[WIP] Shining Stars by LaBee games

Hi everyone!

Update on the 27 JAN 2014. Current game version is 0.91:

The game is called Shining stars, and its idea is to shine all the stars in a level. The game is to have 90-120 levels - a few sliding screens with them. Here are some screenshots:

1. Main Menu Screen: contains the main buttons - Play, Settings (with Sound, Music, Language, Reset, About buttons), social networks and Exit.



2. About Screen: contains a game instruction how to play.



3. Levels Screen contains info about levels (completed with the number of steps and uncompleted with a lock sign). It also contains left and right buttons to move from one screen to another (a few screens with a few levels each):



4. Gameplay Screen contains the level to solve, the number of steps and buttons to start the level from a scratch, and turn on or off sounds and music.



You may test the game in both Unity Web player and Android, both builds are here, v 0.91. There are 12 levels and you may choose any of them. It's not necessary to solve one to choose the next one.

Don't forget and don't hesitate to leave your comment about the game. Please help me to make this game really beautiful and interesting! Now I would like to test it with different screen sizes on Android.

Thanks for your attention! Look forward to the updates.

 

Current version of the game is 0.55.
Today I could implement levels serialization - finally it works! The most problem is that I didn't get used to rather specific way to create games with Unity. I mean organizing scripts, objects etc.

Still can't make a video to show that

 

Current version is 0.6! Implemented functional is highlighted:

1. Background music starts from the beginning in every screen, but I want it to start when the game is started and play every time without breaks.
2. Levels are not finished yet, I want to create different nice but solvable figures with stars.
3. Maybe I will redraw some textures.
4. I want to add a splash screen using LaBee games logo.
5. I haven't implemented a functional of saving and loading player's progress through the levels, but I'm on my way to do that - I just need to do some code fixes.
6. Settings.
7. Bug fixing

I've implemented Audio Manager like a singleton and moved all the sounds and back music to it. Now the back music is played without any breaks through the whole game between different screens.

 

Splash screen is implemented! I decided not to change the game version so as not to waste it before 1.0, because I still have lots of things to do
Finally I could make a video, please feel free to watch and leave a comment.

I made the splash screen using my logo texture (temp version, I will change the texture later) and some kind of curtain to make a shading effect. Looks nice, I think. Of course, I will change something later, for example, I thing to decrease the time to show the splash screen - now it's 5 seconds, and I will set it to 4 seconds. But it isn't as important as a fact, that I have a ready splash screen. Everything else will be set up later, when the game is almost ready.

Thanks for your attention!

 

Hey, guys, why nobody writes here? Don't you like the game? If so, what exactly? Maybe somebody can advice me something cool, which will help me to make the game better!

 

The version is 0.61. Today I made just some code refactoring - got rid of some useless calculations, for example, GUI positions.

 

Perhaps you need to make a web player? Then people will be more likely to give you feedback.

I think it is looking okay, by the way.

 

Cartographer, I wanted to make a web player, but I don't have my web site. Where is it better to share my game then? I have Sky Drive - is it possible to put in there?

 

Perhaps show a video with a little more gameplay? It seems like it could be an interesting concept, but not sure what the rules for the game are even so its hard to comment. I understand you have to make all the stars shine... but how is this achieved. I like puzzle games though so I would like to see more

 

Thanks, will make a more wide video later. I didn't want to show too many levels, because I wanted to keep them until the game is released I mean I want the game to be interesting right after release, but if I show the levels right now, it may be not interesting then. But I will show some more levels, ok

The idea of the game is to select the stars. The selected star toggles it's shine (turns on or off) and the adjacent stars - left, right, top and bottom. I want to update the About scene to show this instruction.

Thanks in advice, guys. I have taken them into account and will do that as soon as I have time.

 

Guys, here is some more gameplay. Here you may understand the game's idea and rules. I showed three levels, hope it will not break the interest to this game

 

Ti mojesh postaviti igru na dropbox - "You can to put game on DropBox", good job

 

Spasibo! Thanks, didn't know that. I'm not registered at DropBox, will do that soon. And will try to learn, how to install the game there.

 

That last video was very helpful. I think its a really cool little game Keep it up!

 

Thanks!

I also updated the instruction in the About screen. What do you think? Is it clear now? If not, advice me something to change so as help a player to understand the rules just after reading the text and watching the picture. So, click the center star and it will toggle it and four adjacent ones.

 

Yah the description is fine, couple English grammatical errors though. Not sure if it's a big deal to you, but just incase, here is the way I would probably describe it (just to give it a cleaner flow in English)

"Shining Stars
- Tapping on a star will toggle itself as well as all adjacent stars.
- Your goal is to illuminate all stars with the least possible steps."

And the image you have does a good job at explaining, so keep that in.

Hope that helps a little

 

Thanks again! I also forgot to change the text, will do that later. The matter is that this description is from my Windows Phone game, where we tap But my game on Unity uses mouse clicks, so the text will be (with some of your corrections):

Shining stars
Clicking a star will toggle itself and all adjacent stars as well.
Your goal is to illuminate all stars with the least possible steps.

 

I've made another video! The version of the game is 0.7 now. I've implemented (and also added a few points):
1. Settings screen, it contains buttons for sound and music (turn on and off), button to reset levels progress (that is start from a scratch).
2. Added texts to all the buttons and correct their positions (except for the About screen, it will be updated later).

As a result:
1. Background music starts from the beginning in every screen, but I want it to start when the game is started and play every time without breaks.
2. Levels are not finished yet, I want to create different nice but solvable figures with stars.
3. Maybe I will redraw some textures.
4. I want to add a splash screen using LaBee games logo.
5. I haven't implemented a functional of saving and loading player's progress through the levels, but I'm on my way to do that - I just need to do some code fixes.
6. Settings.
7. Update icons and different player settings (will play with them at the end of the work with this game).
8. Implement Reset levels functional.
9. Bug fixing

[video=youtube_share;x65vXxQ90Ho]http://youtu.be/x65vXxQ90Ho

Hope you like it

Still haven't uploaded the game into DropBox. I registered there yesterday, but didn't read how to add a game there. So you will be able to play a bit later...

 

Guys, finally I could make some more changes
1. Splash screen and About screen were updated (mostly textures).
2. Reset levels functional was implemented - now it's possible to reset your progress if you want to complete all the levels again.

Here is the video. Soon I will try to share the web game.

 

I can't install my game to DropBox. I have tried a few forum topics, including this one, but they didn't help. I try to open my .html file and see the message:

---------------------------
Invalid data file
---------------------------
Data file is corrupt (not a Unity Web Player file)
---------------------------
ОК
---------------------------

What's the problem? How to install the game correctly?

 

Is there anybody, who registered in DropBox recently and could install a Unity game there? There is a problem with public folders and I'm also not sure about the link to the game in the .html file. Should I use https or http? Can I use spaces in the game's name? Etc.

 

I have asked here so as not to off top in my WIP...

 

While I can't make my web-deploy work correctly, I continue to make changes. Version 0.78 is ready:
1. I updated some textures again.
2. I added shining background stars - they change their position, size, color.
3. I also added growing effect to a level when we choose it (in the Levels screen).

In the video it doesn't look so good like in the game, but I still have to make many changes to make the game look better.

 

Hey guys, here are some updates! Changes:
1. some minor changes (of course they always exist)
2. game icons were added.
3. menu buttons are dynamic now, and it looks great!
3. About screen is also dynamic, looks great, too!

