MAGS March “Death Defying” (RESULT)

[Stupot]

Topic: Death Defying
Set by: Slasher

Voting is open. Please vote using the poll above.

	Sandi Knievel: Stunt Rider by Slasher
	Brothers and Wreckers â€" Episode 7 by Creamy
	BARN RUNNER: PUCKER FACTOR by Ponch
	The Mind by HanaIndiana
	Whack-A-Soul by PlayPretend
	Dangerous Derek's Livestream by JackPutter
	FATMAN-The Survival tale of Jim Woods by TheManInBoots

Anything to do with death defying which could be a daredevil of some type who enjoys the thrill of dancing with the grim reaper.
Maybe you are a rock climber or someone who loves walking up buildings or bull riding or perhaps a stunt driver.  You decide.

You may use any graphics available to create your game within a month... Get creating....



Deadline: March 31st

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.

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 rules 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.

[Slasher]

Come on guys... get creating you little devils 

[VampireWombat]

Maybe...
I have another project that I'm starting work on on Tuesday. Also have to see how well my current MAGS game goes.

[Slasher]

Guess I'll have a go....Mmm... What shall I do? 

[Slasher]

I've had quite a think about it and I've hit on a few ideas..

Some of it has been mapped out in my mind and I think I can do it in the time allocated...

I've called my game:

Sandi Knievel: Stunt Rider

I can visualise Flaming hoops and buses

Now, I just need to put everything in place... or at least try 

[Slasher]

Sandi Knievel: Stunt Rider

You are Sandi Knievel, stunt rider ranked 3rd in the world and have entered the 2020 Stunt Rider Championship.

You love the thrill of kissing the grim reaper and dicing with danger!

You are up against some stiff rivals that include Johnny Kidd, Greaser Bill, Fast Eddie and the dreaded Razor Smith: ranked 4th in the world. Razor Smith is a nasty piece of work at the best of times. He once poisoned a blindman's dog and stole his cane!

You are smart and have the best stunt bike mechanics in the business, but are they enough to beat the other rivals and win the 2020 Stunt Rider Championship?

The correct speed, and the right equipment for each stunt are key factors and it is the fastest time that wins.

Be careful you don't fall off and have an accident and end up being carted off in an ambulance before trying the stunt again.

Hints after accidents give a clue as to why you failed that stunt.

Choose equipment and set your speed for each stunt.

Stunts include:

• Hair-raising jumps
• Bed of nails
• Flaming hoops
• Buses
• Choose a breakfast before a Barrel race
• ....And more

Stunt Rider's results are displayed at the end..

Will you become the 2020 Stunt Rider Champion?

The game is 95% planned out... Now comes the hard part 

[The Great Underground Empire]

I might give this a try... finally have more free time in my life.

Came up with a short, simple plot for "Death and Taxes":

You are the lowest of the low at the IRS, until one day you nearly die in your cramped, basement office.  Except Death saves you, on one condition: you wipe out his eternity of unpaid taxes. If you don't, you'll be *cough* permanently deducted.

[Slasher]

Sounds intriguing PlayPretend...

Can't wait until you start creating it 

Even the devil must pay 

[Ponch]

I'm in.

[Slasher]

I'm in.

Yabba Dabba Dooooooo 

[JackPutter]

I think I have a concept for this month too! I just need to come up with some more puzzles to keep it interesting. I'll do my best to get an entry in on time!

[Slasher]

I think I have a concept for this month too! I just need to come up with some more puzzles to keep it interesting. I'll do my best to get an entry in on time!

If you do like you did on your last game you'll be fine and I look forward to it

Meanwhile, stunts 1,2, and 3 are now in place in my entry....

[Ponch]

"Pucker Factor" now has 2 1/3 working rooms packed with placeholder art! 

Edit: Probably won't be able to finish it, but the tagline is "The Barn Runner Flight/Dating Sim" 

[Slasher]

"Pucker Factor" now has 2 1/3 working rooms packed with placeholder art! 

Edit: Probably won't be able to finish it, but the tagline is "The Barn Runner Flight/Dating Sim" 

Come on Ponch... You can do it... The world is counting on you

And you to, JackPutter.............

[The Great Underground Empire]

Update: I got stuck in a quagmire of self-doubt and changed mine to something simpler and nearly plotless.

Whack-A-Soul.  Working well in early test stages!

[Slasher]

Good luck PlayPretend..........

Prepare yourself and calibrate your speed before jumping through the rings of fire stunt....

[Slasher]

My entry is basically finished and now it's testing time...

Is HanaIndiana going to creep a game in this month?

[HanaIndiana]

I just might   

Look forward to playing Sandi Knievel!

[Slasher]

Hi

https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2415-sandi-knievel-stunt-rider/

You are Sandi Knievel, stunt rider ranked 3rd in the world and have entered the 2020 Stunt Rider Championship.

You love the thrill of kissing the grim reaper and dicing with danger!

You are up against some stiff rivals that include Johnny Kidd, Greaser Bill, Fast Eddie and the dreaded Razor Smith: ranked 4th in the world. Razor Smith is a nasty piece of work at the best of times. He once poisoned a blindman's dog and stole his cane!

You are smart and have the best stunt bike mechanics in the business, but are they enough to beat the other rivals and win the 2020 Stunt Rider Championship?

The correct speed, and the right equipment for each stunt are key factors and it is the fastest time who wins.

Be careful you don't fall off and have an accident and end up being carted off in an ambulance before trying the stunt again.

Hints after accidents give a clue as to why you failed that stunt.

Choose equipment and set your speed for each stunt.

Stunts include:
* Hair-raising jumps
* Bed of nails
* Flaming rings
* Buses
* Choose a breakfast before a Barrel race
* ....And more

Stunt Rider's results are displayed at the end..

Will you become the 2020 Stunt Rider Champion?

One save game slot.................





https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2415-sandi-knievel-stunt-rider/

[Ponch]

My game is not quite half done... But I'm still hopeful that I'll make the deadline! 

