Is it a good idea to start a game using Rpg Maker?

RPG Maker is a popular game development software that allows users to easily create their own role-playing games (RPGs). It is popular among game developers, particularly those who are new to game development or who want to create games without having to code. There are several reasons why you might want to use RPG Maker to make your own game.

1. Ease of use: One of the biggest benefits of RPG Maker is that it is very easy to use. The software includes a visual interface that allows you to drag and drop elements onto a grid to create maps and environments. This makes it simple to design levels and create custom assets, such as characters and items. The software also includes a variety of pre-made assets, such as characters, music, and sound effects, which can be used in your game.
2. Customization: While RPG Maker includes a variety of pre-made assets, it also allows you to create your own custom assets. This means you can create unique characters, items, and environments that fit the specific theme and style of your game.
3. Community support: RPG Maker has a large and active community of users who share resources and offer support to each other. This means you can find help and advice on how to use the software, as well as resources such as graphics and music to use in your game.
4. Cross-platform compatibility: RPG Maker allows you to create games that can be played on a variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac, and mobile devices. This means you can reach a wider audience with your game.

Overall, RPG Maker is a great tool for anyone looking to create their own RPG. It is user-friendly, customizable, and has a strong community of users who can offer support and resources.

There are several versions of Rpg Maker. It has a very long story! But we suggest to use the latest versions: MV and/or MZ.

Whether you are a seasoned game developer or just starting out, RPG Maker is a great tool to consider for creating your own game.

3 Suggested Games made using Rpg Maker:

Wild Rage New Generation

- Purgatory -

Pocket Quest!

Unreal Engine vs Unity: The Ultimate Showdown for Game Development!

Developing a game can be a complex and time-consuming process, and choosing the right game engine can make a big difference in the success of your project. Two of the most popular game engines are Unity and Unreal Engine, both of which offer a range of features and tools for game development.

Unity is a cross-platform game engine that is widely used for both 2D and 3D game development. It is popular among indie developers due to its user-friendly interface, wide range of features, and low learning curve. Unity also has a strong community of developers and a wealth of resources, including tutorials and documentation, which makes it easier for new developers to get started.

Unreal Engine, on the other hand, is a more powerful and feature-rich game engine that is primarily used for 3D game development. It is known for its cutting-edge graphics and advanced rendering capabilities, which make it a popular choice for AAA game development studios. Unreal Engine has a steeper learning curve than Unity, and it may take longer for new developers to become proficient with the engine.

Ultimately, the decision of which game engine to use will depend on your specific needs and goals for your project. If you are a beginner or working on a smaller project, Unity may be the better choice due to its ease of use and wide range of features. If you are an experienced developer or working on a larger, more complex project, Unreal Engine may be the better choice due to its advanced capabilities and powerful tools.

In conclusion, both Unity and Unreal Engine are excellent choices for game development, and the right choice for your project will depend on your specific needs and goals. Both engines offer a range of features and tools that can help you create high-quality games, and it is worth taking the time to research and evaluate each one to determine which is the best fit for your project.

2 Suggested Games Made using Unity3D

Path of Shadows

Knock Knock Soulsman

2 Suggested Games Made using Unreal Engine

0R8

Aviano

20 Tips for your Indie Game Launch!

Hi indiexpors and game developers! A lot of time we received emails about how to prepare the Game Launch. We prepered 20 tips inspired by a very famous books for Startups, "The $100 Startup" by Chris Guillebeau!

1. Be sure that your game has something that makes it different from other games.
2. Choose a prize for the first players, however small.
3. Is the game launch going to be interesting?
4. Did you record a Video about it?
5. Are potential players excited for the launch of this game?
6. Share the release date (day and hour) in advance.
7. Check the description of your game, the selected images and the video over and over.
8. If you add External Links, check them out as well.
9. Try to download and start your game, multiple times, on multiple devices.
10. Share the description and images with your friends. Ask them for feedbacks.
11. Did you create banners, artworks and extra images to promote it (if you could have)?
12. Choose a goal to reach (number of players, followers, comments, etc.).
13. Reply to all of your emails before the day of the launch.
14. That same day, write a short and incisive message and send it to your friends, as well as to magazines, blogs, YouTubers and streamers.
15. The day before your game launches, prepare a post to write on your Social Networks.
16. Write to the first 5 players that play your game, thank them, and ask them for feedbacks.
17. When the game is up, write once again to your friends, as well as to magazines, blogs, YouTubers and streamers.
18. As soon as the game is up, make a post about it on your Social Networks
19. Write a message to thank your players.
20. Have fun, and prepare yourself for the next game!