So, my main list to do is almost done:
1. Background music starts from the beginning in every screen, but I want it to start when the game is started and play every time without breaks.
2. Levels are not finished yet, I want to create different nice but solvable figures with stars.
3. Maybe I will redraw some textures.
4. I want to add a splash screen using LaBee games logo.
5. I haven't implemented a functional of saving and loading player's progress through the levels, but I'm on my way to do that - I just need to do some code fixes.
6. Settings.
7. Update icons and different player settings (will play with them at the end of the work with this game).
8. Implement Reset levels functional.
9. Bug fixing

And I also want to add some points:
10. Buttons on the Levels screen and Gameplay screen will also be dynamic.
11. Level icons will be dynamic, maybe.
12. Icon will be changed, maybe.
13. I want to add a blowing of the stars when a level is completed.
14. I want to add a falling background star - like a real star which falls sometimes, rarely.

Hope you like it. Still don't have enough time to get you a ready game, so just show videos...

 

No comments? Do you like the animation?

 

Shining stars v0.81 is released!

Changes:
1. Game icons were updated.
2. All the buttons in the screens are animated well. Then I will animate level icons, it's a bit difficult to implement.
3. Sounds' volume was a bit decreased, it was too loud.
4. Some changes like code refactoring, bug fixing.

As for level icons, I tried a few versions, here they are. And I decided that the "spiral" version is the most interesting.

 

By the way, I know that in such games (rather plaint game play) it's important to accent on graphics and effects. That's exactly what I do now - make different animations, effects, beautiful things. There it nothing to add to the functional, so I try to add some beauty

 

Added a beautiful effect - background falling stars! Just watch the back on the screen.

I'm a bit surprised that nobody comments my WIP. Lots of WIPs are the same - just screenshots and videos without a possibility to play...

But anyway, I try to find some time to add effects and make the game better. Now it's just "alive" and I really like the result. It's a lot better than it was at first!

 

Well, I implemented a new effect - level icons motion while entering and leaving the screen with the levels. But I decided not to use this effect, it's ... too much. If we look at Angry Birds or some similar games - they have their levels right away, without any effects, and players have got used to it. So I don't want to make too many useless effects in my game.

 

Hey,
I dont get many comments on my game either, so ill help you out.
Fantastic art style, game looks good. For feedback all I can really say is the shooting stars are awesome but seem slightly strange, it may be the video but the way they move is strange. Other than that great job and keep it up!

edit: also for your pause menu, all buttons are lit golden, perhaps have them white until mouse enter, just a cool effect.

 

Thanks for your comment! Really glad to know somebody likes the game and the art, I'm not a prof designer, so it's really hard to draw something great, but I try

As for the stars - what do you mean? Why strange? Yes, video modifies the game a bit (a bit slowly).

As for the buttons, I decided not to make too many effects, let's keep them gold always, because players may get annoyed buy this modifications.

Frankly, the game is almost completed, I don't want to make many more changes. Maybe I will add some modifications to the interface, I don't know now. And the last thing to do is to make all the levels. It's hard to make them solvable, so now I think about creating a level editor. Maybe it will take much time.

 

One of the Regs in the Forums Posted this Video, I forget who and to lazy too troll the forum looking but thanks man!

Juice it or lose it - a talk by Martin Jonasson Petri Purho

My thoughts is you want to increase the difficulty for adults or kids in stages and it seriously needs that juice ( player's must feel they are being Rewarded for playing, feedback is very importent) you want to build up the excitement and something special when they past milestone or stages (Scoring).

Okay, Good Luck.

 

Didn't quite understand your post, sorry. Will watch the video soon, thanks!

As for rewards - what do you mean? I don't know which reward I can add here... And if we look at the Angry Birds, they don't have rewards, either.
Scoring - didn't want to add them, either, because this kind of game doesn't need it. It's possible to add a timer, for example, and give 1/2/3 stars depending on the time required to solve a level. But I'm absolutely sure this timer will make players annoyed. I just want the players to enjoy this game, solve the levels as slowly as they want, and keep calm, because all the atmosphere in the game is to make players calm and relaxed

 

However one implements rewarding the player while playing and accomplishing the goal the player must be given some indication it was worth-while. And this may make you feel mad, But This is not Angry Birds, If you are thinking of modeling a game mechanic such as not using the usual boring generic scoring that is indeed at you're discretion and i agree with you.

As for helping relax the player juring the game-play, Imposing no time limit would work just fine, But is the objective to put the player to sleep or exercise the mind while remaining alert?. Which is also at the discretion of the developer. Personaly not much happened visualy or auditory to keep me that interested, Chess exercises the mind and when i play against the computer i don't much like noise and clutter in the way of thinking of my next moves. So i guess it all depends on the level of engagement and age of the player?

 

Well, the game has hit a creative wall, like said in the near topic
I really think I have done everything I could at the moment. I want to make some changes in future, but not now. Now I don't know what else to add to the game, what else to make better. I will try to complete the levels, add some UI changes (redraw buttons, e.g.), maybe update the font etc.

But now I want to relax a bit. And think about another game.

 

Well, the game is alive! I spent some time on my second game, but then decided to finish the first one.
Now I'm updating some stuff, drawing textures for the buttons etc. And now the game looks a lot better than it was before! I'm tired to death today, so will try to show you the result soon, maybe tomorrow. Stay tuned!

 

Interesting little game. First, can you please show a higher level? So I see how challenging and fun can it be ?
At this moment clicking once and finishing the level doesn't look much of a challenge.
Second, focus on finishing the project you have started. You were one of the few new developers that actually chosen a decent size project to start with.
You actually have a good chance to finish it, so focus on it.

Completing a game brings you some recognition, bolsters your confidence and gives you also marketing experience.

 

Hi primus88 and thanks for your post!

Of course it's very easy, but this level exists only to, say, warm up a player I want to increase difficulty gradually.

Will try to do that, but I will show only one difficult level. My idea is not to show all of them, so as keep an interest to the game. I mean I don't want to show the levels before the release. They are not a secret, of course, but some kind of surprise!

I have created my own level generator, so the first version of the game included 20 levels. But then I implemented a set of screens with Left and Right buttons, and now I plan to include 100 levels.

Thanks, that's exactly what I want to do now. First, I wanted to make a game just for Windows. But now I want to try to make an iOS version, why not... And now I try to finish it, to make it really perfect - I have added some more features (like a set of screens, many levels), make beautiful graphics and music stuff (buttons, level icons, animations, sounds). I want players to like this game like I do.

As for the size of the game - as I told above, I wanted to make only Windows version, so I have chosen this size ( 1024 * 768 ) like a universal size. But now I make the game universal and flexible - it will work with different iPad and iPhone resolutions. I don't have experience at all with iOS development and its resolutions, but practice make perfect, I don't hurry and try to make it very neatly. So I hope the released game will be excellent

 

primus88, have a look at this level.



I haven't chosen all the 100 levels, yet (don't have time for that), so this level is number 4 in difficulty now. It looks pretty easy, but it's pretty difficult. First, I could solve it with 20 steps or so, and it's also possible to solve it with 8, 6 and even 4 steps

 

Well, here are some updates. I can't make a video, because my trial has expired and I have to register my software to make it. So I will show some screenshots.

Here is main menu. It's very schematic now, I will change position of all the buttons here, but textures are final (like every button in the game).


Here is settings screen. In the final version I will get rid of it, but now it exists. The first two buttons are for sounds and music respectively, the third one is to reset the game progress (just remove all the saves). Sounds and music also have other (turned off) versions, I will show them later.


Here is a new Yes/No dialog to confirm reseting the game progress. I think it's very useful, because otherwise players can to that by chance and they will have to complete all the 99 levels again only to complete the 100 one Again, I will change button's positions and text later (like all the sprites with text in the game).


Here is levels screen, the second page with levels (to show both Left and Right buttons, because they are hidden when we open the first or the last page). Level numbers and steps are sprites with animated font now (instead of the standard GUI, like all the buttons in the game). I also plan to redraw the levels' textures.


