Messages

Congratulations to all the winners!

Sorry I couldn't attend, but I was able to catch the last few minutes on the Twitch stream. Looks like it was a decent turnout, which warms my heart.

[The Distant Door]

The Winner of MAGGIES 2023 is:
The Distant Door by Durinde (with 7 votes)
Well done, indeed.

In 2nd place we have The Devil's Teeth by GOC Games (with 5 votes), and injoint 3rd place with have both Elevation by Rootbound, and Tales from a Forgotten Tavern by Ponch (with 4 votes each).

Thanks to everyone who has taken part in MAGS over the past year. We had a quiet 2023 in terms of entries, but the quality of those entries was really high, and things have already picked up for 2024, so with lots of cool-looking games. Keep up the good work.

Voting is over.
Thanks to the dozens of people who voted. Your support is appreciated.

Last chance to vote, gang.

I actually signed up to the free trial of YouTube Premium for one month, so that I could download some stuff to keep my kid occupied on a long-haul flight. It was actually brilliant having no ads, even on the TV... not brilliant enough to make me actually subscribe, but brilliant while it lasted.

[March 20th]

The deadline for voting is now set at 23:59 GMT on March 20th.

Play the games and get your votes in if you haven't already.

[The Second Secret of the Orbs]

Five games! Thanks everyone.
It's now time to vote.

Vote using the poll above.

	The Second Secret of the Orbs by jwalt
	Brian Eggs Is Lost In The Woods by OneDollar
	Dracula's Mid-Century-Modern House of Mystery by newwaveburritos
	Use It All (Or Forget Your Ball) by Kastchey
	The Green & Red by Babar and jfrisby

[Cut it in Half]

Cut it in Half

Guidelines set by: cat
Deadline: April 3rd (Half-way point March 19th)

VOTING OPEN
Please vote using the poll above.

	MORT: Manageably OK Response Team by RootBound
	Pod Dwellers by Mandle
	Breakfast Requiem by jfrisby and Babar

Share it, divide it, split it up, reduce the budget, size, whatsoever.

A big problem for finishing a MAGS game is starting too big. The smaller the scope, the more likely it is you will finish in time.

For an additional challenge, I suggest that you strive for having a game that can be played from start to finish at half-time (March 19th)! Roger walking around an empty screen with blue cup placeholders? Some puzzles still missing? No music? Dialog that sounds like written by a 4 year old? All fine, as long as it is playable. You still have half a month to finish the rest.
No need to post the half-finished game, but a post about your progress would be nice.



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 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. 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.

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 walkcycles 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.
Don't want to go it alone? Try the Recruitment board.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Wow. Lots of beautiful entries. Thanks everyone.

The voting will be up and running soon.

[cat]

Thanks for the votes, everyone.

The winner of MAGS January is cat, with the colourful Apfelmännchen.

Well done, @cat. I'll be in touch soon about a theme for March.

[Evil in Town]

Here's my entry:
(Open the spoiler tags one at a time)

Evil in Town

19 January 2024

Spoiler

Dearest Bethany,

I'm counting the days until your return. Each passing day feels exponentially longer than the last, and I fear that, like the ant on the rubber rope, the day may never quite arrive. Oh, listen to me. What happened to that optimism I promised us both?

We have a new neighbour. This morning, I took the opportunity to introduce myself. It seems he's a scientist of sorts, though he didn't elaborate much on his work (the word 'cagey' comes to mind). I will continue to prod him until he spills the beans.

What else? He likes washing his Honda Civic, it seems. He's got a son in college. No sign of a spouse though. I didn't ask. One can only be so nosy.

Yours with all my love,

Fred

[close]

31 Jaunary 2024

Spoiler

Dearest Bethany,

I can't believe you're coming home soon.  I'm giddier than a schoolgirl with excitement. Nothing particularly new to report here. Which is good news, in itself, I suppose.

Having said that, I bumped into the new neighbour the other day while I was in the shop picking up some broad beans. His name is Nigel. In my last letter, I called him 'cagey'. That may have been an understatement. He practically ran away from me. I think I'd scared him off by asking him about his work.

I got him talking, though. It sounds like he's working for the government. He didn't quite use the word "secret", but his eyes were darting around and he couldn't barely make eye contact with me.

He also seems to have been busy wining and dining the local ladies. I've seen Joyce knocking at his door more than once now, looking rather spiced up, at least by Joyce standards. She seems to have gotten over Stanley, already. That would explain the Yellow Tail in his basket. I am led to conclude that scientists have zero imagination.

Yours adoringly,
Fred

[close]

13 February 2024

Spoiler

Darling Bethany,

One week to go! I am planning a sumptuous dinner for your return. It's going to be a real feast. I've been watching videos on YouTube to hone my cooking skills. You might even let me help you in the kitchen from time to time. I jest. I know that will never happen. No amount of YouTube will ever bring me to your level of culinary artistry.

I had the pleasure of meeting Nigel's son. The young scholar. You're going to love him. He's just your type (young and lean, rather like myself back in the day, I think you will agree). And slightly more forthcoming than his father. He is not just a student,. He has been working at CERN, you know? With the large particle accelerator. He was about to tell me something interesting, but Nigel nudged him and he apologetically changed the subject. I admit, I am sizzling with curiosity.

