MAGS June "Home Country" (OPEN)

[Stupot]

2025 - THE YEAR OF MAGS!

Theme: Home Country
Set by: Repi | Deadline: June 30th

I would like to see local flavor in the form of Game Dev's home country. Latin puzzles from Rome? Choppin' trees and people in Quebec? Original Haitian zombies perhaps? Maybe Finnish people are forced to take public speaking courses by evil, babbling Americans in a dystopian Finland?

So create a game about anything, but place it in your home country.

Whispers of a Machine (Nordic countries)


Kona (Canada)


Sumatra: Fate of Yandi (Indonesia)


Detective Di (China)



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.

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

[Stupot]

I decided to open up June's MAGS a little early because I envisage having no free time in the coming few days.
Enjoy the pre-extension.

[Blondbraid]

As a major history buff, does the game have to be set within the current borders of my homeland?

If you look at Swedish history, Finland, Norway, most of the Baltic states, parts of Poland, and Germany were, at different points, part of Sweden.

And that's not counting the Swedish colonies, but to be fair, nobody actually counts them in.

[Repi]

Well, I probably can't refuse as I offered an example like Detective Di investigating in Ancient China. So this is fine by me at least.

And as a Finn, it would be interesting to see how your tyranny would play out in your game 

[Blondbraid]

And as a Finn, it would be interesting to see how your tyranny would play out in your game 

Hey, at least we're not Russia! 

[Repi]

Even though this is my theme, I'm going to be evil and participate  

I can assure you I don't have any advantage, as I haven't done anything except having a small idea, which sparked the theme.

My game would be based around Finnish midsummer magic and incantations, thus the name Midsummer Spells. It's a dark comedy/satire, and horror about Finnish summer and relationships.

[WHAM]

Damn, Finland has been mentioned (torilla tavataan!) so I guess I have to start drafting something here...

[heltenjon]

Hey! Norway and Finland both belonged to Sweden at the same time! We can all make a game and set it in Finland! 

[WHAM]

Okay, I have a game concept themed around alcoholism, depression and caffeine that is inspired by Leisure Suit Larry. If this isn't going to be the most thematically Finnish game ever I don't know what will!
Now to see if I can execute in time!

[cat]

Now to see if I can execute in time!

You mean finnish in time

[WHAM]

You mean finnish in time

Exactly that!

Here's what I have after 1 evening of work:
- Tauno, our protagonist, has 2 walkcycles and 2 standing frames done.
- First half of Tauno's home has had its first pass done. Still needs posters, trash, grime and detail to make it feel authentic.
- Script outline is written, story is set and I have my list of tasks to complete for the game (7-8 backgrounds in total, couple GUI's, 2 minor cutscenes with unique art)

Challenges I've set for myself this MAGS:
- First time using a verb-based UI
- Bilingual game (all dialogue and most text is on screen in both Finnish and English at same time)



EDIT: Oh yeah, the tentative name of the game is "Tuulipuku-Tauno ja Darrakahvi" (English translation, while changing the name in order to retain the Leisure suit Larry inspired alliteration, could be something like "Windbreaker Willy and the Hangover Coffee"). I have a few ideas for this character, as he has existed as a sort of in-joke in my friend group for years and years now, so I might reuse these assets for other games in the future, assuming this one is ever finished of course.