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- Written by: Matej Pavlič
There's this guy Niko, we used to work together. He loves meatballs so every lunch break he ordered them if available. We all knew they were probably not well done and the potatoes are made of powder but he tried it anyway. So obviously every time something was wrong. And then on one of those occasions we thought all finally clicked for him but...
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- Written by: Matej Pavlič
7. Game Froot
7. Game Froot
Well speaking of repeating myself :D. Game Froot is again a web based game maker. It looks like a combination of Construct 3 and Stencyl. Scripting or object definition is once again made puzzle way and I can say it's still quite confusing.
Tutorial
I made a simple clicker that can be developed with images from the site and with help from instructions. Had to read it a couple of times on occasions and some of the functions are a bit different but I made it work in the end. Was also playing around with other tutorials which show specific topics. Most of them are only available when wou upgrade though.
Link to the game on Game Froot site but no promises on it, working as I have problems making it work myself.
Interface
The interface is not too complex and you can find your surroundings quickly. Middle section is again used for laying out your levels and scripting while the left is for properties, scripting puzzle blocks and images. On the right you can have the tutorial open while you create your games.
Scripting
Game Froot uses puzzle like scripting for your objects/sprites/player/actors or whatever you want to call them after so many reviews. I can say that it is confusing as going through the tutorial does not explain why you're using a certain block so probably a lot more reading is necessary before you delve into making your actual game. The tutorial I've done is using a lot of copy pasted blocks so the work is a bit faster after initial setup.
Pricing
I can say that pricing is reasonable considering the platforms you can publish too which are Web, Android and iOS. Goes for 100$ while downloading the code costs another 99$. Seems to be focused more on educational establishments.
Showcase
Getting a bit more info looks to be impossible at the moment as I can't reach certain parts of the website so not even sure if the software is being developed anymore. Would guess that at least the page would be working without issues. So not much to tell about games made with Game Froot other than the ones you can see tutorials for.
Score
It's a decent software but I have to note one thing. When using a browser for making your games it's very important not to clog up the memory as otherwise things start stalling and there is a lag in input. So don't go playing and making games at the same time. A bit higher score based on pricing but since I have not bought it I can't say it really delivers and some info is not available.
Difficulty: 8
Literature: 9
Cost: 6
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Overall score: 7
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- Written by: Matej Pavlič
I'm cheating a lot lately. I used the same comic again and just changed the text. Well at least it was done quickly :D
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- Written by: Matej Pavlič
Godot & Unity
Well this was supposed to be a review of Godot which is next on my list, but during my research I've discovered that, while Godot would be a perfect fit since it is both 2D and 3D, it's also open source and free. But the main problem is that you need to know how to code, which I incidentally don't. It used it's one programming language similar to Python. It does look very professional and is sad to do more than other drag & drop game makers can't. The options are said to limitless.
Same goes for Unity. It requires coding so at the moment both are no go for me. If I ever delve deep into the coding part of game making a review is to follow on these two or at least one.
So the reviews continue with GDevelop.
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- Written by: Matej Pavlič
8. GDevelop
8. GDevelop
GDevelop is an open source game maker with possibility of deployment to most of the systems. It has some similarities to Construct 3 in the "coding" part otherwise it's again a combination of all the previous programs. So really nothing new other than the user interface.
Tutorial
In this tutorial I once again did a top down shooter with a canon shooting at oncoming tanks. You can test it out on the following link.
Interface
The interface is simple with the familiar setup. Scene in the middle, objects and properties on the right. Game properties are on the left and can be hidden.
Events
Events are what define objects in GDevelop and look similar to the ones in Construct 3. You have plenty of drop down options to choose from which should be enough for a game you're planning.
Pricing
Pricing seems reasonable as you can make games for free with limits of packaging. Packaging limit extends on subscription while you get all the other options for 2€ a month.
Showcase
Plenty of games can be found on their website and some of them look pretty decent. Take a look and see if any of them is up to your expectations.
Score
Probably the cons of each software only become obvious after a prolonged usage on specific examples. But at this stage I can say that GDevelop is up there with the rest but what sticks out is the price. Since you can make the most of the game for free and start a subscription only when you're ready and need more testing.
Difficulty: 8
Literature: 9
Cost: 7
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Overall score: 8
