MAGS August “Borders and Boundaries” (VOTING)

[Stupot]

2025 - THE YEAR OF MAGS!

Theme: Borders and Boundaries
Set by: ddavey1983 | Voting in progress


Voting is underway. Please vote using the poll above.

	The Escape by Steven Villanova (GoldenAxolotlStudios)
	Border Cafe by GOC Games (ddavey1984)
	Bounded Realms by Pax Animo
	RoN On Ice by jwalt

This month, the theme is borders and boundaries, whether they be physical, mental, figurative or supernatural.







What is MAGS?
Started in 2001, MAGS is a competition for all AGS users. The idea is to create a game in under a month, following the guidelines set by the previous winner. It aims to help you work to a deadline, improve your skills, and provide a kick-start into making adventure games and more. Regardless of skill, MAGS is for everyone. Voting is based on "favourite" games, and not the most artistic, or the best coded. If you want to improve you art skills, use it as a chance to do some graphic work. If you're sub-standard at coding, use it as a chance to give scripting a go. Ultimately, people will vote for the most enjoyable entry.

Rules
Entering MAGS is simple. First, conceptualize your game following the month's criteria (see above). Second, create your game, fuelled only by coffee. Finally, post your game in this thread, including:

* A working download link
* The title of your game
* A suitable in-game screenshot

At the end of the month, voting will begin, and the winner chooses the next month's theme.

Remember that this is a challenge to see what you can do in a month, so any tinkering you do after that, including fixing minor glitches, is against the spirit of the competition. The exception to this is that you may go in and fix major, game-breaking bugs only during voting. We want you to have a game that voters can actually play and that runs on their machines.

So to reiterate, during the voting period fixing major, game-breaking bugs is okay, fixing minor glitches or making cosmetic changes is cheating.

Tips
Here are some ways to make sure you have a game to submit at the end of the month:
* Make a tiny game. Plan small, then cut it in half. Find shortcuts (e.g. if making walk-cycles is time-consuming, make the characters static or have it in the first person).
* Plan to have your game playable and submittable with a week to spare. This way you have a week to fix bugs, add some flourishes and maybe even get someone to test it.
* Plan to submit it a day or so early. This way, if there are any technical issues with uploading, they can be sorted out in time.

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Need a little help with graphics? Perhaps The AGS Trove has something you can use.
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Need a bit of help with music?  Check out Eric Matyas' huge stock of free music resources.
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Don't want to go it alone? Try the Recruitment board.
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[VampireWombat]

I am going to attempt a game again. Hopefully I'll have enough creative energy this month to actually finish something. I have a vague idea and a backup which can be done with less effort.

[VampireWombat]

Hopefully I'm not the only one working on a game. I haven't given up, but I haven't made much progress either. Hopefully I'll succeed with something, even if it's early 80s graphics or something.

[GoldenAxolotlStudios]

Hopefully I'm not the only one working on a game.

Well, if it lights any fire under you, I will be submitting a game soon. Get that bread, man! Rise and grind!! I believe in you!!!

[VampireWombat]

Well, if it lights any fire under you, I will be submitting a game soon. Get that bread, man! Rise and grind!! I believe in you!!!

No, don't touch the bread. The fairies must be appeased. And thanks. That brings the total to 1.
But I did figure out a variation of one of my ideas that I should be able to do. The biggest hurdle is figuring out a graphics style.

[GoldenAxolotlStudios]

The Escape by Steven Villanova (I hope a google drive link is okay. If not, let me know :,) )



You play as Jay Karsh, a criminal in jail for mail fraud. However, being in jail was not exactly on Jay's to-do list in life, so it's time to break out!

This is the first actual game that I've made with AGS. It may use a lot of default assets, but I learned a lot about the engine while making this game. I may tinker with it after voting to make it a more fleshed out game. I had a lot of ideas going in that I didn't have time for.

Be warned if you don't like Sierra style games. This has a lot of references to those games as well as stupid-by-design puzzles.

Hope you like it!

[cat]

(I hope a google drive link is okay. If not, let me know :,) )

I was able to download and run the game, so it's okay. Will play it in the next few days.

[VampireWombat]

Alas, I couldn't figure out an idea I could complete in the remaining time. Congrats to GoldenAxolotlStudios and good luck if anyone else is working on a game.

[ddavey1983]

Border Cafe
By GOC Games

https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/play/game/2886-border-cafe/





You are working a trial shift at Border Cafe, situated on the border between the counties of Devon and Cornwall; two neighbours bitterly divided by their opinions on one issue...Cream Teas.

Use your deduction skills to correctly serve the customers according to their origins and avoid becoming surplus to requirements.

