EmptyCrate Software. Travel. Stuff.

I recently released the EmptyCrate Game Engine and have since written 6 games for the engine. These 6 games represent the first adventure games I have ever worked on, so I thought I would take the time here to share some of what I have learned in the process.

The primary goal of the EmptyCrate Game Engine was to make it possible to release new adventure games quickly and easily, and it has succeeded at that goal, as I have managed to release 5 games with 6 weeks of work (the Covered City series). However, some of the games have been better received than others.

What Works

• Varied locations

Providing a variety of locations and views for the game player to work with seems to increase the game player's interest.
(examples: Pinheads, Covered City Episode 2)

• Puzzles

At least some sort of puzzle which is not completely obvious needs to be in the game for it to be well received.
(examples: Pinheads, Covered City Episode 1)

What Doesn't Work

• Noticeable reuse of graphics

I thought that it would be possible to reuse graphics in such a way that the game player would not release notice or mind. Taking, for example, the comic Dr McNinja. In a recent page the author uses the same exact graphics for 3 of the panels and even calls attention to it in the mouse over comment.
(examples: Covered City Episode 4)

• Plot only episodes

I also thought I would be able to provide an episode with no puzzles and only some background story. This was also not well received. Perhaps it would have been better received if the episode moved the plot forward using dialog or character interaction instead of in game comments?
(examples: Covered City Episode 3)

What Surprised Me

• Lack of Additional Characters Goes Unnoticed

In no single comment I have received has the lack of additional characters in the Covered City series been mentioned. Character interaction is a very important part of adventure games to me.

• Plot Largely Goes Unnoticed

As the game designer, the plot is one of the main points of the game, and it reflects the story I am trying to tell. However, I would not be surprised if just a random collection of puzzles and locations with no real plot would be at least as popular as an episodic adventure game series with a deep plot. This is because the game player seems to be more focused on the current task at hand, not the story. This conclusion matches the "What Doesn't Work" section above.