JackStack - Halloween puzzle game

[Dav]

Put this together tonight for fun, (and because my gig tonight was cancelled).  I was inspired by the talk of making a one key game in the discussion thread.  This is a one key game, but it's not in SCREEN 0 so I post it here instead of using it for a competition. 

You press the space bar to stack jack-o-lanterns on top of each other.  If you miss it, game over.  If you stack them on top perfectly it will remove some.  If the stack reaches the top game is over.  Speed increases as you go.

See how many points you can reach.  Seems easy at first, but can get hard fast.

- Dav

 

jackstack.zip

  (24k)

 

[bplus]

Quick game, for me anyway. Sure would like an automatic loop around and reset to try again until press esc to quit game.

[johnno56]

Cool game.... Addictive little beastie...  Nicely done...  I was half expecting a skeleton to come and kick the stack over... But no! The stack had to build up and kill me off... lol Throw in an Easter egg... extra points for stacking and squishing the witch...

[Dav]

Thanks. I’m planning to finish it up, will make the game restart, add sounds, add another small cloud and make the witch fly randomly, and I was thinking of having the stack wobble left and right some as it gets taller, maybe something else.

-Dav

[bplus]

Hey @Dav

Surely you've seen the witch on broomstick crashed into telephone pole or tree.

That would be so cool to do that with the jack stack when it reaches the top!

[bplus]

Found image:
 

[Dav]

Lol, I’ll see what I can do with that.

- Dav

[Dav]

I may add some other goals too. At first I was going to do a moving box on the ground, dropping the jack-o-lanterns in it, and call in the game Jacks in the box.

- Dav

[johnno56]

Game Maker 6 or 8 had a similar game. You are in a pit. Crates fall down and you have to jump up onto them to get out of the pit. Crates vary in construction. Stone, metal, wood, cardboard. Some crates with crush other crates. I think it was called Lazarus. Your game reminded me of it... Now I know why... I got killed off in that game as well... lol

[Dav]

I seem to recall a game like that, @johnno56.  Forgot the name tho.

Here's an updated version.  I added some sound effects and stack wobble, also added a game restart, hi score keeping.  Haven't messed with the witch yet or put in some other ideas. 

One thing you will notice, there's a very annoying sound that repeats faster and higher as the stack builds up, to create some intensity.  Using just a sound I had on hand, will change it up to something less annoying.  I have put in RotoZoom3 in the code to use it for something else, but right now it zooms the jack-o-lantern when game over.

- Dav

 

jackstack11.zip

  (108k)

[bplus]

So the game is over when stacks to top? Thanks for the automatic restart.

Sounds good!

[johnno56]

Dav,

I like the changes to the game. Cool.


This should help you remember. GM6.  I still have the tutorial and resources... even though it's a Windows program... *sigh*

Lazarus.

 

[Dav]

Yes, that does look familiar. I played around with GameMaker a little bit.

About my little game here — it’s just too boring as is. Perhaps I can do stages, like stacking is one, dropping a number of them in a moving box is another, maybe shooting the witch down with jack-o-lanterns, etc. A stacking game just isn’t that fun after playing it once or twice.

@bplus, yes when it reaches the top it is over.

- Dav

[johnno56]

With those kind of changes, can we assume that, you may need to drift away from the "one key" approach?

Question: Did you hear any one of us say that your game is boring? Sur, it's no space shooter or mario-type platformer, but it does have that "challenge" feel. For me, it's fun... The extra audio etc also gives it a lift in "atmosphere". I think it's pretty good... What have you got in mind for Xmas? lol

[Dav]

I will try to keep the one key restriction for the challenge.  Haven’t thought of Christmas yet - flying Santa dropping presents in chimneys maybe.  I wonder if there will be another Christmas programs challenge like last year?  I still run @Petr ‘s Christmas demo now and then - it’s a very enjoyable one.

- Dav