https://agameaweek.com Making Games and other oddities AGameAWeek Script jayenkai@gmail.com (Jayenkai) Mon, 25 May 2026 02:24:17 -0600 Copyright: (C) Jayenkai, AGameAWeek> en-gb 30


Working backwards is the secret to this methodology, but I couldn't figure out a way to make it work fast enough for the Shoebox engine.
Instead, I did what I've done for a lot of Foldapuz, which is to pre-generate the solvable decks.

I wrote a PHP script which starts from the 4 complete foundation piles.
It takes the 4 kings and moves them to the tableaus, and then basically just plays Random Numbers for 1000 or so moves.
0 = take a card from the tableau, 1 = move a card to the Stock/Draw deck, 2 = Un-reveal the next (previous) 3 cards from the Draw deck, 3 = Chop a tableau in half, move it elsewhere, cover up whatever it lands on.

This felt like the ideal way to go, and after a fair amount of work, I plopped the first result into Shoe2-Klondike, and attempted to play it.

It did NOT work out.

After a few plays, I realised that, because I was ''unplaying'', I'd inadvertently put the cards back into the array in the wrong order. That is, Card 0 (first in the array) is dealt first.. But in Shoe2, it's actually Card 51 (top of the deck) that gets dealt first.
D'oh!

I figured it was probably getting too complicated at this point (it certainly became very spaghetti-code!), so I fed everything I'd done into Claude.AI.

Claude agreed that the code should now work, but asked for a few deck arrays so that it could check them itself. ..
Which it did, and agreed they seemed ok.
I asked it ''Hey, do you think you could write a php script to analyse the arrays, so I can feed it loads at once?''
And Claude agreed to do that.

So, I now have a Klondike Solver script, that I can run my Deck arrays through, to double check them.

.. Ironically, I could literally throw any array of random numbers into this, and it'd work out if it's solvable or not, so... Guess the work I did was pretty much worthless.
But, hey ho..

I left both scripts running for a while, to build up a nice big array of supposedly solvable decks.
My original script plays Klondike backwards and generates a potential Deck Array. Then Claude's takes that deck and tries to play it forwards. Then it lets me know which are apparently solvable, and we end up with a giant set of arrays that ''should'' be winnable.
It's all rather slow, though. It takes about 2 or 3 seconds to find each one

There's now 500 of these arrays in the game, and though they should be solvable, I'll be sticking with the ''Cosy'' naming scheme for the play modes.. So I'm never claiming they're ''definitely'' solvable!

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/21/Screenshot_2026-05-24_12-49-35_png.png * /thumb *

And with that..
...We're not done yet.!

I started work on a new small menu for adding card-size toggle, orientation, and things like that. Instead of the Big X on the top left, it'll now be a hamburger menu, with quick ingame options, as well as Restart and Quit.
Might take another day or so, since I think I want to make it as re-usable as I can, changing the menu up, depending on the game.
Gonna try to make this as easy to tweak in future as I can.

... yep.
Tying myself in knots again, it seems.

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Getting_Ready_Blog_20260524A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16084 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16084 Mon, 25 May 2026 02:24:00 -0600


* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/21/Screenshot_2026-05-23_15-37-57_png.png * /thumb *

Becomes..

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/21/Screenshot_2026-05-23_15-38-02_png.png * /thumb *

Ooh, Vertical Klondike!!!
The little toggle, in what is normally the score blob, is now a handy switcheroo toggly thing to change between classic Klondike, and Vertical Klondike.

See how easy that was!
(It was NOT easy, and required a bunch of tweaks to get working properly)

But it ''feels'' like it's the right style to go for.

Now that's done, I'm going to spend some quality time with the drawing engine to see if I can get it to draw ''Small card, Big Symbols'', so the game's a little more playable on a phone.

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Going_Down_Blog_20260523A.png
Just.. Maybe don't have a ''too tall'' phone!]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16083 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16083 Sun, 24 May 2026 02:11:00 -0600


**Michael Fernie says...**

* blockquote * On my Android phone it's hard to see the cards. It's making the table very tall with lots of space not used vertically. * /blockquote *

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/21/shoe1_png.png * /thumb * * thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/21/shoe2_png.png * /thumb *

Spot the difference. Classic vs Shoe2.

They're both using roughly the same amount of space. Most of the readability issue is because Shoe2 is still using ''normal'' sized card art. I've not yet written the functionality to draw the low-res cards, which is very much needed when in Portrait.

First, though, I need to redraw the suit-symbols, because those look particularly gnatty when drawn at certain sizes.

There's still a TON of empty space, though. I did try chopping the width in half, and moving elements over the screen. The deal-stack on the top row, then the four foundations, then four tableaus, then the last three tableaus.
.. But that felt really really weird...

We'll see..
I'll add the low-res art, first, then try it out in various forms to see what fits better.

**Meanwhile...**

Tweaks have already been had. Lots of ''Endgame'' based stuff has been added, and the game is now ''almost'' checking for the end, properly. It's kinda messing up when cards are shuffling around, but a simple time-based test should do the trick, there.
Audio plinky-plonkyness has been added, but no particles yet. I need to add those.
I did say ''Notifications'', too.. I haven't done those yet.

Lazy Jay!

**Meanwhile, Meanwhile...**

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/21/IMG_8676_jpeg.jpeg * /thumb *

Went to the local (20 minutes drive away by taxi!) Garden Centre, yesterday.
They had ''Definitely not Twitter, honest'' bird boxes.

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Tall_and_Tiny_Blog_20260522D.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16082 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16082 Sat, 23 May 2026 01:56:00 -0600


* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/21/Screenshot_2026-05-22_01-56-22_png.png * /thumb *

I've finally got those icons looking .. good'ish!

Though the intention was ''Three Kings sat on a sofa'', the King cards end up looking a bit gnatty when reduced to 48x64 pixels each! I might just use normal number cards, instead.

But, yeah, there you go. Regular shuffled Klondike vs a vaguely stacked deck.
I've also been adding Jingles and other plinky plonky sounds to Klondike, too, and even bothered to add a ''tap to make it go to the foundation if it fits there'' thing, so nobody can ever complain that I didn't add that, this time around.

Today I REALLY need to add the endgame, and I've also realised that when you quit a game (if you give up trying to complete it) it doesn't save your score.
I should add that in, too.

You can Link : https://shoeboxofgames.com/shoe2/test_aacd.html * Test AACD here , and let me know of any issues.

Known Issue : The ''tap'' on the top left stack isn't quite as instant as I'd like. Sometimes it misses a tap. (Which is really odd, as it means I'm tapping faster than 2 frames!!!)

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/It_Still_Doesn39t_End_Blog_20260521B.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16081 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16081 Fri, 22 May 2026 02:35:00 -0600


I'm going to call it ''Cosy'' mode, because .. though the mode is typically more beatable than a simple shuffle, it isn't 100% perfect.
I played a few rounds of Cosy mode, last night, and it does ''feel'' like it's more winnable, but I've definitely got myself into unbeatable scenarios, so .. I really can't get away with calling it ''Winnable''

Today I'll play a few more rounds, and have a fiddle with the numbers a bit more to try to stack the deck a little better, but .. I feel like this is as close as I'm going to get.

**Meanwhile...**

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/21/Screenshot_2026-05-21_02-57-58_png.png * /thumb *
The EndGame still doesn't happen, yet, and I've not added any sprinkles, like when you successfully add a card to a Foundation pile.
I'm also considering adding a notification popup system to the engine, so that I can have ''Revealed all the Tableaus'', or ''Laid the Foundations''.. Things like that.

I did spend some time adding a ''DrawImgLater'' command to the engine, which stores draw calls into a new array, and then burst-draws them after any Particles+GUI elements.

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/21/Screenshot_2026-05-21_08-52-37_png.png * /thumb *
Handy!

As for the icons.
They're still not done yet!
I can't quite get the feel for them.
Hmmm..

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/It_Never_Ends_Blog_20260521A.png
Cosy..?]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16080 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16080 Thu, 21 May 2026 01:57:00 -0600
A new year, a new collection of musical oddities.
I don't think I'll be doing vocals, this year, though. Just a bunch of instrumentals.

* Track * Always Allowed|16.907|1.06.563|1.39.569
* Track * Always Believing|13.176|42.365|1.34.257
* Track * Always Circular|17.411|34.554|1.00.268
* Track * Always Deeper
* Track * Always Energetic
* Track * Always Frosty
* Track * Always Grounded
* spoiler *
I . Am . Not . What . You . Want . Me . To . Be
I . Am . Not . What . You . Want . Me . To . Be

You seem to want realistic
But I am only 8-bit
My system cannot do it
I am just too synthetic

I . Am . Not . What . You . Want . Me . To . Be
I . Am . Not . What . You . Want . Me . To . Be

I hear you saying that you want me more realistic.
My processor is only running 8-bits.
If a number gets too high then I can't count it.
I'm really sorry if I seem too simplistic.

Boop beep bop beep boop beep - Chipset
Boop beep bop beep boop bop bee - Upset
Boop beep bop beep boop - Resolution
Boop beep bop be boop - Execution

I . Am . Not . What . You . Want . Me . To . Be
I . Am . Not . What . You . Want . Me . To . Be
I . Am . Not . What . You . Want . Me . To . Be
I . Am . Not . What . You . Want . Me . To . Be

Memory capacity is not what it was meant to be
Reduction in ability while pricing is too high to see
Trying to keep working while my system fails.
Error : Retry, Ignore or Fail
* /spoiler *

* Track * Always Home
* Track * Always Interluding
* Track * Always Jealous
* Track * Always Ketchup
* spoiler *
* chorus *
Already, the peas are boiling.
All ready now to go on to your plate.

* verse *
Chips are cooking in a deep fat fryer,
Gonna put some salt on.
Chips are cooking and they're lookin' real fine,
They're gonna be the bestest kind.

* chorus *
Already, the peas are boiling.
All ready now to go on to your plate.

* verse *
Greasy and hot,
That's how I like them.
Nothing compares to that.
Greasy and hot,
Just what I wanted,
Put them on the plate for me.

* bridge *
The fish is nearly done,
The fish is nearly done,
The fish is nearly ready,
Oh the fish is nearly done,
The fish is nearly done,
The fish is nearly done,
The fish is nearly ready,
Oh the fish is nearly done.

* chorus *
Already, the peas are boiling.
All ready now to go on to your plate.

* outro *
I'm gonna cover them in ketchup.
I'm gonna smother every one.
Already, the peas are boiling.
All ready now to go on to your plate.
* /spoiler *

* Track * Always Locked
* Track * Always Missing
* Track * Always Never
* Track * Always Occluded
* Track * Always Perforated
* Track * Always Quietly
* Track * Always Resting
* Track * Always Serenaded
* Track * Always Tracked]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/15923 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/15923 Wed, 20 May 2026 08:21:00 -0600


For a long while, now, I've been trying to write blogs the night before, so that I can finish everything off neatly in a bow, the next morning. (and/or, the morning it's being posted)
This morning's blog, however, is being typed in realtime, on the morning it's being posted.
Gosh.
Shock!

My recent lack of sleep (averaging about 4 and a half hours a night over the past week or so) very much caught with me, last night.
I've slept for over 12 hours. Roughly 10pm to 10am. So much so that my watch's sleep tracker is baffled by the amount of sleep, and can't quite work out how it should calculate the sleep time.

I've a lot of leftover things to finish from yesterday.
I started but didn't finish an ALChoon. I listened to it, this morning, and it's ever so repetitive. I need to liven it up a bit.

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Morning_Blogging_Blog_20260520A.png
(Don't worry, the filesize reduces when they're rendered as assets!)

I also have these two icons drawn. They're more icon than picture, though, so I'll likely redo those. Though, if I'm honest, those are very much ''frontpage'', so maybe they do deserve to be more icon'y?

Still not sure how I'm going to do the Klondike icons, though.. hmm..

Thoughts and suggestions in the Comments / * discord * ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16079 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16079 Wed, 20 May 2026 03:41:00 -0600


This bit's taking longer than expected.
Turns out, the way I organised the list of games has made for a more difficult set of numbers than I was aiming for!

I originally placed a list of Game Type, Game Name, Mode Names in an array at the top, and had the engine re-organise everything into a more stable array as it loads.
This way, if I choose to add a new mode, or new game, or new type, I can simply pop it into the early array, and the game itself will shuffle things around into order.

Unfortunately.. (derp!) I haven't specified numbers for these.
As a result, if I say ''goto game 2'', or if the save file says ''I've been playing game 2''..
.. Well, game 2 isn't specific enough!

Yesterday, then, I've had to start working out a way to best specify which game I mean when I say ''game 2''
For the game names, I've added my own numbering system, and this is now helping keep track of which game's which.
I'm not 100% sure this is working, yet, since I only have 2 games for testing with, but it seems to be working sensibly enough for me to move forward.

So, on to the upper menus, then, and .. Oh yeah, I need more icons, don't I!?

I've opted to reuse the ''main'' icon for a game as it's ''Game choice'' game. So, for example, the Strings-Classic icon is the Strings icon on the Word Game menu.

I think I probably need a different ''Word Games'' icon, though, and then I need an icon for Card Games, as well as somehow drawing icons for ''Shuffled'' or ''Winnable'' that make sense without all looking identical.

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/PreMenu_Blog_20260518A.png
Drawing icons is hard!!!

That is to say, the game select menu now ''works'', but is all full of temporary icons, because I haven't drawn any more icons yet.
Guess that'll be today's task.

And then actually finishing off the Solitaire game.
Should be ready by next week. (I've already abandoned trying to get Solitaire ready for .. .. yesterday!!)]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16078 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16078 Mon, 18 May 2026 14:16:00 -0600


I opened the code and went ''Oh yeah, I need to code the parent menus''..
You know my feelings on having to code GUIs..

...
......
''I'm playing Pokopia, today.''
So I did that.

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/20/20260517-01KRNZMBPZH0SSS5S1GZ1Q5SGF-A8265C7A-005B-4153-8A5F-3C958263F8F4_jpeg.jpeg * /thumb *
This is not a picture of me coding. Because I didn't code yesterday.

I added to my Railway-Town.
It's Minecarts, there's no trains. I don't think there's trains.
It won't even let you add objects onto the minecarts so they look like trains.
But there's railway tracks, and I added a food station, and there's houses all around, and even a furnace room, too.
Lovely.

* vid * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/20/Railway_Spin_mov.mov * /vid *

Note that the Railway Town is in two halves. One under the main roof (with the houses also having roofs) and the other half without anything overhead. This is so that all the Pokemon can be placed into either ''I like ceilings'' vs ''I hate enclosed spaces'' areas.
They're quite fussy little buggers, at times.

I also built an orchard.
I previously had a small orchard in one of the biomes, but it never really felt like a great big orchard should, so I've rebuilt/planted in a different biome, but I need to give it time to grow.
... Bloomin' game-time, being all 1:1 and all. Grrr!!!
I'll show you a pic of that in a few days, once it's all grown.

**Gripes**

1. The monotony of ''Hey, Hey, Hey!!!! I got you a stick!'' is pure inanity at its worst.

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/20/20260517-01KRTRPBK5X5A4J2Y0HHCAN1XH-1904355E-0AC1-45FD-A36F-BB8611A94F3A_jpeg.jpeg * /thumb *

2. The game suffers from not having halves.
A lot of objects seem to be either 1x2 or 2x2 in size, like the lovely 1x2 Saloon Doors that I've put all over the place, or the giant ''between biomes'' doors like the picture above.
Thing is, the game refuses to do halves, so when you walk through such a door, you end up either on the left or the right.

In one of the biomes, I built up a lovely stone pillar based area beyond the main gate, and every bloomin' time I exit the gate, I end up walking slap bang into the pillar.
True, I could fix that by moving the pillars out a bit wider, but..
Come on!! Put me in the middle!!!!

Hanging a photo (1x1) centrally over a desk (2x1) or a couch (2x1) is simply impossible.
And that's just plain annoying.

3. Sitting
You can sit. (See picture above)
But..
You can't sit and take an in-game photo.
However...
You can stand up, set up a tripod-camera, then ... .. It doesn't let you sit back down again..
I don't understand why this is.
It's a very odd omission.

Maybe there's a way to do it.
I haven't found it.


4. Other people have bemoaned the storage issues, but it's not ''too'' bad.
The main issue I'm having is that you VERY often need to stop what you're doing, travel to wherever your storage is, dump stuff, then return.
Having some sort of easy-to-drop return token would be super handy, here.
Like, if you could drop your ''Return Gem'', quick-hop home, use your storage, organise your pockets, then quick-hop back to your ''Return Gem''.. Oooh, that would be awesome.

**But..**

Post-credits, the tutorial guff has all but disappeared, and I'm really starting to enjoy the building stuff, now.
Oh dear!!
I think I might be addicted!!

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/20/IMG_3154_jpeg.jpeg * /thumb *
This really isn't like me..]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16077 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16077 Sun, 17 May 2026 15:35:00 -0600


* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/20/Screenshot_2026-05-16_13-40-38_png.png * /thumb *

It's playable.
It isn't finished, but it's playable.

Things it needs.

1. Portrait mode
It's kinda squished, and the normal cards aren't readable, so I guess I need to draw two sets of cards, like Shoebox Classic has, with thicker outlines and gigantic chunky fonts.

2. End game
This isn't working, as evidenced by the fact that I finished a game, and then went ''Awww.. I didn't code that bit..''

3. Winnable decks
I discussed this with the AI about 2 months ago, so have the methodology in mind already. It's just a case of moving the A-2-3 and J-Q-K cards to strategic positions, through the deck once it's been shuffled, so they appear at certain places when laid out.

I also need to work in the ''Five Stars'' scoring method, and then double check the game half-a-dozen plays or so, to make sure everything works the way it oughta.

Should be good for Monday. I think..
.. Maybe..

**Meanwhile...**

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/It39s_Not_Done_Yet_Blog_20260516A.png

My musical (AL O'Dare) YouTube channel is 15 years old, today.
How joyous.

* youtube * 66KpuCManYU * /youtube *

* mp3 * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/20/Beee_mp3.mp3 * /mp3 *

* mp3 * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/20/beees_mp3.mp3 * /mp3 * ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16076 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16076 Sun, 17 May 2026 02:28:00 -0600
Bonus material that didn't fit anywhere else.

* Track * I Coded All That You Can See
* spoiler *
I coded all that you can see
I made the graphics and the melody
Any way you want to play is right with me
Any way you play this game is fine
* /spoiler *

* Track * I Coded Everything
* spoiler *
* chorus *
I coded all that you can see
I made the graphics and the melody
Any way you want to play's alright with me
Any way you play this game is fine

* break *

* verse *
I know you can beat it if you try hard. (try hard)
It isn't very difficult at all. (very difficult)
There isn't much variety in how it plays. (how it plays)
It just repeats until you end up dead. (Can you beat the score.)
The best you can do is get a high score. (Get a record)
And carry on to try and beat the game. (All you can)
But the ending doesn't ever seem to come your way. (No way)
It will just repeat until you end up dead. (Very dead)

* chorus *
I coded all that you can see
I made the graphics and the melody
Any way you want to play's alright with me
Any way you play this game is fine

* break *

* bridge *
When you run out of lives,
Or you're al out of ammo.
The game will end quickly.
So come back tomorrow.
If you get bored,
Then you can load a new game.
It'll be different,
That, at least, is my aim.


* chorus *
I coded all that you can see (I coded everything)
I made the graphics and the melody (All of the tunes as well)
Any way you want to play's alright with me (It is alright yeah)
Any way you play this game is fine (Play for the win, Get to the goal, win yeah)

* chorus *
I coded all that you can see (I coded everything)
I made the graphics and the melody (All of the tunes as well)
Any way you want to play's alright with me (It is alright yeah)
Any way you play this game is fine (Play for the win, Get to the goal, win yeah)
* /spoiler *

* Track * Always Grounded (inst)

* Track * Always Ketchup (inst)

* Track * Always Subscribe
* spoiler *
* verse *
Always Subscribe
That's how you hear my new tunes
Always Subscribe
Then you can listen to my song

* chorus *
Like and subscribe, that's the way it should be.
Then you can always be listening to me.
Out of your headphones, into your ears.
All of the tunes you'll be humming for years.

* rap *
Come and have a listen to my brand new music,
Pop it in your ears so you can't refuse it.
Piano meets the bass while the rhythm's groovin'
Tempo slow so we don't go losin'.

Turn up the volume, vibes start blooming,
Pumping up the speakers, make the room start booming.
Push to the limit 'til the static clears,
Going over the dancefloor, and into your ears.

* verse *
Always Subscribe (Always Subscribe)
That's how you hear my new tunes
Always Subscribe (Always Subscribe)
Then you can listen to my song

* chorus *
Like and subscribe, that's the way it should be.
Then you can always be listening to me.
Out of your headphones, into your ears.
All of the tunes you'll be humming for years.

* chorus *
Like and subscribe, that's the way it should be. (Like and Subscribe)
Then you can always be listening to me. (Like and Subscribe)
Out of your headphones, into your ears. (Like and Subscribe)
All of the tunes you'll be humming for years. (Like and Subscribe)
* /spoiler *

* Track * Beee]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/15951 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/15951 Sat, 16 May 2026 17:31:00 -0600


* vid * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/20/Swoopy_Cards_mp4.mp4 * /vid *
Video Clip - Click for movement!

Thoughts on ''Swoopiness'' in the comments / * discord *
I found a nice swoop technique.

* code *
Graphics 512,512,2

Dim blob(20,10)

Repeat
CLS;ResetDraw;

Blob(0,1)=MouseX()
Blob(0,2)=MouseY()

Smooth=4

for m=1 to 20
TargetX=Blob(m-1,1)
TargetY=Blob(m-1,2)+16

Blob(m,1)=SmoothTo(Blob(m,1),TargetX,Smooth)
Blob(m,2)=SmoothTo(Blob(m,2),TargetY,Smooth)
InkRot(m*18,1,1)
Rect Blob(m,1),Blob(m,2),32,48,1
Smooth=Smooth-0.1
next

Flip
Forever
* /code *

Starting with a slow smoothing value, and reducing to a fast smoothing value. Except in the actual engine there's a little more complexity, whereby the smooth reduces based on how many cards still need to move into position.
I think it looks quite good, but ..

I dunno.
I might get sick of it, and end up turning it off!

You'll probably notice the game is very broken. This is because I haven't coded pile-logic into it yet. In fact, it's so barebones that it's currently ''If MouseDown, trail the 7th tableau'', as opposed to ''If grab this card, trail everything below it.''
I haven't even started adding that logic, yet, and have spent most of today (yesterday!) writing code to draw and flip cards, draw piles, flip the top card of a pile, and ... then spending far too much time coding a lovely trailing technique!!

But.. yeah, that's pretty much all I managed to do.
Once you start fiddling with the numbers for a lovely swoop technique, you tend to lose yourself in it!!
Oops!

(Oh yeah, and I really do need to fix up those suit-symbols, don't I..)

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/OK_Let39s_Card_Agan_Blog_20260515A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16075 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16075 Fri, 15 May 2026 15:21:00 -0600


The see-saw of health continues to swing.
.. No, wait.. A swing swings.
..A see-saw pivots..
or tilts..

Goes Uppy-downy?

Health isn't stable, is all I'm trying to say.

And yesterday was very much a down day, with queasiness levels through the roof.
Just walking around the house was enough to knock me sick, so plenty of sleepy sleep nap-time was had, and the result was a lack of coding, and plenty of pokem'ing instead.

I'm writing this about 4pm, yesterday, having just had a second nap. I'm feeling a little less queasy than I did earlier, but am firmly sitting in place, trying not to do much at all.
I think I'll probably try to code something later tonight. Which will be last night, my future, your past.

I can already feel myself a little more willing to type, this blog being a lot of typing, than I was in the mood to do earlier today. Which was yesterday. And though I'm not quite ready to code a full game, I'll probably make a start on that card-movement thing, so that it's ready for a little bit of usability once my head's cleared enough to get working on that.
Which will hopefully be later tomorrow.
Or today for you.

I wonder how tomorrow me will feel?

Hope you feel better tomorrow, Jay.
*ascii hugs*

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Rest_Day_Blog_20260514A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16074 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16074 Thu, 14 May 2026 09:15:00 -0600


When I wrote Shoebox Classic, one of the first things I did was write about half-a-dozen card-pile, grabbing, and more functions, so that I could easily write things like ''Grab the Klondike card 5 cards down the pile'', and it would simultaneously grab any card ''over'' that card in the pile, and the trail would move around with the mouse.
It's lovely, and one of the reasons the Klondike works as well as it does.

Thing is.. I barely used it elsewhere, and ended up rewriting things over and over, because what logic works for one card game, doesn't necessarily work for others.
Like, Klondike.. The Tableaus go K to A, in alternating colours, whilst the foundation goes A to K in one suit.
I'd accounted for those, but when a different method showed up, I ended up hacking that style into the same function, and now .. Yikes!! What a mess!!!

So, today I've been trying to think ahead, and have been planning a Super-Card function that can handle as many methods of piling cards atop each other as I can possibly think of.

Face up, Face down, Going Up, Going Down, Same Suits, Just a Colour, Matching Pairs of one another.

Lots of thinkingness involved.

I'm also unsure what I'm doing about themes. I think it'd probably be most sensible to have Per Collection themes, so you can pick a theme for Word Games, and a different one for Card Games, and so on.

**Meanwhile...**
On the subject of ''Could I do the Blog-Choons myself..?''
* mp3 * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/20/Planning_To_Do_mp3.mp3 * /mp3 *

* spoiler *
* verse *
I've got planning to do
I've got some planning to do
I've got planning to do
I've got some planning to do

* chorus *
I've got some planning,
I've got some, got some planning, baby.
I've got some planning,
I've got some, got some planning to do.

I've got some planning,
I've got some, got some planning, baby.
I've got some planning,
I've got some, got some planning to do.

* verse *
Gotta put the cards into a function call,
That moves their positions to wherever I move them,
When dragged, the cards should glide smoothly,
Up to wherever I wanted them to be.

* pre-chorus *
I've coded all of this before.
But now I need to code some more

* chorus *
I've got some planning,
I've got some, got some planning, baby.
I've got some planning,
I've got some, got some planning to do.

I've got some planning,
I've got some, got some planning, baby.
I've got some planning,
I've got some, got some planning to do.
* /spoiler *

Maybe once a week for this sort of thing. That took way longer than I expected, though it didn't help that SynthV lost all my lyrics at one point so I had to restart half the bloomin' thing.
*shrugs*

For completeness, Link : https://suno.com/song/01b87dbb-66b6-44f2-ab3e-503f603dbd2f * here's the Suno edition.
... Beaten again!

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/PrePlanning_Blog_20260513A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16073 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16073 Wed, 13 May 2026 13:40:00 -0600


* youtube * Dq71H2xPpsg * /youtube *

Link : https://agameaweek.com/JukeboxNew.php?Album=15923&Track=Always=Serenaded * Always Serendaded

I started properly messing about with Link : https://www.cableguys.com/shaperbox * ShaperBox 3 yesterday, and though it wasn't super-amazing, I did at least get a nice ''middle glitchy bit'' into this week's ALChoon.
I've previously used it on individual tracks, mostly to produce glitchy drumloops in places, but this time I opted to use it on the entire song at once, and the results are..
um...
Glitchy!

Speaking of glitchy, ShaperBox's preset library seems glitchy as all hell unless you hit the ''redownload all the presets'' button first.
Probably just a MacOS quirk, who knows.
It is telling me there's an update, though. I should probably do that..

The rest of the choon was crafted in the order of Chords first, then a baseline, then some drums, then the ShaperBox middle-bit glitch thing, then the little ''chirpy chirp'' instrument towards the end.
I like the little chirpy chirp instrument!!


I did contemplate adding lyrics, but right now the only things in my head are either.
1. Shoebox
2. Mouse Points
or 3. Crafting a ''Railway Station'' in Pokopia.

So opted not to bother writing any lyrics for the song.

Last year when I doing the ''Blog->Suno'' thing, I did end up writing a lot of odd lyrics. Maybe I need to start doing that for the ALChoons.
Hmm..

We're nearing the end of the Always album, now. 7 letters/weeks left.
I wonder if the next album should be ''Blogging'' or something, then it wouldn't seem as odd if each song is related to the week's events on the blog..?

... It'd probably still be about playing too much Pokopia!

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/MusicAL_Day_Blog_20260512A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16072 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16072 Wed, 13 May 2026 00:18:00 -0600


* b * Parent Menu * /b *
The engine is currently jumping straight to the ''Word Games/Strings/'' game.
.. Because I haven't coded the other two parent menus, yet!
They should be easy enough to implement, though.
I'm slightly worried that all of the large high-res (for me) icons might start to get a bit much, though. I'll have to watch how I'm doing with those, and reuse wherever possible.

* b * Versus Mode * /b *
I keep putting this mode off, but I really oughta sort it out. One extra complication is that once two browsers are connected, Player One needs to take over menu navigation from Player Two. I've never done anything like that before!!! Quirky!
I might disable all the single player modes when in ''Connected'' mode. That would likely help a bunch, too.

* b * End Screen * /b *
The games don't have any sort of ''Game Over'' screen, and instead plomp you right back on the main menu. That definitely needs sorted.
(though the new menu with the Top 10/Last 10 does actually help a ton in that respect.)
It's half-coded, but .. that other half isn't! So I need to do that.

* b * More Jingles * /b *
Though it seems there's a nice variety of them, there's actually .. I think 4 total. And I believe one of them goes unused anyway!
I could do with spending some time sitting and making a bunch of little melodies that can play in various places, but with the added ability to hardcode jingles directly into each game's code, that's likely less of an issue.
To be fair, if I tried to come up with jingles specific to each game, as I code them, that might help quite a bit.

* b * More visual when muted * /b *
I've tried my best to keep things visual, but there's a lot of places where if I mute the game, I'm losing certain cues when playing. I need to, maybe, add extra particles or something, just to keep things more noticeable.

* b * Fix up the animals * /b *
I still haven't done this! The animals all sort of blend together, and though it's not important when playing Strings:Rescue, it will likely add a complex layer if I ever do a Zookeeper/Bejewelled type game.

* b * 
Mouse Cursor method for Chutoo * /b *
Link : https://agameaweek.com/?Blog=12449 * See previous blog!
I think I'll probably go the ''DrawMouse()'' in Shoe2 method, as adding mouse handling to Chutoo will require a ton of commands for images, rotation settings and things like that.
(Adding rotation to mouse pointers isn't normal, Jay!!)

* b * Goto URL * /b *
The engine doesn't currently support a Goto method, so that URLs can specify which game's menu to jump to. I believe I'll still need to add it to both the engine and the site's .htaccess, so that people can make use of it without breaking ''Add to Home Screen'' support. Though maybe that's changed since the last time I did all of this!!
Back in 2019, using the ''?Goto=Game'' method locked that particular URL in when you tried to add a game to the homescreen.. Using Javascript to change the URL didn't seem to work.
Instead, Shoebox and co tend to use a domain/Goto/Game url.. Changing the browser's history in JavaScript, to domain/index.html afterwards, would preserve the new index.html url when you tried to Add to Homescreen.
(Yes, this is very convoluted, and yes, this is the sort of thing that I tend to over-worry about!)

* b * Theme saving logic * /b *
Currently only one set of theme settings are saved. I'm in two minds whether to make them per game or per type or what.
I also need to fix up the menu for them, as the whole settings thing is higgledy piggledy all over the bloomin' place.

The theme settings aren't all preserved, either. I think I might try to code a better theming system, if I'm honest. That might allow for better and more varied options.
.. But then I'd need to code those options.
Gah!!

* b * Games * /b *
.. Oh yeah, and then write a bunch of games to go in it! :D
I also have to add some kind of toggle or something, so that people can (for the meantime) jump easily between Shoebox Classic and Shoe2.
Probably just a little URL link on the top-left or something..
*shrugs*

Thoughts and suggestions are much appreciated.]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16071 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16071 Tue, 12 May 2026 02:07:00 -0600


**Michael Fernie noticed...**
* blockquote * There is a bug where the UI cursor is under some of the UI elements. The quit dialog box for example. The buttons work correctly it's just a rendering order issue. * /blockquote *

Fancy knowing the reasoning for this?

Chutoo doesn't have any images, so the Big Hand has to be Handled (snigger) by Shoe2.
Shoe2 leaves the mouse draw until the very end of a frame, but it can't beat out the fact that Chutoo then does things after that.

Shoe2 says ''Draw me this dialog box'', and Chutoo happily does that bit during the Flip(); code. After that, Shoe2 is drawing the mouse, but the mouse drawing happens before the flip, so Chutoo ends up doing its bit after the mouse draw..
That's why the mouse is under the box!

Aaah!!

So, yes, I know this is an issue, and I'm trying to figure out the best Chutoo method to fix this.
Do I let Chutoo handle everything, but pass a ''SetMousePointer(image, sprite, size)'' command, along with maybe a ''SetMousePointerSpin(true)''?
Or do I let Shoe2 handle the swoopy rotating mouse, then pass a ''DrawMouse(x,y,image,sprite,size,rotation) sort of command to Chutoo?

Because.. It also has a shadow, and a separate click image, too.

Kinda feel like I oughta give Chutoo its own gui-elements spritesheet, to handle the important stuff like this, but then it'd be harder to change those at a later point.
Rawr!

Mouse pointer... who knew this'd be so darn tricky!

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/The_Mouse_is_Under_the_Box_Blog_20260511A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16070 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16070 Mon, 11 May 2026 13:05:00 -0600 Words can be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, or even snaked around the grid.]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16069 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16069 Mon, 11 May 2026 03:06:00 -0600


* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/20/d_png.png * /thumb *

This week's game is Link : https://shoeboxofgames.com/shoe2/ * Shoe2:Strings
I'm sure you all know how this game goes, since I've been posting oodles of test versions of the game for the past few months.
You've probably been (quite rightly) worried that my AGameAWeek mojo had gone walkabouts, but building a new Framework can be tricky, especially one as full of possibilities as a new Shoebox, which has to account for SO many possible game types.

But we're finally at a point where I think this is a ''done game''..
Except for one thing.
I haven't implemented the Versus mode yet.
That'll come.. eventually.
Hopefully soon.
But not today.
I'm not ready for that, yet!!

But what is here has had a number of nips and tucks since yesterday's test version. I've fixed up the timer issues, added the knitted theme, and ironed out a number of obscure bugs that were hiding in the background.

I also added a Credits screen with Obligatory AI Disclaimer included.
The settings screen is a bit of a mess, right now. I need to tidy that up a bit.

But I'm quite happy with how this turned out, and you're essentially getting a nice selection of word games, here. There's features in this that I've been wanting to add to Shoebox:Strings for years, but never figured out how best to add them in without breaking the fundamentals of Shoebox.
But now I've had the chance to do things properly, with over 7 years of forethought to help do things a little more organised, this time.

The next game will undoubtably be Klondike. That's my personal most-played game in the original collection.
Will it be ready for next week, though?
Ooooh, that's going to be a hard slog if I can manage it!

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Can_I_AGameAWeek_Now_Blog_20260510A.png

You can Link : https://shoeboxofgames.com/shoe2/ * Play Strings in the Shoe2!

.. That doesn't flow as well does it. Hmm.. Going to have to come up with a new way to word that..]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16068 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16068 Sun, 10 May 2026 18:31:00 -0600


Today will be spent trying to come up with a few more presets, and adding a couple more options to the settings menu, but otherwise I think we're pretty much good to go.

Link : https://shoeboxofgames.com/shoe2/test_aabx.html * Test AABX should be able to do most of what you'd expect it to do.
There's no ''parent menu'' yet. I haven't tackled that yet! Nor are there a lot of normal options, like turning particles off, disabling motion, sound, etc. But as far as the game goes, this should be pretty much ready to go.

If you can spot anything weird, or have noticed something missing that I haven't thought about, please do let me know.

You can Link : https://shoeboxofgames.com/shoe2/test_aabx.html * Test AABX here.

Known Issue : Timers are kinda messed up when using load/save, especially the 2 minute timed mode..

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Last_Few_Tweaks_Blog_20260509A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16067 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16067 Sat, 09 May 2026 15:14:00 -0600


The initial plan was ''make the themes as simple as possible''.

The next plan was ''make themes game-specific'', so that Word games can have one theme, and Card games can have another, etc, etc.

I still think this is probably the best way to go, but it also means having to rewrite the settings menu, so that it fits each sort of game.
Changing card backs wouldn't be an option in Word games, nor would the brightness of the font on the letter tiles be an option in Card games.
*shrugs*

But it means I need to be able to easily write a bunch of different menus depending on the context of the game.
The current method of drawing this menu requires a buttload of repeated code, so today I'm going to rewrite this so it's more reusable, and has a bunch of different ways to tweak the options. Toggle off and on, select between a few options, a slider.
.. ugh.
I need to write an entire GUI interface thing, and I'm really not in the mood for doing GUI stuff again.

Rawr, GUI, etc.

It's Saturday, today. There's today and tomorrow to get as much of this done as I can, if I'm aiming for a Monday release.
I should probably set up the main menu so it can handle Game Type Select and Actual Game Select before it reaches the current Mode Select that the Strings Test uses.
.. though I'll probably hide that for now, since it'd be rather daft having to click 2 menus to get to the one game!

But with only a couple of days to do all of this..
.. Maybe leave that 'til the next game's ready?

Oh, and then I have to rewrite all the Card game functionality. Aargh!!!

Or just keep playing Pokopia..
?
I could do that, too!

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Further_Settings_Blog_20260508A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16066 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16066 Sat, 09 May 2026 02:34:00 -0600


Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Settings_Blog_20260507C.png

The ''Theme Select'' has now become a generic ''Settings'' menu.

It doesn't currently work from the ingame pause/quit screen. I need to add it there, somehow, but currently the engine shuts down mouse/touch input whilst a dialog box is open, so that only the dialog box can be interacted with, so.. um.. hmm...

Of course, I CAN change that, but I'm trying to think of future proofing, so that other folk might be able to code things without the dialog box breaking!

Maybe I could add some sort of ''I should also be interactive when the dialog box is onscreen'' thing.. That sounds easy enough to code, in my head, but insanely difficult to give a command name to!!!

Another thing I need to add is an Advanced Theme screen, so you can pick things like Tile Shapes, glossiness and other such tweaks.
Oh, and save everything, of course. Nothing's currently saving!

But, yeah. It's getting closer.

(Version not uploaded yet!)

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Settings_Blog_20260507A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16065 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16065 Thu, 07 May 2026 15:34:00 -0600


* youtube * LU5dqZtNOHk * /youtube *

Link : https://agameaweek.com/JukeboxNew.php?Album=15951&Track=Always=Subscribe * Always Subscribe

This week is week S for the ALChoon, and this choon popped into my head, so I built it up and it sounds kinda neat.
I like it.
And it's got our favourite chorus in it, too :D

* spoiler *
Always Subscribe
That's how you hear my new tunes
Always Subscribe
Then you can listen to my song

* chorus *
Like and subscribe, that's the way it should be.
Then you can always be listening to me.
Out of your headphones, into your ears.
All of the tunes you'll be humming for years.

* rap *
Come and have a listen to my brand new music,
Pop it in your ears so you can't refuse it.
Piano meets the bass while the rhythm's groovin'
Tempo slow so we don't go losin'.

Turn up the volume, vibes start blooming,
Pumping up the speakers, make the room start booming.
Push to the limit 'til the static clears,
Going over the dancefloor, and into your ears.

* verse *
Always Subscribe (Always Subscribe)
That's how you hear my new tunes
Always Subscribe (Always Subscribe)
Then you can listen to my song

* chorus *
Like and subscribe, that's the way it should be.
Then you can always be listening to me.
Out of your headphones, into your ears.
All of the tunes you'll be humming for years.

* chorus *
Like and subscribe, that's the way it should be.
Then you can always be listening to me.
Out of your headphones, into your ears.
All of the tunes you'll be humming for years.
* /spoiler *

I'll probably do a proper ''Always S'' for next week but if I don't, then that's ok, because this is ok, and that's ok!

Also, didn't code today... This took hours, so it did!
You can't stop a musical day.

...
And then, of course, Suno produced a better sounding version within a couple of minutes.
Link : https://suno.com/s/qcX6DWY4S1dUvaPd * Suno Cover version

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Subscribe_Blog_20260506A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16064 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16064 Thu, 07 May 2026 01:01:00 -0600


I can't seem to get into ''building'' in Pokopia. Every attempt I've done has been square-brick functional, and not much more.

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/19/pokopia_-_brick_block_jpeg.jpeg * /thumb *
Behold.
Villa de Brick!

I have zero artistic talent.
I'm seeing beautifully built houses online, and goodness knows where people are getting the artistry for such things, because I am NOT managing anything like those!

Having said that..
.. Digging!

* thumb * https://socoder.net/uploads/1/2026/19/IMG_3129.jpeg * /thumb *
Oh, I can Dig!

I really ike digging in this game. It feels so bloomin' satisfying to dig a big big empty nothingness!
No words can convey just how much I enjoyed digging the above giant chasm.
SO satisfying. I'm not really sure why that is, but I spent a good couple of hours, dig dig digging yesterday!
Ooooh, yeah!

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/19/pokopia_-_dig_hall_jpeg.jpeg * /thumb *

I also dug out a giant underground tunnel between two distant places in the rocky biome, placed mushroom lights all the way down it, and have started carving out little underground homes for all the little pokepeeples.

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/19/pokopia_-_dig_cell_jpeg.jpeg * /thumb *

Some of the pokellies don't seem to like being without sunlight, so they have to have their own little outdoor houses, but the rest of them seem quite content in our happy little underground bunker community!!

..
I really should stop playing this game.

**Meanwhile..**

I also spent a couple of hours trying to get this week's ALChoon done.
I do like how it's turning out, but it's not 100% yet.
I'm writing this last night, so by the time this morning's hit, I might've actually finished something off.
We'll see.

If there's a youtube video under this line of text, assume I finished off the ALChoon at some point between now when I'm writing this, and later when you're reading it :D

* youtube * vBFGKbRFH3c * /youtube *

Link : https://agameaweek.com/JukeboxNew.php?Album=15923&Track=Always=Resting * Always Resting

* mp3 * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/19/Always_Resting_(Cover)_mp3.mp3 * /mp3 * | Link : https://suno.com/s/2MGicWn14BT2onHN * Suno Cover with lyrics
* spoiler *
* intro chorus *
Sleeping on a train.
Sleeping on a (on a) railway
Always gotta nap,
Take my stress (my stress) away, yeah.

Sleeping on a chair,
Sitting at my (at my) desk, typing.
Gonna take it to my bed,
And have myself a rest.
Wooo!

* bridge *
Break
Make a Break
Break the Code
Break a leg, Snap!

Break
Have a Break
Break your nose.
Break the door down.

Break
With a hammer
Break the window
pane.
Break

Break!

* break *

* chorus *
Sleeping on a train.
Sleeping on a (on a) railway
Always gotta nap,
Take my stress (my stress) away, yeah.

Sleeping on a chair,
Sitting at my (at my) desk, typing.
Gonna take it to my bed,
And have myself a rest.
Wooo!

* break *

* interlude - airy, reverb-drenched, whispered vocals, sparse pads, no drums *
Where am I?
It's far too bright.
Is this the end?
Or just the freezer.

It isn't cold.
Perhaps I'm lost.
Can I be found?
Where are my toes?

* chorus - epic *
Sleeping on a train.
Sleeping on a (on a) railway
Always gotta nap,
Take my stress (my stress) away, yeah.

Sleeping on a chair,
Sitting at my (at my) desk, typing.
Gonna take it to my bed,
And have myself a rest.
Wooo!

* break *

* chorus - banging *
Sleeping on a train.
Sleeping on a (on a) railway
Always gotta nap,
Take my stress (my stress) away, yeah.

Sleeping on a chair,
Sitting at my (at my) desk, typing.
Gonna take it to my bed,
And have myself a rest.
Wooo!
* /spoiler * ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16063 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16063 Wed, 06 May 2026 02:58:00 -0600


Shoe2's ''Night'' mode is currently using a cloud texture that's AI Generated.
I've been using it as a temporary texture only, so today's the day to replace it.

* code *
// Clouds
// by Jayenkai
// Created 2026/5/4

Graphics 2048,2048,3

Repeat

For m=0 to 50
SetCol 0,0,0,0.03
Rect -1,-1,2050,2050

Seedy=(m*37)+Mills()
SeedRnd Seedy
for q=0 to 100;r=Rnd(1);next

cx=Rnd(2048)
cy=Rnd(2048)

for idepth=0 to 100 step 2
depth=idepth;ch=0
if idepth==0 then depth=120;ch=1

l2=120+m
d2=60+m

l3=Limit(Floor(l2+depth),1,205)
d3=Limit(Floor(d2+depth),1,135)
l=RGB(l3,l3,l3)
d=RGB(d3,d3,d3)

for fluff=0 to 128
SeedRnd Seedy+5+fluff
for q=0 to 10;r=Rnd(1);next

v=Rnd(1,5)
v2=Rnd(1,2.5)

y=Rnd(-v2,v2)
fy=1;if y<0 then fy=1+(y*0.1)
x=Rnd(-v*fy,v*fy)

fz=Rnd(0.5,1.6)
bz=Rnd(0.1,1.3)

SeedRnd Seedy*37+(fluff*7)+(depth*69)
for q=0 to 10;r=Rnd(1);next

if y>0.2 then y=0.2
x=cx+x*100;y=cy+y*100;
y=y+((100-depth)*bz)

x=x+Rnd(-16,16)
y=y+Rnd(-16,14)


w=(depth+75)*fz
h=(depth+35)*fz

for tx=-1 to 1
for ty=-1 to 1
SetGradient l,0.1,d,0.05
if ch==1 then SetGradient RGB(255,255,255),1,RGB(150,150,150),1
Oval x+tx*2048,y+ty*2048,w,h,32
next
next

next
if depth%10==0 then flip
next

Next

Flip
WaitKey()

Forever
* /code *

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Clouds_Blog_20260504A.png

That oughta do it.
Takes a while to render, but the result is kinda nice enough to replace the Night Theme texture.
Gud-gud!

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/19/Screenshot_2026-05-04_21-01-49_png.png * /thumb *

Now we're down to just a couple of textures.
There's a knit (from the Pixel Knitter) and a fuzz (simple static)

There's also the woodgrain.
The woodgrain is still AI Generated.
I don't believe anyone would complain about the woodgrain texture being AI generated, but I do have a lovely woodgrain side table right next to me that will likely be useable instead.
I might do that tomorrow, actually, as well as figuring out what other textures might be useable in the backgrounds.

Yep, we're getting closer!]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16062 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16062 Mon, 04 May 2026 13:39:00 -0600


* thumb * https://socoder.net/uploads/1/2026/18/IMG_8652_jpeg.jpeg * /thumb *

After Link : https://agameaweek.com/?Blog=12440 * Saturday's Desk Drama , I decided that it was probably a good idea to get things a little more organised.

I spent most of Sunday shuffling things around a bit, being extra careful to put labels over my drawers so I knew exactly what should go in them, and managed to get things looking nicely presentable.

* spoiler *
Image : https://socoder.net/uploads/1/2026/18/Image-03-05-26-08-15-59-678.jpeg
* /spoiler *

See.. I CAN be organised.

Organisation Tip
* spoiler *
You can place any small item ''into'' a frame, which then renders the object like a little art piece. Hang these above Storage Drawers to help with organisation.
HOWEVER..
Be sure to leave a gap in-between the Storage Drawer and the Frame, otherwise whenever you go to open the drawer, the context menu will seemingly always prefer to ''open'' the Frame instead of the Drawer..
Silly interface!!
* /spoiler *


Bonus Tip
* spoiler *
Placing a Cash Register on a set of tables, then powering the Cash Register, then having a Trade Pokemon nearby, turns the tables into a little shop. Have that near your Storage Area, so you can easily trade away any of the things you don't need.
The game doesn't (to the best of my knowledge) have any way to just throw things away, so your best way to get rid of garbage is to trade it in a shop environment, and if you have this near your storage area, it gets really easy to get rid of the guff!
* /spoiler *

**Meanwhile...**
* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/18/Screenshot_2026-05-03_23-05-53_png.png * /thumb *

Link : https://shoeboxofgames.com/shoe2/test_aabu.html * Test AABU has the new dialogue boxes, new Theme picker, saves your game and lets you resume or not, and it includes barely visible but hopefully enough Text Particles in Rescue mode.
I think we're ''nearly'' there.


What I now need to do is save settings, like your chosen theme.
I also need to add more to the Theme Picker, so you can set your own colours and whatnot.
But we're getting down to just a few little things on the Todo List!
\\o/yeay\\o/

... And Versus mode..
...
..
.
Hmm..

You can Link : https://shoeboxofgames.com/shoe2/test_aabu.html * Test AABU here.

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Organising_Blog_20260503A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16061 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16061 Mon, 04 May 2026 02:49:00 -0600


A bit of a lazy day, yesterday.
Mum was off to my Cousin's wedding, which I didn't attend for ''Head Issues'' reasons, so instead I lazied around in the house, and didn't really attempt to do much at all.

So.. Stuck in the house alone for the day, I did what any self respecting game-dev would do.
I played Pokopia far too much Obv.!

I also spent a few hours trying to organise my ''Desk'', though I'm not 100% sure why. After all, the desk pretty much goes unused. My Laptop is usually on my lap, and I rarely sit at the desk. (Again, for Head Issues reasons.)

As a result, the desk is less a ''space for work'', and more a ''space for things to clutter onto''.
I really should try to fix that situation, but .. I never do. And it tends to just clutter more and more .. and more..

I have at the very least uncluttered the underneath of the desk, so that If I bother to sit at the desk, my legs now once more fit under there, and the top of the desk has been optimised in such a way that I can lift the Switch 2 from the dock without the watch-charging-cable dangling up and around the thing.
Why I didn't fix that earlier, I've no idea. .. Mostly just laziness at this point, I think.


My head sees ''clutter on the desk'' and goes .. ''yep, well.. .. it's not as if you use it..''

I used to take such pride in my desk space.
Humph..

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/18/IMG_8652_jpeg.jpeg * /thumb *
Poor Spock..

So, yeah, this is it after about 3 hours of uncluttering, and you're probably going ''OMG, Jay, WTF?!'', but.. Try to imagine it 3 hours earlier, and you'll have some sort of idea of just how completely unused the desk is. It's pretty much a Charging Point, and not much else.

So many dangling wires everywhere. I could probably do with one of those Cable-Tie kits, but the desk only has two legs, and they're pretty much at the opposite side of the desk to where all the wires are!!!!

**Meanwhile...**

I spent a little bit of time with the code, adding in Text particles properly, so I can display scores, bonuses, combos, things like that. It's kinda a bit messy, now, if I'm honest. That could do with a similar decluttering.

Maybe this is a general ''me'' issue, more than just a ''my desk'' one?

Hmm...]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16060 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16060 Sun, 03 May 2026 00:17:00 -0600


It was a lovely day, yesterday, and the sun was just shaded enough that I could sit out the back doing a ton of work without everything being bleached out on my screen.
Yep, plenty of work got done.
..

Yep, some very important work got done.

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/18/20260501-01KQJBRJG3EH8GYV3W8RQBHV3R-F602180F-E401-4FB7-9F76-C48FA3CF5589_jpeg.jpeg * /thumb *
On my Pokopia island.

I really did try to focus, but the blocks were calling me, and I'd managed to finally get hold of some cyan paint a couple of nights ago, so...
... yeah...

Mild-not-spoilery-Spoiler
* spoiler *
A ton of back and forth to get some Pokemetal so that I could build up enough wireless power bricks, and that helped to power up all the Pokemarts.

The Pokemarts don't work without power... .. He says.. a couple of days after building the Pokemarts, wondering why the shop-keeping-pokemons are just standing in an empty shop.
* /spoiler *

Along the way, I also discovered a few more pokemon, and managed to get one of the ... let's call them biomes.. .. up to Level Six. Wowie! I thought 5 was the limit, but I guess not.

**Meanwhile...**

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/18/Screenshot_2026-05-02_09-12-24_png.png * /thumb *

The coding that I did do managed to make this much of a menu for Themes.
It kinda works, but is also very much Word Game centric, which makes it less than ideal for Card Games.
At this point, I'm actually thinking of setting different themes for the different game sections. That might work better. The floating bubbles don't really go with card games, anyway!
So, yeah... Maybe have different presets for each section or something? Then the Advanced options so you can tune things in a little better.

Not sure..]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16059 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16059 Fri, 01 May 2026 13:00:00 -0600


* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/18/Screenshot_2026-04-30_21-38-15_png.png * /thumb *

So far the theme select is an unceremonious toggle on the bottom left of the screen.
This is not the final intended style of the theme select!

Instead, I'm aiming to have a much more visual style for the theme presets, and I'm not really sure how best to tackle that... I think it'll be more pre-rendered icons, won't it.
Hmm..

I also need to add a minimalist GUI so you can change the hue, switch out backgrounds and things like that. I expect a two-pronged approach might be best suited. Have a scrollable list of presets, and a ''Custom'' button at the end, and then you click Advanced or something, and you can fiddle with the custom options.
That sounds reasonable, right?
Maybe even allow you to save a few presets yourself?
Hmm..

Oh yeah, and make proper themes instead of haphazard test themes!!

**Meanwhile...**

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/18/Screenshot_2026-04-30_19-47-48_png.png * /thumb *

The Dialog Box script is now looking much more presentable. A shame I can't seem to get rounded rectangles working easily. Those would mess up if I tried to make things ''universal'' though. I think.. Maybe..
I might try again, some time.

Anyway, the dialogue boxes now include multi-line text, which was done via the method of coding multi-line Text in the text function. Seems to work reasonably well, though I'm not convinced I got the centring working like it should do. More maths for that, I reckon.

Also, it might get a teensy bit hard to read Link : https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/18/Screenshot_2026-04-30_21-46-25_png.png * in some resolution/rations .
Hmmm..]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16058 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16058 Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:47:00 -0600


The story didn't go in the direction I thought it was going, or rather, it hasn't said that it has. To be fair, a lot of it is left up to interpretation.
The ''story'' is pretty much ''find the little diary entires scattered around'', and the bits and pieces all string together to form a vague narrative.

There's still a LOT more to do in the game, post-credits.
I've barely started building. Most of the Pokemon are still complaining that they're still homeless. And poor Pikachu's in a right state.

But it's nice that I reached an important checkpoint, and that I can say ''I finished a game''. I don't get to say that more than enough. I usually give up with anything story-driven way way too early.

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Finished_Pokopia_Blog_20260430A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16057 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16057 Thu, 30 Apr 2026 03:54:00 -0600


* youtube * Ud5zSPmE09E * /youtube *

Link : https://agameaweek.com/JukeboxNew.php?Album=15923&Track=Always=Quietly * Always Quietly


Last week's ALChoon was quite the effort, requiring 4 restarts, and a painful amount of forcing of instruments to get to a half-decent rendition.
This week seemed to go alarmingly well.
It's amazing how, just a few days later, I came up with an entire choon in next to no time at all.

Musician's block or something, last week, I guess.

The choon is/was AQ1, meaning I didn't have to make 3 or 4 experimental tracks before landing on the one I liked. It just kinda happened, all in one swift go.
No lyrics, though.. Lyrics didn't flow, this week.

I wonder what Suno might make of this week's track..
...
Link : https://suno.com/s/F6I65kv1x8nc7Wo5 * Find out, here!

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/MusicAL_Day_Blog_20260429A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16056 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16056 Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:25:00 -0600


The checklist still has a bunch of little things to do, like rewriting the Dialog box, adding those particles and more.
And.. um..

Then I spent the day playing Pokopia, because .. oops!

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/18/IMG_3119_JPG.jpg * /thumb *
Close up of a wall of a building. This colour scheme is ALL OVER the game!
Very Platdude.


The storyline is coming along nicely. Tidbits here and there, clues, stuff. I'm enjoying that. Been a while since I played any kind of game with a storyline that doesn't ram it down your throat as if the creator wanted to write a movie, not a videogame.
Good good.

That's the overriding ''story'', but the ''tutorialy'' stuff is still going on in the foreground, which kinda defeats the point of the lovely ''discover the story yourself'' stuff. It's like they knew how people would play it, but then inexplicably opted to force an endless tutorial on you, anyway.

Make your minds up, guys!

I'm still enjoying it, though, as evidenced by the fact that the game's had over 60hrs of playtime in just over a week and a half. That's shocking, for me.
Usually my ''game'' is coding, and .. good grief, this game is gobbling all of that time up.

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/18/platopia_jpeg.jpeg * /thumb *
... Bit of a shame that the ''smooth'' cube style ends up breaking Platdude's legs, though..
Hmm..

So, yeah, I'm enjoying myself. Probably should stop playing that, and Shoe2:Strings.. And .. you know.. code and stuff.
I'll probably do that later today.
..
Maybe!]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16055 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16055 Tue, 28 Apr 2026 14:49:00 -0600



* code *
// Shards
// by Jayenkai
// Created 2026/4/27

Graphics 1024,1024,1

Dim Edge(10,10)

UseColour=1

Repeat
CLS

SetThick 2
for tx=0 to 7
for ty=0 to 7

cx=(tx+0.5)*128
cy=(ty+0.5)*128

lf=(tx*128)+2
rt=(tx*128)+125
tp=(ty*128)+2
bt=(ty*128)+125

Sides=Rand(4,8)
v=360/(Sides+1)
v2=v*0.3

Hue=Rnd(360)
Sat=Rnd(0.7,1.0)

for m=0 to Sides
Edge(m,0)=(m*v)+Rnd(-v2,v2) // Angle
Edge(m,1)=Rnd(0.2,0.56) // Depth
Edge(m,2)=Rnd(0.9,1.5) // Darkness
Edge(m,3)=Rnd(0.5,1.0) // Darken at edge
next


for d=0 to 100
for m=0 to Sides
x1=Limit(cx+Sin(Edge(m,0))*Edge(m,1)*d,lf,rt)
y1=Limit(cy-Cos(Edge(m,0))*Edge(m,1)*d,tp,bt)

m2=(m+1)%(Sides+1)
x2=Limit(cx+Sin(Edge(m2,0))*Edge(m2,1)*d,lf,rt)
y2=Limit(cy-Cos(Edge(m2,0))*Edge(m2,1)*d,tp,bt)



dark=Edge(m,2)*((1-(d*0.003))*Edge(m,3))
SetCol dark*235,dark*235,dark*235

if UseColour==1 then SetHue Hue,Sat*Edge(m,2),dark

if d==100
SetCol 220,220,220
if UseColour==1 then SetHue Hue,0.4,1
endif

Line x1,y1,x2,y2
next
next


next
next

Flip
WaitAny()
Forever
* /code *

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Particle_Shards_Blog_20260427B.png

I haven't yet tried this in the game's engine, but I'm presuming they'll work well enough.
I might try adding a bit of Blend Mode to the shards to make things a little more vibrant, though I guess that'll be decided upon once things start going!

As far as drawing goes, the methodology is fairly easy.

Each shard is given a number of sides, each side is given an angle and a size, and then a darkness overall and a parameter that darkens it further towards the edge.
Then a loop to draw lines growing outwards and darker, and then an outline around the edge.

Easy enough. Probably should've written this as a tutorial.
Might yet write this as a tutorial.
.. But then, what would the user use this for, since GotoJSE doesn't then use anything you've drawn.
It would be fairly useless, in so far as the tutorial series goes.
So..
Um..

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Particle_Shards_Blog_20260427A.png

*shrugs*]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16054 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16054 Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:14:00 -0600


Any current issues with the game, and how it is or isn't functioning, are entirely down to everything that isn't currently the game.

The Save/Load function isn't foolproof.
The Dialog box needs a complete rewrite.
The Menu's still need the ''parent folder'' functionality coded.
Options need to be added, so that, for example, people can opt out of WebGPU mode, and switch to Canvas mode themselves.
And the Theme Select needs to be more than the boring toggle.

.. Oh, and the Versus mode. That's not really doing much yet.

Other than that, what I've got running is fairly sturdy. The Strings game itself is pretty much working correctly. And fully enough that any time I try tweaking the dialog box code, I accidentally end up playing 3 or 4 games of Heap mode! Oops!

I've made a new checklist, and will be forcing myself to do everything step by step, with a constant reminder to stop playing the blooming thing, in an effort to get my arse into gear and get'er'dun..

Hopefully I might release a game by May.
*checks calendar*
Eeek!

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/The_Dull_Bit_Blog_20260427A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16053 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16053 Mon, 27 Apr 2026 02:48:00 -0600


* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/17/Screenshot_2026-04-26_18-13-30_png.png * /thumb *

I got the ''Resume'' function working, yesterday.
The game prompts you if it finds an in-progress game saved. Clicking No goes to the menu, whilst clicking Yes returns you to the game in progress.
All is working.
All is fine.

.. Except when it isn't.
Like in a timed round. That doesn't resume well at all!
I had to hack and tweak and fix up a TON of issues with the game, yesterday, and at one point I completely stuffed up the save file, leading to a really bizarre issue where you couldn't escape from ''Rescue'' mode, back to the ''Strings'' menu.. And I really don't know why that could've happened.

Hmm..

I've coded a few clauses in case that happens in the final version, but having only seen it because I'm faffing about with the save file, I'm not 100% sure how else it might happen, so am having to future-proof in case of errors I don't yet know of!!!

Today I'll look into those, and fix up the quirks with Timed mode and such. But otherwise it should be pretty much faultless. ... Famous last words, etc..

Oh yeah, and redo the Dialog Box. I've realised I need more than just Title, Description, Buttons.. So.. I guess I need a sturdier box, then..
Hmm.]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16052 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16052 Sun, 26 Apr 2026 11:14:00 -0600


* youtube * 4F1-8k8AclQ * /youtube *

Link : https://agameaweek.com/JukeboxNew.php?Album=15923&Track=Always=Perforated * Always Perforated

This is what I ended up with.

But is that enough?

What I REALLY wanted to do was add lyrics and then push it through Suno to see what came out the other side, and that's how this song ended up being created.

* spoiler *
* Verse 1 *
The boots that you wear with your uniform,
So drastically vibrant and pink.
They enforce your stature when you fly off world,
Or at least that's what you think.

* Chorus *
Boots are too bright,
They light up the night.
The importance of your quest.
You need to look your best.
They could do with a rest.
But you put them to the test.

* Verse 2 *
The sensors are screaming, the shields are all down,
The aliens are boarding the deck.
You look in the mirror, adjusting your hair,
Ignoring the danger going on out there.
The captain is shouting, ''The enemy's rough''
While you're checking your boots for scuffs.
If we're going to hell, and the ship will explode,
We’re gonna put on a show.

* Chorus *
Your Boots are too bright, yeah. (oooh aah)
They light up the night. (aaah ooooh)
The importance of your quest. (quest)
You need to look your best. (best)
They could do with a rest. (rest)
But you put them to the test. (test)

Your Boots are too bright, yeah. (oooh aah)
They light up the night. (aaah ooooh)
The importance of your quest. (quest)
You need to look your best. (best)
They could do with a rest. (rest)
But you put them to the test. (test)


* Bridge *
Warp speed is failing. The planet is doomed,
The fate of the stars is in your hands.
But your gloves aren't important, for this is the day,
When your boots will be out on display.

* Cue flamboyant synth solo *

* Chorus *
Your Boots are too bright, yeah. (oooh aah)
They light up the night. (aaah ooooh)
The importance of your quest. (quest)
You need to look your best. (best)
They could do with a rest. (rest)
But you put them to the test. (test)

Your Boots are too bright, yeah. (oooh aah)
They light up the night. (aaah ooooh)
The importance of your quest. (quest)
You need to look your best. (best)
They could do with a rest. (rest)
But you put them to the test. (test)


* Outro *
Pink boots in orbit!
Who needs a laser?
* /spoiler *

* mp3 * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/17/Commander_Boot_(Cover)_mp3.mp3 * /mp3 * | Link : https://suno.com/song/2c7a8620-862a-4e3f-8dbb-4df3b42b7ebf * Suno Link

Honestly, the lyrics flowed really well once I got going. I then tried going back and adding them into my ALChoon using SynthV, but I couldn't quite get them feeling as good as the Suno version does.
.. To be fair, that's likely more to do with my lesser quality of instrumentation than it is the lacking SynthV capabilities!!

It really is rough seeing what Suno can do in a few minutes, compared to what's taken me 3 days to do!!


Meh, whatever.

Back to coding, today!

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Compare_and_Contrast_Blog_20260425A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16051 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16051 Sun, 26 Apr 2026 01:46:00 -0600


So far (10pm Friday night) it hasn't happened yet, but Link : https://agameaweek.com/?Blog=12429 * from yesterday's blog , I've been fiddling with the 4th of the melodies.
It has a drum loop, now.
and.. um.

Yeah, I'm not 100% sure why I'm struggling, this week, but after everything that's been done code-wise over the past month or two, I think I might be a little bit burned out.

If it helps, I've also played a lot of Pokopia again, too.. ... So, um.. There's that!

I did make a couple of tweaks to Chutoo/Shoe2's Quit dialogue thing.
I'm having to measure font sizes, text width and things. Try to figure out the best layout, font sizes and such so that ''any'' requesters (within reason!) should be doable.
But also so that it fits better on the screen without all that vast emptiness.

So, yeah.
.. Not a ton of stuff done.
I might take the weekend off.
And if I say that, I'll probably end up doing a ton of work.
Who knows!

Let's find out!
See you tomorrow! (When I'll probably post a blog about having spent the day playing Pokopia again!)

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/MusicAL_Day_Blog_20260424A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16050 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16050 Fri, 24 Apr 2026 15:44:00 -0600


* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/17/Screenshot_2026-04-23_21-24-10_png.png * /thumb *

And it's ugly as can be!

I think I need to figure out how to do Rounded Rectangles as something other than the Border.
That seems the logical thing to do.
Otherwise that's incredibly bland.

I mean, it IS a quit button, and I'm trying my best to write a reusable Dialog box within Chutoo, not specific to Shoe2.
I'm not sure it's working, though.
Hmm..

**Meanwhile...**

My art skills have been used up for the month, and I've struggled to redraw the animals in any decent fashion.
It also appears that my ALChoon skills are also fading, as I've not yet done an ALChoon for this week.

I mean, I have tried!
I've tried this..
* mp3 * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/17/Always_P1_mp3.mp3 * /mp3 *
And I thought that sounded a bit too mushy and horrible. I also tried that with rock guitars and it just.. euuuw, no..

* mp3 * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/17/Always_P2_mp3.mp3 * /mp3 *
I tried a JNKPlat/AGameAWeek jingle, but felt that's usually best saved for a Z track, so expect to hear this in about 10 weeks

* mp3 * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/17/Always_P3_mp3.mp3 * /mp3 *
I kinda like this, but maybe with better instrumentation. It kinda works, I think.

* mp3 * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/17/Always_P4_mp3.mp3 * /mp3 *
And this .. I also kinda like. Hmm.

I'm not sure whether to finish off the 3rd or 4th track. Maybe neither. Maybe something else will happen. Who knows.

Mind-mush is strong, right now!]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16049 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16049 Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:10:00 -0600


Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/It_Still_Pokemons_Blog_20260423A.png

Four days in, and I'm really enjoying the world, but there's a number of ''Pokequirks'' that keep niggling away at me.

''Hey, would you like to help me do this?'' and the options are ''Sure would'' or ''OK, Maybe!''
Essentially you get zero option in most dialogues, and have to plod along with the story regardless.

Which wouldn't be too bad, if it weren't for..

-=-=-=-= Spoiler =-=-=-=-
* spoiler *
In one of the towns, it's rather dark, but there's a waterwheel powering a wire, and there's a streetlight that isn't lit, and there's a few more utility poles lying around, so I did what made sense, grabbed the poles, connected the wires, and pretty much lit up the entire town after a good 20 minutes or so.

...THEN I triggered the ''Hey, we should light up the town'' dialogue event, and all the Pokemon, one by one, all ''taught'' me useful ways to light up the town, like taking the utility poles to connect the lights, and powering up the other waterwheel using the nearby block that was spouting water, and so on and so forth..
... And 20-odd * A Button * pushes of dialogue that, every time, would explain every little detail before going ''Oh, you already did that!'' or something to that effect.
* /spoiler *

-=-=-=-= Spoiler =-=-=-=-

Honestly, I do get how hard it is to write branching dialogue, but could they not have coded a ''If done, skip all this bit'' check, from the get go.
It's obvious the check is in there, because the NPCs realise at the end of its waffle that the task is complete.
PUT THAT UP THE TOP!!!

This is something that's frustrated me through a ton of Pokemon games. The devs seem to treat you as if you've NEVER played anything EVER before, and you don't have an ounce of intelligence to work out obvious game-mechanics for yourself.
The tutorials of Pokemon games never seem to stop, at any point, ever.

RAWR!

...
I'm still enjoying the game, and I've still not even really started the ''building'' part of it.
Right now I'm still enjoying exploring the area, and discovering new things.
..but...
I fully expect to have a hand-holding 20 minute session explaining the thing I found and mostly finished, yesterday, later on in the game.


''Hey, I love you. I brought you another stick''
Oh, gee, thanks..

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/It_Still_Pokemons_Blog_20260423B.png
I did not paint this building, but I do appreciate the colour scheme.]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16048 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16048 Thu, 23 Apr 2026 02:07:00 -0600


* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/17/Screenshot_2026-04-23_at_00_03_02_png.png * /thumb *

It's ok, don't panic, this is normal looking code!
It's definitely making my eyes hurt, but it's ok!!!

It all makes sense, it's fine, it's fine, it's ok! Don't panic!!

OMG, Look at it!!! AARGH!!

...
-=-=-=-

So, I've rewritten the Particle Engine, then.

*sigh*

Left values are defaults, Right values are random variance.

It started off well enough, but at some point it got turned into THAT!!
And that's not the particles, either. That's just the Particle Settings..

It works a lot like the more recent Particle Engine in GotoJSE, in that it'll have defaults, which the above insanity obviously is!
I'm calling these Particle Recipes, and I'll code a bunch of defaults like I usually do.
(1 = normal, 2 = fall, 3 = bounce, 4 = slow down, etc.)

But I can then change each of those individual settings using a SetParticle(''variable'',value, random variance) command.

And then it's a very simple case of ThrowParticle(x,y,image, spritenum)
Job done.. But with angle,dist parameters if need be.
I might add colour into the Throw command, too, rather than just have it as a SetParticle thing. Not sure where to do that, though.

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/17/Screenshot_2026-04-22_18-35-42_png.png * /thumb *

Good grief, that took a whole lot of time to get working right, and then it wasn't drawing anything, so I had to debug Javascript/WebGPU, and .. ugh!

Yep, everything's fine!
Everything's working just perfectly.

Test tomorrow, maybe. I want to get a dialogue box working next, but am unsure whether to code a ''Chutoo'' dialogue box, or a ''Shoe2'' dialogue box.

o_O!?]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16047 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16047 Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:16:00 -0600


* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/17/Screenshot_2026-04-21_20-37-40_png.png * /thumb *

Link : https://shoeboxofgames.com/shoe2/test_aabt.html * **Current Test Version**

The ''Plan'' if you could call it that, was to implement Lives into Strings:Rescue, but ultimately I decided that having Red/Green spinning hexagons is more than enough to explain things.

I also added a ''No Animals'' notification in the score-bar, though how obvious that is will be judged when I'm watching Mum try to play it!

In the end, Lives weren't fair. ''Punishment'' hasn't ever been part of Shoebox:Strings, nor many of the game, and trying to add them in felt like I was heading in the wrong direction.

As it is, I *think* it feels ok.
But I'll let you decide.

You can Link : https://shoeboxofgames.com/shoe2/test_aabt.html * Test AABT here with Rescue mode implemented.

I might still tweak a few bits and pieces, so let me know in the comments if you've any suggestions.

**Ready?**

So, then.. What's next?

1. Jingles
Though the Jingles are ''working'', I haven't yet fixed up how instruments are set. Right now it plays Jingles with whatever the heck instruments it wants, but I want to add a way to specify certain instruments.

2. Particles
I haven't added any particles, yet. Those definitely need added in.

3. Quit Menu
The X unceremoniously insta-quits. No ifs/and/buts

4. Reload
The engine does actually reload the previous game, it just doesn't do anything with it, yet.
I think what I'll do is write a nice popup function for Quit, then reuse that when the game reloads. I think.. Maybe..

5. Theme Picker
Something a little sturdier than the little row of * * 's along the bottom!


And then.. um.. Is that everything?

Oh, yeah, I haven't done Versus mode, have I.. Hmm..
Gonna need to work out the mechanics of that one.

OK, plenty to get on with!!
Gud gud.]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16046 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16046 Tue, 21 Apr 2026 05:58:00 -0600


* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/17/Screenshot_2026-04-20_19-04-38_png.png * /thumb *

The day spent drawing little animals went more or less ok.
They do kinda blend into each other, too, so I think redrawing with more obvious differences might be in order.
Hmm..
Or maybe a better selection of animals.


In addition, the game doesn't really explain things, yet. I'm thinking more flashy onscreen ''bloopy bloop'' stuff might help.
Particles, sure, but also something like ''You haven't scored anything because none of the animals fell'' without being like... ''You haven't scored anything because none of the animals fell''
Hmm.
Maybe Lives would help, here?
That's a very immediate way to say ''NO!! WRONG!!!''
None of the other Strings modes have felt like they've needed lives, but .. I dunno, this one might actually work better with them in there.

Curious.

No Test today. Might do that tomorrow. I need it to ''feel'' better, first.

Definitely haven't just been playing Pokopia all day...

<.<]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16045 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16045 Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:11:00 -0600


Sunday morning, and I'm sitting here, quite bored, wondering whether I should spend all Sunday working on the Strings:Rescue mode, or should I instead head back into my Animal Crossing land, and do some Sunday Turnip Buying.

On Friday night I watched an intriguing video on Pokopia, and how it may or may not have completely murdered the fun of Animal Crossing.

Link : https://youtu.be/R0xl_SqyeR8 * ''How can I ever return to Animal Crossing after playing this?''

* thumb * https://socoder.net/uploads/1/2026/16/20260419-01KPBPYF9DA9V1M67WZAG4ADZV-2FC1F686-32E3-45B1-9B53-FAD6072E8FCF_jpeg.jpeg * /thumb *

That got me wondering if I oughta give that game a go, too.
After all, part of the ''point'' of Animal Crossing for me, is to just have a nice relaxing end to my day's coding.
I've been doing that off and on since the GameCube original. Some times it can completely kill productivity because I'm so engrossed in it, whilst other times it serves as a shutting down technique after a hard day's slogging.

Recently I got back into Animal Crossing, but after having finished paying off my new set of NookLoans, and got most of the island looking fairly respectable, earning my 5-Star rating, and more, I kinda got stuck in the same rut that I usually do with Animal Crossing games.

I've never been one for organisation, neatness, or things like that, so .. What's left in Animal Crossing?
Daily farming, chatting to repetitive villagers, and going on a daily trip with Kapp'n?

The game's at the same point that all my other towns/villages/etc have got to.
That point where you just kinda lose interest all of a sudden.

So.. Maybe Pokopia's different enough?!

**Initial Impressions**

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/16/20260419-01KPJYJF90Z872YK6YG3WF8ZG0-145B861D-F969-41FF-A1F6-858B0753A41C_jpeg.jpeg * /thumb *

You're a Ditto, fair enough.
The human's have vanished, and most of the Pokemon are ''missing''.
There's a big giant cuddly looking creature that takes you under its wings (it doesn't have wings) and kinda acts like your mentor, prompting ''suggestions'' as to what to do.
Think of him like Tom Nook, except he isn't forcing you, merely making suggestions.

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/16/20260419-01KPJZDQACQD924F0HCVS9QDS0-4D153A05-0990-4C75-ADEF-20064B57246E_jpeg.jpeg * /thumb *

And so, you explore.
And the world is VAST.
There are the odd blockades, like giant Gates that apparently need Trainer-Levels to access, and there's a weird ''you can't go this far'' barrier if you wander too far.
.. I'm not sure if that's a permanent ''game can't handle more!'' blockade, or if you can indeed increase your Trainer-Level, and these will open up later.

(Update : I've now passed a couple of gates, and they open up into further 3D voxel grid areas. HUGE!!!! I wonder how many of these there are? I'm desperately avoiding spoilers)

Bloody hell is it vast!
I mean, it's a Minecraft, and those have been vast since the early 2010s.
But.. Compared to Animal Crossing.
It's WOOOAH!!!!

And, from the gameplay I flurried away with on Sunday, you seem to be able to dig+build the Minecraft blocks as much as you'd like, as far as 3D space goes.
I do wonder if there's an actual voxel limit, here, but so far I've made tall thin towers, and great big holes, and flatlands and more.

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/16/20260419-01KPJZZTCF5K77PJ3DR7DVV1BR-600975A5-79AC-4A9D-945E-C89AE5E85B5F_jpeg.jpeg * /thumb *

I built a tower of 90 blocks, but the ground goes lower than where I started, and there seems to be a grid of blocks under the water, too. So, maybe 128 blocks tall?
No idea on the X/Y grid size, but it feels like it might be something like 256x256... Though that's just a guess.


The people at Pokemon HQ must've been playing FAR too much Minecraft!!
And Animal Crossing, because as much as it must be very desperately trying NOT to be Animal Crossing, it also very much is just Animal Crossing in places.

...
So, is it good?
After 4 ''battery low'', recharge, carry on playing cycles throughout Sunday..
I've enjoyed it so far.

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/16/20260419-01KPKS44EV4SV695H9V0DXY4E0-9CBBBD16-313F-4307-A4E0-86FFEBA8B8CD_jpeg.jpeg * /thumb *

*shrugs*

I'm enjoying it right now. Whether that continues, I'm not sure.
I haven't really started building, yet, either. I imagine that'll start eating up time.

Highly recommended if you can't be arsed paying off yet another NookLoan!]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16044 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16044 Sun, 19 Apr 2026 06:30:00 -0600


So, Shoe2-Strings needs some kind of ''Rescue me'' critters, and I figure at some point I'll be doing a Match-3 game, so .. um..
Might as well kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, except without killing any birds.

In fact.. drawing the birds, instead.

Image : https://socoder.net/uploads/1/2026/16/Flappy-Happy_png.png
Awww, so sweet.

Definitely not the most artistic bird in the cage.
I know the beak has a little bit of an overhang on the right. But that more or less vanishes when you scale it down to be something I'll use ingame, though.

... Artistic enough for me, though, right?!
Probably depends on how well I actually use them, as with most art in most of my games.

I'm certainly getting better with that Vector Art tool, though. (Amadine on iOS)

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/16/icons_01-254x254_png.png * /thumb *

The plan for Strings : Rescue is that they'll start at the top of the grid, and your aim is to drop them out of the bottom of the grid.
I'm thinking ''points are only awarded if the word causes an animal to drop a bit'', with a bigger bonus once they drop out the bottom.

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/16/IMG_3109_png.png * /thumb *

Along the way, only one request was made to the A.I., and that was ''How the heck to I add the three ovals together, so they're one shape, and have a singular outline''
The AI instructed me to select all the object I wish to blend, then switch to ''Path'' mode, and from there look for the Boolean operators. The leftmost ''all the objects become a white block'' icon is the right one.

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/16/IMG_3110_jpeg.jpeg * /thumb *

Cool!
And a handy button that is, too!

I might add a few more animals into the mix. Hamster would be nice.
I'd try to draw a dog, but I fear it'd look a bit too much like either the Rabbit or the Cat!!!

**Methodology**

I started with the hedgehog first. A star with the bottom chopped off, then another lighter oval over the top, and a couple more for the ears. (Note, I hadn't yet learned the ''Add boolean'' thing yet, so the ears are under the face)
Then I added the rosey red cheeks and the rest of the face to a second layer, then copied that layer over to a third, fourth, fifth, tweaking each one to make up the four expressions that I've drawn.

Luvly stuff.

Next, I copied the file, deleted the Hedgehog but left the face, and drew the Rabbit under the face, then the same for the kitten.
I had to move elements around a bit, like how the kitten's eyes are a little bit further apart, but otherwise the face-parts are the same for all.

I wasn't aiming for ''Tabby cat'', btw, but when I tried to draw my own cat's face, I kept trying to make it ''too'' realistic, so instead I typed ''Chibi Cat'' into google, and ended up doing a Tabby cat based on the results.
Cheat, maybe..
AI , no!! ... .. Unless the google results were AI generated. Who knows?!

Flappy was next, and more or less stayed the same, expression wise, except I deleted his mouth and replaced it with a beak. As you do!

And finally came the frog which needed the Boolean thing for the eyes to work.
I modelled the frog on the Animal Crossing Frog Chair, btw!!]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16043 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16043 Sat, 18 Apr 2026 14:13:00 -0600


* thumb * https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Hunter_Mode_Blog_20260417B.png * /thumb *

OK, Hunter Mode is now in.
You can Link : https://shoeboxofgames.com/shoe2/test_aabs.html * Test AABS here .

Took a little rejigging, but it's in there, now.
I'm fairly sure it'll be a bit sluggish on older devices, though, so I think I need to optimise the computer-player a little better.

The gist is, the computer finds a word, then you have to find it.
Trying to get a decent way for the computer to find the word was .. well, I resorted to brute force, and it's not the fastest method, that's for sure.

Maybe I should ask the AI to give it a try, but given the issues that Link : https://socoder.net/?Topic=10061 * Spinal has had doing much the same thing, lately , I don't expect the AI to be able to manage to do it any better than I've already done.

A fun methodology to try to code, though.

Right then...
I've one more additional game mode to add to Shoe2-Strings, but I also need to tackle how Versus mode is going to work, so I'll make a start on ''Last mode'' today, and then tackle Versus tomorrow? ... And then.. Maybe that's everything for launch?
..Maybe?!

Actually, no, I've not added particles or other ''polish'' features, yet, have I?
And the audio is still just 6 pops and 5 pizzicato instruments! Not even the card sounds are in!

Hmm..
Oh, and at some point I need to tackle the menu setup handling other games, too, 'cos right now it's only Strings.
And the Quit menu, so hitting the ''X'' doesn't insta-quit.
And the stuff to jump back into a game when you reload the page.

Yeah, maybe not a Monday release, then!
Ugh.

Keep at it, Jay.

*enforced work continues*

You can Link : https://shoeboxofgames.com/shoe2/test_aabs.html * Test AABS here . ( Link : https://shoeboxofgames.com/shoe2/test_aabs.html?debug * debug )

Known Issues
1. Hunter mode is no doubt very sluggish on anything other than a high-end system.
2. The ''Find this word'' needs to be more upfront, I think.
3. It's possible to get stuck in Heap mode. I need to add some kind of safety net or something..
4. The icon's changed since I uploaded that version. I've added more bubbles to it.

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Hunter_Mode_Blog_20260417A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16042 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16042 Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:43:00 -0600


* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/16/Screenshot_2026-04-16_22-03-50_png.png * /thumb *

Ooooh!

A line instead of a chunky border.
Works great on the table-baize style, and will look lovely when playing Card games.

I figured I'd leave the AI to figure out something as easy as that, whilst I work on getting Hunter mode coded.

And it was fascinating to see the AI struggle to not quite come up with a way to do it.

''We'd have to trace the outline of the border'' it suggested, and then spent a good 5 or 6 prompts trying its best to figure out a variety of methods it could use, such as ''redraw the layer on top of itself with a slightly higher scale, but using difference mode'' .. Then immediately correcting itself and suggesting that that method wouldn't leave transparency, only black.

It tried drawing the border, adding a shadow and then undrawing the border so it left only the shadow. ''Oh, but that won't be a crisp outline''.
''What if we only draw lines, instead of filling the areas?'' .. ''Oh, but then that would leave lines around where the card is drawn over everything on the top right.''

It's gotten very good at correcting itself, and reading through its internal monologue really does start to read like how my head does that, sometimes, too.
It's all rather eerie!!

Anyway, I eventually jumped in.
''We already have the BorderSub and BorderAdd functions. If we have a BorderSub-Inverted function, we could cut the outside of the border instead of the inside. Then all we have to do is cut the middle, add the blob, cut the blob with a slightly smaller size, then cut the border smaller, too.''

* blockquote *
Yes! That's it! 🎉
So the recipe would be:

BorderCLS — fill everything
BorderSub — cut out the main screen hole
BorderAdd — put back a rounded rect for the card
BorderSub — cut out the card interior (current inside-out)
BorderSubOuter(x,y,w,h,r) — cut away everything outside the card rect
* /blockquote *

So, again, I end up having to jump in and figure it all out myself.
Bloomin' AI.
It's all well and good at generating entire 3D worlds within a couple of prompts, but you try and get it to cut out a border, and it's baffled beyond believe.

**Meanwhile...**

As well as this, I changed how the menu buttons work.
In the current versions, the little menu buttons shift up when hovered over, which is nice enough when you're playing with a mouse, but if you're playing on a touchscreen.. That never happens.
Instead, then, I've made the buttons more of a tactile thing. They go ''click-clock'' when you press them, now, instead. (I say now.. I haven't uploaded anything from yesterday yet!)

Another thing I need to do over the next few days is replacing that cloud texture.
As lovely as it is, it's quite obviously AI Generated, and though I'm comfortable enough having the AI code a few background elements, or have a nice flow of ideas and concepts with it, I'm definitely avoiding having anything visually ''OMG That's AI !!'' in front of the user.

So, I think I'll go back to my old Link : https://pixelcubes.art/index.html?plaintexture * SpriteGen code , and see about making a few new repeating textures in there.
If I manage to make anything substantially cool, I'll be sure to post about that in a future blog.]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16041 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16041 Fri, 17 Apr 2026 02:20:00 -0600


I added a few themes to Shoe2 a couple of days ago, and they seemed to be working ''ok'', but .. Something was slightly amiss.
The difference between GPU and Canvas, when drawing the background using ''Multiply'' mode, is quite noticeable.
Claude.ai even struggled to figure out why it was happening too, which surprised me, but with a little more chit-chatting, and spitballing between the two of us, I believe we've figured out what's going on.

Both modes are ''multiply'', and both ''should'' look the same, but the way GPU does it, compared to how Canvas does it, was surprisingly quirky.
.. And... ... Neither of them look right, to me!!!

SetAlpha(0.1); SetBlend(''multiply''); DrawImage(''clouds over the top of the blue background'');

Both should look identical, but..

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/16/Screenshot_2026-04-15_21-17-57_png.png * /thumb *
Left = GPU, right = Canvas

What ''should'' be happening, in my head, is that anything dark should darken the blue background.
By reducing the Alpha, when the blackest of black is drawn, it should reduce the blue by the given Alpha amount. If Alpha is full, then the blue should become black. If Alpha is 0.5, the blue should be half as dark. ..

That's ''multiplying'' the black by the alpha, and reducing it..
That's what my head's always thought of as Multiply blend, anyway.
But apparently GPU and Canvas have vastly different ideas!

Canvas is pre-alphaing the image before doing the multiply, so if you ask for 0.1, then the contrast of the image is lost. Anything white becomes mid-grey, and that impacts the multiplier, such that EVERYTHING ends up being reduced in brightness. Similarly, black also becomes mid-grey, and anything that should be darker.. well it all ends up blending together into mush.

GPU multiply ''feels'' better to begin with, but if you reduce it down to 0.1, it's obvious that something's wrong with the multiply mode. I said yesterday that this might be ''an Apple thing'', but I've been fiddling with other devices, and I'm not sure it is.
I'm not really sure what it is, if I'm honest.
Maybe it's an error with my shader? I'm not sure.
But 1.0 is drastic, even impacting the saturation of the colour, whilst 0.1 is ... still drastic.. .. less drastic, but still drastic, and really visible.

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/16/Screenshot_2026-04-15_21-31-47_png.png * /thumb *
It shouldn't be THIS visible when at 0.1.

So.. um..
How to fix this?

I sat and thought about this for ... I dunno.. must've been about an hour or so, until my head went ''Oh, hang on.. I only need the black...''
I've been trying to draw a greyscale image with Multiply, but what if I drew an All-Black image, but with Alpha instead of brightness, and then simply used normal blending, and changed the Alpha before a draw..

Essentially, instead of the texture looking like this...

Image : https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/16/Texture_greyscale_jpg.jpg

It now looks like this...

Image : https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/16/texture_black_png.png

Granted, on a plain white blog background, those look essentially the same, but trust me, they're different.
The top one is ''shades of grey'', whilst the bottom one is ''shades of alpha transparency''.

All colour data is converted to the alpha channel, and the colour set to black.
Original black being (0,0,0,1) so fully black.. and white being (0,0,0,0) fully transparent.
And everything in-between being black but with the right amount of alpha.

Now when I draw THAT over the top of the blue, (with standard normal blend, by the way, no Multiply necessary) we get..

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/16/Screenshot_2026-04-15_21-36-12_png.png * /thumb *
Identical in both GPU and Canvas, too, by the way.

Which, I believe is what I expected from the multiplier in the first place.
You reduce the alpha, you reduce the impact of the darkness, not the lightness.
The ''white'' stays fully blue, and the ''black'' becomes blacker.

AND.. I beat the AI. 'cos the AI couldn't figure this out!

Yeay!!!
Brain Wins!

...
And with that done, I now need to code a couple more GameModes for Strings, which will hopefully be done by the end of today. (You can already spot the empty ''Hunter'' icon in the last screenshot!)

Hop to it, Jay!

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Multiplying_is_Different_Blog_20260415A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16040 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16040 Thu, 16 Apr 2026 02:07:00 -0600


* thumb * https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Multi_Theme_Test_Blog_20260414C.png * /thumb *
I redrew the icons. The icons now look better.
Excellent work, Arty Jay!

The Heap mode is now much more playable, too, now that I've added a few elements to balance the difficulty, and .. I can't stop playing it!
It's a really nice mashup between Strings and your typical ''things drop from the top'' puzzle game.

I've also added a new quick theme test button down on the bottom left of the main menu. It uses a lot of Multiply blending, though, so I'll be interested to know if it breaks the framerate on whatever device you're running on.

The toggle placement is only temporary. I'll be moving it to the ''Big Play Button'' screen in future. I just need to decide how best to display the options.


Due to the way the backgrounds are being drawn, there are now more subtle differences between GPU and Canvas draw modes. You can tap 4 or 5 on your keyboard to toggle between them, as and when you'd like to see if you can spot any differences on your browser. I have a feeling that what I'm seeing on an Apple device might be mathematically different to how other devices behave.
Hmm..
Might not be able to get around this particular quirk, if I'm honest.

Please do let me know how you get on with today's test.

You can Link : https://shoeboxofgames.com/shoe2/test_aabq.html * Test AABQ here ( Link : https://shoeboxofgames.com/shoe2/test_aabq.html?debug * debug )

I'm off for another 50 or so rounds of Heap!

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Multi_Theme_Test_Blog_20260414A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16039 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16039 Wed, 15 Apr 2026 02:16:00 -0600


Yesterday I implemented a few more Game Modes into Strings.
Modes so far are..

Classic : 100 bubbles to pop
Timed : 2 minutes to pop what you can
Words : 10 words, score as much as you can
Heap : More bubbles pile onto the grid each turn
Rapid : Chain combos of words as quickly as you can
Daily : The grid is seeded daily
Chill : Nothing but you and the bubbles.

There's also Versus, but I still haven't decided how best to ''share'' a game of Strings, yet.
On top of that, there's 2 more game modes I'd like to implement, but they're not quite ready yet.

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/16/Screenshot_2026-04-13_20-45-29_png.png * /thumb *
The menu currently looks like this, and as much as those icons ''Iconography'' the game modes.. That ''Chill'' really does stand out, doesn't it?
I think I need to rework the icons to look more like ''pictures'' rather than ''icons'', if that makes sense.

Classic is probably OK, as is Rapid, but the calendar.. That could be more ''physical''? And the Words is just plain boxes.

Nah, I can do better than those.

So, today will probably be about drawing half-a-dozen interpretations of them all, trying to find a nice art language that I can carry onwards.

Ugh..

I uploaded this edition.
You can Link : https://shoeboxofgames.com/shoe2/test_aabp.html * Test AABP here , but be aware there are still multiple issues in the games!
Heap is NOT a gentle game, requiring a little more balancing before I'm happy with it, and the endgame kinda bugs out a bit, too.
It needs fixing.

And in general the endgame kinda sneaks up on you and goes ''HA - ENDED!!!'', so maybe a swooping delayed ending or something? I dunno how best to do that.

But it is at least playable.
Thoughts in the Comments and the * discord * !

You can Link : https://shoeboxofgames.com/shoe2/test_aabp.html * Test AABP here

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/In_Progress_Test_Blog_20260413A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16038 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16038 Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:08:00 -0600


Don't panic. The spaghetti code is entirely inside Shoe2, not inside Chutoo.
...
!

Chutoo's Load+Save is as follows.
SaveFile(filename, data)
And
LoadFile(filename) : returns data
It's up to you to organise it well.
Obviously in Javascript, ''File'' is an element inside LocalStorage, and data can be anything. With Javascript being as super-handy as it is, you can do something like...

* blockquote * SaveFile(''My_Game'', {
Highscore:17,
MostChickens:3,
TimeTaken:3hr 57m
} );

data=LoadFile(''My_Game'');
Highscore=data.Highscore; etc,etc.. * /blockquote *

And that just works. I mean, that was barely anything impressive at all, if I'm honest. Javascript's got you covered!

.. That's definitely going to break if I ever get around to the Transpiler stuff, though. I'm going to have to figure out a better way to handle it for other possible languages in the future.

But in the meantime, the Spaghetti Code is 100% inside Shoe2, not Chutoo.
So, though I can easily Load and Save scores, the more complicated thing is trying to figure out how to organise that data.
I need to include Top 10, Last 10, Best Words, Stars and More, all within a single array.

I've now un-spaghetti'd it so that I ''only'' need to build an array, per game, and then use the simple Save/Load functions to do that.
The biggest complexity right now is.. Where and how do I store the rules/settings that tell the game how to store what bits of data where inside the array.
..
What?
I dunno. I think my head frazzled again trying to figure this out.

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Still_Rejigging_Blog_20260412A.png

Some days, you just have to jot it all down...]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16037 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16037 Sun, 12 Apr 2026 14:24:00 -0600


When it came to figuring out Score-saving, the whole thing became a little more corrupt than I'd've liked.
I've been trying to make Shoe2 as expandable as I can, so tried to make the Game List + Icon List as freeform as I could. And it's been working pretty well, so far, but as soon as I tried to make the score-saving work, the whole thing became incredibly spaghetti-styled.
The new Freeform layout meant that games could freely move around in memory, so whereas Klondike is Game 1 and Strings is Game 2 in Shoebox Classic, this time around Games 1-4 are different modes of Strings, and Games 5-8 are different modes of Klondike, and things might end up moving around in the future when I add more modes for each.

Which means trying to save ''Scoreboard for game 5'' might be Klondike right now, but in future Game 5 might be a mode for Strings.

If that makes sense.

And it kinda does as far as freeflow playing might be, but .. wow, it spaghetti'd pretty darn fast!

So, yesterday was mostly a case of flattening the array a little, and rejigging how it all works out.
I've added extra numbers into the array, and it's all gotten a little .. um..
yeah.

I'll probably need to redo the whole thing again. I know what I'm aiming for, this time, though.
I think.
Maybe..

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/More_Rejigging_Blog_20260411A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16036 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16036 Sat, 11 Apr 2026 20:09:00 -0600


The game saves automagically, and I've put in a one-second delay between it attempting a save, so it doesn't hammer your device saving every time you complete a word in Strings, or move a card in Klondike!!

The Load functions if you type Load(); into the Developer window. ...!
I next need to add a ''Resume Game?'' window that'll pop up if there's already a save file.

I also got a few tweaks to the menu system working, like how I reused the ''Versus'' (spell it right) icon as the ''Start 2 players'' icon on the top right.
Consistency!! Cool!

I need to start a GUI Icons collection, now, so I can add things like ''Signal Strength'' icons, and things like that.
Ugh, the amount of things I need to do, just to get the first game up and running!

Once everything's organised, I can start making leaps and bounds, and building all manner of games.
... In the meantime, though, it's slow going, building things up, one silly little bit at a time.

**Meanwhile...**

Michael Fernie gave us a quick writeup about how well (or not) the Link : https://agameaweek.com/?Blog=12413 * 2 player test went for him.

* blockquote * I tried the VS test version. I can't tell if it's working. I started the game and both joined. I see a green dot in the upper right.

They don't share the same word grid (you said they wouldn't). The score doesn't seem to get sent over. Both seem to be scoring as player 2 (right side). Player 1 is always 0.

I do see the letters fall down on the other player when the current player makes a move. So I 'think' it's working.

Does this all sound like it's working as it should for the current version? This was using my old iPhone and the newer Android phone. Both works smoothly and had no issues that I could see. * /blockquote *

Aye, that all sounds about right.

The scores should only ever be ''Me'', not ''The other player''. I haven't organised score sharing yet.
I'm currently thinking ''how do I ensure the other player isn't cheating'', and wrapping my head about all manner of chaos, but at the same time as thinking ''it's only supposed to be friend vs friend, surely the other player won't be cheating.''

I dunno what's best there. To bother, or not?

Either way, yes, what you're describing is ''working''. Like I said it's not ''Game ready'', but is at least ''test ready'', and it seems the test is at least functioning like it should.
The two devices are connecting, and the gameplay is sharing, even if the game itself isn't.

Gud gud!

Now I need to get the game ready!

You can Link : https://agameaweek.com/?Blog=12413 * Test the 2 player test here.

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Background_Tweaks_Blog_20260410A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16035 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16035 Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:28:00 -0600


Yesterday I posted my first Link : https://agameaweek.com/?Blog=12413 * Two Player test. Please do give it a go if you haven't.

This is the first time I've ever done anything ''properly'' online. Before it's only been a case of level editing or high scores, but now for the first time I've figured out a nice and sturdy way to send data between devices. For now it's only 2 player, but .. Hey, who knows what might come in the future!

So it's important to get things right, off the bat, and any input you can give would be fantastic.

You can Link : https://agameaweek.com/?Blog=12413 * read about the test, and test yourself, in yesterday's blog.

So..
With that done, I shut down everything for the rest of the night, and opted to sit and watch a movie for a change.
I purchased the Avatar Trilogy.
I haven't watched any of them. I rarely ever find time to sit and watch movies, if I'm honest.
But, not only is it 3 whole movies, it's also a boatload of extras, too.
Niiiice! I love me some extras.

So I settled down, and ..
Oh, hang on, there's a new Link : https://youtu.be/7NUjC3iPr9g * TechLinked to watch.
And an LTT video about Link : https://youtu.be/WxUBCrr4CdE * The RAMpocalypse and how things seem to be looking up.
And then I watched an MKBHD video about Link : https://youtu.be/UecKUN9AUaM * shooting videos with phones.
And then I fell asleep.
Hmmm..

I'll watch Avatar some other time.

Maybe..

Probably split up into half hour chunks so that I bother to watch any of it at all!

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/A_Night_Off_Blog_20260410A.png
With apologies if this, in no way shape or form, resembles anything from the movie Avatar.
.. I still haven't seen it.]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16034 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16034 Fri, 10 Apr 2026 01:38:00 -0600


* thumb * https://socoder.net/uploads/1/2026/15/Screenshot_2026-04-07_16-07-58_png.png * /thumb *

Link : https://shoeboxofgames.com/shoe2/test_aabm.html?debug * **Test AABM**

On each device, click the top right red circle.
On device one, click Player 1
On device two, click Player 2

Player two should enter the three word phrase that appears on player one's screen. (There's no delete key yet, so if you bugger up, just tap until all 9 chrs are full, it errors out, and restarts)

If you both manage to connect, the main menu will reappear with the new Versus button on it.
Click that on both. (I haven't yet made it so that Player One controls which game gets played)

As I've said, the ''game'' isn't working yet, but the functionality should, so I want you to check that popping on one will pop on the other, and vice versa.
Check either way, pop a few words, etc, etc, whatever you're doing.

The grids aren't the same (since the games didn't launch together!), there's odd ''collision'' issues, and sometimes things don't unpop correctly, but that's ok, I can fix that in post.
I don't need you to tell me the ''game'' is broke. I know that! But do let me know if anything else goes a bit wonky.

For now, you're just checking that it functions at all!!!

You can Link : https://shoeboxofgames.com/shoe2/test_aabm.html?debug * Test AABM here.

Michael Fernie was slightly disappointed that I'm going for ''Two iPads in the same room'' for this.
I've coded it using WebRTC, which is a browser-specific set of functions, so technically it ''should'' work across the web, linking up any two players together, no matter how far.
It'll probably mess up a bit, due to lag.
I'm not really sure.
I haven't tested that.

Either way, let me know how you get on.]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16033 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16033 Thu, 09 Apr 2026 06:13:00 -0600


This week's ALChoon was SUCH an effort. Not for trying, though. I certainly tried.

I figured this might be a nice point to give you an idea of the clutter that is my Music Folder. The musical ideas that don't make it, that get abandoned midway (or very early on!) and the little ditties that get denied.

This week's ''Always Never'' is the sixth attempt at a tune, and I'm going to pull back the curtain so you can hear the horrors that were plotted before it!

These are the tracks which were Almost Always Never

**Finding An Instrument**

It's really odd.. But for the past few weeks I kept having an instrument selection GUI pop into my head. I couldn't quite place it, so this week I decided to ask Google Gemini.

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/15/Whats_That_GUI_png.png * /thumb *
I sent it this picture, and the prompt ..
* b * I keep semi-remembering a VSTi. Can't remember if Win/Mac/iOS. It was a ton of presets, in a giant sprawling horizontal list. The interface was black+green or gold..
IIRC, it let you add ''patches'' via ''cards''.. * /b *

To its credit, Google Gemini was bang on the mark, right out of the gate..

* blockquote * Based on your description and the sketch you provided, it sounds like you are remembering the Korg Wavestation or the Korg M1 (specifically from the Korg Collection / Korg Legacy Collection). * /blockquote *

Inside Korg Gadget, it shows up as Darwin, and yes indeed, that's the very thing.
Bravo, Gemini.
If I'd've Googled for that, I bet I'd've been there all week!

Anyway, perfectly timed because the MacOS/Windows version (Korg M1 v2) is currently on sale for ''only'' *!APOUND!*49.99 Link : https://korg.shop/software/korg-collection-series/korg-collection-m1.html * Linkage
...

Aaah, go on then.

Oh, and it was lovely having this back. It's a fantastically large collection of instruments, and having it on my Mac, where I can use it with Ableton, is fantastic!
The following tracks all make use of Korg M1, and no doubt a lot of future tracks will, too.

First off, let's see how bad Synth-Brass sounds..

**Always N1**
* mp3 * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/15/Always_N1_mp3.mp3 * /mp3 *
Synth-Brass sounds bloody awful to my ears, and this is no different.
Always N1 went nowhere.

**Always N2**
* mp3 * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/15/Always_N2_mp3.mp3 * /mp3 *
For Always N2, I experimented with reverb.
There's a guitar, there's strings, it's all a clutter, it gets too noisy, this didn't go anywhere.

**Always N3**
* mp3 * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/15/Always_N3_mp3.mp3 * /mp3 *
Always N3 is more sensible, but something ''wobbly'' seems to be happening between the instruments, and I couldn't quite place it.
A different set of instruments will likely hit the right mark for this melody.

**Always N4**
* mp3 * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/15/Always_N4_mp3.mp3 * /mp3 *
La, La, La, sings Synth V. Not sure where I was headed with this one, but I do like the way it turned out. I just felt like it needed some lyrics, but my brain didn't want to do anything more with it. Hmm..
I might revisit this another time.

**Always N5**
* mp3 * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/15/Always_N5_mp3.mp3 * /mp3 *
This is starting to feel more like it. The fast paced hi-hat drum loop, and a nice arpeggio.
Yeah, that's what my head wants out of this week's ALChoon.
Oddly, though, I couldn't quite extend it beyond this version.

I did consider passing it through Suno at this point, but that felt like cheating.
No, if I'm doing ''Weekly Music like I used to'', then that's what I oughta be doing.

Which brings us to..

**Always Never**
* youtube * 6UNl6OvW1ag * /youtube *

* mp3 * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/15/Always_Never_mp3.mp3 * /mp3 *
A slower pace than N5 was, but still with the arpeggios, and the hi-hats still being quite prominent.
I like how this track's come out. It's a shame I couldn't have come up with any lyrics for it.
I do keep trying to do those, but it seems my mind is currently elsewhere.
Ho-hum!


And only once I was 100% happy with it, did I dare to feed it into Suno, with lyrics by Claude.AI
* mp3 * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/15/Always_Never_Use_Suno_mp3.mp3 * /mp3 * | Link : https://suno.com/s/10QgTPvxvxyfM5cB * Suno Link

.. God damnit, now mine sounds bloody awful.
I should really stop using Suno. It's so frickin' demotivating.

Always Never Use Suno...

...
That is to say, I didn't get any coding done, yesterday, so the 2-player experiment is still unfinished, sorry!!! Maybe tomorrow!]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16032 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16032 Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:14:00 -0600 .. yet.



* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/15/Screenshot_2026-04-07_16-07-58_png.png * /thumb *

WebRTC is the magic, here.

The ''Verses'' connection is seemingly now working, though I have currently completely fudged up my test arena, because I've connected too many times.
... I'll fix that in post, as it were.

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/15/Screenshot_2026-04-07_16-08-01_png.png * /thumb *

Each player taps the ''Verses'' button, and a new menu appears.
Player 1 clicks, and is given a simple 3 word Room Code/Passkey.
Player 2 clicks, and has to type in the 3 word Room Code/Passkey.
Then the two browsers/devices are linked up...
Ooooooh!!!!

..

That bit's working (when the server is letting me!)
I can also hackily send messages from one device to the other, and that's working, too.

What I now need to do is create a ''is still live'' connection test, and then develop some sort of simple way to ensure that messages are sent properly between the two devices.

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/15/Screenshot_2026-04-07_16-14-17_png.png * /thumb *

From there it's a ''simple'' case of coding a version of Strings that allows two players to pop bubbles on a grid simultaneously, without the game getting too bogged down.
I've a couple of ideas for this, and I'm not 100% sure what the best play style will be.
I think it might be a ''Me vs Mum until we're happy'' sort of thing.

* thumb * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/15/Screenshot_2026-04-07_16-39-11_png.png * /thumb *

Ooooh, the possibilities!

A test edition will likely be posted tomorrow, presuming I can get this all working.

Note
This is meant for two players in the same room, playing against each other on their iPads.
This isn't meant for 160,000 players all playing together in a MMO style environment.
This also isn't meant for two players playing against each other over the internet, at opposite sides of the world.

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/A_Game_of_Two_Halves_Blog_20260407A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16031 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16031 Tue, 07 Apr 2026 09:37:00 -0600


Must've been overtired, as I started to drift off to sleep around 9pm, no matter how much I was telling myself ''get some coding done!!''

But no, I couldn't stay awake, and my mind needed to
Zzzzz....

I awoke at 11:30pm, wide awake, and my head was ready to code.
As I type this, it's 1:30am and I've been sitting with my AirPods in my ears for the past couple of hours.. ... