scarykitties on 9/7/2014 at 12:36

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Some might wonder where I've been lately. Sadly, not making any Dromed FMs (unless you count a short SS2-to-T2 conversion mission I made for a level design class). Instead, I've been working on completing the first full game I ever designed, (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cybearg.heartdemo) Heartbreak.

[video=youtube;IKF_GxV1jVM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKF_GxV1jVM[/video]

Heartbreak is a colorful Android game inspired by classics like Breakout and made for the heartbeat theme of the 2013 Global Game Jam (the same theme that Surgeon Simulator was based on). Unlike games like Breakout or Arkanoid, you control the a ring of blocks that rotate around a central, beating heart (life meter and color indicator).

You need to match the ball to blocks containing the same color until all blocks are cleared. The (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cybearg.heartbreak) full version (99 cents) has 23 levels plus an infinite play mode and a full new game plus that adds power-ups into the mix.

I had hoped to use the profits from selling the full version to help me pay off my student loans, but I'm having a lot of trouble with marketing and, so far, no one has purchased the full game (except for myself).

I'd love to hear feedback about what people think, and if you like the game, please, please, please consider sharing it in as many ways as you can! I am very much NOT social networking savvy, so any help that people could give could be the difference in me being able to get the stress of student loans off my shoulders.

If you don't have an Android device but would still like to try, you can get a (www.cybearg.com/hbdemo/hbfull.exe) free .exe of the full version here (press F1 to toggle fullscreen mode), but please keep in mind that it is NOT designed or optimized for Windows, so it just won't look or play as well as it would on a phone or tablet.

P.S. Super-thanks to the great people at TTLG who helped me add multiple translations to the game!

scarykitties on 9/7/2014 at 15:45

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At present, the correlation of finger to on-screen movement is 1:1, so it's like you're literally dragging the ring with your finger.

If I understand you correctly, you'd like to see a slider allowing non-1:1 movement? So a full turn of your finger around the ring would turn the ring 2 or 4 times, etc.? That sort of thing?


Everyone has. :)


Thank you! No, it's made in GameMaker. It's not out for Apple because, in order to export to Apple, I'd need an Apple export license for GameMaker (200 dollars), an Apple App Store license (250 dollars, I believe), and an Apple computer to compile it on (1000 dollars, minimum). It's simply not cost-effective to bring it to iOS.

I've already sunk over 300 dollars into the game (GameMaker Studio + licenses + Android Play license) with no foreseeable pay-out for that investment.

scarykitties on 9/7/2014 at 16:10

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Ah, okay, 100, then. I dunno, I might put it out on iOS at some point. I'll have to see what the reception is like on Android, first. It would be a bit of an ordeal.

Your turning issue is a noted problem. I'll see about putting a sensitivity slider into the pause menu. Do you think that would help? :)

SubJeff on 10/7/2014 at 08:02

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Have a look at Gyro. It's kind of the opposite concept. You can rotate as in your game by there is also a "steering bar" at the bottom that has an adjustable sensitivity.

SubJeff on 10/7/2014 at 11:41

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No no no - you absolutely do not need a bar like in Gyro. I think that's a lame hack actually. Just having increased sensitivity so you can rotate 360 from the base of the screen (instead of having to circle the entire interface) would be fine.

Gyro is nice but it's different to Heartbreak. It doesn't look like you ripped it off at all! Heartbreak is much more complex with all the rings and the different coloured balls interacting with the colours.

The only other thing I'd change in Heartbreak is the speed the credits roll at - too slow!