Welcome back to our game engines showcase series!
This week, a fan favourite - Godot!
We are Ask Gamedev AKA The Open Source-erer’s Apprentice AKA Godost in the Shell AKA Godon’t
you…
forget about me and these are 9 Awesome games made using Godot.
Before we begin, a very brief crash course on the Godot engine first.
Becoming available publicly for the first time in 2014, this particular game engine
has been used and developed by many studios as a way to break into the industry.
Why?
Because it is mainly open-source.
Which means yes, some of the mandatory procedures that you typically use with licensed game
engines are no longer necessary.
No more saving data assets on proprietary cloud services if you need to upload them
online for example.
And, no revenue caps to worry about for established game development companies.
Let’s begin!
1.
TANKS OF FREEDOM by P1X Tanks of Freedom is a turn-based strategy
game developed by P1X that featuring isometric pixel art.
You move your individual units around cells, and your objective is to clear a path in order
to capture more bases than your enemy.
It’s essentially Advance Wars in style, but with a simpler, yet unique gameplay twist.
First unveiled in 2015, the game has been in continued development even as it was officially
released for play, with various important updates.
The game is at the moment open-source, which means other developers can come on in and
present their own ideas to improve its gameplay.
Another reason to like Tanks of Freedom?
It’s completely free, and is available for both the PC, and Android devices.
2.
STEREOBREAK by HUGO RAYGOZA Stereobreak was the very recent brainchild
of developer Hugo Raygoza, also known as Jasp3ck.
The genre of the game is essentially a shooter, but instead of flying around freely around
the screen, you instead move around in designated tiles.
Any gamers who know the Megaman Battle Network series should find this move and hop style
of active motion very familiar, even down to the patterned shooting combat between different
enemy targets.
The game was first released in March of this year, and this was Hugo’s debut title using
the Godot engine.
A fascinating point of his design of the game is how the AI is built to attempt to predict
the player’s actions not just in a directive way, but disruptively.
Bullet patterns will force the player to move to the farthest tile for example, or attacks
will linger around to prevent you from moving on a tile.
Worse, each difficulty is vastly different from the next, with Hard mode only allowing
you one single chance to miss before you finally bite the bullet.
A fast-paced title that would probably be one that would tire out your fingers, it is
highly recommended to check out the demo just to see how addicting it’s simple style can
get.
Get it now, for Android.
3.
STENO ARCADE by FOR ALL TO PLAY Steno Arcade takes the rather boring mechanics
of steno tutorial programs into a rad medley that honestly could compete with the likes
of actual mainstream rhythm games like Guitar Hero.
This isn’t just a glorified chimera of a rhythm game and a typing game.
Its cute retro-graphic concert visuals’ have some real serious tunes from the one
and only geek-theme maestro Jonathan Coulton
Started as a crowdfunded project in 2016 under the name Steno Hero, it eventually got an
early sneak preview via Steam Early Access later that same year.
It actually consists of four different games, a suite of them, all built to be played optimally
on steno machines.
While it is currently available only for PC, it is completely free and open source.
Oh, if you happen to not have a steno machine randomly lying around your place, don't fret.
Steno Arcade is also designed to be played normally using any regular keyboard - at least,
with the game's slower and less upbeat tunes.
For the faster medleys designed for advanced steno practice, it’s definitely, even absolutely
required to have your own machine.
4.
DEEP SIXED by LRDGAMES, INC.
Deep Sixed takes you far into the fringes of outer space!
You, as the player, a convicted AI criminal, have been penalized to serve and maintain
a spaceship for an indefinite period of time.
This particular spaceship is not exactly up to snuff.
It is in dire need of repairs, not to mention the plethora of things in and around it that
will make your attempts to preserve and save it go completely awry.
And we haven't even mentioned the space monsters.
With Deep Sixed, LDRGamers perfects its own style of management sim, further since the
release of its first game, Rogue State.
Itching to check out your hyperdrive matrix or fiddle around the scanner room to check
out nearby sectors?
Deep Sixed is the game for you.
Currently available on Steam, it is as of this moment only available for the PC.
5.
SPOOKY GHOSTS DOT COM by GRIZZLY WIZARD GAMES Spooky Ghosts Dot Com is a cute, run and gun
metroidvania game that lets players mow down the undead with Ruby, who runs the eponymous
website in offer of such services.
Platforming action is pretty much spot on for this game, but the highlight of course
is the neo-retro style art bundled with a traversing progression system that gives players
the drive to explore its entire world.
The main core of the game was developed by pixel artist Justin Forcier, released under
the official brand Grizzly Wizard Games.
This particular game was in fact his second game after developing the web-based Space
Lich Omega 2.
If you’re interested in spooks n’ shoots, while exploring a world where cats, gargantuan
and small, ask for your assistance, then this Godot engine based game is a must try.
6.
SEEK ETYLIV by ROKAS Seek Etyliv is a rather bizarre game that
mixes tic-tac-toe with dungeon crawling elements.
