Spydog = Me = Who?

Posted on by spydoggm

Hello everyone! Before anything else, I wanted to tell you a little bit about who I am.

I am a teenage indie game designer (and author) from the USA. I have been homeschooled all of my life in a good Christian home. I really believe that God has blessed me with a creative mind and I hope that shines through in my work.

So far I have made 15 full games. I’m planning to make a lot more, though!

Every game that I’ve made so far was designed with the Game Maker software. I’ve been working with it since late 2005 and I completed my first full game (“Snackman”) in April 2006. Over the years, I’ve learned several tricks of the trade so my newer products are a lot better!

Well, that concludes my introduction. I hope you keep reading my blog. I’ll update it with game news, game design tips, and occasionally just some random musings. Hope you like it!

NOTE: All of my games only work on Windows PCs!

Game: “Boom Chk Chk Bang!”

Posted on by spydoggm

Released On: May 2, 2011

Development Time: About 3 days

Genre: Puzzle/Platform

Info: Play as an insane yellow person who, in his insanity, decided to blow up everything he could! Features 14 levels and a whole bunch of explosive fun! Made over a weekend for the 2nd GMC Jam. Use <1> to toggle the music, <2> to toggle the sound effects, and <3> to toggle the shaking effect. If you want some extra challenge, try destroying every possible block in the level.

Download from YoYo Games

Download from Game Jolt

Twitter and the GPC

Posted on by spydoggm

Hey everybody, I’m on Twitter now: @TheSpydog Follow me, if ya want to. If not, I’m okay with that.

I added two new pages to my blog – a “Contests Entered” page and a “Features and Interviews” page. If you’re interested in seeing my game design accomplishments (and several contest-related failures), check out those pages.

I haven’t been working on anything lately so I haven’t blogged any. However, next week I’m gonna try to participate in the 5th Game Prototype Challenge, which is a sort of rapid-prototyping game jam. (To quote the GPC website: “GamePrototypeChallenge is a spur-of-the-moment motivator for making games. Check the themes, check the date, and make the game!”) Sounds like fun to me! :)

Oh, one more thing - five years ago today (on April 16th of 2006) I released my first finished game to a couple of friends at church. Wow, time flies.

Game: “Monica”

Posted on by spydoggm

Released On: February 14, 2011

Development Time: About 15 hours (started work on the afternoon of Feb. 13th and stayed up all night to finish it)

Genre: Platform

Info: A casual gravity-flipping platformer - the goal is to paint all the blocks in each level by stepping on them. Doesn’t sound too hard, right? But when you add in spikes, trampolines, and disappearing blocks it becomes quite a challenge. Play as an imaginary friend invented by a little girl on a quest to color everything pink. Features 20 levels and an unlockable bonus mode. Sequel to “How”. Made for the Game Jolt “Invention” Contest.

Download on Game Jolt

Download on YoYo Games

Contest Results: Monica placed 3rd in the contest and was featured on the front page of the Game Jolt website!

Game: “How”

Posted on by spydoggm

Released On: December 11, 2010

Development Time: About four weeks

Genre: Platform

Info: A minimalistic platformer. The goal of the game is to paint all the blocks in the room by stepping on them. You can’t jump – instead, you have to flip gravity upside-down with the spacebar. Features a Level Editor and a Playlist system which allows you to compile a set of custom levels to send to friends.  Made for Jolt Kombat in competition against WITS. (I lost the match, in case anyone was wondering.) Music by Blok Studios.

Download Link: http://www.yoyogames.com/games/155432-how/download

YoYo Games Instant Play Link: http://www.yoyogames.com/games/155432-how

Feedback:
“Cool! A bit simple, still great. It kept me entertained for quite a long time.” - mindstormsgek (on YYG)

“A nifty little puzzle platformer. I love it!” – Shelby (on Game Jolt)

Featured on Jay Is Games Weekend Download: http://jayisgames.com/archives/2011/01/weekend_download_167.php

Competition06 Runner-Up!

Posted on by spydoggm

Hey peoples, sorry I haven’t updated the blog in so long. A lot has been going on, though, which might prove to be interesting.

In August, I finished a new game called Circle Rider. It is by far my most innovative game yet, to the point where it’s hard to say what genre it is.

Circle Rider was my entry into the 6th YoYo Games competition (with the theme of “Discovery”). And while it did not place in the Top 3, it did make it to the Top 15 and thus was Spotlighted and Featured on the YYG website. So this is also my most “famous” game to date.

