May 2022 Update - Steam Next Fest!
almost 4 years ago – Wed, May 11, 2022 at 10:18:53 AM

This month's update is an announcement that Spell Blaster will be featured in the upcoming Steam Next Fest which begins June 13th! That means you guys can finally get a chance to play a new demo next month! I'm looking forward to getting impressions and feedback, and for the game to gain a bigger audience.

And with that, I'm off to continue working on the game. See you again next month for the big event! 

-Sudo (Developer)

April 2022 Update - Part 2
almost 4 years ago – Sun, Apr 17, 2022 at 08:41:16 PM

Title Screen Update!

The title screen for the game has been updated with some new animations. I was inspired by the old Sonic title screens with the way Sonic and Tails would pop up into view. Eventually the animations will change as well dependng on where you are in the menu, with Load Game or Options showing Marza and Pan in their thinking poses as you make a decision. 

Let me know what you think in the comments!

I'll be back next month for more updates! Enjoy your April and Happy Easter to those who celebrate :)

April 2022 Update - Spells & Sidescrolling
about 4 years ago – Sat, Apr 02, 2022 at 08:35:04 AM

Hello once again everyone! It has been another busy month for me both in my personal life and in developing Spell Blaster. As always, I thank you for your patience and support as I work toward completing the game. Today I'd like to share with you some new stuff!

Spells & Sidescrolling

If you played Link's Awakening you'll remember the sidescrolling levels in parts of the dungeons. This is an idea I've been thinking about for a while to add to Spell Blaster. It should be fun to have some added variety in the gameplay as you discover these sidescrolling areas throughout various stages in the game.

Featured in the above video you'll see some WIP gameplay of the following Spells:

• Arrow: Fire a magical arrow projectile to strike foes and objects from a distance.
• Bomb: Plant an orb of magical energy on the ground that will explode after a short while.
• Hover Dash: Send yourself flying over pits and traps and slam into enemies.
• Wave: Shoot a wave that deals damage on impact and applies a Wet status effect to enemies.
• Voltage: A burst of electrical energy that stuns and damages enemies.

Please keep in mind that not all effects/sounds have been finalized so some of these are subject to change as I fine-tune things. :)

Stage Theme Variations

Now each stage will come with a 'cave/underground' variant for when players enter sidescrolling caves. In the above video you can hear as I swap between the normal stage version of Green Woods Zone theme, and the interior version, which has reverb and the drums replaced. The tracks work seamlessly with one another so transitioning between outside and inside music will sound perfect!

Next Update preview...

I was pretty late with this update and still didn't finish up everything I planned for, so I'll be delivering another update this month to make up for it! Stay tuned.

February 2022 Update
about 4 years ago – Sun, Feb 13, 2022 at 10:37:04 PM

Hey everyone! Development continues to move forward on Spell Blaster!

Today I'd like to show you the progress made on the updated World Map Menu. 

This is where the player will select a Zone, a Stage, and then Select Players/Equipment. 

The map in the background is still in design process so don't take it as the final look! :)

Hopefully the updated world map menu system should be intuitive and enjoyable for you guys. Please feel free to leave any feedback you may have on it as well! 

We've also got some new graphics done this month:

Here's a selection of NPCs you'll be able to meet in the Castle Town:

As for new music, check out this tune you'll be able to hear when exploring the inside of the Royal Castle at Castle Town:

 That's all for today.

I'll be seeing you next month for more updates!

-Sudo (Developer)

January 2022 Update!
about 4 years ago – Sat, Jan 15, 2022 at 10:38:41 PM

Hello everyone! Today's post I wanted to show off some new content in the game, as well as some of my thought process. Some of this will serve as a recap for those of you that are in the Discord, for everyone else this will be new stuff.

So let's dive right in!

Castle Town

 Castle Town serves as a 'hub world' for the player. Your gameplay sessions will begin and end in this sprawling town overseen by the King & Queen of Meridia. In the town square you'll find various shops, NPCs to talk to, and side activities to participate in. You'll also be able to head to the World Map and select which stage to play.

Take a listen to Castle Town's theme here.

Gameplay Loop Revised

The addition of Castle Town came about as I spent a lot of time revising the core gameplay loop of Spell Blaster. To be quite honest, this had been one of the toughest problems I've faced in terms of game design. I knew the gameplay was pretty solid based on feedback from the demo, but I realized if I wanted the experience to be more in-depth and engaging for players, there had to be a stronger structure for the gameplay loop. So here's how it will work:

•  Player starts at Castle Town Hub: buy items/equipment/talk to NPCs/minigames
• Player goes to World Map to select a stage, set players (1 or 2) and choose equipment
•  Player begins Stage (explore, fight, solve puzzles, collect rewards)
• Player returns to World Map to select another stage or return to Castle Town Hub
• Repeat

With that structure in mind, I've also revised how Stages will work. 

Each 'Zone' is a collection of 4 stages, and each stage has unique elements tied to the Zone's theme. Here's an example:

Green Woods Zone:

• Stage 1: Woodlands
• Stage 2: Riverside Cliffs
• Stage 3: Fort Goblino
• Stage 4: Forest Sanctuary (Boss Fight)

Ancient Temple Zone:

• Stage 1: Jungle
• Stage 2: Swamplands
• Stage 3: Temple Exterior
• Stage 4: Temple Interior (Boss Fight)

Each stage is designed to be easily repeatable, with some elements of randomness in terms of rewards, enemies, and other surprises. Each stage also has a set of bonus challenges that unlock after completion which will allow players to return to the stage to take on a greater challenge! I am designing the stages to be completed in roughly 15 mins bursts. So you could theoretically spend an hour in each Zone. (That's not counting collecting everything, secrets, and bonus challenges!)

A New Perspective

In a previous update I mentioned working on a depth system to allow for more interesting gameplay. Currently we're working on adding a more 'zelda-like' perspective to cliffs and walls in the stages which aids in simulating that depth and make a lot of the design/programming around it much easier to deal with!

Enemy Spawns & Battles

I've been working on designing set piece moments on stages where enemies will spawn in, triggering a battle! 

Karl has been working on battle themes that will fade in and replace the stage theme while these battles are active. Check out the recent music additions:

Desert Ruins Battle Theme

Sunken Temple Battle Theme

Wands & Arrow

While Diego had been on leave for the past month, I tapped my friend Standard Enemy to take over some art duties. I wanted to go for another update on the attack animation. Marza can now collect and equip wands that will have varying properties to use in combat. They'll also have a variety of color and animations!

The magic ball spell has also been replaced with an Arrow Spell instead. I think it's pretty cool! 

Q&A Next Update!

For next month's update post, I'd love to do a Q&A section. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments and I'll answer them all in the next update!

That's all for today.

See you again soon,

-Sudo (Developer)