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Hi all, please check out my beta version of my new game and plz report any issues. You can find the game here: http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/minild-29/?action=preview&uid=6681

Time Lapse: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs8fD9-27mw

Got the back to school blues? The end of summer blahs? The “LD21 was so much fun, when’s the next?” daydreams?  Just looking for some gamedev fun in September? Your wish has been granted! Prepare to jam your face off the weekend of September 17th:

- increpare’s miniLD (Ludum Dare)
- Orca Jam (in Victoria Canada)
- GPCv8 (Game Prototype Challenge)
- Mysticism Pageant (Super Friendship Club)
- Story Game (Experimental Gameplay Project)
- Glorious Trainwrecks (Klik of the Month Klub: only 2 hours long!)
- Pyweek #13 (Python Game Programming Challenge)

Some of these jams are ongoing all that week or even over the entire month.  If you are super mega hardcore, maybe you can make one game that fits all the themes and submit it to multiple game jams! Anyone up for the challenge?

UPDATE: Mini LD 28 is officially over! Congratulations to all the participants!

Get ready, LDers! July’s MiniLD  is approaching!

I hope you guys aren’t tired from McFunkypants‘ awesome MiniLD #27. It was a really astonishing edition: there was thirty great entries! That was impressive. Congratulations to all of you, and special thanks for McFunkypants, who did a splending job organizing it! *thumbs up*

Well, the Ludum Dare #21 is coming next month, so I’ll give you guys a relaxing time to tune your programming skills and exercise your game design. The Mini LD #28 will officially start on Friday, July 30th at midnight GMT (that’s July 29th 7:00 PM EST). But to make sure everyone can join the fun and got enough time to work on your submissions, I’ll reveal the theme on July 23rd, also at midnight GMT. You can start once the theme is revealed if you want to, no pressure. Just have fun!

If you’re a newcomer and isn’t sure how to get started, try visiting the Tools page to get ready, and read the Sol’s LD Survival Guide. Also,  come chat with us on the #ludumdare IRC. Feel free to ask there for help if you’re confused.

As always, everyone is welcome to join! All platforms, programming languages and engines are accepted. You’re highly encouraged to share your source code, but this isn’t a requirement. I won’t be picky about assets either, as long as you have the rights to use it.

See you there!

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The secret phrase is...

MiniLD #27 is officially a go!

The SECRET PHRASE is:
“I think we can work something out…”

All games that include this phrase will be awarded a golden Ludum Dare achievement trophy that will appear on their profile page. Good luck and have fun!

Happy summer vacation, everyone!  Are you ready for June’s Ludum Dare miniLD game jam? This month’s mini will be held on the weekend of the 25th. I think you will love the theme. It is sure to get people talking… due to popular request I’m releasing the theme early so people on vacation can dive right in and get started early.

The theme is: ALL TALK - conversation trees and dialogue choices.

On Friday June 24 at 4pm PST (midnight GMT) a secret phrase will be announced. Your entry must contain this phrase in the dialogue!

This month’s MiniLD #27 is designed to be fun, low-stress, and relaxed. Perfect for vacationers. The rules this time are going to be very chill: you can use any game engine you like, premade art, and people are welcome to form teams. Instead of crunch-time cramming, you are allowed to start now and work up to midnight on Sunday June 26th. There will be no disqualifications whatsoever. The only rule is that there are no rules. Take your time – use whatever tools you like – just have fun!

Crimson Gem Saga

Ren'Py

June’s “all talk” theme is perfect for plot-heavy, deep philosophical discussions between the player and a cast of NPCs.

Ideal for z-machine text adventures using Inform7, ultra modern HTML5 literary gaming powered by engines such as Undum or the Choice of Games engine. There’s also RPGmaker and Doglion’s RPG engine.

I recommend the ever fantastic Ren’Py visual novel engine.  A complete sample Ren’Py game source code is available here to help you learn.

If you are using Flashpunk, I recommend using Draknek’s upgrade which has an amazing text engine.

Another fantastic engine you might enjoy working with is Jake Elliot’s Visual Novel engine from this game that uses Flixel.

I’ll be creating my own HTML engine for this, using pre-rendered 3d avatars. Since we don’t have to care about tech or rendering performance, HTML5 is the perfect choice since it is great for low-power mobile devices. Heck, you could write your game using youtube, regular html4 or even hypercard.

L.A. Noire

Fire Emblem

Think NPCs, CYOA, multiple choice, text, plot, voiceovers, speech synthesis, prose, humour, conflict, debate, love.

