MAGS March “Journey” (RESULT)

[eri0o]

Ok, I played Food Wars and Return Journey! I can't download Huggles Goes on a Trip, I click on the link but it simply doesn't download for me - I am using Google Chrome.

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Here are my notes...

Food Wars

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Lovely game! I never had so many items on my inventory! I liked the map menu and clicking to switch places is really practical, I also liked that it was a flying character that drew the eagle's nest. This game has the right amount of backtracking, using the small areas well. When reaching the end, it would be tedious to walk all the way back, so the game has a nice way of doing it for you, I liked that!

I think the fly disappeared, but he says he is disappearing, guess I needed to get him food faster, maybe?

One thing though, I thought the main character was a little pig, so I just ignored that he was to be a hamster and mentally played with him as a little pig!

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Return Journey

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I kinda wanted a better look at the aircraft at the start, but I guess this not having it allows you to replay the game. But it works as is, so as you walk, you understand the ship and make yourself ready for the events when them come, so you don't waste any time.

I liked a lot, and the end was a bit terrifying when it hits you with historical facts. The gameplay could work too in a slight bigger ship with procedural disasters hitting, more levels or co-op play!

I couldn't figure how to save the pilot after he gets shot in the leg.

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[fernewelten]

I can't download Huggles Goes on a Trip,

Please retry downloading. It used to have a problem at some time late yesterday night, but I re-uploaded it then.

EDIT: It seems that certain browsers can't properly grok "http://" addresses. I've modified my configuration so that "https://" addresses now work, too. Please download the game at https://www.loquimur-online.de/ags/HugglesGoesOnATrip/Windows.zip .

[heltenjon]

My thoughts after finishing the entries:

Huggles Goes on a Trip:

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Atmospheric Easter game. I liked the design in levels, where I had to solve the problems in one location before progressing. And the reason it worked, is that the puzzles are designed really well. I especially liked the lock minigame. And the bridge guard had me in stitches. Great dialogue there!

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I Rented a Boat:

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How to make a maze that's not a maze? Run around in an open landscape, trying to get a phone signal! This is an experiment with voxelspace rendering, reminding me of time spent playing Super Huey many years ago. I guess the looks won't appeal to everyone, but it's impressive nonetheless. I found this game very hard, but managed to reach the good ending eventually. It was interesting to play something so totally different. I betatested on this one, so I can't vote for it, as I understand the unwritten rules.

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Return Journey:

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The timed game mechanics makes a lot of sense in this instance. I had to play twice to save everyone - killed the pilot the first time. I tried to kill everyone after that, just to see if I got to parachute out.  The game teaches a lot of war history in five minutes - you're learning while having fun. One error - the bomb aimer has the tail gunner's description.

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Food Wars:

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Slasher is great with talking animals, and this game is no exception. The map is very cool and functional, and the personalities of the animals makes this like another children's book come to life. Also fun with the easy arcade sequences.

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So, who to vote for?

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I liked all the games, but I think I had the most fun with the puzzles in Huggles Goes on a Trip, so I will vote for that one.

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[eri0o]

I managed to play Huggles goes on a Trip after the https fix!

But I got totally stuck at a puzzle... And can't finish the game.

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[fernewelten]

But I got totally stuck at a puzzle...

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Look at the tiles marked in red below: Their lines run into an edge of the puzzle. This can't be right. The tiles must be turned in such a way that all the tile lines continue on other tiles or else the lines can't end in a diode. So no tiles can have lines on them that run into a puzzle edge.


For example, take the tile that has been marked in the rightmost column in the picture above. It can only be turned in one of two ways:
or .
All the other orientations make the line run into the puzzle edge.

Now consider the top left tile that has been marked in the top picture above:
The only way it can be turned is  . All the other orientations make its line run into the puzzle edge.

... so the tile to the right of it is okay (its line doesn't run into the puzzle edge and it also joins the line on the adjacent tile)

... but the then following tile is not okay it doesn't join a tile that we know is okay).

So let's turn that latter tile into the only orientation that matches the tile to the left: We get .

But now the tile that follows then can't be right: For one, it runs into the puzzle edge, and for another, it doesn't match its left neighbour....

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Try to see if you can work your way to the solution in this manner. Work from the puzzle edges inwards. Note that the puzzle has a "hole" in the middle: This "hole" is a puzzle edge too.

[Shadow1000]

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I couldn't figure how to save the pilot after he gets shot in the leg.

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look in the toilet on the far right of the airplane

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[Shadow1000]

Great batch of entries this month!

My thoughts:

Food Wars by Slasher

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Great application of the theme. The game features all the elements you expect from a Slasher game! As someone pointed out, the map was a really nice addition over the previous button-driven navigation. I particularly enjoyed the area that was only added when it became available

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I Rented a Boat by eri0o

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Holy COW! Creating a 3D immersive experience in AGS in a matter of weeks is an unparalleled feat. Good story and gameplay. And I have to mention that I LOVE games where I get to explore!!

I found the graphics to be a bit too unrefined and the navigation confusing at times, particularly in caves. There were times that I wasn't clear on what happened (I actually didn't know that I acquired the cube or that it was a cube, or the key until I saw them in inventory. I felt myself getting a bit impatient during the text-only intro to the game.

That said, this entry is a groundbreaker and really opens new options for what you can do in AGS.

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Huggles Goes on a Trip by fernewelten

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This game clinched it in all areas: idea, story, graphics, puzzles, humour. I LOVED the feminist guard persona and how a puzzle was made out of her!

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Return Journey by GOC Games

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Not as much an adventure game as quick thinking and action. I played 3 times till I got a perfect score. I would recommend that when the game ends, you get more of a comment on your performance rather than a generic explanation. Overall a really nice experience

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And the vote goes to....

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Actually, to me it was a toss up between I Rented a Boat because of the effort in almost inventing a game engine for a contest entry and Huggles. I thought about it and overall, I felt I had a more enjoyable experience playing Huggles because despite being more conventional, it felt more complete and refined and therefore received by vote.

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Great job!
Huggles Goes on a Trip by ferneweltenReturn Journey by GOC Games

[fernewelten]

Something is off. 
Going by what people have claimed, there should be (at least) two votes for Huggles Goes On A Trip.

[ddavey1983]

Well done eri0o!

[Creamy]

Congratulations Eri0o

Some late reviews:

Food Wars by Slasher

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Quite long. I wasn't really sold on the story or the puzzles but I could proceed without much trouble.

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I Rented a Boat by eri0o

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Technical achievement and well-written dialogs in my view.

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Huggles Goes on a Trip by fernewelten

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Fernewelten delivers once again a lengthy MAGS game.
Solid puzzles and decent graphics. The story was rather child-oriented.

I'm not sure how I feel about the female guard though.
Women have been subject to gender discrimination for centuries. In some countries or circles they still are. Staging a stupid misandric may come across as tactless.

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Return Journey by GOC Games

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Nice little game. Only half of my crew members were saved at first but I felt compelled to retry.

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[eri0o]

Thanks everyone who voted for it!   

Guess I get to pick next theme? How does it work? (I have some ideas already)

[Slasher]

Thanks everyone who voted for it!   

Guess I get to pick next theme? How does it work? (I have some ideas already)

Stupot will message you soon about submitting a topic along with some image ideas you have for the topic.....etc

[eri0o]

Thanks Slasher! Waiting the message.

[Stupot]

The winner of MAGS March is...
I Rented a Boat by Eri0o
Very well done.

As Slasher said, I’ll PM you soon about choosing a new topic. Glad you’ve got some ideas already.

Thanks to all participants and voters.