My favorite game in the collection, Night Manor, is actually a good case for the simplicity of scope making for great game design. Games that inspired it, like Shadowgate or Deja Vu, had a lot of moon logic and red herrings. No such things exist in the game, and several items you find provide solutions for the puzzles or problems you need to solve. It's definitely not as simple as "what if Balloon Fight but ninjas" like Ninpek, but I would say Night Manor is better than the games that inspire it just for the simplicity and reduction of scope.
I very much agree. I think many of the games in UFO50 are better than what inspired them for the same reason. They almost perfect what the original games set out to do. Well said
@@Peebly I think Mooncat might be my favorite. UFO50 captures the feeling of booting up an NES game as a kid and having no idea what the game is really going to be until you play it, and Mooncat truly sends me back to that starting point with how awkward the controls are and how surreal the visuals and music are. Sometimes, all a game needs to do is capture a feeling. That sort of design I find way more prevalent in indie games, since they have that concise, auteur design.
I think my takeaways are more about vision than scope. Most all of the games in this collection are pretty complex, and a number of them are longer than some modern indie games. But even when they're on the longer side, the games all have a very focused vision. You mentioned Paint Chase as a super simple game, but it actually introduces a lot of mechanics over the course of the levels. One of the biggest tests in later levels is that some enemies will run you over unless you have a speed boost and others will make you slip if you are moving too fast, so you have to learn speed control. It preserves the vision of "level-based arcade turf war with cars," and the mechanics build on that foundation. Attactics has a similarly clear vision: the player's primary challenge is to figure out the right positioning for their units, so the game slowly introduces more units with simple but unique positional abilities. Even Bushido Ball, which is practically just an evolution of Pong, has just enough mechanics to get some really deep gameplay. Each character has their own special move and secondary weapon, and there are enough ways to hit the ball to mix up your opponent a lot. Heck, I don't like playing Planet Zoldath, but it's clearly a procedurally generated take on classic Zelda games where the challenge is to find tools, figure out how they work, and use them to get other tools and eventually find the items you need to complete the game, all while avoiding creatures who behave slightly differently each time you play. Mossmouth has done an incredible job of finding interesting concepts, developing them only in ways that align with those concepts, and cutting anything that doesn't fit. Also, with Magic Garden, imo it's actually not really like Snake or Pac-Man. While you do have to move carefully to avoid hitting blue oppies, which is kind of like avoiding the ghosts in Pac-Man, the overall gameplay structure is more like Tetris. To maximize points in Magic Garden, you set up by getting a bunch of potions onscreeen at once, then you clear the entire screen of blue oppies by grabbing one potion, running a bunch of oppies over, and renewing the timer by collecting another potion, rinse and repeat. It's like building a stack in Tetris and getting multiple tetrises or line clears in a row once you start to near the top of the screen. It just so happens that this weird Snake/Pac-Man fusion idea is a really great starting point for that kind of gameplay. You just have to be careful when trying to marry two cool ideas like this, because they might not work _together_. Even if they do, you run the risk of not realizing why they work together, and then you may end up adding something else that doesn't work with the first two things. It can be immensely helpful to occasionally stop, look at what you have, try to pinpoint what you like most about it and why, and consider eliminating any elements that are straying too far from that core idea.
I appreciate your correction of my lens. Vision is a far more apt way of describing what I was trying to get at. As I’ve played more I’ve discovered that many games are fairly complex. I still hold that the scope is small, but less so in terms of game mechanics and more so in terms of the assets, and sequence of each title. They held back and did not develop each title into a full game. Each remain a glimpse. I’m thinking most notably about Mooncat. This game could easily rival many platformers both new and old. It asks you to master its control scheme and then apply it over the course of the game. Secrets exists within its many stages, yet it still only has 3 final stages. Similarly Bushido Ball, only contains 6 characters. A short roster compared with any fighting/sports game roster. In order to achieve the level of focus that each game had they still pair down the scope of each title to a level that allows them to evoke the experience they intend for each title. I’m not good enough at Magic Garden to start creating its versions of Tetris’s. The game is no longer snake or paceman but something different, yet it still remains an obvious innovation on both. The emergence of the new Tetris like experience was brought about (I imagine) by attempting to innovate on snake. Just as I imagine Bushido ball was brought about by a yearning to make pong fun. This game is ever deep and contains no shortage of lessons for those who are looking to be inspired. Thank you for your detailed thoughts, and for helping bolster my understanding of this outstanding game!