[HanaIndiana]

@Slasher When I click the download button, and the options window pops up, it's blank. I tried other games, and it's working okay.
Not sure what would cause it.

[Slasher]

** There was a database technical issue with my game..

https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2415-sandi-knievel-stunt-rider/

[HanaIndiana]

Thanks Slasher! 

[Slasher]

You're welcome HanaIndiana...

I hope your stunt riding was good enough to win and beat the horrible Razor Smith 

[Reiter]

Come on guys... get creating you little devils 

I have something 'in the works'. It truly is a theme that is too good not to try.

We shall see, but I like to think that posting about it is a form of commitment, as it were.

[Slasher]

Reiter... It would be great to see an entry from you..

If it's 'too good not to try' then you simply must create it...

I look forward to more details about your game...

Get weaving

[Ponch]

First early build of my game is going out to my playtesters today. I feel pretty confident that I'll actually be able to finish a MAGS game for the first time in years! 

[HanaIndiana]

Woohoo, more entries!
I played Stunt Rider, and totally beat Razor. Ha! Very cool game Slasher  I love all the levels.

[Slasher]

Woohoo, more entries!
I played Stunt Rider, and totally beat Razor. Ha! Very cool game Slasher  I love all the levels.

I'm glad you kicked Razor Smith's butt 

[The Great Underground Empire]

Still plugging away despite corona craziness!

Got all the in-game graphics and characters done, souls are bobbing happily along, ready to be whacked.  The rest is mostly just a LOT of repetitive coding for how the souls fly up the screen, since they travel at different speeds to make it increasingly challenging.

After that, rushing to dress it up as much as possible before the deadline!  Good luck everyone!

[blur]

[imgzoom]https://i.ibb.co/TWrDptb/WAS.png[/imgzoom]

[Ponch]

The school where I teach has been closed for two weeks and will be closed for at least another two. Not only is this the most ambitious MAGS game I've ever made (since the one I attempted to make for the "water" theme), I stand an excellent chance of actually finishing this one! The latest test build just went out to my playtester! 

[Slasher]

It seems that PlayPretend / blur and Ponch have games on the boil...

This could be exciting and I hope they deliver... 

Also, it seems Mandle has deserted us   

[blur]

It seems that PlayPretend / blur and Ponch have games on the boil...

Sorry, I don't. I was just posting the correct image link, because all I can see in PlayPretend's post is the broken image icon.

[Cassiebsg]

Oh, I thought you, blur, were working with PlayPretend and just posted the image while he posted the text.  I didn't realize there was a broken image in his post. 

[The Great Underground Empire]

Sorry, not sure what happened there!  Thanks for the assist!

[TheManInBoots]

Sorry, not sure what happened there!  Thanks for the assist!

I think it happened to me, too once before.
You cannot add a simple link as an image link. It only recognizes the image when you paste the exact image adress which inlcudes the image filename extension (e.g. ".png" at the end)

[The Great Underground Empire]

Yep, that's exactly what happened, I just posted an upload link between the image tags, doh, no PNG at the end.

And phew, after a week of different failed workarounds, I *finally* got my code working so clicking the souls will animate an "explosion death" loop in the background, then vanish, while leaving the cursor free to click more souls.

Now to slog through copy/pasting and adjusting the code for all the souls for each level!    Not as bad a chore when you know it actually finally works!

[TheManInBoots]

Cool that you try to create something new with AGS and not the typical adventure game!

Working on hard problems is fun! Glad you enjoy it!

[HanaIndiana]

It's funny, this theme seems to lend itself to non-adventure games. I think we may have a few this month.

[Slasher]

My son Luke at Lingfield doing he's death defying stunts (inspiration) 

https://youtu.be/xPBRAxpirgQ

[TheManInBoots]

It's funny, this theme seems to lend itself to non-adventure games. I think we may have a few this month.

Ooh, somehow I can't help myself but believe to hear in what you're saying, that you are also creating something a little bit "out of the box" this month.
Awesome!
I was recently experimenting with pixel perfect collision detection to do something a bit different from the usual Adv.-game. It works a bit slow tho, the perfect collision det.

[Slasher]

It's funny, this theme seems to lend itself to non-adventure games. I think we may have a few this month.
Ooh, somehow I can't help myself but believe to hear in what you're saying, that you are also creating something a little bit "out of the box" this month.
Awesome!
I was recently experimenting with pixel perfect collision detection to do something a bit different from the usual Adv.-game. It works a bit slow tho, the perfect collision det.

It appears non adventure games this month... Which is ok...

If you are using the PPC module it draws a rectangle around the whole object/character and can cause slowness...

[JackPutter]

I am currently working away at my entry for this month, I have 2 out of 3 rooms pretty much done! It looks like my entry will possibly be the only traditional adventure game, hopefully it holds up well against all the other outside-the-box ideas!

[TheManInBoots]

I'm curious to see what fun riddles you'll create this time, Jackputter! 

[Slasher]

Who ever is creating a game had better step up a gear... only a few days left..

Good luck to everyone 

Meanwhile I'm waiting for the next topic 

[Ponch]

I'm wrapping up my project in a few days. I think I'll make it to the finish line! 

[HanaIndiana]

Nice Ponch! I'll be working up to the day, but I'll have something playable for sure.

[The Great Underground Empire]

Nearly done!  Just tweaking the souls, adding music and sound, then anything else I can add before deadline will be gravy!  Good luck everyone!

[Creamy]

I'm in too. Blame it on containment. It won't be a point and click either.

[Slasher]

I'm really thrilled that:

JackPutter
Ponch
HanaIndiana
PlayPretend
Creamy

...are entering this month's MAG..

It's going to be a bumper ride 

[JackPutter]

My build is at the point where I can play through from start to finish if I do everything exactly 100% correct... now to test and add extra flair where I can!

[Ponch]

Playtesting is finished. I'm putting cutscenes in now. Game should go up tomorrow night! 

