Lil' Crane [prototype]

Games
1

I already shared it on the discord server but I guess the forum is better for archiving so here we are.

In Lil' crane you control a little crane and the goal is to grab blocks and move them on the goal dots.

crane03

Download Lil'Crane prototype (445.7 KB)

Controls:

  • Move crane left and right with D-Pad
  • Raise and lower hook with the crank (or up and down on the D-Pad)
  • Grab boxes and release them with B Button

You can use the home menu to restart a level if you are stuck or skip to the next level.

Some Notes
The game is using the physics engine that was ported by Dustin for Playmaker.

All the visuals are temporary at the moment since my focus is mainly on designing puzzles. When I settle on a set of blocks and their size and properties, I will create a style for each of them. The rendering is also not optimized at all.

crane01

Any impressions or feedback on the controls and puzzles are really appreciated :heart:

8 Likes
2

This looks super awesome. Added this to my "gotta play" list for as soon as I get my Playdate.

3

Juicy! !!!!!!!!!! :slight_smile:

4

Looks fun! I salute your discipline in solving the basic issues first before giving in to the temptation to make art. I have been known to get those backwards sometimes...

5

How to open this in the mac simulator?

I tried control-clicking the pdx and selecting open, but security policy still forbids me from opening this untrusted file

6

Still love this btw. Hope you find time to finish it. :slight_smile:

7

Too many prototypes, not enough time :grinning:

1 Like
8

Dustin? Just a question, but the fact this uses Playmaker code makes me wonder, was there a build of Playmaker you finished? Or was this code just sitting around and you were offering the code to get the ball rolling for others' projects while you halted/took some time off on Playmaker's development. Just curious.

Nic, I really like the idea here, and gives me a bit of Part Time UFO vibes. I look forward to seeing both Lil' Crane and Playmaker evolve as Playdates finally land in people's hands.

EDIT: Version 1.10 doesn't seem to work with this prototype. It just kicks me back to the main menu. It may be nice to get it working on the newest SDK release.

9

Put the pdx folder in the Games folder in the Disk folder. Open the Simulator, and look for the game there. If it doesn't show up, check the pdx folder and ensure there is no pdx folder IN THERE. Happened to me before.

If you find a folder with a lot of folders/files in it, take THAT folder and put it in the Games folder. If you have the Simulator open, go to Settings, then Games, then Refresh List. It should then show up.

Hope that helps.

10

Oh no I had ported a C++ physics lib to C: box2d lite. I shared that port. I am using it in Playmaker but I thought others might find it useful too.

1 Like
11

Fair enough, and very much commendable. As I was saying, I seriously hope the issues with the 1.10 SDK get fixed. It shouldn't bounce me back to the menu, it appears as though its a complete game, with all the data files it would need. There's gotta be a compatibility issue somewhere. I will be away tomorrow for a hospital visit, but I'll check in before I go, and be checking for updates after my return. :slight_smile: