Tag Archives: indiedev

Draft Trailer for Hop Skip Thump

Posted on October 24, 2020 by Bill Lahti

This is an early draft of a trailer for the Hop Skip Thump game. I am making progress but the trailer needs several more clips. Better with sound on. For more on this game: https://www.wglxy.com/hop-skip-and-thump

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Abstract Strategy Game in Development

Posted on January 11, 2020 by Bill Lahti

I have a simple abstract strategy game in development. It is bit more abstract now. Foxes are gone, replaced by boxes. Watch out, rabbits! You are next. Continue reading →

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First Test of an AI Player in Lifeforms

Posted on October 13, 2019 by Bill Lahti

This prototype of the Lifeforms game is a two player game with my very first AI player. It is me versus an AI player. The AI player is blue. I am red.
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All moves in this experimental game are flip moves. On a flip, an empty cell becomes a live cell or a live cell dies. Once a player is done moving, the game is then advanced one Life generation, and it is the other player’s turn.
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This initial AI player is very basic. It knows how to examine the board and find flip moves that will create the biggest change in the overall score. So, not very smart, but it is good to have a framework in place for testing AI players. Continue reading →

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Progress on a Two Player Game of Life

Posted on October 1, 2019 by Bill Lahti

I am making progress on a two player game based on Conway’s Game of Life. In this prototype, players have a certain number of cells they may add on a turn. Players try to place cells to increase their cell count and decrease their opponent’s count.
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The player scores are shown on the bottom right of the screen. How many cells each player can add is shown on the bottom left. The new cell allotment increases by 1 every other turn.
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This demo shows two human players. It is time to work on the AI players and see how challenging the game can be. Continue reading →

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A Test of One Game Idea for LifeForms

Posted on August 31, 2019 by Bill Lahti

A test of one game idea for Lifeforms. Players secretly add cells to a life board.

… This is shown in the video below …

The winner is the player with the most cells left after fifty generations. More work is needed. Outcomes feel too random. Continue reading →

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Lifeforms Prototype 4

Posted on August 24, 2019 by Bill Lahti

Experimenting with Lifeforms game, a two player game based on Conway’s Game of Life.

…video …

Players secretly add cells to an initial configuration. The Preview shows four Life generations ahead. When you are happy with your new cells, you touch the Continue button.
Continue reading →

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Starting Work on Lifeforms

Posted on August 17, 2019 by Bill Lahti

I am starting work on my two player Life game: Lifeforms. Given an initial position, players place lifeforms and see which cells dominate after N generations.
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This image is the splash screen during development. Continue reading →

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Good GDC Talk … Before and After the Indiepocalypse

Posted on June 19, 2019 by Bill Lahti

If Jason Rohrer is correct in his GDC talk, your chance of financial success goes up if your game feels like an “infinite, unique, situation generator”. Consumable games can be fun but don’t keep players engaged over long periods of time (days, weeks, months). Therefore, you are less likely to get word-of-mouth referrals.

… My Double Star II game might qualify, to some extent, as a this style of game. You are searching for the alien home world in twenty levels of play. It can easily take weeks to save the galaxy. Continue reading →

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