Good luck!

Problem solving in a game development team - The Six Hats

The tactic that we want to show this time is the  system designed by Edward De Bono. It is the Six Hats.

Long story short, you can use this system in your team or with your friends or also with six players that just played you game. 

The hats are Six distinct directions. They are identified and assigned a color. 

The six directions are:

Managing
The Blue Hat – the guy that have the blue hat, have to do questions. what is the subject? what are we thinking about? what is the goal? Can look at the big picture.

Information
The White hat –the guy with the white hat considers purely what information is available, what are the facts?

Emotions 
The Red hat – the guy with this hat is intuitive or instinctive gut reactions or statements of emotional feeling (but not any justification).

Discernment 
The Black hat – the guy with this hat represent the logic applied to identifying reasons to be cautious and conservative. Practical, realistic.

Optimistic response
The Yellow hat – it's like the previous but with an important difference. It is the logic applied to identifying benefits, seeking harmony. Sees the brighter, sunny side of situations.

Creativity
The Green hat – is the statements of provocation and investigation, seeing where a thought goes. Thinks creatively, outside the box.

Use this system to find and solve problems in your game design or also to find new ideas or to have feedbacks about the next features that you want to add in your game.

If you like this system and you want to know more, you can also read the book of Edward De Bono.

Is there a website with free games for kids?

A lot of parents are looking for free games for their kids on internet.

On TV or newspapers a lot of time we read about "violence in video games" or "games with sex and blood". And we know that the PEGI was born to create safe categories for kids.

So we introduced, few days ago, the Adult Contents filter.

Now the developers, uploading their games, can check this box and the games will be visible only to +18 years users.

If you are not logged or you didn't change your age in your settings page, you will not see those games.

Enjoy and discover new games every day!

Saying NO

It's hard to imagine certain situation until meeting those.
Designers who create might encounter different request - which won’t fit with their values.

What if you’ll be asked to design an anonymous ad against a figure.
If you’ll be asked to work at the expense of your family time.
If you’ll be ordered to sabotage files before sending them to the customer.

What if someone will try to use your access to a database with personal details of subscribers from a minisite.
What if someone will use you to know how to take advantage of a young designer starting out.

When working with people we encounter bizarre realities.
Sometimes it’s hard to stick to principles
Becuase it might cause us out job or hurt it.
We need to know how to say no.

User Stories: LostTrainDude at Codemotion Rome 2018

or: How I went to give a talk about puzzle design in adventure games and came back with an interest in hardware programming.

On April, 18 you could find me in Rome, among over 2000 people attending Codemotion tech conference.

The event was held at the engineering department of Roma Tre University, a place I know very well, because that’s where I first attended a Global Game Jam in 2012.

I was there to give a talk about puzzle design in point-and-click adventure games!

Here is a handy YouTube video. You can find the presentation slides here.

Thanks to both my brother Syd and TheTMO for recording the video!

That said, let’s talk about the conference!

It was exciting to see my name there, but turns out there were a lot of things to be excited about.

First of all, I was going to meet some old friends from the indie gamedev scene.

Andrea Ferlito (who made all of this possible in the first place), TheTMO, Ciro Continisio (now Technical Evangelist at Unity in Brighton), Giuseppe and Francesca from Yonder (now working on Circle of Sumo), Giorgio Pomettini (who gave a great talk about Rust programming language in videogames), Augusto “KyserByte” from Motorsport Gaming, Tommaso from Caracal Games, and more!

From left to right: Andrea Ferlito, my brother Syd, me, Jeff and Giles

It all started here, end of Day 1, when we met Jeff Minter and Ivan Zorzin (Giles) from Llamasoft!

Needless to say: meeting Jeff and Giles was a blast. We laughed over a couple of drinks and chatted about stuff we love, in and out of the gamedev subject.

