Indie Games Part 2: Sleepy Mouse

Here is the second part of our new Indie Game series. This time we introduce an indie company called Start Get Ready and their upcoming mobile game Sleepy Mouse. Sleepy Mouse© is a 2D, 75-level, physics based puzzle game in final stage development, and it should be playable in August 2016. The owner of Start Get Ready Dan Norris is a French Polisher by day, and solo independent games developer by night! Remember to read the interview after the game introduction, where Dan answers our interesting questions.

Aim of the game: 

• Don’t let Sleepy Mouse wake up hangry! (hungry/angry) Get him the cheese before he wakes!

Game features:

• Holes in the wall, fridge magnets, alarms and traps will try to steal Sleepy Mouse’s cheese
• Make friends with blue cheese if you don’t want to leave Sleepy Mouse in a stink!
• Shot complexity maximizes scores
• Incorporates Everyplay so you can record levels and show off scores to friends
• Uses Unity Ads so you can watch ads to skip levels and come back later

Sleepy Mouse uses simple touch screen controls, whilst challenging players to apply physics-based logic to navigate obstacles before they run out of sheep. Each shot uses one sheep – once all the sheep have gone, Sleepy Mouse will wake. If you haven’t got the cheese to him before all the sheep go, he’ll wake up hangry! What’s more, Sleepy Mouse will be free to play with no in-app purchases and will launch as an iOS app for both iPhone and iPad. So you don’t need money to get to try this game once it’s released. Please remember to rate the game if you decide to try it!

Here comes the promised interview with Dan Norris. Be sure to read through, he really made the most of answering my questions! Brilliant responses, thank you Dan!

 

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Where did you get the idea for your game, and how did you start?

I’ve loved playing many of the iOS hits, such as Angry Birds and Cut The Rope. They’re really simple concepts but utterly addictive once you start playing. I wanted to make a fun puzzle game with a cute character, that is easy to pick up and play, even on the go. I tried quite a few ideas before hitting on Sleepy Mouse – the little mouse who likes to sleep, loves his cheese, but hates to wake up hangry! My original idea was to make a version of the old coins game that kids play at school, with three coins, where one coin must always pass between the other two with the aim of getting one of the coins in the opponents goal.

It didn’t work well on mobile but there are certainly elements of that game still in Sleepy Mouse. In the early days of development I built versions of the game using different game engines, such as Cocos 2D and Blender’s Game Engine, but settled on Unity 3D. I found Unity 3D really easy to use and unlike other engines where you have to build your own level editors, that functionality is built into Unity 3D – it’s literally ‘drag and drop’ to put your levels together. It also handles graphics and animation unbelievably well! What might have taken days to put together can be minutes of work using Unity 3D. You can also prototype very quickly. I started by developing a few different prototypes to get the mechanics of the game working. Once I’d settled on the best way to play, I could then crack on with building the levels. Sleepy Mouse has 3 different stages – 25 levels per stage. In each stage you meet different obstacles, such as holes in the wall, fridge magnets, alarms and traps which will try to steal Sleepy Mouse’s cheese. Once I had identified the 3 stages of the game and the main obstacles, I could map out the level design and start coding.

What are your expectations for the game?

My main desire in creating Sleepy Mouse is that I’ll have produced a game that other people enjoy playing. For me there is nothing better than discovering a game that you love and can’t put down. I hope that it’ll be a game that is accessible for many different ages and challenges people to better their scores through shot complexity. If Sleepy Mouse is well received on iOS then I’ll convert for Android and introduce new obstacles and levels.

What was the hardest part in making your game? How about the most fun part?

Creating and testing 75 levels is really tough. Coming up with interesting levels, that aren’t too hard or easy and with enough variation and a reasonable learning curve for the player, is a real challenge. I’ve got a real respect for puzzle creators now. One of the biggest challenges when making a puzzle game of this type is trying not to introduce too many new obstacles. It’s easier to add a new obstacle to the game, than to think of inventive and fun ways to use the ones you already have, but too many obstacle types makes the game feel rushed and a bit disjointed, with no real puzzle progression. I really loved the prototyping stage because you don’t need to care about writing clean, efficient, bug free code, or how the graphics look, it’s raw ideas that you can try quickly which is a lot of fun. I think the real reward though, is toward the end of development, actually having other players play your game. It’s pretty scary at first but a real joy to see someone try your creation.

Is making games a hobby, or do you want to earn your living with it? 

