I'm writing today quite satisfied, yes indeed. I have been experimenting with the combination of two of my favourite things: platforming and creative writing. Check it out here:
http://travishenrymartin.comxa.com/games/Wordplay.html
It is a platformer where each level requires you to collect words to form sentences that contribute to the story. If you collect them in the wrong order, it tells you to restart. I was going to make it judge your sentences' grammar, but I found that would be complicated so I decided to make it one-solution-per-room for now.
I have plans for adding branching story lines and unlockable paths and such, but all that will come later. I am very happy with what I have now, and will continue working on it this week. I will have this story done tomorrow, I'm quite sure. After that it's a matter of adding some "juiciness" and refining the mechanics to make it feel good.
If you've played it, you might notice the mechanics are a bit tough to master. This is intentional! It's supposed to be contemplative. I want the player to think about the relationship of the level's layout to the words, and the phrases in the level.
This format allows me to get very creative with both my writing and my level design. I'm forced to put my thoughts in as few words as possible to make each level bearable (and so the story doesn't get boring). I also get to build the level organically from the words. I like to think I can sort of paint scenarios with these factors without using any visual aid. Imagination is key!
If you have played it you'll see what I'm talking about. Let me know in the comments if you're interested in copying this idea, because that's totally cool! I'll send you the link to the github repository.
Thanks for reading!
Keep reading, brain children.
-mysteriosum (the deranged hermit)
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