Hourgame Saturday - starts July 24th @ 19:00 BST

[Kweepa]

HOURGAME SATURDAY!!!!!!!!What's an Hourgame competition?
The purpose of Hourgame Saturday is to encourage amateur game-making, or to put it bluntly, to make you plant your ass in your chair and finally make something.
In this activity your task is to make an AGS game within a strict and very short deadline (i.e. one hour).

When will it take place?
This Hourgame session will take place on Saturday 24th July 2010. Starting at 19:00 BST (14:00 New York, 20:00 Johannesburg) participants will have an hour to make their games + 15 minutes to beta test / upload (i.e. the deadline is 20:15 BST).

How do I participate?
A theme is set by the previous week's winner and by the contest's host in event of his/her absence. It will be announced on IRC (3 simple steps to IRC) and here.

Why should I participate?
Because it's FUN!
Research shows that Hourgames get the creative juices going and will aid for healthier game building skills.

Additional info:
- While it is not forbidden for the theme-setters to participate in the activity, their games cannot be voted for (to prevent accusations of cheating and to discourage regular participation).
- Instead, theme-setters are encouraged to draw trophies for the contest's winners.
- Making your game from scratch is strongly encouraged, though it is not forbidden to use music or artwork from public sources if you are allowed to (e.g. using public domain music tracks in your game is OK, but not really necessary). It is also possible to use a pre-existing AGS template for your game (e.g. the Verb-Coin GUI template).
- You cannot use stuff you've made earlier, because this competition is about making something new.
- You are allowed to use previous Hoursongs (Should we create a list somewhere?).

Camwhoring:
If you have Camtasia or Camtasia-esque software, it would be great to see your "Making of"! Or blog about it, or just open Notepad, do something! No twittering.

Uploading:
Suggested hosts to upload your entry to are:

Recommended:
TerranRich's ShutUpload
DropBox (Recommended by Magma42, referral link)

Not recommended:
http://www.mediafire.com/
http://www.sendspace.com/
http://www.rapidshare.com/

Or your own place.

Theme:

TBD

Voting:
Just tell us your favourite game. You don't have to enter to vote!
(If you want to tell us what you liked and disliked about all the entries, that would be super nice of you!)
After all games are in you are encouraged to vote, again, you don't have to enter to vote. Voting closes the next Saturday (July 31)

Please post below if you're interested in participating, if the change in time will/won't work for you, or if you have any other questions.

If you are unable to make the scheduled time, but wish to participate anyway, say so in this thread and we can work out a scheduled hour at your convenience to make your submission (Earlier that day for instance).

Hope to see you there!

[Rex Mundane]

I'm in.

[Kweepa]

Starts now!
Theme is "I'm too old for this shit".

[(deleted)]

Late. Suck.
http://www.richardhofmeier.com/too_old.zip

Edit:
Aghghgh... These comps are fun, but this entry was too much like my last one (which was also broken / unfinished) so I took another few hours and finished the game. The original comp entry is still intact above for official, humiliating compliance. Here's the finished vers:
http://www.richardhofmeier.com/greengrass.zip

[Rex Mundane]

Here's mine, even later.
An Elderly Woman's Backed Up Toilet

[Dataflashsabot]

MOTHERFUCKING CUNTING SHIT I FORGOT ALL ABOUT THIS AGAIN

[Scarab]

Shame I couldn't get mine in in time, but here it is, after a couple of hours polishing it:

----------Detention!----------

Yes, I spent more than an hour on it, so it's not an entry, but it was inspired by the theme, so I thought it best to post it here anyway.

My vote goes to Magma, for the line

Spoiler

"I'm too aged for this excriment" XD

[close]

[Rex Mundane]

Ah hell none of ours really got in on time. Know what scarab? Just cause I like your dedication to finishing it anyways, you get my vote right back atcha.

hof, liked the graphics, but I'm not sure I understand the game. I get that I'm repelling the young'uns, but, is that it? Is there a way to win?

[(deleted)]

Scarab:
Nice entry - I'd be interested to know roughly how long it took, in the end. Sharp imagery. Music was a nice touch. Especially liked:

Spoiler

The back-of-the-head shot, when the PC looks out the window. Small thing but added a lot. ...also, the two endings were both nice. I first used the chair on the window to try and climb up, see if anything were on top of the window frame. I was thinking (for some reason) that you had to have something else in your inventory to fire from the slingshot, and was looking for gum or nails or pencils or something. Maybe this feedback means nothing? Just thought you could use some player feedback.

[close]

Magma42:
Haha.

Spoiler

Liked the exchanges between the PC / developer - the ending especially.

[close]

hof, liked the graphics, but I'm not sure I understand the game. I get that I'm repelling the young'uns, but, is that it? Is there a way to win?

Yes, that's it, and no, you can't win (as in life). You'd probably find the finished version is more satisfying.

[Scarab]

Scarab:
Nice entry - I'd be interested to know roughly how long it took, in the end. Sharp imagery. Music was a nice touch.

Thanks!
It's hard to put a number on it, because after I decided I couldn't make it in time, I stopped rushing, tried not to cut corners, took breaks, etc.
The game was functional at the 1.5-2 hour mark, but then I went back and cleaned up/redrew a lot of the graphics, mainly the window, the blackboard (made it readable) and extra frames for the characters (I redrew the teacher entirely).
All up, I'd say maybe 4 hours, if I were working at the same efficiency I was in the first hour.

Spoiler

I first used the chair on the window to try and climb up, see if anything were on top of the window frame. I was thinking (for some reason) that you had to have something else in your inventory to fire from the slingshot, and was looking for gum or nails or pencils or something.

[close]

Spoiler

Yeah, maybe calling it a slingshot was a misleading title, but I don't think a rubber band slung over a ruler has a proper name... despite how often they were made when I was at school

[close]

Maybe this feedback means nothing? Just thought you could use some player feedback.

Appreciated

Although it's made me realise that I haven't said anything about your guys' games 

Magma: Very funny as usual, the fourth-wall banter was great

Hofmeier: Your game shows a lot of promise, and I foresee it being very addictive if you finish it.
The main 'bug' I found is that you can push past one flock of kids, and shepherd the whole lot off the screen.
Visuals are appealing and gameplay flows naturally and intuitively. Now finish it!!

[(deleted)]

Now finish it!!

Maybe editing the original post wasn't obvious enough, but I did go back and finish the game about a day after the contest. It's much more "Game-Shaped" now. Press SPACE to, you know, scream at kids.

http://www.richardhofmeier.com/greengrass.zip

[Rex Mundane]

Bumping this since its supposed to end soon and theres presently just the two votes. Also, hofmeier, loved version 2.0, but I don't think you've casted a vote yet, nor has Steve.

[Kweepa]

Oopsie!

hofmeister - nice presentation, but unfinished...
magma - another "solid" production! Very funny! The brown floor was rather gross...
Scarab - fun game! I liked the ending. Shame it was so late!

So, I vote magma!

[david]

I vote for Magma

[Rex Mundane]

Hell, okay I seem to have won, and by my watch the next hourgame would be taking place about this time tomorrow. Is that too soon for anyone?

[Kweepa]

Sounds good to me!
I might participate early if you're doing that this time (unlike my hosting ).