It’s a hobby, but it’s more than a hobby…it’s a real love. Programming is something that I’ve been doing since I was 9 years old. I wrote my first ever program on an Amsterdam PCW9512 at the age of 9, and was hooked immediately. I loved that I could get the computer to do something I wanted it to do. I got the computer to tell the user their name and favourite colour and thought that was amazing…Thankfully I’ve come a long way since then! If Sleepy Mouse makes a bit of money then that’s amazing, but I’ll continue to build games whatever the outcome.

Do you have any other game projects at the moment?

If Sleepy Mouse proves popular I’ll definitely be releasing new levels that incorporates new obstacles and puzzles. I’ve also got a number of different ideas and prototypes for new games – one involving sharks hunting shoals of fish – completely different to Sleepy Mouse. This would be a 3D turn-based strategy game that you’d play against other networked players – you’d each have 3 sharks, each with different abilities (speed, power, and defense against other sharks). You need to strategize to break up the shoal whilst keeping other players sharks away. It’s very early days but something that I’m excited to explore further once Sleepy Mouse is complete.

Anything you’d like to say to people who dream of making games?

If you love it, do it! See it through, actually finish a project. It’s very easy to get distracted by different ideas and keep changing focus. You need to see a game through to completion to get the biggest reward and sense of achievement. A big learning for me as I approach the end stages of developing Sleepy Mouse is how much work is involved in marketing a game. I’ve been heads down in developing Sleepy Mouse and hadn’t really appreciated how important it is to start communicating ideas for your game to the gaming community from early concept development. I’d really recommend people start this early – not just because of the time involved but also to generate excitement and anticipation for their game.  Above all, make sure you’re having fun. If you’re not enjoying developing the game, the game is unlikely to be fun to play! 

Follow @SleepyMouseGame #sleepymousegame on Twitter to stay up to date with the game’s development.

Play with passion!

auburn.geek

It Is Time For Fox Characters To Fight In An Animation Throwdown!

One of my old favorite blocks is coming back as a game. Get ready for Animation Throwdown a game combining some of the funniest shows into one epic card game.

In a similar vein to the Hearthstone series it is up to you to create a deck. A deck stuffed to the gills with characters from shows like Klaus from American Dad to Louise Belcher of Bob’s Burgers. With characters from all of Fox’s shows such as Futurama, Family Guy and King of the Hill, expect zaniness on a whole nother level.

At this moment we don’t have much information but that’s okay. From this image at least we know so many hilarious characters will be duking it out shortly. All we know for sure is that this game will be appearing in Q3 of this year.

I look forward to learning more and I hope you do to! As usual feel free to tweet me @Starkwyvrngamer!

What’s The Deal With ‘We Happy Few’?

E3 this year has given us a lot to look forward to from a range of both established and up-and-coming developers; from sequels to games we’re familiar with, to brand new IPs. One of the new announcements in particular caught my attention, and it comes from a little well known indie company called Compulsion Games. These are the same people that brought us the beautiful, dreamlike puzzler, ‘Contrast’ released back in 2013.

It’s fair to assume that since the release of Contrast, they have been busy creating their latest project – ‘We Happy Few’. The game was shown in a bit more detail at the Microsoft Press Conference, where we learnt that the world is set in a dystopian, 1960’s England that lost World War II, and in the town of Wellington Wells, we meet our character and soon to be hero Arthur Hastings. It was shown that everyone in this parallel universe is made to take a drug known as “Joy” that makes them happy, but more importantly – compliant. The story begins once Arthur decides to come off the pills and discover how bad things have become.

Things for Arthur go from bad to worse, as his aversion for the pill causes him to be labelled as a “Downer” – which is not tolerated by the citizens of Wellington Wells. There’s not much more in the way of details for this game, but it certainly looks to be a interesting one with it’s Bioshock art style, and storyline similar to that of 2002’s Equilibrium.

For those interested in this game, you can play it through the Xbox Preview Program on July 26th, but as of now, there’s no official release date.

If you’re like me and enjoy something a little different and quirky once in a while, then be sure to keep this on your radar!

SNIKT!

The Zero Dawn Is On The Horizon With Horizon Zero Dawn!

Horizon Zero Dawn is a fantastic new game from Guerilla Games and is a Playstation Exclusive to boot! This game may not be coming out for six months but from what they showed at E3 it is already worth the wait!

The plot revolves around an ancient group of people living in a world that once had advanced technology. It is a story where the world was taken over by machines and now these beasts have evolved. They resemble dinosaurs and it is up to Aloy our fiery red haired protagonist to take the canisters on their back.