If you want to do a deeper dive into the concept of scope, I highly recommend you play Mini and Max. It's game 45; fifth on the bottom row, with the small girl standing on a dog's head. The game is entirely about... scope. Check it out!
Now that this video is getting some views I think there is precedent for some deeper dives into both concepts and more. I will most definitely check it out.
That Magic Garden game is actually similar to something I thought up while watching the video and hearing you say "innovation on snake" so when I saw the game I was very surprised it was like my idea though not entirely like it.
My next video is partly about this happening. It’s funny how often it happens to me as well. Something I’ve made or outlined I stumble across on steam or itch all the time. Kind of eerie in a way.
The devil bombing game is actually a demake of an old DOS game (I think it was called Diabolika) I remember playing it after finding about it in Home of the Underdogs
Great video. I’ve been grinding tutorials and this video gave me a solid idea for the first game I should try and make on my own without feeling overwhelmed.
I’m glad. That is part of my hope with the videos I make. Game development is a lot. But you can still make really amazing things without making something overly complex.
Hard to NOT recommend UFO50. It is best game of 2024 for me. And candidate for a GOAT status in the future. I give it a almost 100% probability for that. it's content is incredible.
UFO 50 is a masterpiece! I’ve always wanted to get into game development, but I can’t seem to wrap my head around coding. I feel like I get the logic, but it’s so hard for me to focus on it lol
It’s all about scope. Start by making something stupid simple like a button making a number go up. Subscribe for some future inspiration/easy on ramps to development.
3:04 This is how the game has always been conceptualized and pitched during its development. The team always goes out of their way to clarify that it’s *not* a minigame collection and each game is intended to feel full
The biggest (maybe only?) mistake they made in this collection of not making instruction manuals. Most of the games have abilities and items that have no in game tool tips (fine for the era but they used to come with instruction manuals).
One note, it says right on the Steam page these *aren't* minigames. They're limited in scope, but most of the games are certainly as 'full' as many NES-era titles; they're only 'mini' in comparison to some of the late-era titles like SMB3 or Kirby's Adventure and the like.
I for sure want to keep doing Godot stuff. Do you have any tutorials you want to see? Should I make some concrete tutorials or something between this video and a tutorial, sharing development philosophy in Godot? Thanks for the sub!
@@Peebly I would say try working with a bit of both. Alternate between design philosophy videos and raw "how to" tutorials. As for specific subjects, well right now I've been working a lot in 3D gridmaps. So that could be a good starting point.
@@Peebly minimize the thumbnail to like 10-25%. you will barely be able to read it. you will notice UFO50 looks somewhat clear at that size, that means it IS possible. So then you just have to fix your own font, chose a thicker font. and unless its a style decision made on purpose, I would not use serif fonts as when they are big they tend to be less readable than sans serif. Yellow is a good color choice as it easily stands out with your dark black outline. I would also avoid using drop shadows in thumbnails unless it really adds something. most of the time it just makes it cluttered.
@@JuhoSpritethank you for the very useful tips. I think I will stick with yellow but try to choose a more readable font. I did notice it got a bit illegible when I posted… but I honestly didn’t expect anyone to watch this so I left it 😅. Next one will be better thanks to you.
If being a better developer means that I’m more aware of aspects of game design that I was previously less aware of… I think no. But I respect your opinion if you believe being a better developer relates more to the hard skills necessary to bring a game to fruition :)
@@Peebly I was thinking more along the lines of it doesn't count unless you actively do it. So if you use this new awareness then yes, you're a better developer. But if in a years time you look back and see you didn't use it at all, and you just did the same thing as before, and only gave lip-service to this advice then are you really a better developer?
