MAGS December "One Big Room" (RESULT)

Stupot · Fri 02/12/2022 03:34:40

Theme: One Big Room
Set by: Ponch

The result was tied. 4 votes a piece. Well done to both entrants.

	Alien Prison Escape by Bulbapuck
	Santa Quest by GOC Games

The theme is One Big Room. All (or most) of the action takes place in one large, very detailed, and puzzle-packed room. Is it a museum? A roadside attraction? A junkyard? Who knows! But it is one room. It's like OROW, but with four times as much time to work!

What is MAGS?
Started in 2001, MAGS is a competition for amateur adventure game makers. 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. Regardless of skill, MAGS is for everyone. Voting is based on "favourite" games, and not the most artistic, or the best coded. If you have bad 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, usually lasting for fourteen days, 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 walkcycles 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.
Don't want to go it alone? Try the Recruitment board.
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Shadow1000 · Fri 02/12/2022 04:34:24

I can see this theme lending itself to a bunch of escape-the-room entries. Good luck!

Gilbert · Fri 02/12/2022 05:29:08

That dinosaurus photo reminds me of some news I read earlier.

Maybe it is an inspiration for (not) making a game based on this.

eri0o · Fri 02/12/2022 10:20:56

This is a great theme! Also, unexpected crime scene at the dinosaur is a new one, thanks for it.

Ponch · Sat 03/12/2022 20:32:55

I'm hoping we see lots of entries this month... so I'll have lots of games to play on Christmas morning.

ZapZap · Sun 04/12/2022 00:25:44

Anyone wants to do sth together? I'd do art-animation and story-puzzles (or we could share that, I don't have a strong idea for a game right now) but I won't have time for scripting and I don't really know how to do music.

eri0o · Sun 04/12/2022 01:01:41

I have one idea @ZapZap , but I will only have the last two weeks to code and I am not sure it's a good idea though.

Spoiler

but it would require Magica Voxel

[close]

newwaveburritos · Sun 04/12/2022 01:27:53

@eri0o "Don't Give up the Cat" would have also fit this theme lol.

eri0o · Sun 04/12/2022 02:27:21

Yeah @newwaveburritos ! I love this stuff because it's the minimum scope sort of thing.

Trying to figure a good strategy for MAGS for me, I think it's something like so:

Keep Scope Small
Design the game so it can be developed interactively
Finish a prototype of the vision in the first week
Get testers early
Abandon your game if needed

But unfortunately this month I don't think I will make it, so I am probably on last item already.

Pax Animo · Sun 04/12/2022 03:05:40

Got an idea rolling about and some free time coming up. There looks to be some decent interest on this months theme, gl all.

Stupot · Tue 13/12/2022 10:03:14

How are we getting on, folks?

Bulbapuck · Thu 15/12/2022 19:10:25

Hi all! Long time no see.

Quote from: Stupot on Tue 13/12/2022 10:03:14How are we getting on, folks?

I've been making a game for this month to see what I can get together in a month. Very limitted on time these days but it's actually getting somewhere. Maybe not somewhere amazing as I hadn't opened AGS in like 7 years before this

I think I'll have something done by the end of the month, but no promises with the holidays and all.

Stupot · Thu 15/12/2022 20:55:42

Quote from: Bulbapuck on Thu 15/12/2022 19:10:25Hi all! Long time no see.

Quote from: Stupot on Tue 13/12/2022 10:03:14How are we getting on, folks?

I've been making a game for this month to see what I can get together in a month. Very limitted on time these days but it's actually getting somewhere. Maybe not somewhere amazing as I hadn't opened AGS in like 7 years before this
I think I'll have something done by the end of the month, but no promises with the holidays and all.

Long time no see, man. Hope you've been well.
Good luck with your MAGS game.

Kitty Trouble · Sun 18/12/2022 09:02:50

I expect this game to be kinda small in length and not that interesting, but the puzzles, interactions, and art are mostly done outside of coding them in AGS.

Title: "Escape the Room"

Setting: You are a visitor at a strange museum, and you find yourself trapped in a room with no obvious exit. The room is filled with strange objects and artifacts, and you must use your wits and resourcefulness to find a way out.

Credits of the game:

Story: ~~Kitty Trouble~~ No, actually the story was created by OpenAI ChatGPT.
Puzzles: ~~Kitty Trouble~~ Okay, I lied. The puzzles, dialogue, and responses for every possible interaction were entirely created by OpenAI ChatGPT as well.
Art: ~~Kitty Trouble~~ The objects, inventory, character, and menu are going to be designed by OpenAI DALL-E as well? Surely there's something I can do.
Programming: Kitty Trouble? Hah. It's not like AI can write code. Wait, ChatGPT is able to write code as well? Surely I won't be able to teach ChatGPT how to code in AGS by the end of December. TBA.

