Spot The Difference

[CaptainD]

Just a simple spot the difference game I'm making for my young daughters, put a demo up with 3 screens - I've had in mind a way of doing this for some time but never got round to trying it before.  Will be 28 screens in all when I can get them all done.

You can get the demo here - http://gamejolt.com/games/spot-the-difference/107267

I've also added it to Itch - http://captaind.itch.io/spot-the-difference

I'd be grateful if anyone finding a bug could PM me.

[Slasher]

Nice one Captain

i had many hours fun 'spotting the difference' when i was young.

i will download and give it a whirl.

[Slasher]

Hiya,

just playing.. done the first 2... no problem. troll: only found 4 so far..

simple but effective observation lesson

[CaptainD]

Hiya,

just playing.. done the first 2... no problem. troll: only found 4 so far..

simple but effective observation lesson

Hah yeah I deliberately made the Troll one a little harder.  Thanks for playing!

[Mandle]

There's an incredibly easy way to solve any spot the difference puzzle in seconds and amaze your friends if you can pull it off:

Spoiler

If you are able to do the trick where you cross your eyes slowly until the side-by-side images superimpose on each other and can fool your brain into looking at it as one picture the differences will stand out semi-transparently...It only works if the images are side-by-side of course or if you can turn your head or the paper/screen 90 degrees if they are top and bottom...

It's like looking at side-by-side 3D images or solving those "white-noise-hidden-3D-image-puzzles"...

[close]

[Cassiebsg]

Can't do that, I normally just move my eyes from on pic to the other as fast as possible and look for "movement".
Will download and test with my kid.

EDIT: Oh rats! Gamejolt. I'll wait for a mirror then.

EDIT 2: Okay, played it with your screens... all found! (Assuming there are only 5 per scene).

[CaptainD]

@Mandle - bah, I could never do those "Magic Eye" pictures myself.
@Cassiebsg - I've uploaded to itch.io now too (at this moment, the itch.io version has an extra screen too! )  Yes there are only 5 per screen.  Both download links in first post.

[Cassiebsg]

Thanks! tested, played and found all.
Almost wish there was "fastest time" setting...

Personally I would rather mark them on the right, but that's just me (maybe a setting the player can switch?). Not sure about the sound... for me it's "please turn off the speakers!" Also the mouse pointed seems unnecessarily big to me... but maybe small kids will appreciate the huge cursor.
I'll let my kid play test it tomorrow... if he behaves...

[CaptainD]

The sound is a placeholder really - it's actually one of the race start FX I made for "Red Hot Overdrive".   I'll probably change it.  Was also going to add some clapping for when all 5 were found.  My wife said she'd expected the differences to be highlighted on the right rather than the left two... hmm... dunno.

A "fastest time" idea could be interesting... might add it later.

As for the mouse pointer - tbh I was thinking the same myself.  Ask your little one what he thinks and let me know!

Thanks for playing!

If it looks like it might be popular, maybe I'll do a much tougher version sometime for adults to test their mettle on.

[cat]

Nice one, I like this kind of game! I'd suggest, that once you have completed a game, there should be a button "Next" so I don't have to go to the main screen.

[CaptainD]

Nice one, I like this kind of game! I'd suggest, that once you have completed a game, there should be a button "Next" so I don't have to go to the main screen.

Hmm... good idea.  Thanks.

[Stupot]

Cool. I'll give this a go on my day off. I love these

I made a small Spot the Difference game in AGS a while back. I started making a version with backgrounds from AGS games, but never saw it through.

[CaptainD]

I made a small Spot the Difference game in AGS a while back. I started making a version with backgrounds from AGS games, but never saw it through.

Yeah I remember that - you kind of inspired me to make this one!

[Stupot]

I made a small Spot the Difference game in AGS a while back. I started making a version with backgrounds from AGS games, but never saw it through.

Yeah I remember that - you kind of inspired me to make this one!

Yeah, I pretty much invented the concept ;-)

I'd be interested to know how you went about scripting it. I'm certain mine was done in the least efficient way possible (hence, I couldn't just plug other backgrounds into it very easily) :-)

[Frodo]

Gave it a try - fun little game 

I really like how it's marked off on the left.  It seems more natural to me, than over on the right. 

Can I suggest, once a level is successfully completed (you've found all 5 differences), can it be greyed out in the menu screen?

[CaptainD]

@Stupot+ - I'll PM you and we can compare notes, not really appropriate to do it in this thread.
@Frodo - I'll see what I can do, shouldn't be too difficult (I think!).  Might also add one or two puzzles with more than 5 differences, though I should probably stick at keeping this version very simple.  Thanks for giving it a try!   Also glad I'm not the only one who thinks it being marked on the left seems correct

[Frodo]

CaptainD, if you do add some puzzles with more than 5 differences, can I suggest you indicate how many differences we need to find, on the actual puzzle screen? 