A short, fun  game made in one month for MAGS August 2025.

[Pax Animo]

Bounded Realms

https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/play/game/2887-bounded-realms/
https://pax-animo.itch.io/bounded-realms



A minimalist roguelike where the player navigates procedurally generated dungeons filled with monsters, coins, and potions. Collect coins (they do nothing but make you feel rich!) and potions, avoid monsters, and reach the portal to advance through rooms. Use potions to temporarily stop monsters from following you, allowing strategic escapes from dangerous situations. Monsters aren't very smart—they just follow you using simple pathfinding, but watch out, they're persistent!

[heltenjon]

A minimalist roguelike where the player navigates procedurally generated dungeons filled with monsters, coins, and potions.

I take it there's no ending here, but an endless loop of dungeons?

[GoldenAxolotlStudios]

Uhhh what's going on with MAGS...? Am I missing something?

[Pax Animo]

P

A minimalist roguelike where the player navigates procedurally generated dungeons filled with monsters, coins, and potions.

I take it there's no ending here, but an endless loop of dungeons?

Hi heltenjon, yes — I only had a few days to put together something simple, but I aimed for a premise I could expand on later in a non-MAGS version.

[jfrisby]

Uhhh what's going on with MAGS...? Am I missing something?

Stupot will be along to update the thread and open voting usually within a few days?  I downloaded your game - looks cool!   

Still hoping we get a 'Finish your MAGS game' theme this year [OF MAGS!]

[GoldenAxolotlStudios]

Stupot will be along to update the thread and open voting usually within a few days?  I downloaded your game - looks cool!   

Still hoping we get a 'Finish your MAGS game' theme this year [OF MAGS!]

Okay, I mean, it was also that September MAGS didn't even start. I could be stupid and not know how MAGS works.

But yess I would love to submit a polished version of my game for that.

[jfrisby]

Okay, I mean, it was also that September MAGS didn't even start. I could be stupid and not know how MAGS works.

Hmmm.. Usually he's appeared by now.   He might be waiting to launch the new theme at the same time as the other big adventure gamejam this month: https://itch.io/jam/109-adventure-game-challenge
Last year we tried to do MAGS and this at the same time, with two themes

[jwalt]

Since Stupot hasn't closed the competition yet, and since it just occurred to me that something I recently started working on may fit the topic, I decided to offer up an entry.

Screen shot:



Download link:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/ise26p5fse8vuqe/MAGsRoNonICE.zip/file

It may be buggy and rife with spelling errors, since it is largely untested. Also, my entry may be a bit late in the process, so if Stupot says "no way," my feelings won't be hurt. The game gets a bit political.

[Pax Animo]

Since Stupot hasn't closed the competition yet, and since it just occurred to me that something I recently started working on may fit the topic, I decided to offer up an entry.

Screen shot:



Download link:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/ise26p5fse8vuqe/MAGsRoNonICE.zip/file

It may be buggy and rife with spelling errors, since it is largely untested. Also, my entry may be a bit late in the process, so if Stupot says "no way," my feelings won't be hurt. The game gets a bit political.

Heya, if stupot & other participants are OK with that it's np with me as a participant. Extentions have been given in the past plus it is technically still Open.

[jwalt]

Heya, if stupot & other participants are OK with that it's np with me as a participant. Extentions have been given in the past plus it is technically still Open.

Thanks! Hope Stupot agrees. The more I think about it, the more I'm inclined to think the topic is what sent me down this track. I did check the thread after Stupot posted it. Otherwise, I've no clue why I went in this direction.

Couple of additional things:

I've changed the name several times. As a result, the Setup in the game file will require renaming the .exe. Otherwise, it should play in a windowed mode.

The dialogues are something I'm still trying to improve, so nearly every option will stay on screen. Ideally, scrolling down the list once, and one at a time, should work. Also, for a quick and dirty playthrough, the last option in the list should move you through the game in short order. I've much to learn about constructing dialogues that "make sense" and are interactive.

So far, repeated playthroughs haven't shown up more than spelling errors. Doesn't mean it won't crash and burn.

[Stupot]

MAGS August Voting

Sorry for the delay in closing the contest. My mind was in other places over the summer, but I'm here now. I see the unofficial extension has been taken advantage of, which is fine by me as long as there are no objections among other participants.

Here are the games. Let me know if I've missed anything.
Please vote using the poll above.

	The Escape by Steven Villanova (GoldenAxolotlStudios)
	Border Cafe by GOC Games (ddavey1984)
	Bounded Realms by Pax Animo
	RoN On Ice by jwalt