Yet again, it’s always nice to feel like part of a huge family.

In the back you can spot Ivan Preziosi (wearing a baseball cap), whom I met on this occasion and found out he’s developing Hard Times, a game about homeless survival in the big metropolis of indifference. A really interesting and deep game that sends out an important message, without compromising entertainment.

Also it reminded me of one of my favourite games of all time which is Rags To Riches from C64, but this takes everything of a whole new other, and higher, level.

Ivan discussing the game with Giles (Llamasoft) and Andrea Ferlito

Another thing this event may be responsible of is my taking my first step into hardware programming. Something I would NEVER expect to happen.

Amie DD was one of the speakers and when I attended her keynote, I couldn’t help but be inspired and curious.

I really like this picture, because it seems like she’s just out of a cyberpunk movie, her lines being: “Hey, fancy some hardware?”.

I asked for advice and she provided me some, also advising me not to fear hardware and offering to help me start, something I accepted with extreme gratitude!

Being mostly among the gamedevs I didn’t manage to be around many other speakers, who all came from different backgrounds.

Still, it was nice to meet them and share a few laughs at the Speakers Dinner. I’m very curious about the “Anxiety Driven Development” talk by Nicole Bartolini, which I could not attend to because I was giving my own talk at the same time.

Thanks, Codemotion Rome 2018, I won’t forget you and your excellent team easily, if ever.

- LostTrainDude/Christopher Sacchi

Are you an Hobbyist Game Developer? Read the Manifesto!

Hobbyist Game Developer Manifesto

Edmund McMillen's recent manifesto for independent game developers

1. Make a small game
Don't aim to make the next World of WarCraft. At least complete some small games before moving on to some of your grand ideas.

2.  Be open about your game
Don't be shy about developing games as a hobby. Upload your game to a website as soon as the first playable version is ready and share the link with friends. If you have concept art then share that even earlier in the process. Create videos, take screenshots and release early demos for the world to see.

3. Let your game evolve
Your game will never end up quite as you expected. If something does not work or feels annoying then change or remove it and maybe add something else to the game if it needs to be improved.

4. It is YOUR game
While input from friends can be useful don't forget that it is your time being spent developing it. If you love space themed games then set it in space. The target audience is probably you and it is really just a bonus if other people happen to like it.

5. Find help when you are stuck
Join communities and forums to find people who can help you when things get over your head. This can also lead you to a possible collaboration with someone who is talented in areas you are not.

6. Learn when creating your game
Game development allows you to learn a lot of things. Improve your skills in design, programming, graphics, sound, music and even creativity. Game development will naturally make you more creative.

7. Learn from other games
Play games that are comparable to what you are creating and draw inspiration from them without simply copying them. Even board games can be an inspiration. Improve their formula if possible or create something entirely new the world has never seen before.

8. Finish your game
Ten unfinished games will not make you half as proud as actually completing one game. Always strive to finish the game you are working on.

9. Give your game away
Free is the keyword here. Don't charge people for wanting to play your game and make it easy for them to share the game with their friends.

10. Have fun
Do it because you love it, you want to do it and because you have fun doing it.

How to describe your own videogame? It's easy, use this free Game Design Document (GDD Template)

Hi game devs that are reading this blog! 

We want to share here a very good and useful document! It's the template of a Game design document (GDD) used by Devs to show their Games and their features. It is a highly descriptive living design document of the design for a video game.

A game design document may be made of text, images, diagrams, concept art, or any applicable media to better illustrate design decisions. Some design documents may include functional prototypes or a chosen game engine for some sections of the game. 

Here it's an example or better, a template, to use to describe your own game. It's made and share by Benjamin “HeadClot” Stanley.

<Your Game Name Here>

<Your Company Logo Here>

  

Revision: 0.0.0

Overview

Theme / Setting / Genre

Core Gameplay Mechanics Brief

Targeted platforms

Monetization model (Brief/Document)

Project Scope

Influences (Brief)

- <Influence #1>

- <Influence #2>

- <Influence #3>

- <Influence #4>

The elevator Pitch

Project Description (Brief):

Project Description (Detailed)

What sets this project apart?

