An update post!  Really want to keep these up at least once or twice a week, so let’s get into it.

Not much worth noting has been accomplished yet.  Well, that’s not entirely true.  Nothing worth showing has been accomplished – lot’s of behind-the-scenes stuff as of right now.

Last week I posted a mockup of what the final product will look like (at least right now).  I already have some ideas on things to add/change so that’s already changed slightly.

Today I’ve spent my day getting the stickfigure to actually move around, as you can see from the gif above.  I know there are gaps in his joints, I’m using square-based segments, no rounded-ends yet (this is a feature I will be implementing – different segment/limb types – so you will actually be able to create a stickfigure like the one above if you so desire).

Next up – implementing some of the UI and getting scaling / color to work.  After that, add in the rounded-end segments.  And after that, start creating frames.

Lot’s of work ahead.

So, while I was working on Plunder Peril I had a great idea for a new mobile game app.

Yes, app – not game.  This will be a first for me, not developing an actual “game,” but the principles are still the same, so it shouldn’t be too big of a deal.

Anyway, what’s the app about?

Stickfigure Animation

If you read my old and horribly-written About page, you’ll see that stickfigure animation is where all of this computer-based nonsense began for me – specifically with Pivot Stickfigure Animator.

The above image is a mockup of what I want the app to look like (created in Photoshop).  I also have a few scraps of paper scattered about my desk with ideas, data structures, and sketches all over them, too.

So that’s what I’m out to create now.  A highly-functional, simple, easy-to-use stickfigure animator for both desktops and mobile devices (at least Android, for now).  I have a name in mind, but I’m going to keep it secret for a while in case I come up with something new.

I’ll be posting regular updates here and on my Twitter, so stay tuned!

If nothing else, Plunder Peril served as a great learning experience for myself in terms of understanding how to prepare for and launch a game on Google Play.

When finalizing the game, I finally reached that point where it was time to begin implementing an API for leaderboards, ads, and analytics-tracking.  I knew about Google Services for Android and intended on utilizing them from the beginning.  However, when it came time to actually get the API implemented, things began to get a bit confusing (it wasn’t just as simple as plugging in an ID number into your Flash game provided by the Mochi Media dashboard, that’s for sure).

So that’s why I’m writing this guide.  I know when I was putting all of this stuff together for the first time I had two incredibly helpful guides I referred to:

• http://upandcrawling.wordpress.com/2013/08/16/libgdx-and-google-play-game-service-integration/
• http://helios.hud.ac.uk/u1070589/blog/?p=202

I figured I’d write my own tutorial as well to give a third perspective.  So let’s get started.

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So after a half-dozen Flash games, I’ve finally moved to a new platform and have released my first game for Android devices.

Presenting Plunder Peril, a free casual/arcade game available now on Google Play or from SlideMe!

The goal is simple – collect any and all coins you see – oh, and survive for as long as possible.

Jump, dodge, and loot your way to achieve your best personal score.  Then, submit to the leaderboard and see how well you rank amongst everyone else!

If you enjoy a good challenge accompanied by fast-paced gameplay, go ahead and give Plunder Peril a shot.

So this game was a break from Combat Racing, which is still in development.  I intended on completing it in 14 days but it quickly turned into a month-long project.  It was a great learning experience and I now understand a good amount of the ins-and-outs when it comes to implementing Google Services (leaderboards, ads), Google analytics, and the general Google Play submission process.

A shout-out to Christian Erenskjold, aka Coffee-Break, whose music is featured in Plunder Peril (as well as Combat Racing).

So that’s it, my first Android game is on the market.  Go give it a try and please let me know what you think.  It’s definitely a challenging game, but once you get the hang of the controls it becomes addictive very quickly.

Oh, and give it  a rating, it helps!

Press Material

I appreciate any publicity the game can receive, if you need screenshots, information, etc – here’s a zip I’ve compiled full of stuff.

Thanks a lot!

So, before I go on about the trailer, maybe I should announce that I’m working on a new game.

I’m working on a new Android game titled Plunder Peril which will soon be free on Google Play (specifically March 20th at 12:00pm EST).

Alright, now that that’s out of the way, here’s the gameplay trailer!

What is Plunder Peril?

In the mass-hysteria that immediately followed the hype of Flappy Bird, I was inspired to create a small, fun, and challenging 1-level game where the only goal was to survive as long as possible.  Of course this is not a new idea, nor was Flappy Bird the originator, but I did give this type of gameplay a go a few years back with Oil Spill Escape.

That’s about it, though – there’s not much to Plunder Peril.  The objective is to simply guide the little dude-guy through all of the oncoming obstacles (while collecting coins to boost your score) and to survive as long as possible.  Submit your score on the leaderboard and see how well you rank!

It turns out to be very challenging and addictive – just what I was aiming for!

What about Combat Racing?

I decided to take a break from Combat Racing a few weeks back in order to start a new, smaller project and get it released.  What was originally going to be a 14-day project turned into a month-long project, but it was worth it.  I’ll be returning to Combat Racing shortly after I give a little research-and-development time to a new project that came to mind (this one isn’t so much a game as it is an app, more on it later).

More posts coming soon, including a tutorial post or two on the things I’ve learned while using LibGDX and the Google Services API.