To find a secret room, you can use clues, the floor map, or deduct it from the "generation rules",
• new content, items, monsters, a new spell, a new fairy...
• gameplay improvements, for a better game experience,
• change in the score display, with the "best players" screen. This screen display the 10 best players and not the 10 best scores anymore,
• new music, a composer and (great) musician has joined the project, and will rewrite 100% of the music,

________
In this video, we can see a new spell which slow down the time, some action, a secret room found, and hear a new music track.



________
And here, you can listen to the main theme of the game:

https://soundcloud.com/leguitaristedunord/maquette-witch-blastgame?in=leguitaristedunord/sets/witch-blast

[Cirrus Minor]

Witch Blast - the Potions
_______________

This short video features the potions in Witch Blast.




- The scroll of revelation identifies the first potion - a speed potion,

- to identify the second potion, I'm drinking it. Damn! Poison...

- identifying one potion type reveal the effect of all the potions of the same type. Drinking the health potion reveals the effect of the same potion on the ground,

- potions and scrolls can be found in chest, monster's loot, shops, etc...

Well... The "classic" rules for this type of game.

Before leaving a room, I drink the speed potion. Effect will only starts in a "fight" room (the next room, here).
Without this "latency", it could be easy to avoid a "bad effect" potion: if I drink a weakness potion in an empty room, I can wait the end of the effect before going to another room.

[Cirrus Minor]

New release: Witch Blast v0.7

Hi!
Today, the new version of the game has been released.
________
Changelog (from v0.6 to v0.7)

- ADD Destructible tiles
- ADD Potions
- ADD Secret rooms
- ADD New items
- ADD New familiar
- ADD New magic spells
- ADD New achievements
- ADD New music
- ADD Player effects display
- ADD Blinking effect when player is invincible
- ADD Monsters
- MOD Consumables in shops
- MOD Evil flower damage
- MOD Butcher can drop sausages now
- MOD Game becomes harder for good players
- MOD Some monsters (rats, bats) slow down when changing direction
- MOD Level 8 is the last level now
- MOD Air divinity fury has now a lifetime (was infinite)
- MOD Intro is displayed just once now
- MOD Display the best player instead of the best scores
- MOD We don't have to clear the room to get the achievement now
- MOD In "advanced" mode, the "fairy cursor" changes
- MOD Bolt particles are now batched
- FIX Latency when communicating with the score server
- FIX Interaction key has to be redefined each game
- FIX Item description text too large

________
You can download it here: https://github.com/Cirrus-Minor/witchblast/releases/tag/v0.7
Your Feedback is Highly Appreciated!

________
And a "sort of" video trailer:

[Cirrus Minor]

Witch Blast has been featured last weekend on GameJolt, and I can see on the leader board, there are many more players are before.

Witch Blast GameJolt page: http://gamejolt.com/games/witch-blast/95627

Now, we are working on the scoring system. The score and the bonus will be now on the game screen, like in any arcade game.
Challenges completed, secrets found and perfects (level completed without losing the slightest HP) will provide more points as before.
In the following short video, we can see the score area (the UI has not be designed yet, it's just temporary), and the bonus (as the secret room has been found, or the level perfectly completed).

We can see something else in the video: the 2 players mode. It request a gamepad. The first player plays the novice wizard (with less HP) with the keyboard as the second one controls a fairy with the pad.

[Cirrus Minor]

New release: Witch Blast v0.7.5

A new release of the game has been released.
It includes a 2 players local coop mode (as seen in the previous video), a new UI, a new score system and a display of the score in the game, and more (see changelog).


Here the new pause / inventory screen
________
Changelog (from v0.7 to v0.7.5)

- ADD 2 players mode
- ADD Score display in game
- ADD New game and pause UI
- ADD Player scores are shining in score screens
- ADD German, Spanish and Russian translations
- ADD Mouse support for using/dropping consumables and switching bolt type
- ADD Config option to turn off the pause while losing the focus
- ADD Config option to turn off sprite batching of particles
- ADD Config option to decrease lifetime of particles (for old computers)
- ADD Potion description in the pause screen
- MOD Sausages can now be killed in one shot (standard damage)
- MOD Lightning spell deals progressive damage (5 dam in level 3, 6 in level 4, etc...)
- MOD Increase of the divine protection duration
- MOD Effect cooldown are now in the upper part of the interface
- MOD Cooldown to pick up a potion we've dropped is now 5 seconds
- MOD Explosive barrel is now red with an explosion symbol
- MOD Some barrels are damaged at generation
- MOD "Bomberman"-type rooms have always barrels at level 4 and above now
- MOD Green blood and slime corpses have been desaturated for a better game visibility
- MOD Level up divinity effect has been changed (was too close of the divinity intervention effect)
- FIX Inputs are processed while the game window has no focus
- FIX Doors don't open when there is still spider webs in room
- FIX Spider webs slow down some spiders
- FIX Grid on walls
- FIX The player effects (poison, slow, damage up, etc...) are not saved
- FIX Bag appears only when the player has boots
- FIX No door to secret room on loaded game
- FIX Item order in the inventory
- FIX It's possible to let the player name blank
- FIX It's possible to drop potions we don't have
- FIX Closing the game in the pause screen don't save the game

________
Download: https://github.com/Cirrus-Minor/witchblast/releases/tag/v0.7.5

[Keops]

Wow, this needs some love, it looks great!

I love roguelikes, I love witches and I friggin' love temples and altars to strange random deities! Following!

[Cirrus Minor]

Hi Keops!
Thanks for your comment, you can download and try it, it's free and it will stay free.
If you have already played to Binding of Isaac, you will quickly learn the controls of Witch Blast, as the gameplay is quite similar.
Temples and deities make a nice addition to the concept