MAGS February "Into the Woods" (RESULT)

[newwaveburritos]

@newwaveburritos Is there a download version available for Dracula's Mid-Century-Modern House of Mystery?


No, I didn't post one but I can.  I think I've made a few revisions though and I'm not 100% sure that I have the same exact version as the one I uploaded.  Just full disclosure.  Anyway, it should be up by the time you read this.

[Kastchey]

So, um, there's a dead end in the game You need to do things in a very specific order to trigger it, but it is there.

If you

Spoiler

haven't tampered with the animal tracks yet, but have the horned tiara in your inventory already, that will be a dead end.

[close]

Please download the fixed version below. It won't break your current saved games so you don't have to replay from the beginning.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V45NrFgbeAgf5gWAdWbgzHNaHOG0QStC/view?usp=sharing

Spoiler

You can now use the shears on the corset again to get another pair of bone spikes.

[close]

Thanks Shadow for pointing that out!

[Kastchey]

I have played all the entries, here are my thoughts:

The Second Secret of the Orbs

Spoiler

These are getting more and more adventuregamey The puzzles were simple but fun. I was a little bit confused with the skunk puzzle, it made me madly run around for a good while trying to figure out how to use the odor masking spray only to realize I just need to have it in my inventory to progress. I'm already curious where the next part will go!

[close]

Brian Eggs Is Lost In The Woods

Spoiler

A truly captivating tale of a solitary man's struggle against nature in its full beauty and danger, as well as of the protagonist's inner journey to combat his weaknesses and fears. His quest to throw off the shackles of traditional society is both thought-provoking and endearing. Paired with artistic visuals and freestyle spelling, this is a real gem of a game.

[close]

Dracula's Mid-Century-Modern House of Mystery

Spoiler

A memorable game thanks to the stunning retro graphics and unique atmosphere. Obviously it's unfinished, but the game is worth a go for the visuals and the exploration alone.

[close]

The Green & Red

Spoiler

Wow, that was unexpectedly dark! I loved the subtle hint of a merciless post-apo world where little kids are already skilled scavengers who keep spiders for pets. Very cool.

[close]

I ended up voting for:

Spoiler

Brian Eggs, because you can talk to every object and some of them talk back.
(and also because the puzzles are surprisingly logical and fun)

[close]

[cat]

@newwaveburritos
I broke your game!

Spoiler

Before getting the Necronomnomnomicon (hahaha), if you talk to the Ice Spirit twice, she slides left twice...  and when you get the book and reenter, you're stuck in place :p

[close]

I have the same issue

Spoiler

I have a safe game before I walk up to the castle but everytime I leave the book room, I'm stuck on the stairs. What shall I do? I play the downloaded version.

[close]

[Kastchey]

I have the same issue

Spoiler

I have a safe game before I walk up to the castle but everytime I leave the book room, I'm stuck on the stairs. What shall I do? I play the downloaded version.

[close]

Yes, that always happens when you leave that room. 'w' key teleports you to a walkable area. Alternatively, when you use ctrl+x to teleport yourself, and 'House Afar' will land you on a walkable area from that position.

[newwaveburritos]

Yeah, pressing "w" calls player.PlaceOnWalkableArea(); which is useful not only for debugging but also apparently for playing the game at all.  I would say let this be a lesson in biting off more than you can chew for a MAGS project but someone has to learn this the hard way, like, almost every time!  Anyway, I'm glad anyone is playing it at all.

[cat]

I've played and finished all games. It is wonderful to see, that while general activity on the forum is declining, MAGS is thriving with 5(!) amazing entries.


The Second Secret of the Orbs

Spoiler

It's a cool thing that the RON-MAGS-Orb series continues. Now I'm really curious where this is going.
There were some fun characters and I liked the inventory better than in the last game. I didn't like that dialog options showed up even though the topic was not brought up, yet. The game could use a bit more polish.

[close]

Brian Eggs Is Lost In The Woods

Spoiler

Hilarious! I enjoyed the humour and the artistic vision. What makes this game special, though, is that under the rough surface there is a polished game. Many interactions are scripted (making good use of the various interface verbs) and the puzzles make sense. I especially liked talking to the trees and the lecture about littering. I demand a sequel.

[close]

Dracula's Mid-Century-Modern House of Mystery

Spoiler

Amazing graphics and great humour. There is a lot to explore. However, it is clearly not finished (even though I made it to the end, using w and ctrl-x). There is an insane number of backgrounds (some of them actually quite pointless but pretty to look at) and animations (e.g. getting out of bed, coloring the bw-scene). What was actually the 17th color?

[close]

Use It All (Or Forget Your Ball)

Spoiler

As you have probably noticed from my hints and tips posts, I had a hard time with this game. At most times, I was not sure what I was supposed to do and used everything on everything. Graphics and writing were good.

[close]

The Green & Red

Spoiler

Spooky atmosphere and definitely the weirdest starting inventory I ever saw. It's nice that you somehow start directly in medias res. I liked the graphic style and main character. The ending is cute.

[close]

My vote:

Spoiler

It was a close one between Brian Eggs and Dracula for me. Both had great humour. One had amazing graphics but was not really finished. The other one had crappy graphics but was the most polished games of this MAGS.
In the end, I voted for Brian Eggs Is Lost In The Woods, because it fits the MAGS theme better.

