Messages

July is here, and despite the summer distractions, progress continues!

This has been another month of artwork, which is indicating to me that the scope of the game might be too big. I'm going to continue as planned for now, and let the playtesters for Day 1 decide how the scale of it feels. Time will tell if this is a sound approach...

In the meantime, here are a few of the latest additions:

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Another Orb briefing, another rude awakening...


Share a savoury beverage with an unsavoury character.


Find some time to enjoy the city's culture.


But don't get too comfortable... there's still an alien invasion going on.

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There's a lot more to show, but I'm starting to worry about spoilers!

Work continues on the engine. I'm taking a detour to join the July MAGS contest as a refresher on proper AGS coding; I don't want this game to be the guinea pig, so I think the time spent on a short game will save a lot of trouble later on.

It's also been great to get back into the adventure/puzzle genre for inspiration and modern standards. Games like Blue Prince and the fantastic entries in June MAGS have been really inspiring!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you all again for July MAGS (if I can make the deadline). Otherwise, the goal is to be back in August with a more interactive update. Until then!

Fascinating, thanks very much! It's really instructive to see how you've built this in such a flexible fashion that also keeps it error-free.

I really appreciate it, thank you again!

Hello!

I currently call a Wait(20) command before changing rooms, which is going to add up to a lot of repeated code, so I wondered if there was a way to create these two lines as a single custom function?

Code: ags

Wait(gvWaitTime);
player.ChangeRoom(8, 212, 126, eDirectionDown);

I gave it a shot, but ran into trouble trying to pass the CharacterDirection enum...

Thanks for any help!

Two amazing last minute entries -- it's shaping up to be a photo finish!

The polls are open, and I hope many of us can find the time to read this great variety of surprising spins on the Sliding Doors assignment.

Voting closes July 19, midnight EST.

I've found my inspiration - stand by. 

Fantastic! We'll start the voting once you've posted

These games were all amazing! It's so cool how much you can all do in just one month (and full credit to AGS for making it so easy to develop!). Voting for just one will be a painful decision; they all were 10/10 in terms of the assignment. Congratulations everybody! I hope the feedback below is somehow useful. It was very inspiring to play through these games!

Tuulipuku-Tauno Darrassa by @WHAM

Spoiler

To cut to the chase, this game ultimately got my vote. I loved that overcoming a rough morning-after was the adventure, and that this was the representation of the home country. Every character was outstanding and so well developed: the old lady's dialogue, the sorta-horrible-sorta-grateful teens, the completely unnecessary happy guy on the bench, the unhelpful cashier... what a great cast with equally great writing. The puzzles were varied and surprising - for the record, I thought the difficult door locks were a great fit for the theme! The art was gorgeous and never empty, including a lot of great world-building that made the city block come alive. And the failure states really made the success feel more rewarding. Awesome work!

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The Vasa Fasa by @Blondbraid

Spoiler

This one-room puzzle was excellently crafted from beginning to end. Every interaction seemed to have custom dialogue that helped you understand why things were or were not going to work, a level of care and respect for user can be hard to find (especially in a time-sensitive challenge like MAGS). I've visited the Vasa museum, so being able to participate in this national treasure/catastrophe was a real treat. There's a certain humour to the Vasa story, and I thought the tone of this game perfectly matched it. And the protagonist was fantastic—I'd love to go on more adventures with them!

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Three Lions by @ddavey1983

Spoiler

As the son of British parents, this brought a lot of childhood memories right back, so I'm so definitely biased. This was such a funny and clever trip back in time with super fun puzzles that fit right into the world (like the dartboard, or the bacon, or the sword...). The NPCs and dialogue were extremely well-written; I was laughing all way through and couldn't wait to see what was in the next room. I particularly loved how your own character needed to understand the reason for doing things. I'm still trying to get the shiny sticker, but I'm happy to spend as much time as I can in this twisted Coronation Street!