@@iwantagoodnamepleasewhat @mezzb said. You’re totally right. The game I’m currently making goes against a lot of what is said in this video, but I think being a developer is an ongoing process. The world developer implies constant action and that action includes consistent reframing of your process prior to any actual code or art being created. But you are correct. I am not sure yet if this game actually has made me better. But it has inspired me to try and be better, and I can only hope that in the future I live up to my own hopes!
@@mezzbThanks for the support. You hit the nail on the head. I was just trying to make something interesting that people might click on. No idea thousands of people were going to watch this.
The game is a 50 games reskin it is a scam I would rather play the origional nes than this that how bad it is can't beleive derek yu would produce such a bad product.
The contrast you make between the snake game you made and the one in ufo 50 is helpful. I will think of it next time im pondering innovation
Thank you. I was worried my point got lost in my rambling.
This has too be one of my favourite type of videos, a deep dive with examples from your own journey. What a pleasure too watch
Wow, thank you. I’m glad it’s resonating!
My favorite game in the collection, Night Manor, is actually a good case for the simplicity of scope making for great game design. Games that inspired it, like Shadowgate or Deja Vu, had a lot of moon logic and red herrings. No such things exist in the game, and several items you find provide solutions for the puzzles or problems you need to solve. It's definitely not as simple as "what if Balloon Fight but ninjas" like Ninpek, but I would say Night Manor is better than the games that inspire it just for the simplicity and reduction of scope.
I very much agree. I think many of the games in UFO50 are better than what inspired them for the same reason. They almost perfect what the original games set out to do. Well said
@@Peebly I think Mooncat might be my favorite. UFO50 captures the feeling of booting up an NES game as a kid and having no idea what the game is really going to be until you play it, and Mooncat truly sends me back to that starting point with how awkward the controls are and how surreal the visuals and music are. Sometimes, all a game needs to do is capture a feeling. That sort of design I find way more prevalent in indie games, since they have that concise, auteur design.
I think my takeaways are more about vision than scope. Most all of the games in this collection are pretty complex, and a number of them are longer than some modern indie games. But even when they're on the longer side, the games all have a very focused vision. You mentioned Paint Chase as a super simple game, but it actually introduces a lot of mechanics over the course of the levels. One of the biggest tests in later levels is that some enemies will run you over unless you have a speed boost and others will make you slip if you are moving too fast, so you have to learn speed control. It preserves the vision of "level-based arcade turf war with cars," and the mechanics build on that foundation. Attactics has a similarly clear vision: the player's primary challenge is to figure out the right positioning for their units, so the game slowly introduces more units with simple but unique positional abilities. Even Bushido Ball, which is practically just an evolution of Pong, has just enough mechanics to get some really deep gameplay. Each character has their own special move and secondary weapon, and there are enough ways to hit the ball to mix up your opponent a lot. Heck, I don't like playing Planet Zoldath, but it's clearly a procedurally generated take on classic Zelda games where the challenge is to find tools, figure out how they work, and use them to get other tools and eventually find the items you need to complete the game, all while avoiding creatures who behave slightly differently each time you play. Mossmouth has done an incredible job of finding interesting concepts, developing them only in ways that align with those concepts, and cutting anything that doesn't fit.
Also, with Magic Garden, imo it's actually not really like Snake or Pac-Man. While you do have to move carefully to avoid hitting blue oppies, which is kind of like avoiding the ghosts in Pac-Man, the overall gameplay structure is more like Tetris. To maximize points in Magic Garden, you set up by getting a bunch of potions onscreeen at once, then you clear the entire screen of blue oppies by grabbing one potion, running a bunch of oppies over, and renewing the timer by collecting another potion, rinse and repeat. It's like building a stack in Tetris and getting multiple tetrises or line clears in a row once you start to near the top of the screen. It just so happens that this weird Snake/Pac-Man fusion idea is a really great starting point for that kind of gameplay. You just have to be careful when trying to marry two cool ideas like this, because they might not work _together_. Even if they do, you run the risk of not realizing why they work together, and then you may end up adding something else that doesn't work with the first two things. It can be immensely helpful to occasionally stop, look at what you have, try to pinpoint what you like most about it and why, and consider eliminating any elements that are straying too far from that core idea.