Anyway, I thought we should have to have them for dinner.

This may be my last letter before your return. I count the hours with basted breath.


Yours, with love,

Fred

[close]

22 February 2024

Spoiler

[close]

[Layers]

@Baron Layers was a deliberate exercise in me trying to make a 300-word story joke out of a simple pun. Hence all the repetition. I also made this nice simple version:

To piggy-back on what Rootbound said, it's interesting how idioms and expressions don't necessarily carry across cultures.  I understood the pun in Layers, but for me it was less funny because in North America I've never heard "I've got a lot on" (even though the meaning is clear in context).  We might say "I've got a lot going on," but that isn't nearly as punny (unless someone was in the process of dressing....).       

That's true. I didn't realise it was all that idiomatic, to be honest, but it makes sense.

As an aside, I have a little rule when I write a joke (which I still break sometimes), that the punchline shouldn't be based on an idiom which already means the same thing. What I mean is, I could have made a similar joke about a guy filling up his plate with more and more food and then the punchline be 'Sorry love, I've got a lot on my plate.' But to me that is crap because that's already the image that the idiom comes from.

[Coincidences]

@cat The punchline for Coincidences is based around the phrase "this pair of tits". He is calling Mickey and Seamus a couple of idiots, basically.

The "coincidence" is in the fact that he gets a phone call from them just as he was thinking about boobies (yes, I know, it isn't very mature).

@Sinitrena You'll notice in Neuralink that it does say that the others heard Don's voice "in their heads". This was intended to signify that they had heard it via their own Neuralink devices and not that he was talking physically.

@Baron Layers was a deliberate exercise in me trying to make a 300-word story joke out of a simple pun. Hence all the repetition. I also made this nice simple version:

Well done Mandle.
That was a fun round.
See you all on the other side.

@Yanek_Crispbread You're too late for adding your game to the FYC thread. However, you needn't worry as Abscission has already been shortlisted for several categories.:

[Mandle - CCC:]

Feedback:

Spoiler

Mandle - CCC: Well it's a kid diddling joke, i'n't it?  Alas I had to look up who on earth Rolf Harris was.  Not in the running for humour, but I considered this entry for an originality point.

RootBound - Diner Disaster: It was a clever pun, I'll grant you that, so in the running for an originality point, but... water boils at 212F and can't get any hotter.  Wouldn't the sausages actually cook faster in the 300F oven?

Stupot - Coincidences:  I don't know how original this was, but it was new to me.  You got a snort of laughter out of my left nostril, so expect some humour votes.

CaptainD - Dinner for Two or Maybe One: Definitely original vote material.  I sure bet combining the names of Samuel Barber, Elle MacPherson, and jackfruit yields something humorous, but I was unable to make it work on my end.  Hints?

Mandle - Time Works Weird in Heaven:  This reminds me of a book about debating that described a 43 year old recently elected head of state who took over from the Supreme Commander of his nation's forces in the global war that ended 15 years previously (etc. etc.).  It was an American book and you're supposed to think it's JFK but it was actually -gasp!- Hitler.  The idea being preconceived notions can be reinforced with facts or... something.  Anyway, I'm not sure how original that makes your gag, but the stark juxtaposition of Hitler's deeds and god's deeds might be worth a humour point.

Stupot - Neuralink:  Poor, poor Don.  Can't a guy catch a break?  Original perhaps, but more sad than funny.

Mandle - Smash & Grab:  Ha ha fence pun.  I think you gotta pull up your socks a bit if you're going to steal the pun vote from RootBound, though. 

[close]

Votes:

Spoiler

Originality: RootBound Diner Disaster (1 vote), CaptainD Dinner for 2 or 1 (1 vote), Stupot Coincidences (1 vote)

Humour: Stupot Coincidences (2 votes), Mandle Time Works Weird in Heaven (1 vote)

[close]

Thanks for your votes and feedback, Baron (and everyone else, so far).
You seem to have missed one of my jokes.
Layers
I don't know if it will affect your votes at all, but it's there if you want to read it.

[Trippy]

Three interesting entries. Thanks guys.
It's time to vote for your favourite game of MAGS January
You have two weeks.


Please vote using the poll above.

	Trippy by jwalt
	A Doll in a Dream by Blondbraid
	Apfelmännchen by cat

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

Have you thought about what type of genre and/or setting it will be? Sci-fi, fantasy, horror? Futuristic? Historical?

Also worth thinking about the tone you want early on (funny, dark, whimsical etc). Again, knowing that might help you come up with a good premise that fits the kind of game you want to make.

Once you've got an idea of all that, you can use that to approach coming up with a premise.

So let's say you want a dark historical love story, you can use that to ask yourself questions and make notes about what kind of situation or quest or mystery the main character will have to deal with. And you won't be left staring at a blank page titled 'premise?'

On the other hand, it usually smells (of smoke) when the fire alarm goes off 

In fairness it's not the fire alarm itself that smells though 

In a sense it does, because it is able to detect smoke, just like a nose.