April 26, 2020 - day 1063As of yesterday, the 'Alien Step' teaser video on the homepage had being replaced by the new and official 55-seconds trailer. (hurray belated trailer) And with the trailer out, the game's development "roadmap" is complete! But the game is not "done" done. If there's still bugs or time for some minor add-ons, I will still update. (for the time being) These few months have been quite a drag and now i'm settling in for other work. Please support me by playing the game (or my other games) on my Kongregate page. Furthermore, sharing the game or make a gameplay video --even better! :) So thanks, everybody! p/s: Now my main work is not game development anymore, I will have side projects though: games for personal favor than for others! --Just wait for a new homepage section after May- a new image of Snouty Plays with some idea projects.
Jan 19, 2020 -- day 966 Hello again. I'm pretty much finish working on the game for ver 1.0 release. (with some stage decorations I might omit first, that can be done in later updates) First of all, the new levels. Custom levels 7, 8 & 9 are made. 2 of them have brand new game elements and I'm happy with the designs. they are not as hard as the custom level 4, 5, 6 but atleast they are fun enough. The new 3 levels are unlocked accordingly when you beat the 3rd level of each realms. Also, I added a new 'ending sequence' when you finish all levels. It's an art slider with a new jingle! Next, I'm working on the new promotional banner art and also another Alien portrait. This time is on the lava stage with the crumbling grounds. The banner art may not be ready for ver1.0 release though. (But I'll try t finish the alien portrait first)
As for the official trailer, unfortunately I have to postpone it to late February. I know I don't need to make a polish trailer but I just don't have the time at the moment-- because Chinese festival & other project etc. It's a weird feeling when my current focus is not on the game. Making a trailer would seems so... pointless. But I can't just leave it like this... one more trailer, and maybe some small updates-- then i'm pretty done with the game. :) Just a few more days and ver1.0 will be updated! Also I will add an intro article on IndieDB. (almost forgot that site) Nov 13, 2019 - day 899'Alien Step' (ver0.9) has been released for over a week. Due to not a finalized version, I didn't go on a bigger promotion(No proper trailer, IndieDB article, requests for YouTubers etc.) I posted some promo pictures on Facebook page, IndieDB, Twitter, A few Reddit posts & 1 forum post. As result, I got a mere 800+ gameplays in a week. (that's understandable). In a week of observation in my game page, I found out most (60%-70%) players never gone through a single level. I got a feeling the game is not up to their standard, or they grew bored of the gameplay... I get that. :( Kongregate have thousands of quality puzzle games, the typical Kong gamers have much high expectation for a puzzle game. They maybe were expecting tighter gameplays, better graphics, or having AI enemies... :( Now on with the comments: I haven't got any real reviews but do get about 7-8 comments. Here are the overall comments about the game (as of ver 0.9.0)
Most problems are solved on ver 0.9.1, the game is less buggy and snappier, but the difficulty is still there. Very few players had reached 20K score. Well, I tried to make a reasonable difficulty, and most of all-- fun. What am i going to add ver1.0?I've stated that ver1.0 will be updated somewhere on January 2020.
For the very least, official trailer must be made. And also a indieDB article should be written to introduce the game. I don't think "more levels" is what the players want, since the further levels are hardly ever reached. Instead of trying to make the game have more levels & variety, make it more approachable is more of my scenario. I would try to cut down the difficulty on a few really hard levels. On the graphic side, i would possibly add some slight graphic improvements. Okay, I'm wrapping up and going to take a hiatus on Alien Step ver1.0 for other work. I will update again on Jan 2020. See ya! Nov 5, 2019 - day 891Initially i was getting some compression problem, but in the end it all worked out. Alien Step has released to Kongregate on November 4. Just click on the pic below to the game site. Enjoy! I'll be back in a few days for one more dev log for some thoughts-- before I fully go working on other project for the time being.
Peace! Oct 7, 2019 - day 862A final log before the release of Alien Step (ver0.9) . First, let's talk about some new add-ons before the main topic. I added a few things. See below. Splash effect is added when Alien walks into the running pipe lava on Realm 3. Some dark metal plates above the lava can now prone to fall on Realm 3. Then there's sand arcs (bridge) and big humps for decorative. I think Realm 2 desert areas are too wide open (unlike realm 1 and 3 that have walls) and definately needs some "landmarks" to improve atmosphere. There's also some minor changes I'm not showing here: Interface Animation (that outer hub that have different colors based on Realms) I had animated 25% of the entire "circuit dots moving on all the lines" but found out that it looked really ugly & distracting so I simplified it to just "pulsate from the center". Oh well... Realm 1 now has a circuitry backdrop (enhance atmosphere) Realm 1 also have secondary floor pattern. (only use it on certain parts of levels) That's all. extra note: When you play the ver0.9, you'll found out that some levels are identical to the demo's. Well, I apologize for stating all demo levels are 'demo exclusive' from the demo's description. Some of the demo levels are well-designed (I think) and I really want to keep them. ver 1.0 needs to waitIt's not over once I release ver 0.9.
