Heya! Although it’s not quite the end of the month yet, I wanted to make this round-up post before July actually ended, because of the time-sensitive bonus that is only relevant before July 31st~
Here is what I have been up to in only the few weeks it has been since diving full-force into creating games!!:
The screenshot above shows my most recent update. If you view the post itself, the screenshot is actually animated, and shows the scene in action!! There are a whole bunch of colorful little animated icons that serve to show what emotions the character is speaking in a cute and interactive way~
From Sketch to Screenshot – This post details how rough and messy my work-in-progress sketches are, where I rough out how I want the UI to look and even scribble incredibly silly placeholder characters LOL. It’s available to view side-by-side with the finished version of the same screen, just to see the difference!
Playing with Particles: Glowy Lights & Fireflies– Fireflies always look so magical in games! This post, which also has an animated demonstration, shows off how I create pretty, soft, and glowing lights for background detail.
Dialog Boxes & Typewriter Text – Another animated demonstration, this time showing the dynamic message boxes and text that appears within them. It’s a minor effect, but one that is massively engaging for the player! There is also a sneak peek at some actual code in this post.
Animating Game Characters– This post, which includes an animated demonstration AND a look at the code behind it, shows how I get my art work to move around and look alive in a game.
Drawing a Game Character – Finally, this post, which is visible for everyone so that they may get a glimpse at what kind of content is available in the rest of the feed, provides an example of how my art work grows from placeholder characters to full-color designs for the final form of the project. 🌟
There are actually a couple of other progress update posts that I didn’t even list just now – you’ll have to check the activity feed over on Patreon to see the rest!
If you’re interested in watching these projects come to life, as well as playing demonstrations as soon as playable builds are available, you’ll need to become a Patron! Please consider doing so – it is a small investment that is non-figuratively life-changing for me, allowing me to pursue this and create cute and positive games as I have always dreamed of doing.
AND!!! If I reach my first goal of $150 before July ends, I’ll be able to put those earnings toward upgrading my Game Maker license to allow finished games to be available for Mac and Ubuntu users as well as PC, in addition to being able to make browser-based games that do not require downloading at all and would be available to play freely~!
💟 Thank you so much for taking the time to read my summary of what I’ve been up to over this month, and if you’d like to help in any form, consider the links below to either become a patron or just to donate once through Paypal any small amount~
After covering Northern and Central Okinawa earlier in the week, here is a post to wrap-up the lower little part of it~
Okinawa is a good place to make your Japan-traveling dreams come true, because there are historical and traditional sections of it in addition to fun, modern shopping locations as well as plenty of BEACH!! It’s also just an all-around beautiful place, as the photos here show.
Beginning from Shuri Castle mentioned above, this walkway paved with Ryukyu limestone
will lead you through beautiful scenery to enjoy if you decide to take a stroll along it. c:
This shopping district is right near the Naha airport, so you can enjoy it right when you arrive
or up until you’re about to leave~ It boasts modern shopping and name brands
in addition to traditional crafts.
There is an Okinawa World Theme Park, and the entrance to these caves is located inside.
Ryukyu limestone is found in abundance here, in these mysterious caves that have
existed for more than 300,000 years.
Okinawa is a series of islands to the south-west of Japan’s “main island.” In addition to its historical significance, it is also famous for its tropical climate, with tons of beaches and even coral reefs to visit!
If you have dreams of traveling to Japan, Okinawa is a good introductory destination, since not only would you enjoy yourself on the beaches and shopping, but you can also pay tribute to and appreciate its significance in history.
This first post covers a few things to do each in the northern and central regions of Okinawa!
This is inside the Ocean Expo Park mentioned a bit below. c:
I love visiting aquariums, the water and beautiful creatures swimming around it
just feels so peaceful and relaxing!
This botanical park is pretty big, and allows visitors to experience
the ecosystem of Okinawa throughout each season.
You can enjoy walking on footpaths or ride a boat or water buffalo-drawn cart!
There is some serious personality behind these cute bags I was browsing today –
in this roundup, we’ve got rainbows, glamorous pink backpacks, and
PURSES shaped like CACTI.
This is a super glamorous and pretty pink backpack!!
I’m in love with the gold diamond studs all over it.
The awesome diamond pattern that they make at the top is FAVE!!
It is time, my dudes, for another list of SPOOKY ADVENTURE GAMES!!
(*ghost noise* WoooOOOoooOOo~)
The Mystery Trackers series follows a club of detectives – the titular Mystery Trackers –
as they investigate mysterious and spooky happenings and solve amazing cases!
As with pretty much all of these games, the backgrounds are
beautiful and painted, and filled with gorgeous animated details
that contribute to the eerie atmosphere and fully immerse you in the world.
The series isn’t conveniently numbered, so if you find yourself looking at all
of those titles and wondering where to start, this list shall point you on your way!
Follow the links to any of these to begin playing them for free!
The Void family mansion used to be a gorgeous home, until Dr. Malleus Void inherited it. Legend has it that the creepy doctor spent his time doing terrible experiments in the home, and it has been abandoned for an entire decade. After 3 world famous celebrities go missing inside the house, it’s up to the Mystery Trackers to go inside the house, and solve its mysteries once and for all in Mystery Trackers: The Void!
After a group of young students go missing, the Mystery Trackers are called in to search the city of Raincliff! Tackle this difficult case and unravel the strange mystery to save the students! Explore the entire town and discover who is watching your every move in Mystery Trackers: Raincliff! Use your Hidden Object talents to carefully dissect scenes and piece together perplexing puzzles!
Investigate a supposedly abandoned island in Mystery Trackers: Black Isle! After a journalist is kidnapped after beginning an investigation, it’s up to you to learn the truth behind Black Isle. Years ago an earthquake struck leaving the island deserted. None of the buildings seem to be damaged, however, and a hooded figure seems to be stopping people from discovering the truth. Find the missing journalist and learn a sinister secret in Mystery Trackers: Black Isle!
Stop a devious conspiracy in Mystery Trackers: Four Aces! The entire town of Brightfield was evacuated after a series of bizarre animal attacks. Now, strange creatures roam the streets, danger lurks around every corner and you’ve just landed smack in the middle of it all. As you begin to investigate, you discover that the attacks may have been part of a whole series of crimes committed in town, all tracing back to an organization called the Four Aces. But just who are the Aces and what is their plan? With the help of your trusty canine companion, Elf, you must keep digging to get to the bottom of things. Good luck out there, Detective. You’re going to need it!
There are screams heard in Silent Hollow… Trouble at the Mystery Trackers headquarters means you’re called in to help. With a few extra abilities, not to mention your trusty sidekick, Elf, you just might save the day!
Uncover the treachery of a centuries-old turncoat in this incredible follow-up to the bestselling Mystery Trackers series.
Now you see us… now you don’t. It should have been a lighthearted human interest story, but what Emilie White reported on in this abandoned town scared her witless – and now she’s vanished. Nobody can say what happened to her, and only a few like you know the stories of invisible people living there are true… Return to Raincliff, where what you see isn’t always what you get.
It’s been two hundred years since the plague swept through here… Authorities quarantined the area around Blackrow Mansion, and it hasn’t been opened since. But now, an up-and-coming starlet is receiving strange threats that have drawn her straight to the quarantine zone. What is hiding behind the rusted gates of the Forbidden District? Play innovative new mini-games and explore gorgeous hidden-object puzzles as you track down the truth behind Blackrow’s secret!
A young boy named Oliver’s been kidnapped, and the scared citizens of Willowsville are blaming the Owl Man from their rival town, Nightsville. Long thought to be a made-up story to scare the kids, the Owl Man seems to be real… and he’s coming for you…
There are loads of exciting new elements in this game, from interactive deduction dialogues to a special Foresight Mode. Your old pal, Elf, is back on the scene, too!
Buried in the ice… answer a distress call at an arctic research lab where scientists have made a chilling discovery! The latest in the bestselling Mystery Trackers series from Elephant Games will challenge your notion of what it means to be human. With Elf as your polar-clad sidekick, you’ll unravel the mystery of the Cold Stalkers. Play gorgeous scenes lit by the Northern Lights. A fun “area scan” feature, loads of silhouette, matching, and listed hidden-object puzzles, morphing objects, Rube Goldberg-style super puzzles, and collectibles make this a not-to-be-missed adventure!
In the tenth game in the series, Elephant Games gives you an exciting story about a masked villain who takes on the whole Mystery Trackers organization. A mystery man calling himself the Paxton Creek Avenger has terrorized a theater full of people. He’s kidnapped your commander’s daughter, and you’ve got to stop him! Luckily, you’ve got faithful Elf by your side, as well as an unknown ally. With their help and the use of a special thermal scanning device, track down the Avenger and find out what he has against the Mystery Trackers. Solve a variety of mini-games, including Match-3 and Rube Goldberg-style super puzzles. Search for clues in listed, silhouette, and interactive hidden-object puzzles.
Elephant Games presents the newest addition to the Mystery Trackers series! Your hard work has definitely earned you a vacation. What starts as a normal train ride quickly takes a dark turn as mysterious hooded creatures start terrorizing passengers! Can you uncover what they’re after and stop them before it’s too late? Find out in this rousing hidden-object puzzle adventure!
The townspeople of Brightfield are becoming infected by a mysterious illness and turning into monsters! This is no simple investigation as you struggle to save both the townspeople and yourself. Can you stop whoever is behind the infection in time? Find out in this spine-tingling hidden-object puzzle adventure!
After losing your memory during a case, you must delve into your mind to save a missing girl! But you quickly find that this is no ordinary disappearance. With rumored ghosts and monsters lurking near the Shadowfield Observatory, can you recover your memory and save the missing girl in time? Find out in this spine-tingling hidden-object puzzle adventure game!