And marking it on the left is definitely correct 

[CaptainD]

CaptainD, if you do add some puzzles with more than 5 differences, can I suggest you indicate how many differences we need to find, on the actual puzzle screen? 

Yes I was thinking I should add that.  Initially I had been going to only do 5 per scene, but now considering doing some with more. 

And marking it on the left is definitely correct 

Left it is, and left it will stay!


On a more general level... what do people feel about canning SFX (as I'm unsure it will be possible to have a repetitive sound effect that doesn't get on the nerves!) and just having some relaxing music (that can be turned off)?

[Cassiebsg]

I'm wondering, are you guys maybe left handed?

Sounds good with the no sfx and + music.

[Mandle]

On a more general level... what do people feel about canning SFX (as I'm unsure it will be possible to have a repetitive sound effect that doesn't get on the nerves!) and just having some relaxing music (that can be turned off)?

Maybe if the SFX fitted well/blended with the BGM? For example:

BGM: Some tinkly, watery new-age music like you hear in crystal shops...
SFX: Subtle wind-chime sound

[CaptainD]

@Cassibsg - not me, I'm right handed, but an interesting hypothesis!
@Mandle - nice idea, will try to do something like that.  I'll add buttons to turn both on or off though.

Thanks everyone - I had basically expected this little project of mine to pass by completely unnoticed!

[Cassiebsg]

Btw, my little one was able to almost solve the 1st puzzle by him self! He found all the 4 different shapes, but only until I asked what color the eye was he found the last one. He found the mouse cursor hard to use, mostly cause he's used to using the windows pointer... Second screen was harder for him... found the "bridge" right away, but the lines I had to help him, and he never noticed the clouds...

[Frodo]

I'm wondering, are you guys maybe left handed?

Yep, I'm a lefty 

[Cassiebsg]

Guess it makes sense to mark the picture closer to your hand holding the pen/pencil...
CaptainD is just an odd one them.

Guess maybe if you were taught to mark them on one side, then makes sense to mark them on that side forever, since you already used to it.

[CaptainD]

Hope your little one enjoyed it!  I will definitely make a few more really easy ones.  This (and my other edutainment project) seem to be struggling to stay at the level they were originally intended to be, keep wanting to add slightly more difficult / complex elements to them.

CaptainD is just an odd one them.

Can't argue with that!

Guess maybe if you were taught to mark them on one side, then makes sense to mark them on that side forever, since you already used to it.

I decided against that... I mean, what if someone different wanted to have a go?

Also, I've added to my To Do list an option to change between cross-hairs and a cursor.

Thanks again for the feedback.

[Cassiebsg]

I decided against that... I mean, what if someone different wanted to have a go?

Errmmm.... think you misunderstood me... I didn't meant not to give the option left/right, I was just making an observation on the way we normally mark these "spot the differences" on paper.

[CaptainD]

Ah sorry... yes I did (completely! ) misunderstand you!

[CaptainD]

If anyone would like to contribute a scene or two from one of their own games, please PM me. 

Basically all I would need is:

The original image (140x140px), one with the differences, and preferably one with the differences highlighted - you don't need to stick to 5 differences btw, but try not to have them too close together.

I'll try to get a new version out soon.

[CaptainD]

New version uploaded.  Now also on the AGS database.
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/1977/
(Primary download location is GameJolt, mirror is Itch.io)

Change log:
- 1 extra screen added (7 in total now)
- Option to change mouse cursor / cross-hairs
- SFX taken out for now
- Text at start of each screen telling you about the scene and what game it's from
- Menu screen now indicates  screens you have already completed (you can see this in the new menu screenshot)


Coming soon:
- More screens including some from A Landlord's Dream and Fanbots
- Background music

[Slasher]

This is one of those games where improvements can be made and additions added at anytime..

"Cute game that was fun. Kids would like it. Took me back a few years. Short but sweet. Recommended."

nice work captain

[CaptainD]

This is one of those games where improvements can be made and additions added at anytime..

That's the idea!

More screens including a contribution from Cassiebsg and some minor improvements added.  Music coming soon!  Uploaded latest version to both GameJolt and Itch.

[CaptainD]

Another update, an extra puzzle (bit trickier this time), and music including a haunting piece by Emont.
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/1977/

[Myshkin]

Heh, hope it's not too haunting... I was going for "nostalgic" but things always end up a little darker than I intend

If anyone's small child is creeped out by the music I'll do something a little brighter, like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sOadAaGiq4