_{Okay, I'll be the one throwing everything together and managing interactions with the AI, but the gimmick of my game is that is will be entirely created by AI.}

eri0o · Sun 18/12/2022 11:48:46

@Kitty Trouble , I played with ChatGPT knows AGS Script but it often mixes syntaxes from JS or C, so you need to clean up, and also it likes to use the deprecated non object oriented API from AGS. I played around with it, and it takes some time putting the context in. It generated often terrible code, but it's good at explaining how a piece of code works. It also knows my AGS Script modules and other open source stuff I had, so I did manage to get it to explain me code I didn't sent.

If the result it's outputting is too long, it often dies in the middle, and I didn't had much luck getting it to continue from where it's stopped.

Stupot · Thu 22/12/2022 15:12:37

Looking forward to seeing what you and ChatGPT can come up with, Kitty.

Anyone else in the running?

ddavey1983 · Sun 25/12/2022 10:05:46

I'm working on something. Bit basic but it's shaping up nicely.

Bulbapuck · Mon 26/12/2022 21:07:22

I made a game!
It's called Alien Prison Escape and I sincerely hope I fixed all the bugs

Completed games announcements thread
Games page
itch.io page

eri0o · Mon 26/12/2022 23:46:28

Pretty cool! Congratulations!

Spoiler

I am pretty bad at this, I can't figure what's wrong with Baxter's story.

[close]

Ponch · Tue 27/12/2022 01:16:59

Sweet! And there's still a few days left. More entries, please!

Shadow1000 · Tue 27/12/2022 02:35:58

Quote from: Bulbapuck on Mon 26/12/2022 21:07:22I made a game!
It's called Alien Prison Escape and I sincerely hope I fixed all the bugs

Completed games announcements thread
Games page
itch.io page

I had the game crash on me. I

Spoiler

tried using the rock on the bed once the bedding was gone

[close]

Other than that, the game is FUNNY and really well designed, clever puzzles. I recommend that the save and load is built into the interface to make it more obvious.

Good job.

newwaveburritos · Tue 27/12/2022 03:20:15

Quote from: Bulbapuck on Mon 26/12/2022 21:07:22It's called Alien Prison Escape and I sincerely hope I fixed all the bugs

Oh, busting out of space jail, eh? You love to see it! It's an idea I've held dear for a long time lol. Although I should note that I think I did actually find a bug.

Spoiler

When you're trying to play Rock, Paper, Scissor with Baxter I managed to get stuck in the Rock/Paper/Scissors/You Go First dialog menu. I don't really remember how I had gotten there because I had been clicking around the dialog trees a lot trying to figure out exactly what I was supposed to be doing so I had been probably clicked on a choice or another at least fifty times.

[close]

Fun so far though! Good job getting one done! This jives well with my sense of humor, too, which is nice.

Bulbapuck · Tue 27/12/2022 11:03:32

Quote from: eri0o on Mon 26/12/2022 23:46:28Pretty cool! Congratulations!

Spoiler
I am pretty bad at this, I can't figure what's wrong with Baxter's story.
[close]

Thank you!

For Baxter's story (layered hints):

Spoiler

Hint 1:

Spoiler

Nothing's technically wrong with his story, but at one point the rock, paper, scissors champion slips up.

[close]

Hint 2:

Spoiler

Did he ever accidentally say "rock", "paper" or "scissors"?

[close]

Solution:

Spoiler

When talking about his childhood he mentions "pay-per-view". Stump him here with a well timed scissors

[close]

Quote from: newwaveburritos on Tue 27/12/2022 03:20:15Oh, busting out of space jail, eh? You love to see it! It's an idea I've held dear for a long time lol. Although I should note that I think I did actually find a bug.

Spoiler
When you're trying to play Rock, Paper, Scissor with Baxter I managed to get stuck in the Rock/Paper/Scissors/You Go First dialog menu. I don't really remember how I had gotten there because I had been clicking around the dialog trees a lot trying to figure out exactly what I was supposed to be doing so I had been probably clicked on a choice or another at least fifty times.
[close]

Fun so far though! Good job getting one done! This jives well with my sense of humor, too, which is nice.

Thank you

I honestly have no idea how that bug happened, I've been looking through the code for a while now and frantically clicking in the minigame to try and reproduce it. But I can't find any way for that to happen. If it happens another time or to anyone else I would love to know how I can reproduce it.

Quote from: Shadow1000 on Tue 27/12/2022 02:35:58I had the game crash on me. I
Spoiler
tried using the rock on the bed once the bedding was gone
[close]

Other than that, the game is FUNNY and really well designed, clever puzzles. I recommend that the save and load is built into the interface to make it more obvious.

