22: Minesweeper as a platformer

[Ramperkash]

Ok, basically I'm keeping the elements of minesweeper as is, but changing a few things slightly and... most importantly:
Adding a character to control!

Basically you'll control a character that you need to get from points A to B, using unopened blocks as stepping stones. While clicking open a path to move through.

It's hard to explain exactly what I mean, but I'll let a prototype hit the fan as soon as it's in a playable state (Might be this weekend, got an exam to write tomorrow)

Stay tuned!

If you don't want to read the readme just yet, and just wanna get crackin', here's the links:
Game: http://www.mediafire.com/?zgitn3kixi2
Source: http://www.mediafire.com/?vbdlw0mmnyd
Minesweeper Puzzle Platformer v0.6

Controls:
Left-click: Opens up a square, revealing a number or a mine.
Right-click: Marks a square, preventing you from opening it, until you unmark it.
Middle-mouse-button: Unmarks a square, allowing you to open the square up again.
Shift + Right-click: Does the same as the middle-mouse-button.

A: Moves your character to the left.
D: Moves your character to the right.
Space: Causes your character to jump.

F2: Starts a new game (currently increases difficulty each time)
left-ctrl + left-alt + left-shift:Clears the entire level, marking squares with mines and opening all squares without mines.

Gameplay:
Your character can walk on top of unopened squares, and move through opened squares. The idea is to open up squares in such a way that your character can reach the exit while leaving enough squares for him to walk and jump on to reach it. The numbers on opened squares tell you how many of the adjacent squares have mines inside (vertically, horizontally and diagonally) You can see the numbers of opened squares only if your character is close to them, as with marked squares, this requires you to move your character while you clear the minefield. Clicking on a mine will cause it to explode, opening all horizonyally and verically adjacent squares (mines inside these squares will also explode), while clicking on other squares will reveal its number and allow you to move through it, but removes your ability to step on it.

There is a fine balance in the game between opening up enough squares, to make it physically possible for your character to reach the exit, leaving enough squares intact (mines in most cases) to allow your character physical access to the exit (walking and jumping on unopened/marked squares) while also having opened enough squares to continue to clear a path to the exit.

Notes:
There are rare collision bugs, but it is usually fine. Reaching the exit does not trigger a "win" yet, but the exit itself is implemented, so try to reach the exit, and press F2 after you have done so to start a new game (difficulty is increased slightly each time you do so)
Finally pressing left ctrl, alt and shift will clear the entire puzzle for you allowing you to only explore.

The game is also still completely random, there are no preset levels, the mines are randomly placed and there isn't a fixed amount of them and the starting position varies from game to game.


Links:
Game: http://www.mediafire.com/?zgitn3kixi2
Source: http://www.mediafire.com/?vbdlw0mmnyd

PS I realized I added a few dll's in the first link that only bulked up the filesize, sorry about that, fixed :)

PPS Older versions available on request (game and source)

[AndrewJ]

Maybe something like Q*Bert? (I cant rem the exact name. Had a guy on top of a pyramid, could jump down diagonally, had a worm thing that came up at you. Was from the 80's or early 90's)

[Kensei]

Hmm, interesting idea... looking forward to the prototype

[Ramperkash]

Checking a few more things before uploading how far I am now... (Damn competition, distracting me from my exam tomorrow morning) Hehe

Editing my first post with the readme. (and soon link)

Edit: After playing around with this, I realized, this is pretty much: minesweeper meets dig-dug

At Andrew: The name seems familiar, but I can't really remember that, will look it up when I have time :)

[FuzzYspo0N]

He might have meant cubert, interesting idea Ramperkash

[Cloud_Ratha]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q*bert

[Fengol]

Video about the game http://www.gametrailers.com/video/vi...ewattack/16931

[Ramperkash]

Ok I've added a couple of things now: Indestructible (brick) squares, mines trigger a chain reaction of explosions, theres a shiny exit... that does nothing yet. Made a new temporary character, it's still ugleh w/o animation, but it looks better than the stickfigure. Also, to some extent I've added game difficulty.
Updating 1st post in a sec with a new link. (and readme updates)

[Nandrew]

Lovely concept. Two bits of immediate feedback, though:

I feel that the platforming aspect needs to be more closely tied in with the minesweeping. Basically, give the player a gun/shovel/drill or somesuch with which the CHARACTER will clear a block path, rather than relying on detached mouse clicks. This will make your avatar a much more linked-in part of the puzzle, imo.

Secondly: right now, the main fear attached to minesweeper (the ever-present threat of exploding a mine) isn't a factor in this game, and I think it could do with that threat addition, either by killing the avatar if it gets caught in a mine blast or by causing a mine block to explode if the avatar walks on top of it. Something along those lines would make sense to me.

I'll try think of more feedback laterz!

[Ramperkash]

Yep, I was planning to keep it as mouse-clicks, but that you can only click (and see numbers on) squares nearby the character.

The second concern is harder to sort out, firstly because you need to think a lot more to play this than normal minesweeper, so I wanted it to be more forgiving when it comes to clicking a mine accidentally, and secondly at the moment clicking a mine can result in the clearing of only 5 squares (thus not impacting you much) or it can result in clearing a giant chain of mines exactly where you wanted to go (destroying any possibility of completing that level)

Will try to solve these issues soon though, I still need to put decent collision in too :(

[AndrewJ]

What happens if that player starts, clears out all the mines but one, but can't get to that mine because he is encircled by the other mines?

[Ramperkash]

The idea of my version is not to clear the whole field, but to get to the exit. So you only need to clear enough of the minefield to get to the exit. Clearing the entire field might benefit you, but if there was a big area with no mines, then you would not be able to cross it, had you cleared that entire area.

Meh, need to get back to work on it, but I'm too lazy. :(

[Ramperkash]

Newer version up, I -mostly- fixed the collision issues, though I had to shrink the character a bit to do so.
I also made it so you can only see numbers on squares near you and the same with marked squares, keeping your character tied to the game while opening up the minefield. Despite the importance of some things, I think I'll work on preset levels and puzzles next.

PS. I need more motivation! :)
Also edited the 1st post with links

[Nandrew]

I'm looking forward to seeing these presets, I think they'll be what makes the game!

Otherwise, I like the changes that have been made, they should function well in versions to come.

[Ramperkash]

Cool, thanks... It's gonna be hard thinking of challenging preset levels though. Especially since running it once, failing and going again would leave you knowing where the mines are... I'll have to think of a way to get past this.

[Ramperkash]

Hmmm, for some reason I never got to the game, sorry guys. I might still finish it sometime and then upload it, but... all I have now is an editor semi-implemented.

I've been playing too much WoW, hehe