You can experience most of the game BUT It's not truely complete. However, I promised to work on my another big project for most of my time. Sorry to say I will have to halt the development, work on it spare time, and finish it properly for closure. I will still update important bug fixes when necessary, though. My potential gamers... look forward to early 2020 for ver 1.0 ! It will not be a big update though. Maybe a few new levels, an ending cutscene (when you get all orbs), and a game trailer... I think that's as close as it can get to finish the game properly. Thanks for your read. I'll announce the game release on next log! 15 Sept, 2019 - day 840Hello again. Here's another update. I know it was near the end of the game development period and I shouldn't add more game elements, but still from Demos I think the game lacks something memorable, especially the 1st Realm. In a spark of inspiration, i remember a game element from Chip's Challenge: the sliding ice floor. It was one of the memorable element of the game. And so I thought: Hey-- this might work! And so I drew a dozen more alien sprites and put together into what you see below. Cushioning makes the sliding fun! I guess this works out really good. This will make the game seems more exciting than it is. :) The frictionless flooring will be shown in 2nd half of Realm 1 levels! More new elements, or not?I am contemplating whether or not i should make new elements for Realm 2 & 3.
Ideally it will make the game more diversive, more interesting. But then again: i can't finish the game if i keep adding new stuff, is it? Also, I don't want to postpone the game, I want this (ver0.9) to be released within October. I think I should start making finalized levels first, than worrying about adding new elements into the game. If i make good levels, I might not even need to add more elements. (that should be the best) Okay. See you on next log. Aug 18, 2019 - day 812A quick announcement here!
Alien Step (or 'Alien Maze' in demo form) Demo 2 is now ver 0.6! Updated: I have updated the demo into Construct Free Arcade (previously named Scrira Arcade) click the link below: https://www.construct.net/en/free-online-games/alien-maze-demo-4366/play You can also play it on itch.io site here. Also, all my games in the Scirra Arcade are gone (or hidden I suspect?). If you want to play Alien Maze Demo 1 you can play it on itch.io here. Thank you, and have fun. Aug 1, 2019 - day 795Miss my vlog post? Sorry I haven't make a post over a month. The dev log is coming near into the end phase. I don't have much new game elements to talk left. This time i'll show this GIF of the magma filter device explosion. It goes OVERHEATING when you take out the orb that powers the device. You need to plan your escape route. I have something to address...Now, A news you might not like but I MUST say.
Alien Step development-- has being compromised. is not going to be as full fledged as I initially planned. Why? Because I'm transitioning from game development to other major project. Click here to read about it. I was & am currently preoccupied preparing for the project for quite a while now, hence the slow progress of this game development. To be honest I am more into that project than this game. I can not wait for a few more months to start that. I have to prepare now as it requires immense preparations. The project needs to be able to be shown before November, and also a promise to my personal benefactor. If you're expecting Alien Step be as good as my previous one , then I'm sorry I might disappoint you all. :( Despite that, I already over halfway on the game, might as well finishing it. (even if it's not as good as I hope) I'll try my best to wrap up the game. :) But First thing first, the pre-beta demo (the final major demo before the released one) The demo (v0.6) WILL be updated over Demo #2 in AUGUST, period! Scirra Arcade & Itch.io are the usual sites for my game demos. I will post 1 more log again to inform the demo release around 1~2 weeks. Do stay tuned, my trusting readers/web gamers. June 30, 2019 - day 762As promised, today I'll show you the design of realm 3. Enigmus -- is a realm of rocky undergrounds, with sea of yellow magma in the depths. It was mainly occupied by a lower alien civilization to mine the orange goo from the scorching hot magma. It seems nobody is there to watch and monitor the mining process as everything is automated. The usage of the orange goo however, is unknown though. As usual, our alien needs to collect (loot) as many orbs they can find & return back to ship. This realm is probably the hardest to make, because I have some ideas for the level designs but they doesn't feel right for the Realm 3 environment. The puzzle element is clearly lacking here. I can think of some good use on teleports, but not for others... It just feels less and less like a puzzle game. (Sigh) Anyway, Here's some of the essential game elements for Realm 3. Game ElementsTeleports Come in pairs-- A & B. Those are self-powered devices transferring entity from A to B location. Sometimes a level includes multiple pairs, with each pairs coded with different colors. Fragile Grounds (Falling Platform) Some of the ground are cracked & too fragile for our alien to walk across. Be mindful as you could be cutting out your only way back! Orbs Power Slots The orbs are source of long-lasting power. In Realm 3 they are used to power nearby devices and sometimes the pipe drainage. Taking the orbs out means disabling the power slots' function. In many cases some power slots are not powering anything on the stage. Magma Filtration Devices (lava goo extractions) This is a test elements I'm not so sure about. It may not be used in final version. Usually the device is doing its job cycling & filtering magma goo from magma, until the alien takes out its power source prematurely. That causes the device to lose its filtering & cooling system and causing the glass to melt, expand & explode, sending hot magma splatting across a large radius, killing anyone who touches the magma. While how fast the device explodes-- dictates by how fast the lava cycles in the device. It takes 6-8 seconds for a device with slow cycling magma, and 3-5 seconds for a fast one. There may be a few more elements I haven't implemented yet. Maybe for next time. That's all for now. May 31, 2019 - day 732Just a quickie:
previously named 'Alien Maze' is now officially named 'Alien Step'. *The old demos remained 'Alien Maze' as same though.* Also, I added the game into IndieDB. Nothing much added though, but if you're interested come have a look then. :) https://www.indiedb.com/games/alien-step May 10, 2019 - day 711Man, April was an unproductive month for me. Still, progress is made and here's the remaining 3 tracks. First 1 songs are for Custom levels: This one probably is the most simple track. Originally it's one of the for future but scrapped 'build mode'. However it sounds fine just for custom levels. 2nd song is for the later stages of Mabarossa: Not as melodic as i hope. A bit messy at the last segment, that needs a bit fixing. And the 3rd is the 2nd music track from Enigmus: Though overall it doesn't sound "industrial" enough for the place, the chord progression sounds happy/casual for the stage, not what i intented, but I really like the base melody a lot... (so I kept it) Finally we have all 10 music tracks for the game. :D For now, let's enjoy this excerpts.