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VASILE THE TEMPLAR (DEMO1) by @WeeklyJournaling

Spoiler

An educational game was very unexpected, but it did teach me a lot! A huge amount of effort seems to have gone into the story, history, and voice. The more interactive parts were the most educational. I really enjoyed moments like the baking sequence. The dialogue scenes, on the other hand, I often found too long, as I was anxious to start playing. I'd love to play a more polished version and keep learning more, if that's in the cards for the future! 

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There's a big drug deal going down in Panama, and Sonny Bonds is on the case... hopefully this gets finished before it goes down!

@Sinitrena you've made a hard act to follow, but here's another entry!

Pace Car

Spoiler

The first I reckoned it was, of course, the highway. The very same highway that you surely know me from now.

But back then, it was the afternoon, and traffic crawled. I was in the left lane. They teach you it's the fast lane, but since they teach everybody that, it's the slow lane. The right lane seemed to be the best one, but I knew this old song too. Once I get over there, the left lane picks right up. So no sir.

Let's put a little money on it, I said to my car. That plumber's van is passing us now—a dollar says we get to 89 overpass first. That's two miles out. We jockeyed the whole way. I took a quarter-mile lead right at the end, but by some miracle, the right line opened up, and it was a Kentucky dead heat. We hit the overpass at the exact same time.

At the time, it wasn't as strange as I grew to think it to be. I was just pissed at the luck of it all. So I did it again—same traffic jam, same plumber's van, same bet to the next overpass. This one was a good seven miles off, but my mind didn't wander once from the position of that van. At times it was long gone, at others I left it well behind. We were all over, changing lanes, speeding. And there's no way he knew we were even racing. But knowing how you know me, maybe you've already guessed the end. It was another damn tie. Despite all we did, we were under the same inch of bridge at the same damn second.

By the time I got into town, I was starting to sweat. I pulled into the Whataburger for my supper, but I just sat in the truck trying to reason out what all that just was. Either my brain was too small or the forces at work were too big. So I put it aside and walked in to order. That little chapter of peace lasted about a minute.

Sure enough, there were two cashiers working, and two lines of people waiting to order from them. This was not the day for a choice like this. So I waited, til one line was just about empty and the other was three deep, and joined the short one. The last guy in the other line and I stepped up at once. Even our orders got done together. I watched the cashier hand me my ticket, then slide the same little slip to him.

This went on and on. If I went for gas and found four empty gas pumps... I pick one, and three other trucks would pull up to the others. Even if I spent ten minutes cleaning out the truck or twenty minutes reading magazines in the store, we'd all drive off at the same time. And then part of it became clear as crystal. If I had to make a choice, it was made very plain my decisions did not matter one bit.

So what the hell is this? Some curse? A sign from God? Forty-eight years at church and nobody ever told what a sign looks like. But even then what's it mean? And what about all the others? Are they asking the same thing I am right now? Are they losing their minds? It's been weeks. Weeks. It ain't about everything all lined up all the time anymore. I just want a goddamn answer.

The best I can do is destiny. It's real and I've seen it. There is a divine, there is a plan, and you got no choice. What else could it all mean?

Time to find out.

I'm calling you out, God. If anyone else is listening to this, there's another recording on here with all my funeral wishes. And for the record, I'm picking a new pace car. There's an old white Toyota in the right lane, and an overpass ahead. Let's see if both of us hit the wall at the same time.

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—————

For anyone else looking to add their own story, the contest closes in five days!

Incredible work! What a powerful picture of the human condition. There's so much to think about here. This feels like a story that needs to be read every few years in preparation for later life. Or maybe a more immediate lesson?

This part will certainly stay with me for a long time...

Spoiler

Does the path you humans take ever feel completely right? Which memories shall I take?

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Thank you for sharing this!

And you raise a great point about the voting. That was an attempt to have a "themed" vote, where we think about what would happen if the writer took another route — but it's unnecessary at best and, as you point out, destructive at worst. I'll strike it from the assignment post.

Bloody brilliant theme, well presented!

