Any way to run PC AGS games on Android?

[ET3D]

After buying the Wadjet Eye Blackwell games for Android on a Humble bundle, I realised they were AGS games, and that AGS games can run on Android. I found a thread here about the Android port, but it looks to be aimed at developers using AGS, not game players. I also saw that there's an app called AGS Stream, but from the looks of it it's not that mature and has a limited selection of games.

Question is, is there a way for me as an end user (who's a C++ programmer by profession) to take an AGS game I own and put it on Android? Or is it up to the developers to convert that game?

Thanks!

[Snarky]

An AGS game consists of the AGS engine plus a bunch of game data. You can take any AGS game and run it with a different engine executable (though if the versions don't match you can get crashes and bugs). I forget the exact steps, but it may be as easy as copying the exe into the game directory and just running it. So if you get an Android build of the engine, you can try running the Blackwell games with that.

[AGA]

I forget the exact steps, but it may be as easy as copying the exe into the game directory and just running it. So if you get an Android build of the engine, you can try running the Blackwell games with that.

Yes.  Get the Android engine, run, hope your game works.  People like Wadjet Eye tend to redesign their interfaces and such to make games more playable on a touchscreen though.

[Crimson Wizard]

I was typing too long .

Just to elaborate once more, for those who are curious about technical details.

"AGS game" is a package which usually combines an actual game data (created in AGS Editor), and executable binary (for example, Windows binary). When I say "combined" I mean literally - merged together in one file.

The AGS engine is taught how to read game data, which may be either
- attached to the ran binary (this engine itself);
- attached to another binary;
- exists as a separate file;
How it does that - it simply searches the file for particular "magic byte sequences", which mark the beginning and end of game data.

What gives is that if you have any port of the engine, you may run any AGS game, whether it is a "Windows" game, or not.
(with condition that engine version number is high enough)

Usually there's no actual need to "convert" the game; however, you may want to "cut" Windows binary from it, saving about 2 MB.
Explanation for technically-savvy persons:
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=46152.msg636445497#msg636445497
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=44768.msg636469632#msg636469632

[shaun9991]

Is there a way to create a standalone (play store compatible) game for android using the JJS port? Is there any easyish way of doing this or do you need to be a super programmer?
Thanks,
Shaun

[Crimson Wizard]

Is there a way to create a standalone (play store compatible) game for android using the JJS port? Is there any easyish way of doing this or do you need to be a super programmer?

monkey_05_06 is being working on this feature. In short, there will be a target device selection when you build your game in the Editor.

Or, you will need a super programmer

[shaun9991]

Thanks for the quick response. Will keep an eye on what monkey_05_06 is working on, that sounds great!

[Cassiebsg]

Me too! My brother wanted to try my game, but he was on an android tablet at the time...
And I had no idea if it was possible to run the game on android, and if so, how.

So many thanks for this thread!
And hope that new feature from monkey_05_06 will come out soon.

[selmiak]

Is there a way to create a standalone (play store compatible) game for android using the JJS port? Is there any easyish way of doing this or do you need to be a super programmer?

monkey_05_06 is being working on this feature. In short, there will be a target device selection when you build your game in the Editor.

Or, you will need a super programmer

[ET3D]

Thanks for all the replies. I installed the engine on my Nexus 7, installed Heroine's Quest from Steam, copies the file ending with .001 to the tablet (I thought that would be the game) under the ags directory, and a subdirectory (tried both), but the engine isn't recognising that a game is available.

[Gurok]

It's not just the files ending with .001 that you want, but also the .dat file (embedded inside the executable). Copy the entire Windows .exe file over too. If in doubt, just copy everything.

[Crimson Wizard]

It's not just the files ending with .001 that you want, but also the .dat file (embedded inside the executable).

Also, *.vox contain music and speech.
Also, some games may have their own custom resources in separate files.
So, yes, only thing you may not need is "winsetup.exe" file.

[ET3D]

I apologise for having left this thread for a while. I didn't have much time to much about with this, but the other day I copied the Blackwell Deception installation as is to my Android tablet and it ran nicely. Only problem is that I can't see the text under my finger, which makes it somewhat hard to play. Hopefully I'll be able to find my pen and that should help. I thought there was also a "touchpad" mode, but looking for it in the readme I couldn't find it, so maybe I was just imagining it.

Edit: Found the option in the settings. Managed to finish Deception after a lot of crashes. Unfortunately Epiphany crashes means I'm stuck at the beginning.