MindFool Games Has Made TWO Crush the Critters Games!!

For those who don't know, there actually IS a version of the game out there now - TWO even! My wonderfully talented artist Ariel, and Jon, a great programmer (both of whom make up the wonderful MindFool Games), made a Halloween and Christmas version for the Chumby, a handheld flash-enabled device with a touch screen. Very cool stuff!

Wow, what a day...

Alright, so here I'm all ready to dive into working, especially with the upcoming short day on monday (christmas eve) and extra day off (christmas), and the dang spring on my laptop dies on me. That means that there is nothing whatsoever holding the screen up, and to remedy this I was bent over like the hunchback of Notre Dame. We're driving out as I type (pc phones rock!) to have it fixed, so it should be okay soon!

Third Time's the Charm?

*In his best Dr. Nick impression* Hello everybody!

I've ignored this far too long. I have done a massive amount of work on CtC (although over a rather long period of time, too...) and it is nearing it's first demo phase. This first demo is simply the intro level, although it will give you a good feel for what the game will be like. Also, I'm having to work through the kinks of all the different dance pads out there and how they link to the PC (meaning I'll have to BUY them first!), so it won't be available for the first demo.

Once this demo is completed, the game will be able to go forward at breakneck pace! I will be redoing the Hedonism Games website and this blog then as well, so hopefully the plain-ness will be gone soon!

Item selection works, but...

... Unfortunately, I've found a pretty major bug in the game. Several, actually. I tried to fix it, but had finished a glass of wine and it was already past midnight, so no such luck. I went to grab the code just for the functions and lists, and discovered that to print it would be 58 pages in the smallest font I could read!! Good grief, 58 pages?? Counting code, the game is up past 3,600 lines. This may not sound like much to most developers out there, but since my biggest previous game was about 800, this is major! Digging through to fix now!

Shop 2.0 is Complete!

Whew! While it's pretty much coated in programmer art, the shop redux is completed! The style fits much better with the game than the old list component did, and with some real art in place it'll look wonderful! As lame as it may sound, just buying and reselling items is almost a joy, and that's what a good game is supposed to be, right?

What a Long Way We've Come!

Wow, I can't believe it's been so long (June 23rd?? 5 months?!?!) since revisiting this blog. This blog is coming back to life, baby, and with every bit of enthusiasm this game developer has to put behind it!

Now, I know no one has read this stuff yet, but it makes a great archive. That's beside the point, though; for those of you who are new to the blog, welcome! This game started nearly a full year ago, and it's gone a long way, trust me! Back then, it was a quick demo to see if the dance pad could be used to play Flash games - now it's headed toward publishing! Well okay, it's heading toward trying to be published.

For those of you not familiar, Crush the Critters (or CtC) is a game developed in Flash 8 that utilizes the keyboard (for cheaters, at least), mouse, Wiimote (for browser play, at least) or dance pad (!!!!) to play. It is essentially Whack-a-Mole meets RPG and Adventure, with a humorous story and wonderful art style by Ariel Marsh.

Anyway, welcome, and have a good look around!

THE BETA IS LIVE!!!

The first beta, the Classic Mode beta, is now ready to be played! You can either become an official beta tester by filling out the tester questionnaire, or just play the game - Classic Mode only - at the game's homepage: http://www.hedonismgames.com/beta/index.html. Give it a go, and let me know what you think about it!

The site is live and other junk :)

Well, the site is finally done. It's simple, but that's probably good, since it doesn't really have much to give away yet...

I have also decided to make sure I'm posting to this blog more often. When working and developing, the blog falls behind, and I will make sure that this thing is updated at least weekly.

And on a final note, for those of you who are interested in Crush the Critters, go to the site and join the newsletter! It'll be a great way to find out what's going on, with a summary of what's going on here too.

Almost Ready to Show!

The game is still deep in development, but is at this moment rounding out the beta for Classic Mode! I've also put up the game's website: http://www.hedonismgames.com, which will feature links and info on the project, as well as screenshots, links to where else the game is discussed and information on the game's developers.

For those of you who want to help out, check out the "Test for Us" link. Enter your email, and once the game is ready for the Classic Mode beta, I'll email you a secret link to where it can be played!

Crush the Critters on GGE

For those of you who want a great overview of Crush the Critters, click on the GGE (Great Games Experiment) badge above. For those of you not familiar with the GGE, it's a wonderful place for indie developers and game lovers alike!

Crush the Critters has an artist!

After giving up on Crush the Critters shortly after having a quick demo working (see that awful screenshot from the previous post!), a talented artist named Ariel Marsh has offered up her services. She has already turned the game around greatly (see the above image!), and the game is coming along very well now. Ariel will be working as artist and co-designer on the title, and her efforts are greatly appreciated.

Crush the Critters!

The first of the "dance pad games" we're working on is called Crush the Critters, which is a whack-a-mole clone made for the dance pad. Now, instead of getting exhausted from hitting moles, you'll get worn out from stomping your feet all over little critters.

To the left there is the graphic for the basic critter (I told you I couldn't draw!). The critters will pop their heads up out of the ground, stick their tongues out and hide. If you stomp upon them, stars will circle their heads and they'll collapse under their hiding spot.

The goal is to defeat x number within y time limit. The game will also feature extra bonuses and an adventure mode.

Keep your eyes posted for more info!

Welcome!

Welcome to the blog (as if you need to read another one of these welcome messages!). While we may change our name from Hedonism Games at some point, we will always be about the same thing - creating fun, simple, 2D games with a twist. While the current portfolio doesn't highlight this very well, I swear that you'll be seeing it soon. Some of the highlights include (in this order):

1. Some experimental titles involving the classic dance pad.
2. A political platforming game in episodic form.
3. A game about garbage?
4. A game best described as Redneck Rampage meets Neopets.

And somewhere in there, you'll see a wonderful experiment with our title, Candy Catastrophe.

So, welcome!