That's a relief to hear - there were so many good ones in the archive!

I was hoping to find a theme that could also inspire a game over or Mags entry. Maybe a new use of the New Kid button in Maniac Mansion

SLIDING DOORS

We've all had those fork-in-the-road moments that would have drastically changed the course of our lives. From bigger choices like travel, job interviews, or high school dates, to the more subtle events like missing an elevator, spilling a coffee, or holding the door for someone. Looking down the road not taken, we can look into another dimension, and see a whole other version of the life we lead.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write a short story about a fork in the road moment, and the effect it has on a character. Maybe it's a nostalgic reflection in our later years; or a two-part story that explores both outcomes; or a quantum mindbender where both paths are taken simultaneously. 

Voting will only focus on the story you enjoyed the most (if we have enough entries, we can vote for 1st and 2nd place).

RULES
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No minimum word count
No genre restrictions
Deadline: Friday, July 11, 2025 at 11:59pm EST

Good luck to you all!


****Note this is my first time writing a challenge, so please let me know if I can improve it or have missed anything!

Hey, that's great news! Congratulations to everyone, these were all great pieces, and this challenge is a really cool way of writing more regularly.

I'll create a post for the next round. Since I'm new, I'll review the previous posts to see how it's done, but please let me know if I can improve it!

What a fantastic variety of ways to meet the challenge!

@Mandle

Spoiler

"STUPID THINGS"
I loved this cheeky, clever way of tackling the double rule. I called out loud "no way!" when I realized what you were doing in the long version, and it was because of how well you'd set it up in the short version. The idea of specificity being a rule in hell was great, and I'm certain that if hell exists that this story could be a documentary.

"HIGH COUP"
The cleverness continues from the title through the poems. After seeing all the long-form entries, it was refreshing to see such a succinct pair punching at the same weight. These both gave me a great deal to think about; I read them multiple times, and the way they worked together was very well crafted. The ass-groove line felt unnecessarily awkward, but its crass style helped emotionally separate the longer from the shorter even more. I hope you write (or have written) more poetry!

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@Stupot

Spoiler

The way you humanized the clone was really lovely, and I genuinely felt quite sorry for him just a few lines into the story. Even that image of a circle of concerned supporters, I wasn't sure if they were a community or a cult (I'm still not!). And I really enjoyed that you took so much time to hear the story, the source of the trauma, right up until the end. That's probably because I felt so much sympathy for the character... but from a plot point of view, I found it odd that a support group would just surprise him with such a severe truth, instead of easing it in. Maybe a little more time on the group deliberating the reveal would help, but that's only in retrospect. At the time, keeping up with the emotional rollercoaster was so much fun. I really wanted to know how the story continued.

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@Baron

Spoiler

I hope everything worked out for you and your family. And thanks so much for taking the time to vote and provide such thoughtful feedback in the middle of all that, it means a lot!

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Short
1st: "My name is John, and I'm a clone." by Stupot
2nd: "High Coup" by Mandle

Double
1st: "High Coup" by Mandle
2nd: "The Stupid Things They Have Us Do in Hell to Pass Eternity" by Mandle

Pepper Odyssey's Steam Page is finally public! Yay!

You can add it to your wishlist if you're a steam person -----> STEAM PAGE

The demo will be playable on steam later. I've made so many errors with the steamworks system that I'm proceeding very cautiously 

But I'm very glad the page is finally live, I've had moments when I've thought that the game isn't going to make it to steam at all, lol

Wishlisted!

UPDATE: The list is now clear now on both devices. Sorry for any trouble!


Hello!

There's been a queue forming in my "Show unread posts since last visit" that I can't clear.

Each of the posts are from the Game Page Entry Reports. When I click "Mark all messages as read", nothing is cleared; instead, it sends me back to the main forum page.

Perhaps related — I've only recently discovered that you can disable alerts/notifications from an entire forum. However, when clicking "No Alerts or Emails" in the Game Page Entry Reports, a loading bar flashes at the top momentarily, and then nothing changes.

