Avaus Text Adventure -- So you wish to become a mighty software developer?

Certain cautionary tales do have to be circulated it seems, if only to save those poor starry-eyed children from a dark and desperate future. But, let's not start by discouraging those young, creative people, shall we?

Better have a go at the free, browser-based Avaus Text Adventure instead; the one subtitled "So you wish to become a mighty software developer?". It's simple, highly enjoyable, plays like a proper piece of interactive fiction and sports some delightfully lighthearted dev stereotypes. Oh, yes, and several extremely well-designed puzzles that are definitely worth your time. Also, after spending over an hour with the thing, I haven't finished it yet, so please do let me know if it's as good as it seems.

Workers In Progress: The Source Code

Assuming you have found my simple Twine-powered political simulation Workers In Progress interesting enough or would like to give Twine a go, I believe you will appreciate having a look at the source code of WIP -- just download it here in one handy .zip file containing the html, twee and twine story files.

I haven't done anything fancy with the game, mind you, but you will get to see how Workers In Progress has been designed, maybe find some useful CSS code and see an example of variables usage. Hopefully, it will be quite helpful for people who haven't twined anything yet.

Reminder: I could really use your support via Patreon and survive long enough to make more indie gaming (and gaming) words and things. Thanks!

Busy Gnomes need Patr(e)ons to make Words and Games!

Writing for games does not pay; even if you've been doing it for the better part of a decade. Then again, crafting freeware and indie games doesn't really pay much either and thus, dear reader, the time has come for me to search for patrons who'll help me keep on with my indie game supporting/discovering/writing/crafting work. People who think that what I've been doing is worth their help and are willing to provide me with the monthly equivalent of a cup of coffee.

Yes, I have setup a Patreon page for my humble self where you can donate and even get something back for it, all the while allowing me to do more than ever and --finally-- properly and fully revive Gnome's Lair!

Thank you,

the guy whose monocled face you can see above 

Announcing the Earthling Priorities point-and-clicker!

Following my freeware choose-your-own-politics sim Workers In Progress, iOS games Droidscape: Basilica and DroidArcade, the time had come for me to finally work on a (relatively) traditional point-and-click adventure. Hence Earthling Priorities -- a small, satirical, sci-fi, freeware point-and-click adventure bound to be released during the next couple of months for Windows.

Having already designed most of the game, I'm currently working with the brilliant Daniele Giardini of DemiGiant fame who's providing the game with some utterly lovely pixel-art graphics and renowned musician-composer-adventurer Chris Christodoulou who's working on the game's music. AGS coding duties have been assumed by, well, me, but don't worry too much. The game will happen. And I will try and keep you up to date.

Also, I do love the assembled team and, hopefully, you'll love the game we are working one too.

For now, why not grab the glorious, pixel-arty Earthling Priorities wallpaper (found on the closest thing we have to an official webpage) and listen to some excellent music Chris has already done for the thing?

Workers In Progress - a work in progress

The first months of 2014 have been the worst in my life and that, dear reader, was the main reason I haven't been able to write on Gnome's Lair and let you know about my latest game: Workers In Progress. A political simulation set in Greece that plays like a choose your own adventure.

Workers In Progress is part of the Fear of Twine exhibition, which was organized and curated by Richard Goodness; an exhibition sporting 14 games created with Twine and includes such varied masterpieces as TWEEZER, The Girl In The Haunted House, The Matter of the Great Red Dragon, Abstract State-warp Machines,  Zombies and Elephants and Truth is Ghost. Fear of Twine will be live until April 18, 2014.

As for my game, Workers In Progress, it is still not really finished and thus appropriately WIP. The basic skeleton of the political simulation is there and you do get to play as the Greek working class and make big, meaningful choices, but things really have to be done. It still lacks in characterization, needs quite a bit of writing and could certainly do with more choices. Hopefully, I'll have a final version ready within this very month.

[UPDATE :] With Fear Of Twine over, here's a temporary version of Workers In Progress.

Related @ Gnome's Lair:

• Droidscape: Basilica
• The making of ZX Spectrum R-Type
• The Laffer Utilities ver.4.01
• Dan Marshall of Size Five Games

DroidArcade -- launched for iOS

Long time no see, eh reader? Well, sorry about that, but, as is customary, I had been incredibly busy with DroidArcade; a game my humble self and Kyttaro Games launched on Apple's App Store a few days ago. It's a reworked, free to grab and fully arcade take on the more cerebral, more expensive Droidscape: Basilica and I do hope the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch owning masses really enjoy it. Do, please, let me know what you thought of it and its sci-fi, stop-motion animated self.