Basically, you progress through the game with a series of interactive 3x3 tiles.
You move around to obtain items, defeat enemies, and move forward with the story.
On top of that, there is this almost lyrical poem that tries to tell a story within its
equally enigmatic premise.
Rokas, the developer of Seek Etyliv built the game in 2017 from the idea of a puzzle
game with typical adventure story components.
Ideally, the game had to be simple, and it seemed that his idea was to encase the experience
into a 3x3 tile format.
With the environment limited in size, there was a peculiar level of focus for interactions
and 8-bit visual styles, which then became able convey the game's mechanics without the
need to directly explain it to the player.
The poetry, in particular, almost sings to the player - and in a way they are, because
for the most part, they’re written as song lyrics.
Seek Etyliv is exactly the minimalist, experimental, oddly cool, puzzle game that it is advertised
to be, so check it out on either Windows, Linux, or Mac.
7.
GRIMANTE by AFTERMONK Grimante is a strategy game by Aftermonk that
features a very simple tabletop style defense design that pits the players’ hero tiles
against a never-ending horde of monster tiles.
As the game advertises, your goal is simple, obliterate them and prevent them from getting
to the bottom.
You get a different mishmash of tiled heroes every stage, each having their signature symbol
and move that you can take advantage of to clear your one and only objective.
Jeff, the lone developer behind Aftermonk, was inspired to create the game when he first
discovered the Godot engine in 2017.
Interested in the engine’s building potential specifically towards mechanics and technical
challenges with its comparative ease of use, he set out to conceptualize and create.
He finally released the game on Steam earlier this year.
Simple to play, yet surprisingly comprehensive, and addicting, Grimante is the puzzle strategy
game that will tingle either your nostalgia, or cultivate a new interest into action tabletop
goodness.
8.
SHIPWRECK by SHMELLYORC At a quick glance, Shipwreck may look like
a cute, 32-bit version of Minecraft.
But the game actually places you as the manager of a crashed spaceship on an alien planet,
trying to survive by living off the resources of the specific area that you crashed onto.
Like all sim games, Shipwreck starts out small, with the crashed spaceship only gathering
materials around its area.
A few selections are open for the player to allocate services and establishments, which
would then serve as the nucleus of the colony.
In time, the map expands as you survive longer, opening up even more options for you to further
keep your crashed colony living longer.
The main core of the game is currently completed and released, although it is still in development
for future updates and features, as well as system fixes.
With fundamental elements reminiscent of both RimWorld and SimCity, Shipwreck builds itself
a solid platform for a cute, retro pixel graphic game.
The title is currently available on Windows, Linux, and OSX.
Before we get to our final pick, here are 3 honourable mentions:
#1 - MONSTRUOUS by ARNAUD MILLOT Monstrous by Arnaud Millot takes honorable
mention for its unique take on a traditional RPG boss fight scene.
If you’re clever enough, you’ll be able to take down monster, before your party gets
taken out!
#2 - RPG IN A BOX by JUSTIN ARNOLD RPG in a Box by Justin Arnold isn’t another
RPG themed title, but instead is a creator and engine itself.
Still in alpha so it takes the honorable mention spot.
and lastly, #3 - RIVEN TAILS DEFENSE by KIVANO Riven Tails Defense by Kivano is a very cute
and colorful tower defense game.
ALSO! check out this week’s Ask Gamedev Community Member Game of the Week!
Fluffy Horde by Turtle Juice.
Fluffy Horde is a 2D side-scrolling hybrid between real-time strategy and tower defense
that just oozes style!
It was developed by a group of 7 friends, over the course of almost 3 years, using Unity.
One cool thing about Fluffy Horde was that the game was heavily influenced by its community
during development.
Fans helped in creating mechanics, designing levels and even writing lines for the cinematics!
And finally….
#9.
The Interactive Adventures of Dog Mendonça & Pizzaboy® by OKAM STUDIO
Fans of classic point and click adventure games will surely find The Interactive Adventures
of Dog Mendonça & Pizzaboy a nice treat to play and watch.
In this game, you play as Pizzaboy, who is yes, an ex-pizza delivery boy turned private
sleuth.
He is set out to investigate a trail of supernatural clues to find out once and for all the truth
behind the disappearance of your boss and partner... as well as other cases that surround
the surreal world of this particular series.
The Argentina based OKAM studio started the game as a Kickstarter project, amassing most
of the target funding by October 2014.
The development team then spent the next two years working very closely with the original
comic book authors in order to give a faithful adaptation that would bring the original material
to life.
The comic-book authentic HD visuals gives a very nice contrast to the point and click
games of the old, as it also captivates players with its nice details.
A highly recommended Godot-engine based game, The Interactive Adventures of Dog Mendonça
& Pizzaboy is available for the PC and OSX.
Want more Ask Gamedev, check out this game engine showcase video, or this game engine
video playlist.
Thanks again for watching!