This all occurs on the latest firefox for Mac desktop, and on firefox for android (latest).

Thanks for any help!

[Cameron Parish Police Department]

Lejeune Landing

A peculiar case about a jon boat in the Louisiana bayous (reference).

This is a structure I've always wanted to try, I hope it's successful... Thanks for a great challenge and good luck to everyone!

Part 1 (600 words)

Spoiler

Cameron Parish Police Department
Incident: #2025-000246
Initial Report of Deputy Gabe Dupre, Badge #194
Location: Lejeune Landing, Cameron Parish, Louisiana
Submitted: July 5, 2025

CPPD received a call from the witness, William Pellerin, at 05:18 reporting "a female body in a jon boat" docked at what locals call "Lejeune Landing" just off LA 82. Witness advised to remain on scene until our arrival. CPPD officer Keith Vidrine was radioed to meet on scene.

I met Officer Vidrine on scene at 05:41. We interviewed the witness together. The victim was found as described, but more specifically: the body lay contored on a blue tarp, within an unmarked, grey/green, late model 10' flat aluminum skiff. Signs of struggle were evident in the victim's pose and appearance. The victim showed no vital signs.

Full witness testimony is attached. In summary, witness found the victim as he walked to his boat at the far end. Night watch was not present (this is a makeshift set of four docks on the inlet, with no marina office). Witness stated two other fishermen live on their boats, both moored on the near end, but he "didn't see nobody, not this morning, not last night." Officer Vidrine canvassed the boats but had no response, and did not find either of the individuals.

The jon boat was inspected, photographed, and catalogued. It will remain under tape overnight and towed to CPPD impound for forensic processing at 08:00 on July 6 (Bayou Black Towing, Truck #4).

Requested collection from Coroner.

Scene inventory list and photos attached. Map of the area and waterways also attached.

Signed and dated on reverse.


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Cameron Parish Coroner's Office
Preliminary Findings Report
PD Reference #2025-00246
Written for Deputy Gabe Dupre, Cameron Parish Police Department
July 5, 2025

As requested, we have fast-tracked our initial findings:

• Victim unofficially identified as Amber Arnaud (name featured in a tattoo on the left thigh).
• Estimated Time of Death: 10pm July 4 — 2am July 5.
• Preliminary signs of asphyxiation by force.
• Large contusion on back of head. Bruising on wrists, knuckles, knees, and feet.
• Tox indicates trace amounts of benzodiazepine; sent to LSU Forensic.

Deputy, I'm required to remind you this is strictly preliminary. All of the above is inadmissible until confirmed. Official report in due course.

EM


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Cameron Parish Police Department
Report of Officer Keith Vidrine, Badge #401
Addendum to Incident: #2025-000246
Submitted: July 6, 2025

Following the events of the Initial Report, July 5, I was stationed at the scene until 20:00, until relieved by Officer Landry for night watch. Nothing notable occurred during my watch. However, the weather had turned to a bluster by 16:00, and I was concerned about rain and its effect on the scene.

The next morning, on July 6th, I arrived to resume my post and to wait for towing. Landry reported nothing unusual during her watch. Neither fisherman had returned to their boat. Nobody else had arrived. The winds had kept up overnight, but there had been no rain.

However, when we inspected the scene again, Landry noticed that the blue tarp was missing from the boat. We performed an immediate search of the area, but were unsuccessful. No evidence of foot traffic or transportation. No other tampering was discovered. The two fishing boats, being residences, could not be searched without warrant.

Deputy Dupre was notified of the tampered scene. Following procedure, he contacted and updated Louisiana State Police. Captain Broussard arrived at approximately 17:30. He questioned myself and Officer Landry, who was recommended for suspension due to failing to keep proper watch over the scene.