*Right-Click to "open link in new window" to just listen. Pre-beta Promotional art, Realm 3Let's talk about my next plans: The promised game alpha ver 0.55 with 2 new levels + some fixes is coming at the end of May. I will fix & improve the push mechanism, and also revamp the interface skins for Realm 2 & Realm 3. Meanwhile I'll be CG drawing this artwork below for promotional purpose. (will use it for IndieDB page and other social medias) It's a banner shape dimension showing more of the atmosphere, it also fits for landing page use. I will start working on Realm 3 levels after few weeks later.
Realm 3 -- Enigmus, is a volcanic place with construction sites all over the place, it's more dangerous & challenging than other 2 realms. Perhaps I'll take more about what Realm 3 next time. That's all folks, until next log. :) Mar 6, 2019 - day 646In the past few weeks I was unoccupied. call me lazy, it's not half wrong but I was working on some other stuff, helping out my dad's project and such. Also getting a new (used) windows tablet may distract me a bit more. >_<
It seems that I don't have the mood to work on coding the game, but maybe working on music should do it at this time of period. Alien Maze ver 0.55 development with 2 new levels has to put on halt, temporary. There are 3 remaining game tracks I has yet to make, which are including level tracks + realm 3's music tracks. And as always, it's going to take a while to produce. Next log will possibly be on the end of March. Have a nice day. Feb 11, 2019 -day 622As you see, the demo already has updated to 0.5.3. What's new:
First of all, something about the new level. The lazers, are not the core game element of realm 1. This is just a fun custom level. (It may be implemented in the realm 3 levels but time will tell.) It's not too hard for this level, but be ready for a lot of trial-and-errors. Also, the 2 'think' flatforms there (the square marks on the ground) are TOTALLY extra, but that's just for you to try out just for fun. (I haven't think of a good scenario to use the feature) Next. Whether or not it's up to your liking, the demo has a new option setting: Sphere Filter. Enable it and you get a more 3D-like viewpoint. Go check out the game demo if you haven't play it yet. :D
Itch.io (better page layout) Scirra Arcade (have leaderboards) Next update (ver 0.5.6), I'll be working on the 4th levels on both realm 1 & 2. And then after that, I'll start the 3rd realm creating process, and that will take more than a few weeks... Cheers. Feb 3, 2019 - day 614It's very very tedious, but I managed to fix most of the problems in 5 days, also making sure the game is playable and beatable. (however the levels are not so nice... I'm not a good puzzle maker ) Demo 2 is now available on Itch.io and Scirra Arcade ...but with less levels. There are total 10 levels including 2 tutorials, 2 customs & 6 main levels. There was going to be 4 levels available per realm but I just couldn't code a few elements in time. One element that is omitted completely for the current version (alpha 0.5) is the "think zone". This element needs a re-construction. I need to rethink how the game mechanic benefits the player because they don't work on current level designs. (how disappointing) Another feature I wanted to add in later is to make 'zap barriers' push-able. That itself is not easy coding but I'll try. Also make them fall into abyss! >:) So that's about it. I'm going to have a week of hiatus as I have to attend CNY festival. I will return to work on the unfinished parts after that. In the meantime, try them out would ya? (links below) Some level is quite FUN you know. on Itch.io (better page layout) on Scirra Arcade (have leaderboards) Well, See ya very soon!
Happy CNY Holiday! Jan 30, 2019 - day 610A quick log:
I'm really sorry about postponing Demo 2 again. I need to fix some bugs and do some changes on the levels. Again, the demo is not meant to be polished, just being playable. So please wait for a few more days, thank you. |