I believe that God has blessed me with a truly creative idea for a game mechanic, and even after finishing this game I still have plenty of ideas for what I can do in the future with this engine. One of my goals with this game was to invent a new genre (or at least a new “sub-genre”) of games, and after seeing the obviously Circle Rider-inspired game, “A Circle’s Adventure”, I think I may be succeeding. :)

As for my next project…I’m not sure. It may be another circle game, or it may be something entirely different. I guess we shall see. And lastly, thank you, players, for your support and feedback on this project. It was very helpful and encouraging, and I appreciate it very much. :)

Game: “Circle Rider”

Posted on by spydoggm

Released On: August 27, 2010

Development Time: About 5 months

Genre: Arcade/Maze

Info: Play as an alien inventor who must track down a space monster with the help of his “Grand New Discovery” – the Circle Rider device. Spin around and expand the circle to explore each level! It’s a concept that you have to see to really understand. Features an innovative new gameplay style and 18 levels (split across 5 unique worlds).

Download Link: http://www.yoyogames.com/games/142075-circle-rider/download

YoYo Games Instant Play Link: http://www.yoyogames.com/games/142075-circle-rider

Feedback:
“That was awesome! I love the concept! It’s really original (haven’t played anything like that). It’s rare that I give 5 stars but you deserve them.” - Kinta (on YYG)

“Ingenious concept with a nicely rising difficulty curve.” – Zack (on Game Jolt)

“Love the concept. The variation was good, it actually felt like part of the gameplay (lots of games these days just add variation for polish, rather than being an integral part). The music was great, never got old or annoying.” - Snail (on Game Jolt)

Competition Results: The game made it to the Top 15 in the competition (out of 275 games entered). It also was Featured and Spotlighted on the front page of the YoYo Games website as a competition runner-up.

Discovery and Super Mario Galaxy 2

Posted on by spydoggm

I’ve been working on an innovative new game for the YoYo Games “Discovery” competition. I’m pretty excited since I’ve never seen a game like it before! The only details I shall reveal about the project at this point in time are: 1) Super Mario Galaxy has been an inspiration for the game. 2) It is not a platformer.

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Speaking of which, I’ve been playing Super Mario Galaxy 2 a lot since it came out on Sunday. I’d give the game an easy 10 out of 10 rating. There’s just nothing fundamentally wrong with the game. (Not to say that it’s totally perfect – there are a few minor flaws such as an occasionally irritating camera angle - but the amazing fun of the game overpowers any of these little issues.)

Its brilliance is largely due to its sheer variety. Almost every level introduces a new gameplay feature, and 82 Stars into the game, I have not yet encountered a bad level. Some levels are incredibly difficult, some are very quick and easy. But you’ll never find yourself doing the same thing for long, and pretty much whatever you are doing is very fun.

I hope to achieve that kind of fun diversity with my new project.

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On a different note, if I were to make a sequel to Vertiglow….any ideas for powerups or new gameplay objects?

I’m Still Alive, But Just Barely

Posted on by spydoggm

Hey everyone. Haven’t seen you in a while.

I haven’t been blogging much at all in the past few months. So what have I been doing? Not much.

As much as it pains me to say, I haven’t been working a lot on any game projects. I’m in the midst of a (possibly permanent) creative drought for game design. I guess I just don’t enjoy it like I used to. Or I’ve just grown lazy and not motivated to work on anything.

I was working on a collaborative game with one of my buddies for the 5th YoYo Games competition but I ran out of ideas for the project and since I was in charge of programming and game design, that kind of spelled doom for the competition entry. He still wants to finish the project eventually, though, without the constraints of the contest. So you may actually see it finished sometime in the next few months.

Other than that, I have been given a very cool game engine to work with by a very popular indie game designer. It opens up a lot of creative possibilities…that is, if I can figure it out well enough to make something fun with it.

So that’s what I’ve been up to. I have a few ideas floating around, and we’ll see if I can pin them down into game form.

Bonus Note:

Not enough people have heard of the band Maps & Atlases. You should listen to their music. Really. It’s amazing. (Once you listen to it, feel free to send me delicious cookies as a “thank you” gift for introducing you to this awesome band.)

To show you what I mean, here’s one of their songs. Even if you don’t like it, you should listen to some of their other stuff. It’s all so different that you’re bound to find something you like.