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Part 2 (1200 words)

Spoiler

LOUISIANA STATE POLICE ACADEMY
Training and Testing Materials

SECTION 8.a: CRIMINAL COURT TESTIMONY

These excerpts are from real-world court testimony. The officer's exemplary performance is instructive in many ways. Cadets should aim for this level of professionalism and knowledge in their testimony.

Full transcript available on request.


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8.a.1  INTRODUCTIONS

Notice how precise the officer's replies are. This shows the jury that you are capable and experienced, which makes your testimony more credible.


Prosecutor (PR): Please identify yourself for the record.

LSP: Captain Jacob Broussard, LSP Criminal Investigations, Badge 737.

PR: And how are you attached to this case?

LSP: On July 6th, Cameron Parish PD requested assistance with a tampered crime scene. I arrived that same day.


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8.a.2  EXAMINATION

When the court wants specifics, you must be 100%. Inaccuracies are unacceptable in factual testimony.


PR: You may continue.

LSP: The scene was a row of four bayou docks, the sort of landing locals build themselves and use for shallow fishing. The focus was on a jon boat. Two days before—

PR: —The 5th of July—

LSP: Yes. CPPD received a call about a body in the jon boat.

PR: As stated in Deputy Dupre's testimony, this was the victim identified as Amber Arnaud.

LSP: The Coroner removed the body, and the boat remained in the water until the next—excuse me, July 6th—when the tow arrived.

PR: Why wasn't the boat removed immediately?

LSP: You'd have to ask Deputy Dupre. This was July long weekend. Tow trucks make a lot more money on the DUIs than pulling boats around for us.


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8.a.3  GIVING EVIDENCE

The officer knows he can only provide his opinion, and that experts will be called to verify his statements. So he uses a casual tone, to make his ideas sound like common sense to the jury.


PR: The Captain refers to Exhibit E, a photograph of the jon boat taken on July 6th.

LSP: You can see here the tarp is missing.

PR: Did you notice anything else in this "second boat"?

LSP: It was clean. Not a scratch on it. I'd say it'd been in the water two or three times. And in my view, the victim had never been inside it.

PR: Why not?

LSP: There wasn't a mark inside, either. In most cases, victims of strangulation do everything they can to fight back—kick, claw, wrestle, anything. Officer Landry recalled that the victim wore false nails and high heels when seen at a party. Those alone would leave a lot of signature in the tin.

PR: So what was your conclusion?

LSP: There was a second boat.


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8.a.4  SIMPLIFYING COMPLEXITY

Here, the officer's ability to simplify complexity was crucial in giving the jury a clear picture of the accused's actions.


PR: Could you explain this "double boat" theory again, in simpler terms?

LSP: Call them first boat and second boat. On July 5th, the body was discovered in the first boat. This boat sat in the water all day, under the guard of Officer Vidrine. That night, while Officer Landry was on watch, the first boat was replaced with the second, identical boat.

PR: Replaced? How does a boat get replaced?

LSP: Someone rowed it there.

PR: Captain Broussard, I asked for simple terms, not riddles.

LSP: Alright. I'll start over.

PR: Please.

LSP: On July 4th, the accused and Amber Arnaud were seen at a party in the Great Prairie RV park, a mile from the crime scene. Near dawn, they were seen leaving together. They traveled on foot to Lejeune Landing, where Cameron Parish confirms the accused owns and resides in the Southpaw, a fishing boat which was moored on the near end when CPPD arrived. At some point, Ms Arnaud was drugged with benzodiazepine. I believe that before the drugs took effect, Ms Arnaud tried to escape, but was caught by the accused around the jon boat.

PR: Why do you claim this happened before the drugs took effect?

LSP: The Coroner discovered only trace amounts of the drug in her system, so it's likely she saw what was happening. There were also no signs of sexual assault.

PR: Go on.

LSP: Ms Arnaud may have called for help, but the landing was empty at that time of morning. As in most cases, the accused would've turned to strangulation to stop her calling out. The contusion in the victim's head matches a dent in the first boat.

PR: We're back to the two boats.