[Slasher]

https://youtu.be/qztuEucrNBc

[HanaIndiana]

Just putting the finishing touches on it, woohoo! I'd say it fitting the theme is a stretch, but I really just wanted to make a game. And I had a hard time coming up with something.
This has been a rough month.    But I can't wait to play some great MAGS games! 

[Creamy]

Here's my entry:

[imgzoom]http://creamy.r.c.f.unblog.fr/files/2020/03/image2.png[/imgzoom]
Brothers & Wreckers â€" Episode 7

This episode was done on my own because Flugeldufel was busy this week (unlike me).
I had a hard time getting anything to work with the Easy3D module.

Good luck guys.

[Ponch]

After several years of not finishing an AGS MAGS game, I am proud to somehow find myself presenting a finished product!

BARN RUNNER: PUCKER FACTOR

For those of you not familiar with the term, "pucker factor" is aviation slang for how scary something is. And for Dr. Noriko, her decision to pursue a younger man* while also trying (at great personal risk**) to recover an item she lost, that term can be read in more than one way.

My first completed Barn Runner game since 2012, this is part of the larger Barn Runner series that has been ongoing since late 2003. For the continuity hungry among you, it takes place a couple of months before The Forever Friday, part 1.

Part flight sim, part dating sim, Pucker Factor will hopefully entertain you through these long days locked inside our apartments.

Download and enjoy! (and vote!)

http://www.barnrunner.com/games/BR_MAGS_2.zip

MOAR SCREENSHOTS!!1!

Arcade-y Action!

Talky Action!

Thanks to kconan for play testing and spell checking! 

__________________________
* If she fails in her attempt to seduce him, she might die of embarrassment!  (Theme appropriate!)
** She might crash her aircraft and die (double theme appropriateness!!)

[HanaIndiana]

Wow, so many amazing looking entries! Unfortunately I have 7 more hours before I can play, but it's something to look forward to.

[Ponch]

Wow, so many amazing looking entries! Unfortunately I have 7 more hours before I can play, but it's something to look forward to.

Are you going to make the deadline? Time's running out!

[Cassiebsg]

March does have 31 days. 

[JackPutter]

Congratulations to Creamy and Ponch on getting their games in on time! I look forward to playing them both.

@HanaIndiana - I hope you are still going to be completing an entry for this month's competition!

I still have some sound effects and other finishing touches to add, but if all goes well my entry will be online tomorrow!

[The Great Underground Empire]

I'll definitely be in by tomorrow!  Core game's done, just adding bells and whistles to pretty it up as much as possible before deadline.

[HanaIndiana]

Yep, mine will be in tomorrow. I'm close to the last timezone... so hopefully it's okay if it seems late. 
I'm never sure when I'm supposed to post exactly.

--- Update ---

Here is my entry!
The Mind

Download Link:
https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2423-the-mind-mags-march-2020-/

This an A.I. version of the card name by the same name. You and your dog Elska must play for your freedom.
Thank you to VampireWombat for the art, and selmiak for the music!

Edit: fixed link
[imgzoom]http://underfootstudios.com/ags/TheMind/title.png[/imgzoom]
[imgzoom]http://underfootstudios.com/ags/TheMind/levelscreen.png[/imgzoom]

[The Great Underground Empire]

Welcome to Whack-A-Soul!  A comedy carnival-style game made for MAGS March 2020, Death Defying theme.

Game Page: (Temporarily disabled, somehow combined with another MAGS creator's game page, need Admin assistance to fix.)

Direct Download: https://gofile.io/?c=t6YwI0

**************************************************

You must save Souls from Death by whacking them with your Hammer of Reincarnation!

Click the head of your Hammer on each Soul to give it another chance at life!

Miss three Souls on any level and it's game over!

**************************************************

Gameplay: 3 levels, 2 minutes total play time.  Levels 1 & 2, Souls fly up.  Level 3, Souls fly towards center.

Cutscenes: ESC to skip straight to play, any click/button to skip through speech.

Voice/Music: Highly recommended you turn on sound/use voice pack.  We had a lot of fun doing the voices.

Development: We plan to expand the game after MAGS with more levels, power-ups, different Soul types, enemies, and more.

Thanks for playing!

[The Great Underground Empire]

Wow...not sure what happened, but somehow my and HanaIndiana's game pages got combined into one?  Looks like we got the same game number somehow, 2421:

https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2421-the-mind-mags-march-2020-

https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2421-whack-a-soul


I uploaded mine, and immediately after it had half her info, half mine.  I edited it back to Whack-A-Soul, but now if you click on her download page above, it reroutes to my game.

Sorry Hana!  If we need to, I'll resubmit mine and you can have the original page!

[HanaIndiana]

It's working now
https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2423-the-mind-mags-march-2020-/

Yeah, the games section is messed up. I can't get it to work at the moment.

[JackPutter]

My entry is complete! Unfortunately the game page has glitched out, similar to the problems that PlayPretend and HanaIndiana have had. I hope it gets sorted soon! In the meantime I'll include a direct link. (Edit: The game page has been fixed!)

DANGEROUS DEREK'S LIVESTREAM

GAME LINK: http://www.mediafire.com/file/evumtgwr48qqinf/Dangerous_Derek%27s_Livestream.zip/file

GAME PAGE: https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2424-dangerous-derek-s-livestream/

SYNOPSIS:
Dangerous Derek hosts the most outrageous livestream on the internet, and today he's been given an extra-spectacular task to complete! Will Derek be successful, and more importantly, how many viewers will he have when he attempts the stunt?

SCREENSHOTS:







I did everything in this game by myself, including all programming, art, sound effects, and music. I hope you all enjoy it, and I hope it scratches your point-and-click itch for the month!

[TheManInBoots]

Okay, my game's uploading, soon to be seen here:

outdated link

[TheManInBoots]

FATMAN-The Survival tale of Jim Woods
Just did this merely for fun.