What these canisters mean for her tribe isn’t yet known but people are already racking their brains to figure it out. Aloy uses many different types of projectiles that she gathers from her foes. As a hunter she has learned how to trap them and that also comes into play in the game.

Really this game is an robot apocalyptic caveman game and that is all kinds of cool. Also it just looks beautiful. I love seeing lush open world games, they really show how far we have come in the visual department. It is shocking how real we can make games now.

This game also hinges on Aloy finding out who she is. She was raised in a village but she was from someplace else. She has to find out who she is on this journey and stories like that tend to be good.

I am excited for February 28th, 2017 and to see what this game really has to offer.

The Nintendo 64 Is Twenty today!

This article in its entirety makes me feel old, I will start with that. I may only be almost 24 but still something so integral to my being on its 20th birthday is sure to elicit some emotion.

While I don’t remember all the specifics I’ll start with this. 20 years ago I was almost 4 years old. I would play Super Mario land 2: The 6 golden coins. That  game was my first introduction to games and no matter how bad I was I spent a lot of time trying to beat it.

But suddenly the N64 appears. A bright and explosively cool piece of technology. In a world where in 360 days I’d have a sister I was ecstatic. I had no idea I’d have a sister but playing games in full 3d was the best.

So many classic games would come out in the next few years and I would enjoy a good deal of them. So  while I didn’t start out with the NES I started with a Gameboy and was thrust soon into a world that would engulf me.

This system was my first introduction into the world of 3d gaming and I am excited that it is as old as it is. I would have come out a lot different I am sure if I hadn’t been able to play such a system.

Even though technology continues to change and advance it is always good to look back on the past. With Nintendo it is always easy to do so especially when it has been a part of your life for so long. As I look back I look forward as the NX is on the horizon.

So, Happy 20th N64! You may not play as well as you once did but you will forever be in the hearts of anyone that was able to play you.  I’ll always look back fondly on playing such a marvelous system and thank Nintendo for making it!

 

Fire Emblem+Idols+Shin Megami Tensei=Tokyo Mirage Sessions!

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is a new game that was announce a good time ago. It is actually releasing tomorrow in the US and Europe!

This game follows the story of Itsuki and his friends. Itsuki is new to the world of performing but he is willing to do anything to be there for his friends. As he meets new people he knows he will be able to help them.

This story is different than any other Fire Emblem or Shin Megami Tensei game. As a combination of both it becomes something new. Plus a sprinkling of idol life changes the formula even more.

I do enjoy Japanese culture which flows through this game. JPop is also center stage as these characters literally sing songs even during battles.I wasn’t sure what to expect with the music but these songs are really good. From what I have heard since I don’t want to spoil the plot I was enjoying what I’ve heard.

This game oozes beauty. The dungeons look amazing and the visuals look beautiful. I am stoked to see this world as it really is like you are walking through Japan. Plus it is inevitably a good time filler as we wait for Persona 5 another Atlus game mind you.

Now from what I have seen so far it looks like an amazing RPG. With great call backs to Fire Emblem it is sure to be something special. The reviews are also rolling in and they are spectacular! I am really ready to jump into this game and sink hours of my life in making my characters the best they can be.

I’ll put up my own review once I’ve played the game, so look forward to that! If this sounds cool at all check out the trailer.

New Sonic Game Incoming?

Looks like the Sonic Team plans to announce a new game next month. I for one am excited. As it is the 25th anniversary I assume they will bring out the big guns and make this a game really worth buying!

Right now there are two teams working on games. One side works on Sonic Boom which is rather atrocious.

I am hoping this game comes from the other team. Hopefully it will be the long requested Sonic Adventure 3.

Though if they are making a Sonic Movie it could also be a tie in. All I know is we are getting more Sonic the Hedgehog.

If this game is actually Sonic Adventure 3 I will be through the moon with excitement! We will find out on July 22th!

Persona 5 And It’s Thieves Will Steal Your Hearts Soon Enough

The Persona series is known for its humorous characters and deep plot. These RPG’S are some of the best out there. The last main release was Persona 4 in 2011 for the PS2.

Now the characters in Persona 4 did continue to show up in other Persona games during this time but now they fall back. A new set of heroes is going to steal the spotlight.

In Persona 5 which comes out September 15th in Japan and Valentine’s day in the US is coming. Fans of the series will be excited to see more of this game.

I know personally that from what I have seen I am fully ready for it. I cannot wait to see these characters and their stories unfolding before my eyes.

