Move over 64Digits, there is a new site in town!

GameCOG is a new community website that has been created to provide game developers, designers and enthusiasts, an active environment to create and design, develop and discuss their game ideas and projects.

Although it has just had its first public release, it is going strong with a good amount of members joining each day and they have already announced their first competition – The GameCOG Jam;

GameCOG Jam

GameCOG is [very] proud to announce its first GameCOG Jam.  Over a period of 1 week, participating GameCOGGERS will be given the opportunity to devote their free game dev time to one project with a small team.  At the end of the week, games will be presented, and after a brief judging period, winners will be announced.

Prizes

First prize: Full game review and primary focus of front page of GameCOG + Badge
Second and Third Prize:  Short game review and secondary focuses of front page of GameCOG + Badge
Other contestants: Short game review on request and link to game on front page + Participant Badge

What do you think of this new website, do you think it can surpass 64Digits, that returned earlier this month or would it go the way of some other websites such as SnowMoon and Game Maker Central? Post your thoughts and comments below.

GameCog – Create, Design, Develop, Discuss is taken from: GameMaker Blog

Black and Blue - GMC topic and download link

A surprisingly addictive arcade game where all you can do is shoot! You have to avoid sets of blocks that move towards you from all sides of the screen. Sounds simple? – you can’t fly around the only way of moving is from the backthrust generated by firing your gun.

Points are awarded both for staying alive and destroying the moving blocks, but get hit and you will loose health. Should you get pushed off the edge of the screen, either from a moving block or backthrust, you will die.

The background music fits the arcade style of the game and the lack of repeated sound effects every-time you shoot is a blessing. Use of limited graphics in this game is extremely effective as the game still has a good number of animated effects despite the imposed limitations.

Controls: Mouse cursor to aim, left click to shoot.

My highscore: 1889

The Bonsh - WHFF download link

In The Bonsh you control a red stickman who you must guide through several rooms of platforms clinging to the walls and jumping to avoid obstacles. Dangers include spikes and rising and falling blocks which can crush you. As all the terrain in the game is blue it is sometimes hard to distinguish what is a danger and what is not.

The game rooms frequently vibrate a small amount giving the effect that your screen is wobbling which was irritating and may hurt your eyes if you play for more than a couple of minutes.

Whilst particle effects are used in some of the situations where your character dies I feel the overall implementation of graphics here was far more basic than in Black and Blue which really used the limited graphics colour scheme to full effect through animation.

Controls: Arrow keys to move the stickman. Instructions are given within the game.

Abstractoid - GMC topic and download link

“You are a triangle. You have been programmed to destroy anything in your path. And you will do it well…” is the strap-line for this extremely fast-paced arcade shooter.

Diving from one side of the screen to the other whilst shooting four enemy types is what you will do for the entirety of this game. Using your shield, provided you have enough energy, gives you a brief respite – just long enough to move somewhere safer and start all over again.

Particles seem to be somewhat overused, with small black boxes exploding across the screen everytime you hit an enemy which adds to the distraction caused by a constantly spinning and scrolling background.

The game also seems to be just too hard from such an early stage, and no scoring mechanism is included – two more facts that taint my experience when playing Abstractoid.

Controls are given in the game, use ‘Z’ to select “Play” to start.

TIA Limited Gfx Competition Entries is taken from: GameMaker Blog

The co-operation themed competition was YoYo’s third and had attracted over 275 entries. The winner will receive $1000, with a second-place prize of $500 and $250 for the creator of the third best game.

Here is my pick of some of the best games entered into the contest.

YYG results by Thursday is taken from: GameMaker Blog

“Same prizes, same rules, new theme.”

The competition page (with more details on this competition) mentions the idea of global warming several times (hint hint).

“Politics: Most of us at YYG believe there’s something to this global warming idea, but we’re not out to indoctrinate our gamers, or game makers. Whatever you believe, it cannot be denied that the debates themselves are important, decisions made here will affect all our lives. If you firmly disagree with the green message then feel free to make a game where the world must be saved from a bunch of crack-pot environmentalists.”

At least YoYo understands the irony of this competition.

“P.s. Yes, we are aware of the irony of using energy-hungry computers to communicate a green message. Better this than 300 games about saving princesses.”

Never the less it will be entertaining to see what unique games people will create. Personally I would like to see a competition with different prizes and a more unique theme. Knowing YoYo they’ll stick to the ‘If it isn’t broke don’t fix it’ moto and keep the competition the way it is I mean I guess it’s working for them. On a side note we have yet to see who won the Co-Operation competition.

YoYo Games Save The Planet Competition is taken from: GameMaker Blog

Obviously I haven’t looked at each and every one of these submissions, but here is my pick of some of the best games and most played games that have been submitted.

Karoshi Factory

Jump, push blocks and press buttons to open up a path through which you can navigate your characters to the end of each level.

This puzzle game, created by 2DCube who was also responsible for producing Frozzd which won the YYG winter competition, requires brain power and co-operation between the characters you control. Suicide certainly isn’t easy.

Wave Shock

This game is described by its creator as a “fast paced abstract shooter” and it certainly is all of the above.

The co-operation element is made up of a co-operative two-player mode either with the computer or for you and a friend.