And finally the game play screen. Here you can see turned off sound and music (with a particular textures). The word "Steps" is also a sprite.


I have described some major changes (visible ones). But I have also made some other changes:
1. bug fixing (of course!).
2. internal code refactoring, which helped me to organize everything a lot better! E.g. storing game progress, levels information, etc.
3. some other changes (frankly, I don't remember all of them).

Next, I want to make some changes (visible and not), add more levels, implement social networks buttons and so on.

Now I really love how the game looks like, REALLY love! Hope the players will love it, too.

What's your opinion, guys? Do you like the changes?

 

Again, I'm alone in my WIP Guys, don't you have anything to say, to suggest? Do you like the new textures for buttons?
Soon I will add buttons for Facebook and Twitter. I also want to redraw all the text sprites (Yes/No dialog, steps, numbers of levels, about window) and they will look better (now it's just a temp version, only to implement the functional).

 

I have added social networks buttons in the game They have only stub links for a while, I will change them later. Maybe I will also change their positions, but definitely they will be on the left side of the game, I think it's more convenient for users.

 

I like your game idea, It is looking very good.

 

lancer, thanks for the comment! It's really pleasant to know people like my game

Please see some updates in the first post of this topic. I have shown some new screenshots, a new video and ATTENTION - web player build to play!

 

It's a nice concept and cool game (Reminds me of the board game Othello), But I feel it just looks a bit bland. I hope you watched the video that runner posted, because there's SO much you could take away from that and implement into your game. For example more colours, sounds, partics, flashly lights anything to make it more exciting, without actually even touching the gameplay. Just visuals and sounds and this could be an awesome little game that I could see being a success on IOS or Android.

 

pickle chips thanks! Some comments:

Sure! I have watched that video many times! It's very helpful. And as I told in this topic, I'm going to add more and more juice to the game.

Frankly, I don't want more colors. I do that specially, I like this combination of dark blue and yellow (like a deep night full of stars). That's why I keep these colors and don't add any more. As for sounds - I also think it's enough (button click, nice back music and completing sound), but I want to try some other sounds instead of the current button click. I also wanted to add particles, but I don't want to do TOO MUCH, I mean don't want to add useful things which may make players annoyed.

I hope so. The first platform I want to try is iOS. Then Android maybe, if the game is a success.

 

Here is a new update of the game, v0.86. I have updated the first post - updated screens and video with game play, also post a new link to the web player.

Here is the video for your convenience:

And here is the web player.

Change log:
v0.86
1. Settings button was added on the main menu screen. It contains Sound, Music, Reset and About buttons.
2. Open button was added on the main menu screen. It contains the social networks buttons.
3. Yes/No dialog was used while exiting the game to confirm the action.
4. Pause button was added on the game play screen. It contains Sound, Music and Reset buttons.
5. Some bugs were fixed.

 

The game looks very nice, but I wasn't able to play it.
First of all I don't know why you posted it as webplayer since I still have to download it, instead of providing the embeded player.
Second, after I downloaded the player, the game got stuck at the the splash screen.

Anyway, once again, from the video the game looks very solid and nicely made. Not bad at all for a first game.

 

I tried to do that, but it doesn't work. I don't have my own site, I tried to make an embeded web player using dropbox, but had some troubles with that.

Sorry!! It's a known issue, but it didn't represent regularly, so I haven't fixed it yet. Will do my best in the evening, fix the issue and update the game. For a while, try to play with folders. Extract the archive in another folder (with a name different from the archive name).

Again, sorry for this problem.

 

I have fixed the splash screen error! Please try to play, the link is the same without changes. It seems that was my error - I didn't initialize one sprite when I was replacing planes with my own sprites. But that's strange - I'm sure I have tested that...

Anyway, the bug is fixed. Sorry for the inconvenience! :roll: