Kickstarter launched!

April 16, 2013 by Coldrice Leave a Comment

After spending lots of time considering how to complete bitcrobes, I decided to launch a small kickstarter to get it completed. As a amateur with no money, I need a little support to finish it all.

This kickstarter is very small – about $660 USD. Just enough to get a Mac mini and cover the costs of amazon/kickstarter. I don’t believe in asking a lot unless I deliver a lot. This game, though fun, just needs enough to get off the ground.

Up until now bitcrobes has been made 100% via hackintosh! Unfortunately my poor laptop has a sound card which isn’t supported by OSX so in order to finalize it all I need a native environment.

Update!

March 29, 2013 by Coldrice Leave a Comment

Quick update!

Mid move right now, so I’m mostly working on fixing bugs and the prototype of the next game (temp. Title “Interstellar”). I would say I’m 90-95% done with bitcrobes, but I won’t finish until I’m moved.

Level design

March 9, 2013 by Coldrice Leave a Comment

The time has finally come! I’m really excited. Level design is one of the last things I wanted to do before I go through a more intense play through and polishing (especially on the options/menus).

Its really fun now knowing that putting together the level is rather straight forward. Place the tiles, tell the game how many enemies/items to place, and then its done. Fun!

The menu options are starting to look a little different as well. I posted a little while ago about the plan, and its finally implemented. The old version had a scientist character but I think it was just too much. He didn’t really do anything or add anything to the game.

NEW UPGRADE: Cell division!

Your character can now divide into smaller versions of itself. It’s awesome! I really like this feature. They don’t survive long BUT they can get food for you which adds to your funds!

Bitcrobes – Creative Mode

February 22, 2013 by Coldrice Leave a Comment

How much fun! I’ve released videos where I showed off how the organisms interact with each other when the player isn’t nearby. I had so much fun playing with that, that I decided to turn it into a new “mode” for the player. Instead of using your funds to purchase levels, you can save up your funds and unlock a creative mode which allows you to place any number of organism and watch them do their thing! This is more simulation than game, but I still think its fun!

This weekend my goal is to finish up a lot of loose ends in regards to menus. For example, I have yet to implement pause/play button on the game, or fill in the buttons for upgrades. I also want to get to revamping the level select screen a little bit. Now with another mode, I need more space for the scientist to move.

Lets begin!

February 20, 2013 by Coldrice Leave a Comment

Here we go! In an attempt to get more interest, I decided to start a site/blog. I know there’s some interest in my game and I hope to give more information on what it’s about.

BITCROBES

Bitcrobes is part game, part simulation.
Players take on the role of a scientist studying a group of super microorganisms. You can control the microbe and outrun (or eat!) enemies, defeat viruses, and more importantly unlock upgrades to make your microbe even more powerful.

As the microbe eats food, and deadbeats enemies the player earns funding. Funding can be spent on bigger levels with more challenges, as well as unlocking a “creative mode” allowing for free form microorganism play. Players can also earn science points which are rare. Science points can be used to alter your microbe with new adaptions such as movement, size, mouth, or utility components.

Controls for the game are fairly simple. Tap to direct your microbe around the screen, and around obstacles. Mini games include defeating viral infections (think space invaders) as well as a gene splicing match 3 game to gain extra points.

It will be released for free on the apple App Store. I’m hoping to finish it in the next month! Bitcrobes is my first game and I hope people will enjoy it.