Make a murder mystery or a political scandal. A dating simulator or a talk show. A news report or a bedtime story. A love story or a heart-wrenching breakup. Beat poetry or freestyle hip-hop. Whispers or screams. Secret school flirtations or code-words between spies.  Hardcore RPG, Ren-py visual novel or pure text IF (interactive fiction), the choice is yours.

No matter what the genre – from AAA rpgs and shooters to puzzle games and everything in between, virtually every videogame ever made uses dialogue to progress the plot. Repetitive battles and grinding are sometimes seen as mere filler between the NPC dialogue and missions.  Which is more exciting? Killing your thousandth giant rat or encountering the next major NPC who gives you a quest?

Fallout 3

Alpha Protocol

This low-stress, relaxed rules MiniLD is a fun way to get away from worrying about framerate, animation or incredible 3d graphics and instead focus on the plot. The characters. The story. The soul.

Perhaps you will invent an epic storyline and a cast of interesting characters that are so cool they make it into your next action title! For now, just remember: focus on dialogue and characterization. On personal conflict, emotions and tough decisions.

Valkyria Chronicles

Final Fantasy II

Will this be a fun breather between more intense programming projects? Will your game be easier to program than something more graphics-heavy? Will it be deeper than your last brainless shooter? More artistic? Less work? More original? Discuss.

Read this wonderful article for ideas: [part1] [part2] [part3]

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The date is set!

May 27 – 29, 2011

Update #5 :by PoV

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Update #4 :D

Choose your own theme or themes from the list, Please state your theme(s) in the titlescreen of your entry

• Descend
• Demolish
• Destroy
• Detonate
• Dig
• Dirt
• Drill
• Dynamite

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Weekend of the 14th of February, starting at the usual time.

…and by that, I mean the weekend before, so that’s 12th-13th, so the real start time is:

4am, Saturday February 12th UTC — 9pm Friday Feburary 11th EST/6pm PST

MiniLD #24 starts 363 days, 17 hours, 32 minutes, 7 seconds ago

of course you’re welcome to enter whenever you like, I’m not strict with mini times <3

Going to announce the ‘theme’ early since it’s a mini, I’m relaxed with rules and time so do what you like.

Theme: Pick ‘n’ Mix

here’s how it’s going to work, I have lists of themes, limitations and rules. pick one (or more) of each and go!

Themes:

• True Love
• Tainted Love
• Inside-out
• Alternate universe spinoff of a major franchise
• Tetris is now a <genre other than puzzle> game!
• Fishing

Limitations:

• 2 button input only
• 1 button input only
• 2 colours
• Game must end in 60 seconds
• All audio must be your own voice
• Framerate cap at 5fps

Rules:

• All variable, class, function etc names must be palindromes
• Work with a partner
• Use a tool/language you have never used before
• Wear something absurd whilst making the entire game, upload webcam timelapse to youtube when done.
• Wear nothing whilst making the entire game, upload webcam timelapse to amateur porn site when done.
• Game must be code complete in the first 3 hours, if not, must start over. NO CODING AFTER THAT.

there you go, pick one or more from each section, or do your own thing, it’s only a mini after all.

regarding times, make the game across whatever 48 hour(ish) period you like, spend more than 48 hours or spend less, I don’t care. submissions will be open for probably about a week after the weekend noted above, but if you want to dev alongside others, make your game over that weekend

THAT IS ALL!

edit: >>>>> Submit your games here! <<<<<

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Hey guys,

I’ve decided to move MiniLD 23 to the 21st of the month.  Check the announcement post for details.  See ya there!

Hosted by yours truly, Jonny D…  MiniLD 23 will be a good time (see below).

MiniLD 23 will begin at 9pm EST (2am UTC) on Friday, January 21st (moved up from the 28th due to conflict with Global Game Jam).  It will end at the same time on Sunday, January 23rd.

MiniLD 23 begins 384 days, 19 hours, 32 minutes, 7 seconds ago

Until then, you can vote on the main theme.  There will be a sub theme announced as well when the mini compo starts.  There will be either an immense amount of groaning or excitement, since your choices for the main theme are taken from LD 19′s Round 3 list.

That’s right! Vote here!! And like the monkey said at the fruit playoffs: Go bananas!

Hey Jammers,

Looking for some more indie game jamming goodness?
I’ve compiled a massive list of upcoming game jams.

Check it out:
http://www.mcfunkypants.com/2010/game-jams-aplenty/

There’s something there for everyone.  Have fun!