Code a game competition - May 4th to June 30th - £750 worth of prizes

[Qube]

Welcome to our 5th Code a Game Competition.

Competition Theme :

Mixed Genre.

Choose from one of the following three options and make a game that has a mix of those genres.

Option 1 : Retro / Strategy
Option 2 : Puzzle / Endless
Option 3 : Arcade / Open World

Genre Descriptions :

Retro : Old school games mostly associated with 8-bit ( and to some extent 16-bit ) computers / consoles. Retro games usually emulate a graphic resolution from computers / consoles of that era. Retro games may also be palette limited or colour matched to a certain computer / console.

Strategy : A game that focuses on skillful thinking and planning to achieve victory. It emphasizes strategic, tactical, and sometimes logistical challenges. Many games also offer economic challenges and exploration. They are generally categorized into four sub-types, depending on whether the game is turn-based or real-time, and whether the game focuses on strategy or tactics.

Puzzle : Games that emphasise puzzle solving. The types of puzzles can test many problem-solving skills including logic, pattern recognition, sequence solving, and word completion. The player may have unlimited time or infinite attempts to solve a puzzle, or there may be a time limit, or simpler puzzles may be made difficult by having to complete them in real time, as in Tetris.

Endless : A game in this category could have one never ending level ( like Flappy Bird ) or other forms of continuous play like Temple Run. Endless games are considered to have no true ending.

Arcade: Arcade refers not to games that originated as arcade machines, but to action games with very simple gameplay interaction similar to coin-op arcade games. These games usually require little puzzle solving or tactical thinking and rely solely on the “twitch” gameplay. Related sub-genres include Maze games and Paddle/Pong games.

Open World : Is a term for a video game in which a player can roam a virtual world and approach objectives freely, as opposed to a game with more linear gameplay. While games have used open-world designs since the 1980s, the implementation in Grand Theft Auto III (2001) set a standard that has been used since.

Limits :

No limitations beyond your game must clearly demonstrate the mixed genre.

Competition length :

From May 4th to June 30th 23:59:59 BST

Rules :

1.. No copyright media or modified pre-built game templates allowed.
2.. Game frameworks are allowed as are free / purchased media.
3.. Individuals and teams are allowed to enter.
4.. Provide a download with at least a Windows executable ( or link if a web browser game only ). Include other OS's too if you want.
5.. Choice of language is totally up to you. You do not have to provide the source code.
6.. One entry per person / team.
7.. Syntaxbomb has zero rights to any work posted here. You / your team hold total control.
8.. Prize to the winners payable via PayPal only.
9.. All entries must be in by 23:59:59 on the 30th of June 2018 ( GMT ). No extensions to the deadline will be granted.

Prizes :

£500 split over the top three winners ( £250, £150 and £100 ).
£250 bonus for the most complete and original game as voted for by our members.

Members who want to help with the prize fund can send donations via PayPal to my email address ( <myusername>@syntaxbomb.com ) but are under no obligation to do so.

Prize fund donations :

freeman69 - £250

How to submit your game :

Game submissions must be made in this thread. You may link to your external webpage or showcase post about your game. If you have no means of hosting your game then please PM Qube and arrangements will be made.

When submitting your game please adhere to the following format ( if relevant ) :

Game Title and the mixed genre of choice
Download link and OS requirements
Required dependancies
Brief info about your game
Media information ( If using free / purchased media then please state where you obtained said media. )


How are the winners picked :

Voting will take place from the 1st of July 2018 for one week and a dedicated thread will be made and relevant voting information provided.


Side note : If I enter any competition on SyntaxBomb I will not be part of the winners prize fund. If my entry does get votes then they will just be proxy votes and classed as an honourable / joint place mention. This way I have the option to play along while having zero effect on any entries or winners placements.

How the mixed genre themes were chosen :

For those that are interested in how the themes were chosen. Here is a video showing the date / time and source code. Source initially provided by Derron and mauled by me

[TomToad]

9.. All entries must be in by 23:59:59 on the 10th of April 2018 ( GMT ). No extensions to the deadline will be granted.

Dang! missed the deadline before the contest even started. 

[Qube]

9.. All entries must be in by 23:59:59 on the 10th of April 2018 ( GMT ). No extensions to the deadline will be granted.

Dang! missed the deadline before the contest even started. 