I appreciate your correction of my lens. Vision is a far more apt way of describing what I was trying to get at. As I’ve played more I’ve discovered that many games are fairly complex. I still hold that the scope is small, but less so in terms of game mechanics and more so in terms of the assets, and sequence of each title. They held back and did not develop each title into a full game. Each remain a glimpse. I’m thinking most notably about Mooncat. This game could easily rival many platformers both new and old. It asks you to master its control scheme and then apply it over the course of the game. Secrets exists within its many stages, yet it still only has 3 final stages. Similarly Bushido Ball, only contains 6 characters. A short roster compared with any fighting/sports game roster. In order to achieve the level of focus that each game had they still pair down the scope of each title to a level that allows them to evoke the experience they intend for each title.
I’m not good enough at Magic Garden to start creating its versions of Tetris’s. The game is no longer snake or paceman but something different, yet it still remains an obvious innovation on both. The emergence of the new Tetris like experience was brought about (I imagine) by attempting to innovate on snake. Just as I imagine Bushido ball was brought about by a yearning to make pong fun.
This game is ever deep and contains no shortage of lessons for those who are looking to be inspired. Thank you for your detailed thoughts, and for helping bolster my understanding of this outstanding game!
If you want to do a deeper dive into the concept of scope, I highly recommend you play Mini and Max. It's game 45; fifth on the bottom row, with the small girl standing on a dog's head. The game is entirely about... scope. Check it out!
Now that this video is getting some views I think there is precedent for some deeper dives into both concepts and more. I will most definitely check it out.
It's ny favorite game so far; and the first one I finished. I'm considering getting cherry on it, too.
Mini in Max is legit one of the best!
Awesome video. Love how straightforward your style is
Thank you
That Magic Garden game is actually similar to something I thought up while watching the video and hearing you say "innovation on snake" so when I saw the game I was very surprised it was like my idea though not entirely like it.
My next video is partly about this happening. It’s funny how often it happens to me as well. Something I’ve made or outlined I stumble across on steam or itch all the time. Kind of eerie in a way.
The devil bombing game is actually a demake of an old DOS game (I think it was called Diabolika)
I remember playing it after finding about it in Home of the Underdogs
Now I have something to run on my DOS emulator!
Quibble race is also dos demake. Still called quibble race. And has a 2004 newgrounds version
Great video. I’ve been grinding tutorials and this video gave me a solid idea for the first game I should try and make on my own without feeling overwhelmed.
I’m glad. That is part of my hope with the videos I make. Game development is a lot. But you can still make really amazing things without making something overly complex.
"trying to make TH-cam videos" hey me too! Every project will help you work out a process. Good video and good luck!
Thanks, you too!
Hard to NOT recommend UFO50. It is best game of 2024 for me. And candidate for a GOAT status in the future. I give it a almost 100% probability for that. it's content is incredible.
💯
campanella 1 is SO FUN i've hardly tried any other game so far i'm hopelessly addicted to this stupid spaceship game
UFO 50 is a masterpiece!
I’ve always wanted to get into game development, but I can’t seem to wrap my head around coding. I feel like I get the logic, but it’s so hard for me to focus on it lol
It’s all about scope. Start by making something stupid simple like a button making a number go up. Subscribe for some future inspiration/easy on ramps to development.
3:04 This is how the game has always been conceptualized and pitched during its development. The team always goes out of their way to clarify that it’s *not* a minigame collection and each game is intended to feel full
They nailed it. What an amazing accomplishment.
Absolute fire man
You fire man
The biggest (maybe only?) mistake they made in this collection of not making instruction manuals. Most of the games have abilities and items that have no in game tool tips (fine for the era but they used to come with instruction manuals).