[TheManInBoots]

Aay, I realized there is a major bug once you reach room 4! The entire game breaks down!
Only happens when you play through from beginning, that's why I didn't see it.
Did a quick fix:

outdated link

[Slasher]

There are some cracking games this month... I have started to play them..

Difficult month to choose from

I will add my thoughts later

[TheFrighter]

FATMAN-The Survival tale of Jim Woods

Horray! The good old Fatman is back! 

https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/323-adventures-of-fatman-the/

_

[TheManInBoots]

Horray! The good old Fatman is back! 

https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/323-adventures-of-fatman-the/

_

Oh my god!
That's so funny!
I didn't even know that game existed! 
Gotta check it out later!

[Ponch]

AGS was built on Fatman, Davy Jones, and Larry Vales 

[Stupot]

Thanks for all the entries, folks. I’ll get the voting sorted out as soon as I can spare a few moments.

[Stupot]

Seven entries! Well done everyone.

Voting is open. Please vote using the poll above.

	Sandi Knievel: Stunt Rider by Slasher
	Brothers and Wreckers â€" Episode 7 by Creamy
	BARN RUNNER: PUCKER FACTOR by Ponch
	The Mind by HanaIndiana
	Whack-A-Soul by PlayPretend
	Dangerous Derek's Livestream by JackPutter
	FATMAN-The Survival tale of Jim Woods by TheManInBoots

As always, please let me know if I've missed anything.

[Mandle]

7 entries?! Oh shit. I think I'm gonna participate in playing and voting with full commentary this time!

[Tampere]

I am just dropping in to say I have played all of your games and this is one of the best MAGS month I recall, on par with the "One Room, One Month" one.
Faboulous creations, pat your backs!

[TheManInBoots]

If someone can tell me how easy it was to walk to the place that starts level 2 in Fatman, I'd appreciate it.


Here my short game reviews:

The Mind:

Spoiler

The dog was really cute.
Turning a card game into a computer game is not exciting enough for me personally.
A simple card game is best played in real life, imo.
But all elements were nicely animated (coins, hearts, etc.).

[close]

Barn Runner:

Spoiler

Aw, man, so much dialogue!
I guess I'm more the action type, rather than the talking type, when it comes to games.
However the facial expressions were nice during the conversation.
Expressive and engaging.

[close]

Brothers and Wreckers:

Spoiler

Real fun and action loaded game play!
Well made with all the different elements!
Attackers from above, from the ground! You need to jump!
Very fun game!
Would have liked to play a little longer!

[close]

Dangerous Derek's Livestream:

Spoiler

Very original idea!
Also the Menu which is a youtube thumbnail!
The Sponsor ads that are appearing are very unexpected and it's funny because of that!
The ads were a little bit long though, and that took a little fun out of it after the first ad.
They were a little bit over-realistic.
Maybe there could have been a few more jokes worked into the ads? (I noticed the Suud-VPN reference which was fun)

Other than that it's a big improvement to the previous game, with several rooms, cool loading symbol while the room is loaded, the people are talking and with a more complex story line. Funny joke at the office door.

[close]

Whack-A-Soul

Spoiler

It had me laughing several times.
It has several differentiated levels.
Very funny and clever speech.
Both death's speech lines and the souls were so funny!
Beautiful Menu Guis.
Very well done!
This game was definitely my favorite of all the games I just played!

[close]

[Shadow1000]

Wow...7 entries! I played all of them and here are my thoughts:


Sandi Knievel: Stunt Rider

Spoiler

This game was a lot of fun! It actually did give that tense feeling to see if the character will succceed the jump. Overall I had a good time playing but the strategy was very trial and error - take a guess, when you fail you're told what you did wrong and try again.

[close]

Brothers & Wreckers - Episode 7

Spoiler

Also a fun arcade sequence. I got the hang after a few minutes and it was over. Albeit short, a good MAGS entry. I'd personally rather see something fairly complete than something overly ambitious that doesn't quite work.

[close]

Barn Runner: Pucker Factor

Spoiler

I liked the variety of this game and how it moved in phases, from a dialogue-based dating sim, to an arcade sequence to a maze game. I know that when you start you're given the choice of cutting back on the dialogue but it just was too much and not my thing

[close]

The Mind

Spoiler

Good idea, graphics and animations! I played a few rounds and then lost. I just didn't feel the patience to want to play a computer-based card game

[close]

Whack-A-Soul

Spoiler

Sweet game! I had a few smiles and chuckles and love the little comments of the souls as you whack them. Nice voice-overs! A bit too easy - my first time through I did not miss any souls. I played again and saw that sometimes when you hit one soul, another one disappears?

[close]

Dangerous Derek's Livestream

Spoiler

Awesome in every aspect! fun, but not too difficult puzzles. I think I was laughing almost the entire time I played. The theme is absolutely hilarious and a great parody of the stupidity people pull on YouTube these days. Good sound effects, graphics and animation really polish up this little gem and very impressive for a MAGS entry

[close]

FATMAN - The Survival Tale of Jim Woods

Spoiler

Meets the theme of the month. Decent graphics and animation. The gameplay was a bit awkward and the game had an overall unfinished feel. Some examples: I didn't really have a feel as to whether a bat was in my "range" or not. I speculated that you have to be on the same Z-plane as the bat but there's really no way to tell. The save and load didn't really work for me, either. A game where you can die should have a functioning save/load, especially when you have to go through the first few minutes of tutorial each time (ok, probably more like a minute but still...). I couldn't pass the dragon. It says that I have a few lives on the bottom but as soon as you get out, the character stays mutilated and the dragon's head seems to break off and float in the air?

