Lost Soul [Web][Android][Free][Demo]

UPDATED July 27, 2014

NEW TO THIS UPDATE!

• Improved lighting effects - watch it glooooow!
• Controls for left- and right-handed players! (There's no bias here.)
• A second hint feature! (Because finding your way in the light is hard enough.)
• Both hints are now of limited use to make the challenge even harder!

THE STORY

Lost in a mysterious labyrinth of mazes, and haunted by faceless demons, a lone soul in despair wanders the eerie corridors in search of salvation.

THE GAME

Mazes are about to get a whole lot darker.

I've been playing around with the Shadow Casting behavior, and it inspired an idea to take traditional mazes and make them more of a mystery! Using the Lighting capx (see the examples link on the Start Page of C2) to set up the initial lighting effects, much of the maze will be hidden. Sections will be specifically illuminated to offer hints or just to make you wonder if that's even in your path to the end. (Picture a street light lighting a darkened alley in New York City.)

Check out the (unfinished) demo here: Lost Soul

Platform: Browser and Android app

ABOUT THE FEATURES

I'm aiming for a low-light glowing effect to add a touch of atmosphere (and to combat any dull graphical look).

So far I've included:

• "Swinging ceiling lamp" effect for the main spotlight over the character icon
  
• "Backlit cutout" font effect
  
• Corridors with dimly lit sections
• "Glowing" tile floors from the light given by the character icon
• Two hint features that add to the lighting effects
  

Besides the obvious touch - the near-complete darkness overlapping the maze - other challenges I plan to include...

• Custom-made mazes from players like you!
• Beat the clock (as detailed by the timer)
• Speed Completion ranking! (So you found the way out...now do it again FASTER!) Rotated mazes & altered start/finish positions (same mazes but altered orientations - vertigo not included)
• Full-maze View assistance
• PRESENTS! (My fiance lovingly insists there be presents in my games. I'm happy to accommodate.) Now, what's inside the presents...?
• Randomized items in random locations (time bonus, hint usage bonus)
• A HUD map to assist in navigation showing areas of the map already explored.

Let me know what you think - the good, the bad, and the not-so-glowing.

As mentioned above, I'd like to open the option for all of you to create your own mazes to add to the game. Just break out some graph paper and fill in the squares!

If I use your maze - and I don't see why I wouldn't - your name goes into the credits, too!

If you have any questions, ask in the comments.

Hi!

why not give a generator a try?

eg

http://www.mazegenerator.net/

mercuryus - Well now, that IS quite the viable option! Quick, too!

The "problem" is that I want to encourage a feeling that people can actually directly contribute to the game and hopefully generate more interest. But this is definitely a worthy resource. I may use it after all. Thanks!

Do you think of something like this?:

Maybe post some screenshots of your work?

Whoa! That's impressive!

I'm actually going to have the shadows cast above the objects that are casting the shadows, so all the textures will be hidden. No one would see the stone details.

But yeah, that's the basic kind of maze idea I had in mind.

And how did you get the image to load? Every time I try to use the image tag, it never displays...

enter the url, select it and press the Img-button

(must be online of cause )

result:

[img]http://www.gameus.de/temp/10x10_maze1.jpg[/img][/code:4ciernhu]

Ya know, I swear that's exactly what I've done but the image never seems to load.

Do you have to enter the URL first and then select it, as you explained...or can you simply past the URL in the tags?

BUMP! A link to PLAY the game-in-development has been added.

mercuryus - Well, I've decided to switch out the use of the Shadow Caster behavior and opt for the "flashlight" layer trick. That means that the shadows won't be totally covering every conceivable wall. Are you still up for submitting a maze design of your own - textures and all?

Are you still up for submitting a maze design of your own...

- if you like (size, number?)

- textures and all?

mercuryus - Virtually any size and number that you care to create. And feel free to get creative with the design (ie: teleporters, sub-sections of the maze). And good idea about textures.

OK, I will create a complex maze for you with all your needs.

But I want to play your game as soon as possible

[...hours later...]

and here it is - yout brandnew maze:

(seperated in 5x5 squares per 10x10 cells, 1 startpoint and 9 pair of teleporter (hope you like it):

http://www.directupload.net/file/d/3685/59inr7ve_jpg.htm

Just reading your comment...WOW! I'm honored that you would go through all the work! ... *click* WHOA! Now I'm in awe. I like it a lot. I'll get to work on adding it to the capx and hopefully will have it ready for beta test this weekend.

AND THANK YOU!

Also, I've saved the image with your Scirra name... Would you like me to use your real name or is your nickname here okay. I ask because I'm going to make sure that everyone who contributes is readily credited. If you want to provide a link to your own games or a Facebook page, etc, feel free to share that, too, because I can add that right on the HUD layer of your maze in a corner of the screen. This way you get some recognition and traffic to your efforts.

Okay, so I'm reviewing your maze and I have some questions.

1. I'm not seeing a finish/goal. Is that intentional or did you simply forget to put on in?

2. The maze is obviously interconnected throughout - what was your mindset for leaving a largely open-ended area? It's different - all good!

3. I'm guessing that the "finish" is to make your way through each teleporter in order? Or just to make it through each teleporter at least once? IF SO, I definitely like that idea and I can make it happen.

Thanks again, mercuryus!