LSP: Ms Arnaud lay on the tarp in the first boat, where CPPD has photographed clear signs of struggle in the aluminum and some blood. There was probably hair, fingerprints, and DNA from the accused, too. Knowing that the other fishermen would come at first light, the accused wouldn't have enough time to get rid of the boat. Instead, he'd have to hide it. If you show the photos—

PR: —the Captain refers to Exhibits J through N.

LSP: That's the hull of the first boat. That's the area under the tarp. Twelve punctures were made in the hull, and each hole filled with a weak epoxy. The weight of the body on the tarp created a temporary seal. When the body was removed, the seal broke, and the epoxy slowly gave way. Over the next twelve hours or so, the first boat sank, and the wind took the tarp out to the Gulf.

PR: The first boat sank? It's river, Captain, not quicksand. Surely you could still see it.

LSP: These waters aren't your bathtub. It's a roux. You can't see six inches down for all the mud. This river is only two feet deep here, plenty of space for a jon boat to sit on the bottom and you'd never know it. But that's what we found.

PR: What else did you find? On the Southpaw, the boat belonging to the accused?

LSP: Once we had warrants, we found diluted marine-grade epoxy that matched the remains on the first boat, and a rail spike hidden under the bed, which fit the hull punctures. A champagne bottle was also found, the kind served at the RV park party. And as you know, we found the accused, hiding in the locker. He didn't expect to be standing in there for so long.

PR: And finally, the second boat?

LSP: Sinking the first boat would've been enough. Every trace of the accused and the victim was gone. But the drilled holes would mean further investigation. The cover of the coming storm was a chance to get a new boat in its place, and the accused had all day to find a replacement.

PR: Where do you believe it came from?

LSP: As CPPD has testified, a local up the river had reported their new jon boat stolen. The accused, a fisherman, could've found that boat during the day, and led it quiety downriver that night, straight into Lejeune Landing.

PR: Thank you Captain.


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8.a.5  EXERCISES

Your instructor has developed exercises based on the four parts above. Study these excerpts in preparation in advance of your participation, and record your scores in the spaces provided.


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State #997-393-1846. Local #2025-000246.

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Still impressing! 50 locations? Whew! Sounds like this will be a long game. 

Haha sorry I misspoke — I've drawn 50 rooms, but some locations have multiple rooms. However, Day 1 does have eleven locations, so maybe after all four days we'll be close to fifty! Eeek!

This looks exceptional! I can't wait to try the wardrobe and height systems you've built. The UI feels great and the music is perfect!

June update!

The goal is to make a meaningful update every month to keep the project on track. It's summer here, which means a lot of potential for breaks in momentum, so hopefully this will help.

Work continues on Day 1, mostly in the art department. The intro, credits, world map, and many locations have been completed (I think over 50 screens have been finished). Here are a few samples:

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A scene from the opening credits.


Union Station has a fresh new look.


Nobody said working for the Orbs would be easy.


Pick your poison - just not too much of it.

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The puzzles for Day 1 have been sketched out using Draw.io, a wonderful tool for building dependency charts. These charts are always so interesting — it really makes you appreciate how great games can make you forget you're in the middle of one.

Lastly, the bones of the engine have been built (cursor, rooms, inventory, and GUI), but I want to spend more time on it. Especially making the interface as scaleable as possible, so I don't have to repeat any code in each room. The Manhunter cursor system seems simple enough, but I'm not very experienced in AGS, and there's likely a few ways to tackle this. So June's goal is to build the first two locations entirely and test it to bits.

It's been so inspiring getting back to AGS after so long, both in the games you've all made and the incredible (and growing) capabilities of the engine. Good luck to you all on your work!

What a cool concept! I'd love to try a writing competition here. Thanks so much for creating such a creative challenge.

Two small questions:
1. Can the second story's additional words elaborate on the plot of the first, or does it have to retell exactly the same story?
2. To clarify, should the title of the second story also be double twice as long as the title of the first?