Overall a good idea but I think it needs some fine-tuning to get out some kinks

[close]

FATMAN - The Survival Tale of Jim Woods v2.0

Spoiler

A multi-phase survival game with decent graphics and animation. Could be polished up with some sound effects and animation, especially when the player dies or harms an enemy as well as a save/load. I don't want to give away too much but it's an interesting mix between attack, defense, and figuring out what to do on each level. Overall, quite playable and enjoyable

[close]

My vote (in case you couldn't tell) went to

Spoiler

Dangerous Derek. I think that all other things being equal, a good puzzle solver game with inventory and dialogues will top my list. This one has a brilliant theme, clever puzzles and overall polish that you rarely see in a MAGS entry

[close]

Really well done.

[TheManInBoots]

Shadow1000:

Spoiler

For some clarification of problems you described:
The character speech is probably quite small to read everything, but as Fatman says, in the bat cave you only fight the male bats (the ones with a slightly blue dot on the front). The others don't attack.

Have you played the debugged version of the game?
Just so you understand, you have to take ALL 5 lifes from the dragon to beat him, that's probably why you weren't able to do it.

There is some good stuff coming after the dragon!

And you're right, it's better if the autosave is after the tutorial in a future version of the game.

[close]

[Shadow1000]

Shadow1000:

Spoiler

For some clarification of problems you described:
The character speech is probably quite small to read everything, but as Fatman says, in the bat cave you only fight the male bats (the ones with a slightly blue dot on the front). The others don't attack.

Have you played the debugged version of the game?
Just so you understand, you have to take ALL 5 lifes from the dragon to beat him, that's probably why you weren't able to do it.

There is some good stuff coming after the dragon!

And you're right, it's better if the autosave is after the tutorial in a future version of the game.

[close]

I didn't know there was a debugged version of the game. Does it allow you to save and load?

Spoiler

When I play, there doesn't seem to be a way to get past the dragon. He fireballs a few times and it's easy to shield, but then he extends his head and it's game over, right back to the beginning tutorial. I'd be willing to try again if I didn't need to start from the bat cave again

[close]

I did see the part that says that only male bats will attack but I did not see the part that they are marked with a blue dot. I played again and I do see that some have a blue dot but realistically it's close to impossible to tell because they are moving.

[JackPutter]

Thank you very much to Shadow1000 and TheManInBoots for your kind words about my game! Your feedback is really appreciated and super encouraging!

Spoiler

Shadow1000 I am so incredibly flattered that you would vote for my game, especially with such stiff competition! I'm very glad you enjoyed it so much and I'm happy I could put a smile on your face.

[close]

I have played all the other games for this month, here is a quick run-down of my thoughts.

Sandi Knievel: Stunt Rider by Slasher

Spoiler

I loved the concept for this game, and there was a great variety in the different levels. There was a cheeky sense of humour running throughout, and the visual style had a nice charm. Especially impressive as I'm pretty sure you finished this game in a little over two weeks! I have no idea how you programmed such a varied amount of mechanics (speed, equipment, etc) in such a short space of time. One aspect I didn't particularly enjoy was the amount of trail-and-error involved. I had the most fun with levels where there was a bit of a puzzle to solve (e.g. There was a level where it was raining so I could work out for myself that I needed wet weather tires) otherwise I was just trying every option and hoping it worked. Overall I had fun playing it and it definitely helped me live out my stuntman dreams!

[close]

Brothers and Wreckers - Episode 7 by Creamy

Spoiler

What a great little reaction-test game! I loved that it was challenging, and especially that none of the challenge resulted from wrestling with the controls. Everything was smooth and intuitive! There was a great mood and atmosphere, the art was lovely, and the animations were all super! I thought that there was great variety when it came to the enemies, as they came from all sides (even above!) and the curses that get placed on you as you progress mixed things up in a really fun way. This being the first Brothers and Wreckers game I've played, I didn't really understand much of the overall story, but I got enough of a taste to enjoy myself and the gag at the end was a great reward for finishing the level. I definitely want to go and check out the other episodes now!

[close]

Barn Runner: Pucker Factor by Ponch

Spoiler

There was a lot that I really loved about this game. I thought the art was really lovely throughout, particularly the facial animations. There were small details I thought really added to the style, like the green console in the car/ship lighting up with a display when they started it. I liked that the arcade sequences never repeated themselves, so I was always excited to see what kind of gameplay was in store after each dialogue section. Those sequences also had fairly responsive controls and must have been very tricky to programme! There was plenty of storytelling in the dialogue (so much for just a month's work on top of everything else!) and each character had their own distinct voice. Unfortunately I am not personally interested in dating sim/visual novel style games, so the long sequences of dialogue weren't exactly to my taste. I enjoyed them more in the second half, where I had the goal of filling the heart-o-meter (fantastic mechanic!) but I will admit to speed-reading most of it. Perhaps being unfamiliar with the world and characters was a factor. In my opinion if the first conversation with the Chief was a little shorter that would really have helped. We're given a goal (retrieve equipment and seduce hunky man along the way) pretty early, but then the plot stands still so we can have a conversation with the Chief for another five minutes. I really wanted to get going and was excited to explore! Anyway, overall I enjoyed playing through it and I think you really crammed a lot in considering the limited time period you had for development!

[close]

The Mind by HanaIndiana

Spoiler

This game had a really fantastic atmosphere, there was a great sense of cohesion between the graphics and sounds, and they all tied together around the theme and sucked me in. The tutorial was very clear and I felt I had a good grip on the game after only reading it once. I did play on easy mode, so I may have missed out on some of the challenge. I managed to save our souls after about three tries, so it passes the test of "Do I hit retry or quit?" I got a lovely sense of character from the dog through the cute design and all the woofs and yips, which really made me want to succeed! I enjoyed playing the card game itself, and I appreciated how the difficulty slowly grew. It must have been a headache to programme but I think it turned out great! This one gets a thumbs-up from me!

[close]

Whack-a-Soul by PlayPretend

Spoiler

This game was just SO charming from beginning to end! Fantastic visual style, from the menus and backgrounds all the way through to the character sprites and animations. I had a big goofy smile on my face from beginning to end, I liked that the game wasn't afraid to poke fun at itself and I chuckled at pretty much all of the voice lines from both Death and the souls. I blitzed through it in less than 5 minutes without missing a single soul, but I enjoyed every second of it thoroughly! You should be very proud of the work you have done, I thought this game was extremely polished and a real achievement for something made in an adventure game engine in just over four weeks!