Solid take. It would’ve been cool to see at least some instruction pages mocked up like an old manual.
saved this to my watch later playlist, but i’m glad youtube is recommending smaller channels recently. looking forward to watching this :)
Welcome aboard!
One note, it says right on the Steam page these *aren't* minigames. They're limited in scope, but most of the games are certainly as 'full' as many NES-era titles; they're only 'mini' in comparison to some of the late-era titles like SMB3 or Kirby's Adventure and the like.
Great content👍
Much appreciated
great video! Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
Nice. Subscribed
Heck yea, thank you!
Sweet video man
Thanks man
@@Peebly uhhhhhh you forgot to switch accounts there
@@danyukhinlol I was just thanking myself
I was thinking of how I can learn a bunch of UFO 50, and then this video pooped in my feed.
I barely scratched the surface this thing is a trove of good ideas!
i wish you were my english teacher
On my lunch break rn. Made my day, thank you! 😂
He’s the best there is I assure you
@@Wyatt_859 i’m moving to wear you live
Sweet video buddy
Thanks 👍
hell yea brother
Ty homie
Okay I'm subbing, but don't move away from the godot content. I wanna see more tutorials
I for sure want to keep doing Godot stuff. Do you have any tutorials you want to see? Should I make some concrete tutorials or something between this video and a tutorial, sharing development philosophy in Godot? Thanks for the sub!
@@Peebly I would say try working with a bit of both. Alternate between design philosophy videos and raw "how to" tutorials.
As for specific subjects, well right now I've been working a lot in 3D gridmaps. So that could be a good starting point.
Imagine if this came out instead of Action 52 back in the day.
Ok now random thought apart and not to demerit anything, would it be worth 200usd lol?
Dulce video, hombre
Gracias amigo
gud vid
Ty vro
The thumbnail needs some work
Hit me with some tips, this was my 2nd video essay. I'm still figuring things out.
@@Peebly minimize the thumbnail to like 10-25%. you will barely be able to read it. you will notice UFO50 looks somewhat clear at that size, that means it IS possible. So then you just have to fix your own font, chose a thicker font. and unless its a style decision made on purpose, I would not use serif fonts as when they are big they tend to be less readable than sans serif. Yellow is a good color choice as it easily stands out with your dark black outline. I would also avoid using drop shadows in thumbnails unless it really adds something. most of the time it just makes it cluttered.
@@JuhoSpritethank you for the very useful tips. I think I will stick with yellow but try to choose a more readable font. I did notice it got a bit illegible when I posted… but I honestly didn’t expect anyone to watch this so I left it 😅. Next one will be better thanks to you.
Isn't a bit premature to be saying it's made you a better developer? :)
If being a better developer means that I’m more aware of aspects of game design that I was previously less aware of… I think no. But I respect your opinion if you believe being a better developer relates more to the hard skills necessary to bring a game to fruition :)
@@Peebly I was thinking more along the lines of it doesn't count unless you actively do it. So if you use this new awareness then yes, you're a better developer. But if in a years time you look back and see you didn't use it at all, and you just did the same thing as before, and only gave lip-service to this advice then are you really a better developer?
@@iwantagoodnamepleasewhat @mezzb said. You’re totally right. The game I’m currently making goes against a lot of what is said in this video, but I think being a developer is an ongoing process. The world developer implies constant action and that action includes consistent reframing of your process prior to any actual code or art being created.
But you are correct. I am not sure yet if this game actually has made me better. But it has inspired me to try and be better, and I can only hope that in the future I live up to my own hopes!
@@mezzbThanks for the support. You hit the nail on the head. I was just trying to make something interesting that people might click on. No idea thousands of people were going to watch this.
The game is a 50 games reskin it is a scam I would rather play the origional nes than this that how bad it is can't beleive derek yu would produce such a bad product.
Interesting take. Which game on the NES would you say has a lesser counterpart in UFO50?
@@Peebly I think he was being sarcastic