Oh well, I guess we'll have no winners this time around - I've extended the deadline until the 30th of June

[TomToad]

What exactly is meant by "Arcade?"  When I think arcade, I think synonymous with retro.  So a Zelda clone would probably fit option 3.  Or do you mean "remake an arcade classic in an open world setting?"  for example, Mario, but instead of going left to right from one castle to the next, Mario can move around in any direction, searching for several castles that can be completed in any order.
 

[Qube]

What exactly is meant by "Arcade?"

It's a category

After a quick Google search "Arcade: Arcade refers not to games that originated as arcade machines, but to action games with very simple gameplay interaction similar to coin-op arcade games. These games usually require little puzzle solving or tactical thinking and rely solely on the “twitch” gameplay. Related sub-genres include Maze games and Paddle/Pong games."

[GaborD]

I really really hope someone makes an openworld Pong. It needs to happen.

I like the categories, some good fun to be had with them.

[Derron]

Hmm:
retro/strategy: pixel chess
puzzle/endless: jigsaw with stormy weathers
arcade/open world: pheww whack-a-mole-around-the-world-with-build-your-own-hammer?

Think for now I am seeing "retro/strategy" as the only "viable" genre - with many ideas in my head. But as it is retro...hmpf.


@ endless
(pun intended:) this left me puzzled.
What does this "endless" (as genre) mean? In a shoot'em'up I would guess it means you will fly forever, enemies getting stronger and stronger until you do no longer achieve to survive?
Hmmm if so, I am building up a simple idea in the darkest corner of my brain.

@ puzzle
Is it "logic games" ? Does this include "match 3" (or Dr. Mario-style games?). I think this is some kind of "lights on" genre.



Phewww...things to think about.


bye
Ron

[Holzchopf]

@ endless[..]
What does this "endless" (as genre) mean?

I'd say like Tetris where you either lose or play on.

@ puzzle
Is it "logic games" ?

OR: I'd say like Tetris where you have to put different tokens together so they best fit.

Option 2 : Puzzle / Endless

Soooo.... Tetris?

Just kidding. I don't think Tetris would meet the requirement. Or would it


btw I'm still busy with the aftermath from last the last compo (I got a lot of feedback (including from you ) which I want to incorporate for the next / final release of Pipanic), so I don't know if I find the time to run this time.

[Derron]

Yes, after handing my post to Qube's attaché (read: the forum script) I thought of "tetris" too - so same for "dr. mario", and so on.
Hmm...Dr. Mario ... 3D monster design ...
PS: Remember to have played "Blockout" in the early 90s - 3D tetris.

If I take part in the competition I need to find something which includes learning new things. Need to tackle "cloth simulation" in Blender or "hard surface modeling" (scifi/technics props). Music is also on my todo but it is like teaching a baby how to drive a (non automatic!) car.


@ aftermath
I still have "Trick or Sweets" to complete, thinking about "Creature Corp" (still writing a Blender script to automate iso-tile rendering of split-apart characters/objects), coding along on my "TVTower" ...
At least all of them benefit from code I write for each of another.

bye
Ron

[Steve Elliott]

So after all the debate, we still haven't got a consensus on what the Game Competition Theme should be!  lol    Because there are still 3 possible options.   

A nice amount of prize money though, thanks to the contributors.

Good luck to all.

[iWasAdam]

for some strange reason I'm thinking of arcade mashup with food and starwars!

Salad Wars: May the food be with you?

[Qube]

So after all the debate, we still haven't got a consensus on what the Game Competition Theme should be!  lol    Because there are still 3 possible options.   

Most agreed on "mixed genre" and didn't want to be tied up with limits, so we have three mixed genre options to choose from. Pick one and get creative... Simples

If everyone is still confused as to what it's all about then I can easily just make up a comp off the top of my head today with dumbed down rules?

[Steve Elliott]

Just a tongue-in-cheek comment lol 

[Qube]

Just a tongue-in-cheek comment lol 

But not far from the truth

[Derron]

FoodFruit Wars: you could also do a retro strategy game:
- build fruit plantages to produce fruits
- build fruit mashing machines to produce juice jars / marmelade ...
- build Fructarian Converters to build Fructarian units to fight your opponents (other fruit farms)
- Fructarian units have different attacks depending on fruit and product type (orange juice splash/AOE, marmelade is sticky and acts as slowdown, ...)


bye
Ron