[close]

[heltenjon]

What a great MAGS month! Great games and five of them, too! 

Here are my thoughts this round:

The Second Secret of the Orbs

Spoiler

Who doesn't love a series? The game concentrates on story, and it has me waiting for the next installment already. It has more of an adventure feeling than the first chapters of the story, but still using the inventory and dialogue options in a simplified manner. Actually, I don't mind. But I want these games in the database.

[close]

Brian Eggs Is Lost In The Woods

Spoiler

As expected, OneDollar shows his great humour, albeit in a way I didn't anticipate. A good game disguised as a crappy game. Funny and consistent, and the final puzzle was a good one! I laughed at the scouts entering the McDonald's in campfire formation, and also the escape from the forest pathfinding. (Lots of internal jokes here for the AGS crowd.)

[close]

Dracula's Mid-Century-Modern House of Mystery

Spoiler

Eye-candy from start to finish. I couldn't finish it without using debug mode, so I'll wait for the finished game before I attempt preparing food for Dracula. Exceptionally well done graphics and cool animations.

[close]

Use It All (Or Forget Your Ball)

Spoiler

I had a hand in this, so I can't consider it for my own voting, but hats off to Kastchey for creating this and making it his own. He changed enough that the game was challenging for me, too. I especially liked the dialogue puzzle with the pig.

[close]

The Green & Red

Spoiler

I made a thread just to rave about the music in this one. Atmosphere is often the key to a successful game, and I think this is a good example of that. The green/red palette makes for an onimous, eerie feeling. I mean...the Red Hills? Can it get any spookier? This is combined with the snaky scrolling map, which I really liked, and that sinister piano track with those wonderful, ethereal baby sounds on top. The story hints at a larger world with a backstory I'd like to explore more. The puzzles are challenging enough to be fun, but not really difficult.

[close]

I voted for:

Spoiler

Biden. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

I give my vote to The Green & Red this month.

[close]

[Shadow1000]

My vote went to

Spoiler

Use It All (Or Forget Your Ball) In my opinion, this entry has an excellent combination of polished graphics, complex, multi-stage puzzles, and really funny humour and stands out over the other entries. I have to admit that I did need a hand in a few of the puzzles and I hit a dead end. As well, I don't think it met the theme quite as strongly as the other entries. That said, my experience playing was more enjoyable so it gets my vote

[close]

[Ponch]

Voted! 

[OneDollar]

Finally finished the other entries. A very strong month, congratulations all! My thoughts:

The Second Secret of the Orbs

Spoiler

I don't know RON very well, and I didn't play the prequel, so I find this entry hard to comment on as I don't know what's established canon and what's new ideas. It's a good premise of characters hopping through portals and finding themselves in different realities, and something I think you can have a lot of fun with. It's got some good moments of humour, and the puzzles are all fair and logical, though it does suffer a bit from seeing items you're obviously going to need, but not being allowed to take them until you know what they're for.

[close]

Dracula's Mid-Century-Modern House of Mystery

Spoiler

Amazing 16 (17?) colour artwork as always, and a ridiculous amount of it. The premise is great (and great title too!) and I really liked the characters as well. Sadly it seems it was too big a premise for MAGS and so has some bugs and a lot of rooms with no interactions or purpose other than looking nice. It was still worth playing though and I'm glad you posted it. If you choose to finish it I think you could have something really special.

[close]

Use It All (Or Forget Your Ball)

Spoiler

It felt like this was the longest and most complex puzzle chain of the lot. I like the setting and the humour, and some of the puzzle solutions were good, but there were a few that didn't make sense to me or seemed like a logic jump too far. You said you ran out of time to add missing interactions, so possibly these would have helped to give hints why something wasn't right. I got stuck for a while and eventually went looking for hints, but it turned out I had tried the flute on the ring, but the game wanted the ring to be used on the flute. The presentation is really good, the graphics are lovely and there's some nice touches of animation too.

[close]

The Green & Red

Spoiler

An interesting and consistent art style and great music give this a great atmosphere. I was a little confused with the penultimate puzzle, as I didn't realise what I was supposed to be making until I'd made it, but otherwise puzzles are logical and had a good level of difficulty for me. Overall this is a fun little game with hints of being part of a bigger story in a larger fantasy world.

[close]

[Stupot]

Last call for votes, gang.

[Stupot]

The winner of MAGS February is Brian Eggs is Lost in the Woods by @OneDollar.
Well done, sir. I'll PM you separately about setting the theme for April.

Well done everyone for a great selections of games and thanks to everyone who voted.

[Kastchey]

Congratulations, 1$! Well deserved 

[OneDollar]

Oh great, now I'll never be able to get Brian to shut up.

Seriously though thanks for your feedback and votes. It was tough competition, all great games this month.

[newwaveburritos]

Dang, what a competition and congrats to @OneDollar.  Everyone did great work and playing all of them to make my vote was really a delight. 

[heltenjon]

Big congratulations to the winner, and to all who released a game - truly a great MAGS month! Don't forget to add your games to the database, now. 

Oh, and I hope that Brian Eggs can now not be stopped.