Sunday, September 28, 2008

Play over 3,000 games made by our users.

Our users have been busy and we've crossed the 3,000 mark today!

Play our staff picks here.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Contest: Got game? We've got $100.

It's simple. Make the best game.

Judging criteria include the basics (is the game winnable? is it longer than a few minutes?), originality, progression (does it get progressively harder?), appearance, easy to learn (can a new player understand what they have to do to win?) and likeability (how many "likes" does the game receive?).

All original games created between 09/27/08 and 10/10/08 will be automatically entered.

For contest rules, more detailed judging criteria and example games, please see the contest banner on the front page of PlayCrafter.com.

New Pieces: Force Fly, Deflector and Glass Block

Our new pieces for the week: a new player controlled fly with amazing force, a deflector and a glass block. Enjoy!

Force Fly: A fly with telekinesis (or really big lungs!), it can attract or push things away at a distance. It doesn't destroy things directly. Use the keyboard arrow keys (or AWSD keys) to move. Target things to push / pull by targeting them with the mouse and holding down the mouse button. Can be adjusted to attract or repulse objects. It's yank force and move speed are also adjustable.

Deflector: It deflects projectiles and characters. Adjust the friction and bounciness to achieve very different deflection effects.





Glass Block: Can only be destroyed if you hit it hard enough. It's safe to run across it or land softly on it but jump on it from enough height or bump into it furiously and you'll break it. Not affected by Taker pieces.

Friday, September 19, 2008

New Pieces: Hover Tank, Spectre, Backgrounds and Songs

An exciting new piece this week, our Hover Tank, a keyboard and mouse controlled piece. Also a new enemy, 3 backgrounds and 3 songs. Enjoy!

Hover Tank: A powerful tank, uses the keyboard to move and the mouse to shoot. Up arrow to move up, down arrow to move down, right and left arrows move right and left. Alternatively, you can use the W, A, S, and D keys to move. Aim with the mouse and click to shoot. Its maximum speed and heaviness are adjustable.


Spectre: A ghostly enemy that screams when it gets close to the player. Being a spirit, it always knows where the player is and moves in unpredictable bursts. Can be killed but is immune to other spectres. Adjust its power and heaviness for different effects.




Dirt Field: Just like the empty lot next to Grandma's house. Or maybe not.







Grass Field: I can almost feel the blades of grass under my feet.








Asphalt Lot: Perfect for those car tryouts.








3 New Songs by Kevin MacLeod: Feel like a voyage though time? Try 'Disco' and 'Funkorama'. Or set up a good confrontation with 'Mighty and Meek'.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Over 2,000 user-created games on PlayCrafter!

As of today, we have over 2,000 user-generated games on PlayCrafter. We have certainly enjoyed playing them all and have chosen a subset of those games to be "Staff Picks". You can see the list of all staff-picked games when clicking on "Play" from the home page.

A sample of our staff-picked games:
  • The Golden Dugeon by Sushi, a treasure hunting game in a golden maze
  • Mini Golf Part 2 by ShaunBanshee, a clever mini-golf with solid level design
  • Sticks War by Superfly, a platformer game where your fellow soldiers provide cover through the levels
  • Escape of Minotauros by BlackLordX, an avoidance game where you have to survive the onslaught of minotaurs

Friday, September 12, 2008

New Pieces: Phoenix KT, Tire, Tire Wall and Tree

Our new pieces this week take a slightly different turn: a player controlled car, some tires and tire walls to build a track and a tree to decorate. Enjoy your ride in the country!

Phoenix KT: Here are the keys, go take it for a spin! This player piece is keyboard controlled. Press the Up arrow to move forward, the Down arrow for reverse, Left and Right arrows to turn. Adjust the weight and maximum speed for different feels.



Tire Wall: Make up your own track with this environmental piece. You can adjust its bounciness.





Tire: Send it flying. A dynamic obstacle, you can adjust its weight and bounciness for different effects.






Maple Tree: A little tree here, another there and soon you'll have a forest. Changes color, not necessarily according to the seasons. A decorative piece, overlap them to create different shapes.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Grand Opening Giveaway Winner Announced

Our Grand Opening Giveaway has ended and we are pleased to announce the winner: obrienLuke!

To qualify for an Xbox 360, a Playstation 3 or a Wii and $100 in game downloads, you had to sign up PlayCrafter in our first month. Every friend you invited who signed up for PlayCrafter gave you another entry into the giveaway.

The email we sent obrienLuke informing him that he had won the Grand Opening Giveaway found him in China, volunteering at an orphanage near Langfang, one hour and a half south of Beijing. obrienLuke normally resides in the county of Suffolk, England.

PlayCrafter: "How long where you at the orphanage? What was your motivation for going there?"
obrienLuke: "I'm interested in China. [...] I stayed there for 2 weeks with the hope of working there in the future, there are building a school so they will let me know when it's complete and I will teach computers (like MS Office and such)."

PlayCrafter: "What are you planning on doing with your prize?"
obrienLuke: "I would like it for my brother who will be leaving home."

PlayCrafter: "Where is your brother going? How old is he?"
obrienLuke: "My brother is 19 and he works at a nuclear power plant as an apprentice, at the moment he gets up early every day so he is thinking about moving closer."

Congratulations to obrienLuke (and his brother) for winning an Xbox 360 and 8,000 Xbox points in the PlayCrafter Grand Opening Giveaway!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

New Pieces: Sir Wolfe, Paddle, Cloud and Seeker Mine

An unusual week for new pieces: two player pieces and a decorative piece. Enjoy!

Sir Wolfe: He fights for freedom and civil rights. Either that or he is a conquistador. In any case, this top-down view little guy knows how to handle his sword!




Precision Paddle: It's precise alright. This breakout-style paddle offers a much finer control of the ball than it's cousin, the Paddle.





Cumulus: Don't let it's name fool you, this cloud is as fluffy as they come. A decorative piece, it's sole purpose is to, well, decorate. You can overlap several of them to create different shapes.




Seeker Mine: It not only looks ominous, it is! It will chase after you if you get too close and it explodes on contact.