Johan`s Game Compo Survival Guide

Johan Peitz
Muskedunder Interactive
• Some stuff about me
• Various Game Compos
– and what came out of them
• Idea generation
• How to stay alive
– AND have something to show
• The end
• Johan Peitz
• Started indie developer
Free Lunch Design in 1998
• Now Technical Director at
Muskedunder Interactive
– advertising games
– casual games
– social games
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Annual community event
72 hours (was 48)
Can use previously available code
Rule-O-matic
– Genre / Technical / Artistic
• Solo event
• Alex 1 (1999)
– command line, BEL, 29
• Alex 2 (2001)
– puzzle game, particle engine,
donkeys
• Alex 3 (2002)
– code reuse, virtual machine,
nuclear
• Alex 4 (2003)
– 4 colors
• Tri-annual, 48 hour event
• Make everything from scratch
– Encourages to learn new stuff
• Lots of social activities
– Progress blogs, time lapses, food
pictures, etc
• Voting and winners
– several categories
• Solo event
• Theme: Infection
• Simple mechanics
– tweaking attributes as the
player progresses
• Content creation
– random levels
– palette manipulation
level 1
level 7
• TIGSource.com
– The Independant Gaming Source
• Different but distinct themes
– B-Games, Procedural Generation, Demakes,
Cockpit games, etc
• Lots of co-operation
• Forum used for extensive feedback
• Theme: old school fun
• Simple and proven mechanics
• added twists for more depth
• Content creation
- random ”levels”
• Many, many versions
- released to PC 2001
- on facebook 2009
• Words
– dictionary, thesaurus
– Video Game Name Generator
• http://norefuge.net/vgng/vgng.html
• Art
– Flickr, pixeljoint, google images
• Restrictions
– The more the better
• Other games
– Add / subtract features
• New wallpaper (nya tapeter)
– Go somewhere else
• You have your million dollar idea
– How to keep focus?
• Top down vs bottom up
Bottom-up approach starting at the top
1.
2.
3.
4.
Start broad
Find the core
Add layers
Profit!
• Beware of feature creep
– Don’t overdo it!
– Be ruthless when cutting features!
– KISS = Keep It Simple, Stupid!
• Nail the gameplay first
– All the fancy stuff in the world wont help if your
game isn’t fun.
• Minimize content creation
– Procedural generation
– Simple graphics tweaks
• Use limits to your advantage
– turn weaknesses into strengths
• Keep track of the time
– Plan properly and revise if needed
– Miracles can happen the last hour,
but probably not
• Eat, sleep and have fun!
– It’s much easier to work if you like it!
• Wrap up early
– An hour only has 60 minutes. Really.
Johan Peitz
johan.peitz@muskedunder.com