[close]

Fatman - The Survival Tale of Jim Woods

Spoiler

This was a really ambitious one, and I really wish I could have played more of it! Unfortunately every time I made it through the bat cave, I was killed by the dragon and the game would glitch. I would get bitten, then after I was dead I would be hit by a fireball and the "You're Dead" text window would keep reappearing every time I closed it. This was a real shame, because I liked the combat system of swinging the sword, and I enjoyed that it was increasing in complexity as the game went on by adding new elements like the shield. However I found many of the same issues as Shadow1000 did, namely I thought it was incredibly difficult to spot which bats could harm me (I eventually figured out that the dangerous ones moved faster, I never noticed that they had a different colour on them) and having to go through the tutorial every time I died. I was also killed by a single bat multiple times, which seemed a bit unfair... I had to kill 15 of them but if I let a single one through I died and had to start over again. So I really enjoyed the concept and I am definitely longing for more, but in its current state I just couldn't stick with the game to make it through to the end.

[close]

I consider it an honour to be placed alongside such talented game developers in this competition, best of luck to everyone and I congratulate you all on what great things you achieved in the month of March!

[TheManInBoots]

Shadow1000

Spoiler

I read what you said and I just checked it out and it's actually another bug.
You already play the debugged version, don't worry.
But when you die you should always restart in the same room where you died and not at the very beginning.
I see that this doesn't work when you play from the very beginning, and I didn't really have to time to test it thoroughly enough, I mostly only tested every room by itself.
I fixed it now, let's see if it's good to post here.

I really appreciate your feedback though, so I sent you a fixed version to your inbox! Just so you can have some fun playing it to the end!

[close]

Stupot

Spoiler

Hi Stupot.
I noticed from some feedback that there are some bugs that when the character is killed off he does not restart from the beginning of the current level, but the player is forced to start from the beginning or restart the game when it bugs.
So I fixed it.
I created a game profile of the game on this website in the meantime.
Is that considered an official bug for re-post, so I can post the link?
Else I wait for after voting deadline I don't mind, it's just for fun anyways

[close]

[Shadow1000]

Shadow1000

Spoiler

I read what you said and I just checked it out and it's actually another bug.
You already play the debugged version, don't worry.
But when you die you should always restart in the same room where you died and not at the very beginning.
I see that this doesn't work when you play from the very beginning, and I didn't really have to time to test it thoroughly enough, I mostly only tested every room by itself.
I fixed it now, let's see if it's good to post here.

I really appreciate your feedback though, so I sent you a fixed version to your inbox! Just so you can have some fun playing it to the end!

[close]

Stupot

Spoiler

Hi Stupot.
I noticed from some feedback that there are some bugs that when the character is killed off he does not restart from the beginning of the current level, but the player is forced to start from the beginning or restart the game when it bugs.
So I fixed it.
I created a game profile of the game on this website in the meantime.
Is that considered an official bug for re-post, so I can post the link?
Else I wait for after voting deadline I don't mind, it's just for fun anyways

[close]

Still no go...

Spoiler

The character does regenerate after dying, so you're getting there.
but:

- Still no functioning Save/Load
- Still no way to harm the dragon. You can spend an infinite amount of time shielding fireballs but there's no way to attack or hurt the dragon. I tried with the sword but got torn to pieces.

[close]

Good luck!

[heltenjon]

Fatman:

Spoiler

It's working now. There is indeed a way to harm the dragon with the sword. And there are two more fun segments after that. 

[close]

[Shadow1000]

Fatman:

Spoiler

It's working now. There is indeed a way to harm the dragon with the sword. And there are two more fun segments after that. 

[close]

Spoiler

Maybe you know that, but the dragon didn't get the memo

Kidding aside, not in my version. I tried every position with the sword when he lunges forward and always get torn. Maybe you're using a different version?

[close]

[heltenjon]

Fatman and the dragon: I'm using the version where you regenerate on the level you died, but with no save/load options. Here's what I did (full spoiler):

Spoiler

After the dragon starts attacking, walk back to the cave opening. You have to stand in the right spot where his head does not reach you when the dragon lunges, while you just reach his head with your sword. I started far left and advanced in small steps until i found the right spot. Even then I didn't notice right away, as there is no sound effect when you hit him, but one of the hearts in the corner will disappear.

[close]

[heltenjon]

Perhaps I'd also post one that's only a hint and not the solution to the problem.

Still Fatman vs dragon:

Spoiler

It's not the position of the sword that matters, but where Fatman is standing.

[close]

[Shadow1000]

Fatman and the dragon: I'm using the version where you regenerate on the level you died, but with no save/load options. Here's what I did (full spoiler):

Spoiler

After the dragon starts attacking, walk back to the cave opening. You have to stand in the right spot where his head does not reach you when the dragon lunges, while you just reach his head with your sword. I started far left and advanced in small steps until i found the right spot. Even then I didn't notice right away, as there is no sound effect when you hit him, but one of the hearts in the corner will disappear.

[close]

I appreciate the explanation. I would not have gotten that one on my own.

I did complete the game.

[TheManInBoots]

Thanks for explaining it, heltenjon!
Well done for surviving every level!
You must have been singing "I'm still standing!" when reaching the end!

[Shadow1000]

I updated my comments for Fatman V2.0.

[TheManInBoots]

Thanks Shadow1000, I'm really glad you enjoyed the debugged version!

For the fun's sake of everyone playing here's the debugged version:
https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2428-fatman-the-survival-tale-of-jim-woods-demo/

I removed the glitches (nothing else changed), so you can just have fun till the end even if you need a few attempts!

