Gameplay Must Emerge

Thoughts on game design

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Gameplay Must Emerge (a new name)

on May 23, 2023

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Gameplay Must Emerge (a new name)

Not sure if I'll settle on this name yet so maybe this blog will go by a different title when you read this. Gameplay Must Emerge... (from simple rules) I strive to create simple rulesets that lead to something succinct yet endlessly fascinating. A good example is the game of Chess. Just a number of pieces and an 8x8 board, yet it's as popular as ever. I have not posted much recently, and have not released anything in a while. With a family and regular day job, progress is not as fast as I would like. And what I strive to create is not easy. Although progress is slow it's also moving very steadily. I'm using LibGDX which is a Java library for games, but other than that I don't have many dependencies. I mostly write in pure Java and make images with pixel art, stuff that can be done with a variety of free tools. In the past I used Game Maker Studio, which isn't bad, but when a game takes years all the updates and changes can be a hindrance. I don't need fancy...

Just a small update

I have been working on a new game for most of this year which combines ideas from Seven Scrolls and Loopy Wizard. I hope to share some of it next year. That's it for now!

Moving on from Game Maker Studio

Game Maker Studio I have been using Game Maker for over 15 years. I remember making my first games with its simple drag and drop icons, slowly wanting more and learning its GML (Game Maker Language, somewhat similar to JavaScript). The simplicity, built in sprite editor, room editor and others are great for quickly getting something to work. For example, I love how you don't have to worry about lower level concepts such as float vs int, it's just numbers, which is all I need when doing game design. I think Game Maker Studio is still one of the better options out there for making small games, although open source competitors are starting to appear. I'm not interested in 3D; since screens are 2D I think 2D games are a better fit. One of the reasons Unity is not an option; not to mention it seems very bloated and slow for solo development. Using a game engine makes development very easy, but at the same time you become reliant on the company's updates. I'm not sure how...