Spinny the runner: Mechanical menace

glitchapp

[upl-image-preview url=https://freegamedev.net/assets/files/2024-08-11/1723359297-463064-spinnymadewithboxclip1200.webp]

https://codeberg.org/glitchapp/boxclip-mobile

Hi, I've forked this project and been working and adding features to it lately such as:

Mobile controls (touch gamepad)
Multiplayer
Story mode
Thumbstick support
Split screen
New assets
New music tracks
New advanced effects
Portrait and landscape mode for mobiles and tablets
Desktop mode

Video:
https://video.gamerstavern.online/w/fbA5cn989x4oYtU7anD7Vo

Boxclip is a 2D platformer engine, with an emphasis on interactive map editing. Built using the LÖVE2D framework.

Maps can be created with the custom built-in map editor. Simply drop and place entities into the world to create a level.

Originally created by Ricky Thomson aka "Jigoku": Jigoku/boxclip

Is anyone interested on contributing to the project you can fork it, send push request, open issues, send your custom levels.

The project has been inactive for the last two years so some people may think the project is dead, but it's not.

I hope you like it.[upl-image-preview url=https://freegamedev.net/assets/files/2024-06-27/1719469746-841866-4.jpg]

glitchapp

glitchapp I've recently added instructions to play it online in the Wiki just in case someone is interested.

There are built-in network controls partially implemented but they are meant for local multiplayer as there is no screen streaming, however with sunshine you can actually play online, I only tested locally but it works pretty well.

For now there's only two players mode, but nothing in the game prevents to add more players.

glitchapp

4 players mode added.
Split screen is still a mess for the 4 players mode but it will be eventually fixed.
Controls can not be changed yet, so you have to stick to defaults:
player 1: Touch controls
player 2: Gamepad
player 3: Keyboard: WASD + space
player 4: Keyboard: Arrows + right Strg + right Alt
Enjoy!

glitchapp

glitchapp New boxclip site based on super Tux template built with jekyll, it will take me time to fix all links: https://glitchapp.codeberg.page/_boxclip/

glitchapp

Dynamic lights

Recent updates adds normal maps and dynamic light to some platforms and walls at the foreground layer.

The light intensity, source and colors will be directly affected by the environmental day-light cycle algorithm.

** Hints from the sky **

Birds have now the ability to congregate and draw patterns in the sky. This could be used in the future to add hints.

** Network options can now be toggled, checked and opened from the title menu:

glitchapp

v0.3.8 adds: New "cloth" entity.

Cloth entities are like "prop" entities: they are merely decorative, but they differ with props in that they are affected by specific shaders to simulate wind movement over light flexible materials.

The goal is to make the world more alive and animated.

glitchapp

glitchapp v0.4.1 adds: Enemies spawn liberated animals when they die.

Added liberated animal counter to the hud. Every enemy spawn 3 liberated animals and add them to the counter.

glitchapp

Hi, a lot of new features and content has been added to the game, I summarized some of them on a thread on loomio which can be found here: https://groups.f-hub.org/d/gkGAM8U3/spinny-the-runner-mechanical-menace-manual-and-guidelines-for-developers

To summarize here:
there are new entities: doors, bridges, loops, portals to bonus stages
new pickups: Keys, special powerups
New physics: camera angle affects gravity (check bonus stage to see this feature).
New radial menu with access to most graphic options where you can toggle and compare them in realtime during gameplay: Bloom, day night cycle effect, dynamic light, hdr mode and much more.

Music player: you can now listen to the whole soundtrack through the title menu.

Feel free to test the last version of the game and provide feedback, I'll be glad to know what you think about how is the game and the engine progressing.

glitchapp

The game has been translated to a few languages, feel free to test them and report any error.

glitchapp

The level editor is again functional and now it features hundreds of new assets including:

new platforms, props, pickups and enemies
If also features all the new entities added to the engine such as:
portals to bonus stages, cloth entities, bridges, doors, loops, new pickups and switches. (beware that some are still experimental and may crash, feel free to test them and report any bug to the codeberg repository)

Feel also free to send me your creations with it, the best ones may be added to the game.

glitchapp

The game features 9 themes, 5 different weather conditions (with rain as a new weather condition) and tens of "world theme sets" that customize the world with a combination of settings, backgrounds, platforms, props, music tracks, ambient sounds and shaders.

All of the parameters can be toggled on the level editor to create unique settings and visuals. When you toggle the background of a world, a default set of settings is set up that fits the background, but you can customize it afterwards.

glitchapp

On the animation above there is a combination of a frost theme, snow weather and winter world theme which adds specific background, music, ambient sounds and more to the world.

Themes sets the world's palette and affect the foreground and background colors, there are currently the following available themes: autumn, default, dust, frost, mist, neon, night, sunny and swamp.

There are hundreds of possible combinations to create unique themes and visuals. Feel free to experiment with them.

Update: I've recenly created a brief guide with screenshots to try to make the level editor even easier. There you can find most shortcuts and keys used on it. You can also trigger a help window by pressing the key "h" while editing a level:

The guide can be seen here: https://codeberg.org/glitchapp/Spinny-the-runner/wiki/The-level-editor

glitchapp

Major Update: New Features and Improvements

It's been a while since my last update, but I'm excited to share with you some significant progress that's been made on this project.

Real-Time Clouds Generation

Firstly, I've implemented a new real-time clouds generation algorithm based on Fractal Brownian motion. This has resulted in more realistic and dynamic cloud effects, as you can see from the before-and-after comparisons below:
Before:

After:

This algorithm has also been optimized for mobile devices, ensuring that the clouds render smoothly and quickly.

Mobile optimized clouds:

Underwater Effects

In addition to the improved clouds generation, I've also added caustics and chromatic aberration effects for underwater levels. These create a more immersive and realistic experience:

Graphical Options and Performance

To enhance the overall gaming experience, I've introduced several new graphical options. These include:

Quality presets for mobile devices (performance mode for faster rendering)
Fractal Brownian Clouds with two quality levels
A new Dithering Bilinear Upscaling method to soften sharp edges in performance mode

Chathud: AI-Powered Chat and NoobHub Integration

I'm also excited to announce the introduction of Chathud, a chat interface that connects to GPT-4ALL and Ollama. This allows for:

AI-powered NPCs and assistants
Natural language game control through commands (e.g., "enable touch controls" or "disable touch controls")
Multiplayer chat through NoobHub

Noobhub has been ported from Node.js to Lua/LOVE2D, enabling you to run the multiplayer server within the game. You can also use the original Node.js server for compatibility.

Functional Touch Keyboard Layout

Finally, Chathud now comes with a functional touch keyboard layout, making it easier to type and interact with your phone.

That's all for now! I hope you enjoy these new features and improvements.

glitchapp

Some lately features recently added:

3D Spatial Sound: Immerse yourself in a fully immersive audio environment with dynamic stereo panning and volume adjustments based on your character's position. The game calculates the distance between you and ambient background sounds, such as waterfalls, birds, and crickets.
New 3D Spatial Environmental Sounds:
You can now hear the world around you—bees buzzing, spikeballs spinning, bouncing platforms, ticking mines, creaking bridges, and crates in motion all have spatial audio for immersive gameplay (stereo headsets recommended).
Dynamic Zoom: Experience seamless zooming that adjusts automatically in some areas or can be manually controlled in others.
Jigoku Mode: Play the original game just like the developer intended, with the added convenience of touch controls and mobile-friendly screen layouts on your phone.
Sensitivity tweaks for the touch thumbstick (You can now walk or run depending on how far you move the thumbstick)
First A.I. powered NPC
Immersive Audio and Haptics: A new centralized vibration managing system to provide immersive feedback, such as:
Rumble priorities
Complex textures with frequencies, pulses, and noise based on game elements' position and proximity
Feel waterfalls, fauna, and other in-game sounds come alive!
Voice dubs