Hey it's Matt. I wrote a book ! It's called How to Make a Video Game All By Yourself . I wrote and illustrated it over about 2 years. You should totally check it out. Read all about it here . Buy the physical version here . You can also buy it digitally on Kindle , Itch.io , or Gumroad . Thanks for checking it out! I hope you like it and I hope it helps you make video games.
A Wizard's Lizard is an action roguelike where players control a pet lizard, made by a small, independent game studio in California called Lost Decade Games . Our mission was to make a solid desktop game that would pave the way for our next project, and help our studio thrive. Let's examine the numbers to see how we did. Kickstarter We first Kickstarted the project as Crypt Run in July 2013,…
Whether you celebrate July 4th or not, independence is a grand thing. We here at Lost Decade Games care deeply about independence, and indie games are a fun way to express that. To celebrate properly, we've added a new Skyrocket weapon to A Wizard's Lizard . It's available for purchase in town. If you can't afford it yet, you might need to explore the dungeons to see if any grateful hostages might…
You knew A Wizard's Lizard was coming to Steam because it was greenlit back in February. However! Did you know that there have since been four additional months of hardcore development? New content, features, abilities... there's so much stuff we decided to call this update... A Wizard's Lizard: Immortal Edition ! Seriously, look at all this great new stuff: Meaner Bosses The Zombie Warlord, Sewer…
Remember Asylum Night ? We made it a while ago as part of Indie Speed Run , a 48-hour game jam. We were randomly given the theme "telepathy" and the element "booby-traps" which we had to use in the game. (It also needed to be mobile-friendly so we could license it to portal companies, an internal requirement.) What we came up with is a weird riff on a game Geoff and I both love: Plants VS Zombies.…
It's been over a week since we launched A Wizard's Lizard , and it's been going fairly well! Our Steam Greenlight campaign is currently ranked #80 out of all the games on Greenlight, and we've even seen a healthy dose of sales thanks to attention from popular streamers . We've been hard at work zapping bugs and adding new features to keep up with player demand. The latest version has over 50…
As the year comes to an end, we at Lost Decade Games like to take a step back to see what kind of progress we've made. One of the (few) unique aspects about our game studio is that we have chosen HTML5 as our development platform, a highly controversial technology. Let's take a look and see how HTML5 has served us this year. How was HTML5 as a platform? Technology is arguably the most important…
We're working hard on finishing A Wizard's Lizard (previously Crypt Run ) and I thought it might be fun to visualize how much content this game has so far. Below are incomplete samplings of some of the monsters, objects, traps, weapons, and characters we've added so far: Monsters There are currently over 30 monsters in A Wizard's Lizard, and we haven't even finished the boss encounters yet!…
Big news! Our Kickstarter-backed game Crypt Run is now called A Wizard's Lizard . Why change the name? This isn't a decision that we made lightly. We've been pushing this game for some time, and it's not really resonating with the press. We're grateful for the coverage we've been able to get, but the reality is that this game needs to find a big audience in order to be able to support us. Our…
It's Geoff's birthday! He's 96 or something. Here at Lost Decade, it's kind of a tradition to give each other company-branded products (shirts, stickers, etc.), but we're especially poor at the moment, so instead I animated him and stuck him in Crypt Run. What fun! For Geoff's birthday last year, I added a sprite of him to Lava Blade (a graphic we didn't use until we "launched" Treasure Geoff ).…
From time to time, we get reader or listener email asking about various aspects of developing games in HTML5. Instead of responding directly, we prefer to put the answers up on our blog in case the information can help other developers. Transformations in canvas can be tricky to understand at first. Conceptually, most people tend to think about rotating and scaling individual images. They're often…
Video game composer and arranger Joshua Morse just released his new album Waveform 4 . It features five awesome songs (including my favorite You Got Me ) for just $4. That's cheap folks, so go buy it! Joshua tapped me to do the album art. He had the idea of a Game Boy playing drums, which is obviously an awesome idea. So first I did a quick sketch: Once Joshua gave it the thumbs up, I started…
On July 12th of this year, Lost Decade Games launched a crowdfunding campaign for Crypt Run , our medieval fantasy hack 'n slash game. The goal was $5,000 USD during a 30-day funding period. We made the goal (and many mistakes) during this exhausting campaign. Let's talk about what worked, what didn't, and what we'll do differently next time. What went right 1. Thorough research There's an…
Here's the changelog since the last version of Crypt Run . These updates will soon go out to the currently 78 alpha gamers who either backed the Kickstarter for at least $25 or purchased the weekly alpha bundle: 152 Shake ice just before it cracks apart 151 Fix spawner and Ice guts 150 Move GutsEmitter to utils/Room; clean up Room.entityContainer on reset 149 stick slimes into sewer 148 Expire…
WOW! Crypt Run was successfully funded with just OVER $9,000 in pledges from 320 glorious gamers. Thank you so much! This week we'll gather survey information from backers and then we'll start divvying out juicy rewards! Fun times will be had. You can still preorder and get early access Did you miss the Kickstarter? No worries! You can still preorder Crypt Run AND get early access to weekly alpha…
Found a project on Kickstarter or IndieGoGo that you're really into? Is there an event , store , or even a game you want to support? But maybe you're strapped for cash. Or possibly, you've already backed your favorite project, but you still want to do more to help. Whatever the case, if you want to help a project you care about without a spending a dime, here are a few thoughts on how to do that.…
This Sunday, August 11th, we'll begin live streaming Crypt Run gameplay on Twitch . For two hours we'll be talking about Crypt Run, answering questions from the chat, and counting down the final two hours of the Crypt Run Kickstarter . Here's the Facebook event . Hope to see you there!
I'm so excited I can barely type this! Today I get to announce that Lost Decade Games is now an officially licensed Nintendo developer ! Lifelong dream unlocked!! We met two awesome Nintendo guys when we were at Casual Connect last week, and they've been very responsive and eager to help. I can't go into detail, but I've been pleasantly surprised by Nintendo's remarkable support. So given this…
You can now challenge a friend to see who's better at Crypt Run ! Here's how to do it: Visit cryptrun.lostdecadegames.com in a modern browser. Play through the cemetery dungeon . At the Game Over screen , copy the text in the "Challenge URL" input box. Send that URL to a friend via email, Twitter, or carrier pigeon. Your friend will play the exact same procedurally-generated dungeon you played ,…
We've been working hard! Here's the massive changelog since the last version of Crypt Run you've played. These changes are now live on the web-based demo : Support enter/return keys anywhere space is supported boomBarrel, boomSpear tweaks Tutorial flow tweaks; introduce resurrection object zombieGraveRobbers are role=monster by default Cleanup dungeon seeding so the player isn't stuck in a…
What a crazy couple of weeks! There are only 15 days left in the Crypt Run Kickstarter campaign , which seemed like a great time for a recap of what's been happening. With 164 backers , we're currently at 86% of our goal . Thank you! These promising numbers, combined with our 3-day demo at Indie Prize Showcase next week, give us a lot of confidence that we'll be able to finish this game for you!…
The live demo was so much fun! Big thanks to our friend Ricky for taking these excellent photos! If it's easier, check out these photos on imgur . (Click on any image to viewer a larger version.) We're also demoing Crypt Run at Indie Prize Showcase next week, so stop by if you can!
It's been exactly one week since we launched Crypt Run on Kickstarter , and since it's a 30-day campaign, that means it's 25% over. What a great time to reflect on the week, examine the trends, and see where this campaign is headed! We launched via an email blast to our mailing list of about 200 fine human beings, as well as the mandatory blog , tweet , and Facebook post . I'm not aware of a way…
Huge news from Lost Decade! Today we're SUPER excited to launch a crowd-funding effort on Kickstarter . Crypt Run is a medieval fantasy hack 'n slash for Windows and Mac. Play the alpha in your browser, back us on Kickstarter to receive your reward, and PLEASE help us spread the word! Back Crypt Run on Kickstarter Play the browser-based alpha Visit the Crypt Run microsite Download the Crypt Run…
Video game composer and arranger Joshua Morse just released his new album Indie B-Side, Vol. 1 . It features eight arrangements from indie darlings such as FEZ and it's pay-what-you-want! Joshua tapped me to do the album art. He had the idea of a vinyl record sleeve with the disc slightly exposed, and he wanted it to be in a low-resolution pixelart style. Given these directions, I first drew a…
Want to play our upcoming game Crypt Run ? Then you should come to our LIVE DEMO next month! What?! California Extreme is an annual arcade and pinball convention held in the California bay area. It's basically a huge room packed with tons of classic arcade cabinets (it's super awesome). This year, we'll have an 8-foot table (that's ~2.5 meters for our Metric friends) with at least one computer set…
Hot on the heels of our initial release of Lava Blade , we've just pushed out the first content and bug fix patch! Lava Blade 1.1 is now available on all 3 of the currently released platforms: Chrome Web Store , PC , and Mac . CWS users should see the update automatically while PC & Mac users can download the new version via their original download link from BMT Micro. The 1.1 update includes:…
I've been using a MacBook Pro as my primary development machine for 6+ years now. As such, I've collected a bunch of great OS X applications which make my life easier. Today, in the same vein as The Setup , I'd like to share some of my favorite apps. Many of these apps require you to purchase a license, but most are in the $5-15 range. Quite a steal, if you ask me. Although I'm linking to each…
Rampart Rush is our new defensive shoot 'em up. Players control a warrior fighting off hordes of monsters with swords, daggers, shurikens, fireballs, and more! Players can also place buildings in their castle grounds, such as a Weapon Shop to buy more weapons, or a Magic School to learn more powerful magic. Join the mailing list We're rolling out the Rampart Rush beta to our mailing list so they…
We're pleased to announce that Lava Blade is now available on Windows ! As with the Mac OS X release , the game runs offline and does not include any DRM. Buy on Windows Play the demo Screenshots For high resolution screenshots, please download the Lava Blade media kit . Links Visit the official Lava Blade website Play the browser-based Lava Blade demo Buy Lava Blade on Windows Buy Lava Blade on…
We often get email from readers or podcast listeners asking to expand on certain topics. Many of these questions can be of value to all our readers so I'm going to start posting them Q&A style on the blog now and then. So, without further ado, on to this installment of LDG Mailbag! JavaScript Frameworks Firstly, I notice you don’t appear to use any Javascript frameworks for your projects. Is there…
Following the release of Lava Blade on Chrome Web Store we're excited to bring you Lava Blade on Mac OS X . The Mac version of Lava Blade installs easily, works offline and contains absolutely no DRM! Buy on Mac OS X Play the demo Screenshots For high resolution screenshots, please download the Lava Blade media kit . Links Visit the official Lava Blade website Play the browser-based Lava Blade…
Today we're pleased to announce Lava Blade , our new tactical strategy RPG, now available on the Chrome Web Store . In Lava Blade , players control the mighty warrior Lars as he ventures towards a dangerous volcano to retrieve the sacred sword, Lava Blade! Features Turn-based tactical combat Five unlockable party members Dozens of weapons including swords, warhammers, shurikens, and more Hordes of…
Today we're happy to announce our new game Treasure Geoff ! Treasure Geoff is a free, gamepad-enabled, side-scrolling platformer built in HTML5. Players control a nimble Geoff who explores dangerous caves in search of treasure. The game features tight controls, procedurally generated levels, achievements, and of course, lots of treasure! Play Treasure Geoff
Today we're happy to announce our new game Treasure Goblin , also available on the Chrome Web Store ! Treasure Goblin is a free, gamepad-enabled, side-scrolling platformer built in HTML5. Players control a nimble goblin who explores dangerous caves in search of treasure. The game features tight controls, procedurally generated levels, achievements, and of course, lots of treasure! Play Treasure…
We just sent out the latest Lava Blade alpha to our mailing list. If you signed up and haven't received an email yet, don't worry! We're sending the game out in waves; we have your contact information and will get in touch shortly. Want to sign up to alpha test? If you haven't signed up to be an alpha tester, you can do so by filling out this form . Whoa, this is really different! Yeah, if you…
We recently participated in Indie Speed Run , a new game jam apparently started by some members of The Escapist . Those who have already been exposed to other popular game jams such as Ludum Dare or Global Game Jam may find Indie Speed Run very familiar -- developers have a 48-hour window in which to develop a game based on a randomly generated theme (and in this case, element). Indie Speed Run…
Goals are important. Without them, it can be difficult to gauge your progress, and that makes it hard to tell how much ass you're kicking! Geoff and I banged out some goals for this year and I thought I'd share them with you. 1. Make $100,000 total revenue Unfortunately, money is the most fundamental aspect of staying independent. Rent is due, and somebody's got to pay it! We made a little more…
Recently a friend of a friend contacted me about doing a photoshoot with us. She's a local photographer and was looking for subjects that would fit a "startups in startup environments" kind of vibe. Naturally, we were game! So Maki of Maki Photography came by one afternoon and shot us doin' our thing. We'd be coding or whiteboarding and she'd be running around looking for and taking excellent…
Visit this page in your Wii U browser and play Onslaught! Defense ! HTML5 games on consoles Several weeks ago Microsoft released Internet Explorer on the 360. In my article Play our HTML5 games on your Xbox 360 I discussed that browser's HTML5 gaming capabilities and the impact it could have on HTML5 game studios like ours. Around the same time, Nintendo launched their next-generation console Wii…
Yesterday, I decided to take a break from bigger projects and challenge myself to a mini game jam. Making a simple game from scratch is a good way to see how our game engine is coming along. I've been wanting to do some holiday themed stuff and Thanksgiving seemed like a good excuse. I ended up with a really simple "whack-a-mole" style game involving turkeys and pumpkins. I'm pretty happy with how…
Yes indeed, the Lava Blade alpha is still going on. We're swamped with other projects, but we're eager to dive back into the game, especially after having received so much excellent feedback. On that note, my lovely wife Andrea (a professional user researcher) has compiled some of the feedback we have so far and is beginning to examine it. Just for fun, she made word clouds out of some of the…
A recent update to the Xbox 360 dashboard made Internet Explorer available as a free download. This is exciting news for an HTML5 game company like us, as it means that our games are now playable on Xbox 360 consoles. In an interview with ImpactJS creator Dominic Szablewski , we talked about some of the developer frustrations revolving around Microsoft and HTML5. Dominic has his game Biolab…
While Android users have been able to play Lunch Bug in their mobile browsers since its launch, the game runs pretty slowly on some devices, and the sound is severely handicapped in the mobile browser. Now, thanks to CocoonJS , Lunch Bug runs beautifully, sounds great, and can be played without an Internet connection on Android devices. Download Lunch Bug for Android As always, we're happy to hear…
We just sent out the Lava Blade alpha to the first batch of fine players who signed up to be alpha testers. To help spot critical issues early, we're contacting alpha testers in waves. So if you signed up and haven't received an email yet, don't worry! We have your contact information and we'll get in touch shortly. What's next? There's still so much to do. This is just an early alpha! The next…
I'm really frustrated right now. Our most recent attempt to record Lostcast failed. About 20 minutes into the conversation, we noticed that the microphone had stopped picking up Geoff's voice. The culprit was a faulty microphone connector, so I tossed the cable. That particular problem shouldn't happen again, but the wind was nonetheless taken out of our sails. To prevent an episode in which we…
We've been making steady progress on our next game, Lava Blade . With the game nearing alpha test readiness, we're in need of brave souls to test out the game and provide feedback and bug reports. If you'd like to receive email updates with playable alpha test links please signup . We promise to keep your email private and we'll never spam you or sell your address. Please see our privacy policy…
It's Geoff 's birthday! As a fun little gift for the old guy, I've added a little Geoff character into the Lava Blade teaser . And as you can see below, he'll also be a playable character! Sorry we don't have a playable demo ready for you yet. And on that note, I'mma get back to work! Please wish Geoff a happy birthday via email or Twitter !
Good news, everyone! The Lunch Bug original soundtrack is now available on Bandcamp . Composed by indie game composer Joshua Morse , it's yours for just $2 (USD). You can pay more if you like, which is of course appreciated. Thanks for supporting independent artists! Listen to the Lunch Bug OST
This might be confusing -- there was a bug in Lunch Bug ! While the game does revolve around feeding fruit to the title characters, we don't want there to be any software bugs. This particular bug was a pretty nasty one. Here's what was happening: As you can see in the above screenshot, a tutorial window pops up on level 5, explaining the new Spade piece. As expected, many players are skipping the…