Prototyping Part II

Now that we've tentatively established the visual look of the game, I've started putting together a simple prototype in code. I'm building the game in python using the pygame libraries. As you can see, it's very barebones at the moment. All the graphics have been replaced by rectangles for the time being, some of which are partially functional. Over time, the finished graphics will be implemented as they come, while i put more of the game features together.

Prototyping

The first stage of game design is to come up with a solid game-play mechanic, and to branch out from there. For our first game, we decided to go with one of the arch-types familiar to everyone whose played any casual game in the past 5 years.
Match-3 games are popular in today's casual gaming market for several reasons.

1. They have a simple rule set, and it's obvious what you need to do to score high.

2. They tend to have nice graphics, with a minimal amount of clutter. This aspect is important, and differentiates them from other, non-casual games.

3. Easy to learn, hard to master. The first part leads to the wide appeal, and the second part causes people to keep playing.

Match-3 games I can immediately think of without doing any searching include; The Bejeweled series, Jewel Quest, Tetris Attack, and Pokemon Puzzle League. But there are hundreds of clones out there, that can be freely played online, or even purchased and downloaded to a smartphone.

While I wont spoil exactly what we have in mind for game-play, I will show a visual mockup of the intended main game screen. (click the image for a full-res preview)

Because this is just a quick prototype image I threw together using some assets drawn in photoshop, it'll change as the game-play nears completion. As it stands, it provides an example of what core visual elements will need to be represented in the final game. Do not expect this to be representative of the final quality of the game.

Watch this spot for more retro-tastic art and gaming.

Welcome

Welcome to the Nocturnal Design blog. We are a couple of young upstarts in the video game development world, trying to make a name for ourselves, and more importantly, make some good games. That's enough of an introduction for now, you'll get to know us better as you follow along and, eventually, get to play our games.

We've started production on our first ever game. It's a simple 'match 3' puzzle game with a rather big twist. You'll learn more about it in future posts. Let us know any questions you have or anything you'd like us to cover in our blog. Subscribe early, you never know when we'll blow your mind.

Thanks!