Core Gameplay Mechanics (Detailed)

- <Core Gameplay Mechanic #1>

- <Core Gameplay Mechanic #2>

- <Core Gameplay Mechanic #3>

- <Core Gameplay Mechanic #4>

Story and Gameplay

Story (Brief)

Story (Detailed)

Gameplay (Brief)

Gameplay (Detailed)

Assets Needed

- 2D

- 3D

- Sound

- Code

- Animation

Schedule

- <Object #1>

- <Object #2>

- <Object #3>

- <Object #4>

Overview

Theme / Setting / Genre

         - <Insert Theme here>

Core Gameplay Mechanics Brief

         - <Gameplay Mechanic #1>

         - <Gameplay Mechanic #2>

         - <Gameplay Mechanic #3>

         - <Gameplay Mechanic #4>

Targeted platforms

         - <Example Platform #1 Here>

         - <Example Platform #2 Here>

         - <Example Platform #3 Here>

Monetization model (Brief/Document)

- <Monetization Type> (Premium, Paid Alpha/Beta/Final, Ad Driven, Micro-transactions, Subscription, etc.)

         - <Link to Monetization Document>

(How do you plan to monetize the game?)

Project Scope

         - <Game Time Scale>

                   - Cost? (How much will it cost?)

- Time Scale (How long will it take to make this game?)

- <Team Size>

         - <Core Team>

                   - Team Member name?

                            - What does he/she do?

                            - <Cost to employ them full time or part time>

                   - etc.

(List as many core team members as you need to)

- <Marketing Team>

                   - Team Member name?

                            - What does he/she do?

                            - <Cost to employ them full time or part time>

                   - Etc.

(List as many marketing team members as you need to)

         - <Licenses / Hardware / Other Costs>

         - <Total Costs with breakdown>

Influences (Brief)

         - <Influence #1>

                   - <Medium> (Television, Games, Literature, Movies, etc.)

- /Explain why this is an influence in 1 Paragraph or less/

         - <Influence #2>

                   - <Medium> (Television, Games, Literature, Movies, etc.)

                   - /Explain Why in 1 Paragraph or less/

- /Explain why this is an influence in 1 Paragraph or less/

         - <Influence #3>

                   - <Medium> (Television, Games, Literature, Movies, etc.)

- /Explain why this is an influence in 1 Paragraph or less/

         - <Influence #4>

                   - <Medium> (Television, Games, Literature, Movies, etc.)

                   - /Explain Why in 1 Paragraph or less/

- /Explain why this is an influence in 1 Paragraph or less/

The elevator Pitch

<A one sentence pitch for your game.>

Pretend that your were pitching your game to a executive going to the elevator. You have less than 60 Seconds.

Project Description (Brief):

<Two Paragraphs at least>

<No more than three paragraphs>

  

Project Description (Detailed)

<Four Paragraphs or more If needs be>

<No more than six paragraphs>

What sets this project apart?

         - <Reason #1>

         - <Reason #2>

         - <Reason #3>

         - <Reason #4>

         - <etc.>

Core Gameplay Mechanics (Detailed)

         - <Core Gameplay Mechanic #1>

                   - <Details>

                            /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/

                   - <How it works>

                            /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/

         - <Core Gameplay Mechanic #2>

                   - <Details>

                            /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/

                   - <How it works>

                            /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/

         - <Core Gameplay Mechanic #3>

                   - <Details>

                            /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/

                   - <How it works>

                            /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/

         - <Core Gameplay Mechanic #4>

                   - <Details>

                            /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/

                   - <How it works>

                            /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/

Story and Gameplay

Story (Brief)

<The Summary or TL;DR version of below>

Story (Detailed)

<Go into as much detail as needs be>

<Spare no detail>

<Use Mind Mapping software to get your point across>

Gameplay (Brief)

<The Summary version of below>

Gameplay (Detailed)

<Go into as much detail as needs be>

<Spare no detail>

<Combine this with the game mechanics section above>

Assets Needed

- 2D

         - Textures

                   - Environment Textures

         - Heightmap data (If applicable)

                   - List required data required - Example: DEM data of the entire UK.

         - Etc.

