Beach Drive done

Dev diaries
#1

Hi to all.

Today i release my new game (endless runner) - Beach Drive. Driving your favorite car, rush along the tropical beach avoiding obstacles. Collect coins, buy new cars and open additional content. Remember the pleasant moments of summer vacation!

Published at:

  1. itchio free HTML5 build https://splashshadow.itch.io/beachdrive
  2. paid GooglePlay version https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.drunk.chip.robotics.beachdrive

What is next:

  1. release Android free version with admob extension.
  2. try to deliver HTML5 builds to Kongregate + Newsgrounds with portal APIs support

Thank you for attention.

12 Likes
#2
  • Maybe make the game speed slowly increase over time?
  • The bg beach / bird sounds seems a little loud and repetitive.
  • You could have some of the obstacles be animated with 2 frames of flipbook animation such as the crabs.
  • Maybe decrease the hitbox of the vehicle?
  • Add obstacle which shoots projectiles? Would only work well if there is a smaller car hitbox.
  • Should have a distance traveled / time alive highscore too and then say in game when they beat their highscore. For distance you could have a dotted line showing best distance and other values such as average or last run.
  • I would remove the 3 lives. Make it harder, instant death, but give more room to maneuver and avoid obstacles.
  • You could very slightly rotate the vehicle sprite as you move to the left or right.
  • Have a different hit sound depending on the obstacle you hit?
  • What does level 2 etc do?
  • If you make more vehicle sprites and then make it random which vehicle you can unlock next you’ll make more from ads.
  • Add ascending tones for the collectibles… adjust the pitch upward slightly when you collect multiple coins in quick succession.

There should be an arrow pointing downward on this screen below the text so they know to select from these ones. There is not enough separation between the bottom selection area and the top area.

3 Likes
#3

Congrats on a fully released game!
I agree on the points above, would be great to see the difficulty increase somehow and have some animated features in there.

1 Like
#4

Yes, all you points is good. But this game planned as quick mood arcade and no more. I answer not by the points:

  1. Complexity increases in an unusual way by buying a new level (lvl2 and lvl3) in shop. Each level increase speed and number of obstacles and on lvl3 appear side obstacles. Also with increased difficulty increase probability of gold (pink i mean) coins.
  2. I do some experiments with animation but in final build all obstacles is static. Reason - when in one screen many animated obstacles this is frustrate player, is hard to play on high speed and “aaaaa my eyes, my eyes” :smiley:
  3. This game about mood i dont want punish a player with “instant death”.

What i do in update:

  1. I already reduced several times hitboxes size for car and obstacles. Ok, agreed one more tune needed.
  2. Yes good point about fuel, need right add this feature.
  3. I try add other animation to screen not related to absent obstactle animation. For example - transparent clouds.
  4. Yes, rotation car with left-right movements is right point just need review how it looks in action.

Sorry for bad english :smiley:
Thanks for you feedback.

#5

Android and HTML5 builds updated to v1.1, changelog:

  • now each car has fuel progress bar
  • redraw some sprites
  • add small left-right rotation when player do horizontal movement
  • add fuel bonus
  • rebalance drop of bonuses (coins and fuel)
  • reduce volume of background sounds and seagulls screams
  • deactive test code for instantly get 2500 coins :smiley:
  • change cost of shop items
  • size of hitboxes slightly reduced

Next: i am waiting for Appodeal SDK Defold release … and prepare Free Android version. And trying go to Kongregate + Newsgrounds + Gamejolt portals with medals and his apis …

PS itch.io great portal for indie submissions … but he does not give it himself any traffic for game …

3 Likes
#6

Free version deployed. Game full functional and has UnityVideoAds after “game over”.

5 Likes
#7

Congrats on the release!

2 Likes
#8

Thx! Thx to Defold Team.

3 Likes
#9

Hello!

Just a final game update. I am migrate to new engine version and also update Android builds. Thanks for attention! HTML5 build here https://splashshadow.itch.io/beachdrive

Changes:

  • some sprites get Krita love
  • some sprites get (minor) frame animations
  • added animated seagull fly
  • added very light clouds
  • added micro animated tutorial before start of run
  • clean up code and simplify physic collitions
  • update HTML5 port
  • update Android ports, now game more robust placed on different screen resolutions
  • use latest Defold Engine version

PS in fact i am looking for a job related to Defold Engine. Open for hire!

5 Likes