SawHead Concept Shot

This is where I'm headed graphics-wise with the SawHead project. Pretty happy with it so far, just need to come up with a nice background.

Early Sideroller Versions

Click the images below to play some earlier versions of sideroller. I really had no plan when I started this project. Basically I discovered Box2D and just started trying out anything I could think of and seeing what felt fun, so these early versions (besides the third one) really feel like different games entirely.

This is the earliest prototype I built. About the only thing I kept from this is the central rolling mechanic and the piles of vegetables. use arrow keys to move, space to roll.

This version was online at sideroller.com for some time. A core mechanic of this version is "telekinetic" mode, which you enter by clicking yourself. In this mode you can draw shapes with the mouse that interact with the rest of the physics world. It was a fun mechanic but I couldn't figure out how to get it to work with everything else.

The ninjas in the second level were my first attempt at making enemies. Their limbs, powered by prismatic joints, move & bounce them around. Eventually I realized it was much easier to use simple shapes for enemies and move them with forces.

Visually I was pursuing a neon-lights at night look; sharp, bright lines over a dark background using vector graphics. I abandoned this after realizing I could create much better graphics using detailed bitmap fills, which also happened to be better for performance.

Things are finally starting to look and feel like the final version. In the "demon" level of this version the flesh texture is animated, adding just a bit more creepiness. Turns out animating bitmap fills really slows down flash. In the final version I had the muscle & guts texture pulse in sync with the heartbeat looping in the background. It looked awesome but I had to cut it to keep Flash from grinding to a halt.

This version also has an ice world. I couldn't work this into the story of the final version (except for the brief glimpse in the space world), but I've got a place for it if I develop a sequel.

Indie Impressions

Indie Impressions, a youTube channel that reviews obscure, unique games, did a review of Sideroller. I recommend checking out their channel if you're into that sort of thing. They've reviewed some pretty cool looking games I would've never have heard about otherwise.

Next Project?

Below is the logo for the next project I'm considering. I really want to continue the Sideroller universe, but I beginning to think the full story I want to tell is too involved for the arena of Flash games. So I'm thinking of creating something simple & short with maximum immediate impact. Basically the idea behind this project is to juxtapose a cute, serene, fluffy world with extreme blood and guts spewing ultra-violence. Beyond that I don't really want to reveal anything at this point, except that I've got some really awesome looking blood splatter effects running in Flash.

As for the fate of the Sideroller universe, I hope to return to it someday. The full story I want to develop is about 3 times the length of what goes on in the current game, and much of what goes on is foreshadowing events I had planned for the follow up.

Level Maps

Click the links below to view full maps of each level from Sideroller. Creating these levels was definitely the most challenging & satisfying part of development. It was the point at which everything - the graphics, game mechanics, storyline, etc. - finally snapped together into a coherent whole and I actually had a video game. I thought it might be fun to let others see them from the same high level view I had while putting them together.

• First Space Level
• First Demon Level
• Second Space Level
• First Castle Level
• Second Castle Level
• Second Demon Level
• Third Castle Level

Also, a couple of sites have noticed Sideroller and written reviews:

• Review on diygamer.com
• Review on jayisgames.com

Greetings audience of zero! Depending on the reception Sideroller gets, I'm going to use the this blog to document the follow up project, whether it be a continuation of the Sideroller universe or something different entirely. I also plan on posting a video walkthrough on how to find all of the game's secrets, and snapshots of the various stages of development. Thanks for playing!