- 3D

         - Characters List

                   - Character #1

                   - Character #2

                   - Character #3

                   - etc.

         - Environmental Art Lists

                   - Example #1

                   - Example #2

                   - Example #3

                   - etc.

- Sound

         - Sound List (Ambient)

                   - Outside

                            - Level 1

                            - Level 2

                            - Level 3

                            - etc.

                   - Inside

                            - Level 1

                            - Level 2

                            - Level 3

                            - etc.

- Sound List (Player)

                   - Character Movement Sound List

                            - Example 1

                            - Example 2

- etc.

                   - Character Hit / Collision Sound list

- Example 1

                            - Example 2

- etc.

                   - Character on Injured / Death sound list

                            - Example 1

                            - Example 2

                            - etc.

- Code

         - Character Scripts (Player Pawn/Player Controller)

         - Ambient Scripts (Runs in the background)

         - Example

- NPC Scripts

         - Example

         - etc.

- Animation

         - Environment Animations

                   - Example

                   - etc.

         - Character Animations

                   - Player

- Example

- etc.

                   - NPC

                            - Example

                            - etc.

Schedule

         - <Object #1>

                        - Time Scale

                            - Milestone 1

                            - Milestone 2

                            - Etc.

         - <Object #2>

                        - Time Scale

                            - Milestone 1

                            - Milestone 2

                            - Etc.

         - <Object #3>

                        - Time Scale

                            - Milestone 1

                            - Milestone 2

                            - Etc.

         - <Object #4>

                        - Time Scale

                            - Milestone 1

                            - Milestone 2

                            - Etc.

Are you looking for PICO-8 Games?

Do you already know PICO-8? No?

Developed by Lexaloffe, PICO-8 is technically a small virtual machine that runs on your actual machine much like a console emulator. It is an actual independent console and we love it also for this, one that could be an actual hardware as well.

What kind of Games?

Play online Find Gold! by Isogash

There are multiple reasons to start off with PICO-8. The PICO-8 console allows us to restrict the scope. It has a limited memory (32K cartridge size) and just 128×128 pixels per frame! A good thing it's that you can export it in Html5, so the players can play it online. Easy and fast!

Where're the Games?

PICO-8 has a very nice community on its website.

We finally add PICO-8 to the engines-list on indiexpo, so you can find free games made with it HERE.

Usually the devs add also the indiepad to their game, jsut setting the keys when the upload their game.

Where I can download PICO-8?

You can buy it here. Now at 14.99 $

How do you manage user feedback?

Let's start collecting them as soon as you have a playable build.
Feedback are very important.
If the assets are not final, or the overall visual quality is not good enough, run an internal play test, with people who can make the difference between a core gameplay and a final game.

Once you can afford it, probably after the milestone set to deliver a first playable build, make it in a shape to be testable by external people.

Let them play and Watch them play.
Never intervene (inside or outside the game) to explain the mechanics.
If they don't understand them it means your game does not speak by itself (something you should fix).
If you do a play test you can, at the end of the game, let players answer a form.

Test what they have noticed or not. And everything relevant to you and your game.

Read also The first players of your new game should be the players of your previous game.

p.s. you can also share two different versions. In this way you can do the A/B testing (also known as split testing or bucket testing)
It is a method of comparing two versions of a game against each other to determine which one performs better. AB testing is essentially an experiment where two or more variants of a room are shown to users at random, and statistical analysis is used to determine which variation performs better for a given conversion goal.

If You're Not Embarrassed By The First Version Of Your Game, You’ve Launched Too Late

"If You're Not Embarrassed By The First Version Of Your Game, You’ve Launched Too Late".

There is a famous quote by Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn (even if he talked about Products).

Reid’s words reflect a growing movement within the entrepreneurial community. 

The core tenant of this philosophy is that it’s more important to launch a game and new features and iterate rather than take the extra time necessary to “perfect” a game or feature before launch.

Remember to Update your Game Page...

...and dedicate at least a post to your new game or idea.
Describe the next features or what're you doing.
Your game page is there to showcase you – your company, who you are, what you’re about and your game.
Update it regularly to keep your audience up to date.