Despite being one of the most played competition entries I don’t think this game is in with a chance of winning a prize – it just seems to lack depth.

Visit 2

Visit 2 is a challenging puzzle platformer where you must find the mysterious ‘Dark Tower’.

I think the graphics are particularly well made and suit the genre perfectly. Co-op comes through the addition of an extra character you can control, but I didn’t play far enough to see the full benefit of him.

Invasion 3D

A bizarre yet strangely humorous opening animation sequence gives way to a 3D First Person Shooter game.

The graphics are presented in a fun cartoony style (don’t laugh!) and although they aren’t of top quality they suit the game surprisingly well.

The game runs very slowly – I assume on faster machines the movement would be much more smooth – based on the feedback over at YoYo I think this could be a good game if you can get it to run at a decent speed. Oh – and it is not compatible with Vista due to an audio dll the game uses.

Somehow I can’t see a game of this genre winning any prizes from YYG.

Lost Snowman

By bundling game resources externally RedSystem, creator of two previous YoYo Game prize winning games, has ensured that despite the number of graphical resources this game loads very quickly.

The Lost Snowman is another puzzle platformer where you navigate through the worlds by using a team of snowmen each with their own abilities. As we have come to expect from RedSystem the animated graphics are truly amazing and are complemented with appropriate sounds.

I will be surprised if this game does not get awarded a prize due to its all round professional qualities.

Jumper 3

Opinion seems to be split on this retro platformer in which you must aim to complete each level as rapidly as possible, collecting coins as you go. Created by YoMamasMama, Jumper 3 follows the hugely popular Jumper 2. Personally I’m not a big fan and I don’t see it in with a shot of a prize, but for Jumper 2 fans…

Drop in the Bucket

In this puzzle game by Game Maker Community moderator KC LC you need to guide a stream of water into a bucket. At your disposal are three tools – fans, bars and magnets which can be used to deflect or attract water.

One comment on YoYo Games asks “If pipe, magnet and fan count as co-op, why don’t bone, ligament and muscles? Or eyes, hands and feet?” and I have to say I agree. I don’t think there is much relevance to the co-operation theme here at all – it is a very tenuous link.

Co-operation Competition closes – a look at some of the best games is taken from: GameMaker Blog

The match was a close battle between Frozzd by 2DCube and Robbie Swifthand And The Orb Of Mysteries by scream681. However scream681 came through the winner.

Frozzd had just beaten Caveman Craig, was put up against scream681 creation in the third Cage Match after the long absence.

Robbie Swifthand and the Orb Of Mysteries is a game where you play as the thief Robbie Swifthand who gets into an ancient temple and have to face many dangers in order to survive.

The next match will be between The Power by Alexitrón and Robbie Swifthand And The Orb Of Mysteries by scream681. Voting has began, so go and make your vote – http://gmc.yoyogames.com/index.php?showtopic=392794.

Robbie was too Swift is taken from: GameMaker Blog

As well as vouchers of an unspecified type and denomination for the winner of the contest the top three entries will also earn their creators the full commercial version of Immortal Defense, a popular shareware game made with GameMaker.

Currently the contest has only had three entries so even if you haven’t started work on a game there is still a good chance that you could win a prize.

The third YoYo Games competition still has (at the time of writing) 63 and half days of development time remaining and 34 games have already been uploaded.  It appears that YoYo Games’ big budget cash prizes are really working in drawing in the large number of entrants that other Game Maker competition organisers can only dream of.

Contest updates is taken from: GameMaker Blog

However, YoYo Games states some things that might change some people’s plans:

“We’re still looking for great casual gameplay, to achieve this the game will need to be playable in one-player mode.”

This may be a road block to some users who were planning on just making a small MMORPG or using game servers to allow players to play online with other users. YYG has also said the following about MMORPG, and online servers:

It would be unwise to try to make a “massively multiplayer” online game, and very unwise to make a game which relies on servers which are not always online.

As for the results of the last competition they are mentioned in this article.

Third YoYo Competition launched is taken from: GameMaker Blog

After so long waiting for YoYo Games to reveal the results, they are now here. Be prepared to be shocked…

Winners
3rd Place, [$250]: Tut’s Test by KCLC

A really well implemented 3D puzzle game with a lot of charm. Tut’s Test is truly testing and achieving the perfect score can become something of a compulsion. Read More

2nd Place [$500]: Caveman Craig by RhysAndrews

The finest caveman simulator we have ever played. The game combines beautiful graphics with a surprisingly challenging battle for survival. Read More

1st Place, [$1,000]: Ancient Ants Adventure by RedSystem

Another great isometric shooter from RedSystem. You are a race of (Egyptian?) ants, fighting tooth and claw for survival against a compelling range of nasties. Read More

Some games that received a mention include…
Sixty Five Million and One BC
Robbie Swifthand and the Orb of Mysteries
Aztec God
Mubbly Tower
Falling Troy

The next competition is already underway and you have until August 24th, 2008 to submit your games. Click here for more information on the YYG Co-operation Competition.

And the winners are… is taken from: GameMaker Blog

GameMaker Games have launched a one month Game creation contest with the theme “this game is art”.

Prizes will be vouchers or gift certificates of some type. For full details of the entrance criteria and rules click here.

Game Maker Games Contest is taken from: GameMaker Blog