JackPutter,

Spoiler

I appreciate your feedback.
Regarding the bats, you cannot swing your sword at it after it attacked you...but maybe there is something else you can do to loose the bat?

[close]

[Ponch]

For the fun's sake of everyone playing here's the debugged version:
https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2428-fatman-the-survival-tale-of-jim-woods-demo/

I removed the glitches (nothing else changed), so you can just have fun till the end even if you need a few attempts!

Thank you! I was stuck! 

[heltenjon]

After playing all the entries, here are my thoughts:

Sandi Knievel: Stunt Rider by Slasher:

Spoiler

Quite unexpected, but well fitting with the theme. I really liked the guesswork when choosing the right equipment, because the save system made it easy to go back. Very user friendly. I ended up not mastering the event where you push a ball into a hole and will need to go back to figure that one out to eventually win the tournament. A bronze medal won't cut it.  Good variation in the events.

[close]

Whack-a-Soul by PlayPretend

Spoiler

Very funny arcade style game - had me laughing. Short and easy, so I had my fun and probably won't replay unless more levels are coming. Hilarious voices!

[close]

Brothers and Wreckers - Episode 7 by Creamy

Spoiler

There aren't any episodes 2-6 yet, are there? Anyhow, another arcade style game. This game me a great retro c64 feeling, reminding me of Black Knight or Aztec Challenge. Short, but sweet. And a joke at the end.

[close]

FATMAN - The Survival Tale of Jim Woods by TheManInBoots

Spoiler

Quite ambitious, with great background graphics. A bit buggy and unpolished on realease, but rewarding. The first level is an action game, while the following are more arcade adventures, where you have to solve a puzzle. I guess this change may cause some players to get stuck. There is a serious undertone to the dark humour here, what with the Corona virus and all. I liked the game, but I think level two and three take too much time. When the player has solved the puzzle, he has to wait until he can do the same again several times. Two hearts for the dragon and two zombies would be plenty.

[close]

The Mind by HanaIndiana

Spoiler

I like card games, mind games and AI, so this one was right up my alley. Great atmosphere, good graphics and moody music, and I really liked that I played the dog! This one even has the advantage of being replayable, so it might stay on my hard drive for a while. I haven't played the card game before, and while I agree that card games are better with other people, this one will do the trick instead of a solitaire game.

[close]

Barn Runner: Pucker Factor by Ponch

Spoiler

The game crashed on me a couple of times, and there is LOTS to read. This may be a plus or a minus, depending. I for one like the feeling (romeo) of a larger world and a deeper (if silly) continuity. It made me want to play the rest of the series, which I guess means it did the job. There are several game types in one here: visual novel, arcade sequences, dating sim and a maze. Amazing depth for a MAGS game. I would have liked to see more of how it turns out in the ending, but there is very much packed into the game already.

[close]

Dangerous Derek's Livestream by JackPutter

Spoiler

The only point and click adventure of the bunch, so perhaps it should win by default? Great humour and funny responses to almost everything I tried to do. Easy and short, but that's to be expected in MAGS. Very good entry.

[close]

I voted for

Spoiler

Barn Runner:Pucker Factor. There is so much to do there. Although this one was close with The Mind and Dangerous Derek.

[close]

[Ponch]

Barn Runner: Pucker Factor by Ponch
The game crashed on me a couple of times...

Could you send me a PM with the crash info? Or maybe a description of where and when it crashed? As you said in your very nice review, there were a lot of different things to do in the game, and with only one real playtester, I'm sure some bad code made its way into the release. I try to fix every bug I can find, so your bug reports are appreciated! 

Anyhoo, thanks for playing. I hope you like the other games in the Barn Runner series. There are quite a few of them, and some of the early one are pretty primitive compared to the ones I made later. 

[Creamy]

I finished all the games, which means it's review time:

Sandi Knievel: Stunt Rider by Slasher:

Spoiler

An original concept. The mountain of mud is the level that I prefered because it lets you test different configurations on your own. The other parts are OK but more directional.
I couldn't help eating the continental breakfast before the final race just to see the outcome 

[close]

Whack-a-Soul by PlayPretend

Spoiler

It plays well and the presentation is top-notch. The wormish voices are cute.

[close]

FATMAN - The Survival Tale of Jim Woods by TheManInBoots

Spoiler

A long game with creative mechanics. Every ennemy kills you instantly. Fortunately there's an autosave.

There's space for improvement IMO:
Swinging your sword is neat but it can easily get stuck.
It could use more feedback. I had to use hints from the forum too.

[close]

The Mind by HanaIndiana

Spoiler

A fine-tuned card game. I don't think I've played anything like that before.
I had concerns about the AI but Elska did all right actually.
I finished the easy mode after several tries and called it a day (hard enough for me!).
The dismissal mechanism adds a bit of strategy. Just perfect!

[close]

Barn Runner: Pucker Factor by Ponch

Spoiler

What a huge MAGS game! I liked the top-down sections. The banter was entertaining. I must confess that I missed Prick though. These characters are more conventional.

[close]

Dangerous Derek's Livestream by JackPutter

Spoiler

A solid entry. The puzzles are fair but the game especially shines with its depiction of an obnoxious Youtuber. A very personal nitpick: I would have enjoyed some kind of twist at the end. Who said crash?

[close]

About my own game

Spoiler

Thanks for the nice comments. It was bound to be short since it was mostly made in the last week of March. As they say, the important thing is to take part 

There aren't any episodes 2-6 yet, are there?

No, you're right 
I quickly saw that I wouldn't be able to connect this game with the demo. Since I still wanted to reuse the original cast, I came up with an hypothetical backstory and a fake episode number.

[close]

[JackPutter]

@heltenjon - Thank you very much for your lovely comments! I'm glad you enjoyed the game and I am very happy that it gave you a few laughs. I'm flattered that you think it's a high-quality entry!

@Creamy -  I'm glad you thought the puzzles were fair! It's very difficult to judge whether a player will hop on the same train of thought as you when you are designing a game, so it's great to hear you thought the challenge was appropriate. With regards to your final comment...

