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My first non-ZC game - Puzzlebot Challenge


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#1 Avaro

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Posted 24 April 2020 - 10:57 AM

I finished my first game outside of ZC and it's an adaptation of one of my puzzle quests. Not an exact replication though, I polished up things a lot.
 

 
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:)
 
It's not the best game I could've made, it IS basically just Sokoban. But it should still be a nice game, mostly for those who enjoy these kinda puzzles. I made this game specifically because I needed something easy to make to learn an entirely new game making engine. I'm using Godot.
 
I'm really looking forward to making more pixelart games outside ZC now. I love ZC and it's very nice and all, but it feels good to be able to make something real and use a modern engine. I'm thinking about making a proper Zelda fangame, using GB graphics. There's also still the plan of rebooting Rite of the Storm with Shane. Don't think I'm only gonna pursue puzzle game ideas, I'm also interested in stories, metroidvanias, platformers and experimental things maybe. I'm just excited to have made this step forwards.
 
Btw, this game is free. Download is here, for Windows and Linux: https://rekiron.itch...lebot-challenge


Edited by Avaro, 18 October 2020 - 07:15 PM.

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#2 nyrox

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Posted 24 April 2020 - 06:17 PM

ca fais penser plus a Adventure of Lolo que sukoban


Edited by nyrox, 24 April 2020 - 06:18 PM.

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#3 NoeL

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Posted 24 April 2020 - 06:36 PM

I'm thinking about making a proper Zelda fangame, using GB graphics.

As fun as fan games are, why not do something original? I get that it won't draw the same visibility, but at least you'll own your work. You should at least design your game with the potential to easily swap out the assets/names at a later date. That way you can have your cake and eat it too: make the game with "placeholder" Zelda assets then sell/release the game as an original IP once you've replaced the Zelda stuff.

 

Also your game looks neat. I like that it's a little more in-depth than Sokoban. It could definitely do with some theming though - it's very much a "programmer" game at the moment, where the mechanics are at the forefront.


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#4 nicklegends

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Posted 24 April 2020 - 09:30 PM

How many of the levels are ported from Puzzle Robots? That game was a lot of fun (and I'm honored I was able to contribute to it). :)


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#5 Avaro

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Posted 27 April 2020 - 02:47 PM

Yeah I don't know, NoeL. The idea you're proposing sounds good in theory, but I wouldn't like putting so much effort into placeholder assets. The game would be tightly woven with the assets and the music I'd pick. But yeah, I might not pursue this idea and instead go straight for an original game? Gotta start working on programming the engine either way.

 

Nicklegends: About 70% were ported. I feel like I've improved the puzzles nicely too. And yeah, your levels are cool! Thanks again.


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#6 NoeL

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Posted 28 April 2020 - 03:28 AM

I wouldn't like putting so much effort into placeholder assets

Aren't you just using GB assets though? You're not drawing them from scratch. So you'd just set up your tilesheet using the GB graphics then swap that png (or whatever) for one with original assets. Just a 1:1 swap. There's negligible effort. :shrug: It'd only be an ordeal if the original tiles need to be arranged differently. That's why you get the original tiles to match the GB arrangement.


Edited by NoeL, 28 April 2020 - 03:29 AM.

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#7 nicklegends

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Posted 29 April 2020 - 02:50 PM

I downloaded Puzzlebot Challenge last night and played through the first 56 levels, taking me to 5:15 in the morning. Whoops.

I forgot how fun and addicting these puzzles were. It absolutely blows my mind that you're able to conceive of them in the first place, to be honest. They're very clever. Many of them seem impossible at first, which grants a great sense of satisfaction upon finally conquering them.

One minor graphical nitpick is that I find the flashing of the stars to be too distracting. I would prefer the flashes to be less extreme.
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#8 nicklegends

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Posted 01 May 2020 - 05:25 AM

I just finished the game! I got through all 125 levels in just three sittings, but that's not to say the puzzles were easy. Some of those later levels were absolutely mind-melting but oh, so fun to conquer. Were the purple synced blocks in the original Puzzle Robots? They made for some fun and tricky challenges. Over the last seven years, I forgot the solutions to my own puzzles (58, 103 [modified], 110, 116), so I had the pleasure of approaching them fresh like any other player would. Sometimes it pays to have a bad memory...

 

One thing I do remember about the original is thinking that the difficulty was a little uneven, but I think this version flows better. It offers some easier levels once in a while to let you breathe, but it doesn't whipsaw between too easy and too difficult.

 

The updated music is a nice touch. I liked its mellow vibes. I don't know that it really matched the bright graphics or the concept of controlling a robot, but I'm nitpicking. The overall presentation of the game was nice. Thank you for including the undo button!

 

I think my favorite puzzles of all were 91, 104, and 124. #124 in particular was crazy cool: though it was complex, I found that I was able to chart an overall strategy for the level and make careful decisions the whole way through. This contrasted with some of the other puzzles where I had to try a few different haphazard strategies and see what stuck.

 

By the way, I noticed that I never used the reflector stuck in the corner in level 89. I'm not sure whether that was the intent or not.

 

Anyway, thank you again for making the game and giving my brain a workout. :) The same is true of the other puzzle games you've made (Space Adventure, Island Adventure, A Boy and His Cursor...)


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#9 Avaro

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Posted 01 May 2020 - 12:06 PM

[...]

[...]


Oh man you have no idea how happy it makes me that you played through the whole game and posted all your thoughts. Thanks a lot!

 

Yeah I tried keeping the difficulty a bit more steady, but I still think it's hard to control the difficulty of a puzzle while you are making it. Some are just overly tough or easy. But I think this is fine. Interesting favourite level choices. And yeah, the synced blocks are newly added to this game, but in exchange the purple crates from the original game were cut. Also, level 89 sure has a little level design error lol.

 

About the music, honestly I just had to pick it upon finding it on freemusicarchive. I love the vibe from these tracks, the melodies, the instrumentation, the harmony... music words.. idk what I'm talking about you would know better! Big fan of these tracks, they're quality. I think that this kinda music goes well with puzzle solving too, it's not distracting and helps you think, at least in my opinion. Does it fit with the theme of the game? Maybe not really. My thinking was that they have a lot of artificial / technological sounding instruments, which fits with robots. The "mellow" vibe was supposed to be associated with (dream-like) nature. The levels take place on grass. But I admit, the visuals and music have conflicting tones. Having good music was more important for me here than fitting music. :)

 

Overall, this game isn't anything special. It served as a way for me to learn Godot. I hope I'll be able to make something amazing, that's more cohesive, eventually. Game making is very hard though, and my pixelart capabilities are limited. Can't make music either. I'm just a programmer.

 

Thx again for playing, and to anyone else who also plays this too!


Edited by Avaro, 01 May 2020 - 12:41 PM.

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