Good job.

Thank you

That I can fix! I uploaded a new version now so it won't happen to anyone else. Thanks for letting me know

ddavey1983 · Fri 30/12/2022 12:52:53

Santa Quest
https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2655-santa-quest/

Father Christmas arrives at the orphanage with a sack full of presents.

Unfortuntely, he's spilled sherry on the page of his list that tells him whose is whose!

He'll have to turn detective to save Christmas!

A short game made by GOC Games in 10 days for Adventure Games Studio MAGS December 2022.

Controls
Left click interact/look
Left click skips a line of dialogue.
Any key to skip cut-scenes.

Stupot · Sat 31/12/2022 16:10:09

Great to see a couple of entries already. If anyone else happens to be working on one, I should mention I'm away and probably won't be able to sort out the voting for a couple of days, so feel free to enjoy your New Year's Eve

Stupot · Tue 03/01/2023 08:55:31

Last call for entries.

Stupot · Fri 06/01/2023 12:58:39

Apologies for the delay folks.
It's time to vote for your favorite among the two entries for MAGS December.

Please vote using the poll above:

	Alien Prison Escape by Bulbapuck
	Santa Quest by GOC Games

Shadow1000 · Fri 06/01/2023 17:34:38

Good to see two solid entries this month. My thoughts:

Alien Prison Escape by Bulbapuck

Spoiler

Great idea, good story, really funny and what stands out is the puzzles. I particularly enjoyed the "close up" puzzle.

[close]

Santa Quest by GOC Games

Spoiler

Despite missing Christmas by a few days, still a good seasonal entry! Rather than having a variety of puzzle, this has a lot of (I think 12?) matchup puzzles based on clues. I got some of them off the bat but some I had no idea. When the game was over I got a "Better luck next time" message. I suppose that gives the game an opportunity for replay by recording which present you gave to which child and then using a process of elimination approach improving the results each subsequent time until you get a perfect score. My own preference was to leave the game as is rather than continuing to play repeatedly

[close]

My vote went to

Spoiler

Alien Prison Escape because of the variety of puzzles as well as the story. I had an overall more fun experience playing this game

[close]

heltenjon · Fri 06/01/2023 19:46:20

My thoughts this month, as well:

Alien Prison Escape by Bulbapuck:

Spoiler

It's always nice to see seomeone finding the time to return to AGS after a break. The story is very funny, and it's one of those cases where the story isn't really good, but it's told well. The puzzles are original in their approach and quite clever. I especially liked tricking the guy in the neighbouring cell. The segment on the outside was also very entertaining, even though I admit to not having a clue what I was trying to achieve there until I did it.

[close]

Santa Quest by GOC Games:

Spoiler

While this isn't the prettiest game I've played from this author, it's easily the merriest.

It goes to show the versatility of ddavey that he can make games in very different styles. There are clues enough in the game to tell the stories of the children and their internal relationships, and certainly enough to find out who the presents are for. I missed some of them in my initial playthrough, and felt rewarded when I was able to put in the final pieces in the next go. It also appeals to me that the game has some common ground with a long time project of mine, although ddavey has approached it differently than I do. The puzzles and the fragmented storytelling is what's driving this game, and it certainly appealed to me.

[close]

I haven't decided who to vote for yet, so there's no need to put this in spoiler tags. Two fine games, both relying heavily on the puzzles. I feel Bulbapuck's puzzles are more original and funnier, while ddavey's are more integrated into the story. My compliments goes to both creators, whomever I decide to vote for.

Edit: I let my daughter play the games to be the tie breaker, and she decided we should vote for

Spoiler

Santa Quest

[close]

Ponch · Sat 07/01/2023 20:18:39

~~Playing now. Voting soon.~~

UPDATE: Voted!

Fun games. I enjoyed them both.

Stupot · Fri 13/01/2023 13:03:48

We need some more votes, guys. There are still a good few days left.

Wiggy · Fri 13/01/2023 22:36:18

Well where do I vote? I can't find a link...

arj0n · Fri 13/01/2023 23:56:44

Quote from: Wiggy on Fri 13/01/2023 22:36:18Well where do I vote? I can't find a link...

See top of page

Wiggy · Sat 14/01/2023 07:37:56

Thanx! Voted. Geez I can be so stoopid at times! I blame it on old age or Microsoft. Disney too. Crap, I'm rambling again...

Stupot · Tue 24/01/2023 02:34:25

The result was tied. 4 votes a piece. Well done to both entrants, Bulbapuck and ddavey1983.

You'll both be contacted soon about coming up with a theme for February.

Thanks to everyone who participated in creating, playing and voting (and rating and commenting

).

MAGS December "One Big Room" (RESULT)

What is your favourite game of MAGS December?