You can't satisfy everyone

There will be someone that will be upset no one went fully with his idea, for not gettif enough credit, for imagining the outcome differently, and some just find it hard to complement others.

Just ignore nicely.

Take the criticism home cut it, burn it. Then through what's left of it in a loosy Allie, behind a failing hummus place.

3 Tips to improve your Game Dev Skills

Case studies
If you're already watching other's projects, you better watch case studies.
To see the full process instead of looking at the final product only.
Hear the brief, listen to the firsts ideas and the description of the process overall.
Usually the important stuff are not shown because they don't look good on screen.

Try to learn from everyone
How the garbage man collects the garbage. How the plumber carries his pipes. How a kid picks his nose. Take a professional and observe how he does he do something. professionally,  Check how experienced designers reach a similar outcome. Observing their way, slowly adopting their methods and improving those

Skip forward
The idea Won't always come. Sometimes it's better to move on, pass for the moment. Sometimes it's better to just hop, In the street, between events, books and over rules.

User Stories: Ste - 4 Ways to Obtain Custom Resources for your Game

How can you make a unique and professional game?
First of all you should ask yourself: what makes a game professional?
Why is my game different with respect to the others in sale?
Why I cannot give value to what I do?
Are these question ever asked to yourself?

One thing is for sure: originality is what create value.

It does not have to be necessary something new: you can take something which already exists and propose it in a new different way (your way).

You can merge and mix existing things and add to your knowledge: in that way can make new things.  

The other way is to give free reign to your imagination.

We know the videogames are a wonderful alchemy of different arts, such as graphics, drawing, music, scripting, storytelling.

Having these winning elements can make your game professional: in order to have all of these elements you need to customize resources in the way you imagine.

Professional doesn’t mean have a wonderful story to tell and do it with common graphic assets available by anyone; professional doesn’t mean neither have a breathtakingly design style but use standard musics that don’t reflect my game’s themes. 

 The perfect way would be take care yourself of all the elements that make a videogame.

Be a good illustrator, a good composer, and master with scripting. Otherwise let others help you.

So what are the possibilities that a game developer has to make a game with exclusive resources for your own game? 

Let’s see together. 

1. Reassemble existing resources.
   Not a bad way, especially to begin. If you don’t want make use of standard packages resource provided by engine or you don’t want to use the usual materials available from anyone on the web, a good idea is to found the best resources that interest us and learn to edit or reassemble these as we like. For example, we can take a sprite of a stone and merge it with a tuft of grass and a flower, change it the colors a bit and we have made a semi-new resource. What’s important is don’t use copyrighted material in your own project (from other games). Steal resources from the others does not make your game professional. This method also can be used for music: there are a lot of royalty free musics on the web, available for free use in any project. It’s important to be patience in seeking and listening a lot until you find the song that fits for your game.


2. Learn to do self-made resources.
   It’s true that we live in a “specialized” world. In reality the most important thing is the knowledge and the learning with no endings the most dissimilar things. Why became a “programmer” or a “composer” if I can be good enough in everything? Sure, it will take a little more bravery and endurance to grow more passions at the same time, but in the long term we’ll be rewarded. That is the way we make us different and unique with respect to the others. If we want to make something unique, we need to have some other skills more than the competitors. Or…


3. Find people who will work with us.
   It’s not always easy find people who follow us, who take care as much as we do in a project. If you find someone willing to give you an aid, remeber: you have found a treasure. People always wonder: “Why should I join this game?”. Afterall it’s not their project but yours. We need clear ideas, a bit of experience and things to show (to show them we’re serious). Sometimes we might find enough people to form a development team, or else (if we fail or if a team is too much challenging for us) we still have one last option.







An Art made by Elf Games about Our Hero made by Ste with the 





4. Get original resources from assets store.
   The different engines (eg Unity) often have stores dedicated to the sale of assets by competent person in a certain field. These could not be resources for your game, but we can still be tranquil since the price is a limit in accessibility and diffusion. However we might need of unique and exclusive resources (at the same price) customized for us: Making Core has born for that, to create an interchange of skills and make collaboration between developers, to obtain only custom resources for our projects: a customized sprite, an exclusive soundtrack, a personal script.

And you? Which method you use to make unique your own game?

- Ste