A young boy aka the Protagonist moves to a new city. Making friends he creates a plot to become thieves. Soon he is thrust into a particular prison and met by its long nosed warden. But this place isn’t what it seems.

This game is far more advanced then it’s predecessors of course. The characters need to act stealthy as they are thieves. They travel the world and do crazy things even go to space.

Now Persona games are not only about crazy things and monster fighting. Not to mention in this game you can actually convince your foes to join you. These games are about life.

In these games for the uniformed you live a year in the Protagonist’s shoes. You fall in love, go shopping, do schoolwork and hang with friends. Doing these things might sound weird but it is to make your connections stronger.

This game is about connecting with people and that is its base. By the time you finished the story these characters should steal your heart. But we have some time till that happens.

I just can’t wait for this game, it really does look superb.

No Man’s Sky – Within Reach (PS4, PC)

Back in late 2013, VGX presented a 2 minute teaser to the world; showcasing an incredible new universe of exploration and adventure, in procedurally generated game…and that was it. For me that was enough to get the intrigue muscle pumping.

Towards the end of Sony’s press conference, during E3 2015 (and prior to that in 2014), Sean Murray (founder of Hello Games) walks on to the stage holding a PS4 controller and delivers one of the most mind shattering presentations in memory – No Man’s Sky. Sean demonstrated an impossible game made possible; inside the huge universe where the planets are planet sized and the wildlife comes in all shapes and sizes, never seen before. This allows each player to have a unique, solitary view of this game, where it’s unlikely you’ll bump into any fellow travellers in the vast solar system. However, it was confirmed by Hello Games that not everything in the game is random. This is due to everything needing to exist for a reason, and be governed by maths. A representative of Hello Games also pointed out that “computers just aren’t very good at random either”.

Everyone will start off on a planet of their own, and there’s enough for all (a total of 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 to be precise), each player is able to make their own decisions and are even able to name any new discoveries they make. From what we’ve seen, there’s a lot of customisable options from your gear, to your jetpack, and the most important part – your starship. It’s recommended that you to upgrade your ship as they offer a variety of upgrades like speed, manoeuvrability, jump drive range or weapon power.

The game has been delayed on a few occasions, but finally has been locked in for a release window of August 9th for the US, and August 10th for the UK and EU. With the game being so close you can almost smell the universe (and it smells good!). Another question some might have is, what collector’s edition should I pick up to accompany it? Well, I’ve got you covered:

Available for PC only.

Available for PS4.

Personally, I’m a sucker for the PC edition, but you’ll most likely need a pretty powerful rig to run this monster of a game.

Only time will tell how many hours people will get lost in No Man’s Sky, but if the stats are anything to go by, you’ll be looking at around 585 billion years, and that’s if you were to visit each planet for a single second…lets hope there’s no platinum trophy for that!

SNIKT!

Cancelled Figures From ‘Disney Infinity’ Revealed

It was only last month that Disney confirmed that not only would they be cancelling their popular video game series Disney Infinity, but that they were pulling out of video game publishing entirely. Since then, details have been coming to light about the future of the series and the plans they had – which is just salt in that Disney Infinity sized wound.

In a report on Kotaku, they revealed plans were being made for the next installment of the game series to include Star Wars: Episode VIII, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Thor: Ragnarok, Cars 3 and some others.

Even more content for 3.0 would have been released later this year, including a Doctor Strange figurine that would be based on Benedict Cumberbatch’s appearance in the upcoming movie (releasing November 2016) and the first wave of premium 12″ figures, including Darth Vadar, Jack Skellington, Hulkbuster Iron Man, The Hulk and Buzz Lightyear.

To add further salt to the wound, Infiniteer Adventures on YouTube has revealed further information, including what the Doctor Strange and 12″ Hulk figurines would have looked like, and revealed that Disney Interactive were working on figurines for Peter Pan, Jafar from Aladdin, and even an amazing Spider-Gwen(!!!) from Marvel Comics.

The first version of Disney Infinity was released in 2013, and featured playable favourites such as Sulley from Monster’s Inc., Mr Incredible from The Incredibles, Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas and many many more. Whilst the first installment focused primarily on classic Disney characters, Disney Infinity 2.0 released the following year focusing largely on the Marvel superheroes, such as Spider-Man, Captain America and Star-Lord. The third, and now final release, launched last year, based primarily on the Star Wars franchise, with play sets for throughout the series from the original trilogy to The Force Awakens.

Disney Infinity is a popular franchise, even if just for their unique and detailed figurines, and it will be sorely missed by children and adults alike (though maybe not parents!)