Spoiler

There is, in fact, a secret ending! So if you think Derek doesn't deserve a happily-ever-after, you can always insist that he attempts the stunt without the proper equipment...

[close]

[TheManInBoots]

Thank you! I was stuck! 

You're welcome


Thanks for your feedback, heltenjon!
There will be even more challenges and cool assets in the finished version after the voting deadline, and I will add missing speech and jokes (obviously the corona virus will have something to say as well) , so keep an eye out for it!
I will consider the amount of time. If it feels right, I might reduce the number of dragon's lifes and sick people.

[Creamy]

If it feels right, I might reduce the number of dragon's lifes and sick people.

...or make the fireballs and the zombies faster. Once you understand how to beat the last two bosses, they are pretty simple.

[Ponch]

I must confess that I missed Prick though. These characters are more conventional.

Prick may appear in the full version of the game. And after the various sordid details of Noriko's personal life that are revealed in her conversation with The Chief, I am impressed that you still see her as boring and conventional. You, sir, must live a life of excess that I can only admire from a safe distance. I tip my hat to you, Creamy! (roger-monocle.gif)

Edited to include: 

[Creamy]

Spoiler

There is, in fact, a secret ending! So if you think Derek doesn't deserve a happily-ever-after, you can always insist that he attempts the stunt without the proper equipment...

Will definitely try it!

[close]

Prick may appear in the full version of the game. And after the various sordid details of Noriko's personal life that are revealed in her conversation with The Chief, I am impressed that you still see her as boring and conventional. You, sir, must live a life of excess that I can only admire from a safe distance. I tip my hat to you, Creamy! (roger-monocle.gif)

They're not boring by any means and their sexual lives are probably more hectic than that of Prick.

I was refering to their personality. Noriko, Harry and the chief seem more professional.

To me, Prick is this fascinating mix of an heroic loser, like Roger Wilco. He does the weirdest things and is regularly ridiculed - especially in the latter instalments - but somehow gets the job done and provokes contradictory feelings.

This review wasn't meant to sound negative. I truly enjoyed the game and will gladly play the last part.

[Ponch]

This review wasn't meant to sound negative. I truly enjoyed the game and will gladly play the last part.

Whoops.  I sometimes forget to include smileys.    

My comment was meant to be humorous, but it didn't read that way without a smiley. Here, take this Larry  and cut him out and tape him on your monitor so he shows up on my earlier post. (Barn Runner games is not responsible for any damage to monitors that may result) Thanks!

[Slasher]

Someone reported that they could not get beyond the barrel race in Sandi Knievel: Stunt Rider...

Has anyone else had this or any other problem?

Also, who has managed to complete the game?

Thank you

[HanaIndiana]

The first time I played the final race, I did 'something' that caused it not to do anything once we crossed the finished line. We all just sat there at the edge of the screen.
Unfortunately my memory is bad... but I think I clicked my bike or something instead of just sitting back and letting it go.
When I replayed, I didn't touch anything, and it finished okay. Again, assuming my memory is working properly. 

[Slasher]

The first time I played the final race, I did 'something' that caused it not to do anything once we crossed the finished line. We all just sat there at the edge of the screen.
Unfortunately my memory is bad... but I think I clicked my bike or something instead of just sitting back and letting it go.
When I replayed, I didn't touch anything, and it finished okay. Again, assuming my memory is working properly. 

Well caught... I will fix 

Cheers

[Slasher]

Hi

Fixed bug during Barrel race.... I hope

[heltenjon]

Slasher wants a bug report, so I replayed and finally finished first in Stunt Rider today. When reading about the bug HanaIndiana had encountered, I recall that I had that one, too. Had to go back and cross the finish line again, if I recall correctly. (Which is probably history now after you have fixed it, anyway.)

I had the game crash/lock up when I had too much going on in several open windows in the background. Pretty sure that was due to insufficient memory.


Not sure if it counts as a bug, but when I tried pushing the ball into the hole, I had it bouncing back and forth between the bike and the hole.

Spoiler

I guess I had the wrong speed.

[close]

The same occurs when I push the ball to either wall on the ends of the track, which is a good thing, but one time it was caught in a loop of bouncing between the bike and the wall, and I was forced to quit via task manager to get out of it. No other problems. I'm impressed that the game engine can be used like this.

[Stupot]

One more week of voting. Hope you're all enjoying the games.

[Stupot]

Well, it was close between Ponch and JackPutter, but the winner of MAGS March is:

JackPutter, for Dangerous Derek’s Livestream.

That makes two wins in two attempts. Well done Jack. I’ll contact you soon about choosing a topic for May.

Unlucky Ponch. Glad to see another Barn Runner game. Please join in again soon.

And thanks and well done to everyone else who got a game in. After a bit of a dry spell we showed that MAGS is still very much alive and well.

[Slasher]

Well done  JackPutter   

See you in the next one and don't be late 

[JackPutter]

Holy Moly! I can't believe that result! Thank you so much to everyone who played Dangerous Derek's Livestream (and especially those who voted for it) and I'm sure Derek himself would be thrilled by this news! I am extremely flattered. I think everyone should be proud of the games they entered this month, I thought all the entries offered so much and the competition was very stiff! You all did terrific work and I'm very pleased to be among such talented folks.

[The Great Underground Empire]

Congrats JackPutter!    And awesome job everybody!

[Creamy]

Let's celebrate with a Dangerous Derek video (sort of).

[Shadow1000]

Awesome game! well deserved congratulations.

[Ponch]

Unlucky Ponch. Glad to see another Barn Runner game. Please join in again soon.

Unlucky? My game got to second base, and for a dating sim, that means I got lucky! 

Congrats, JackPutter.

[pell]

Shoot. I meant to vote on this, but I  only got around to playing three of the games. I won't say which three, but I found Dangerous Derek the best of them. It looks like I was not alone in that.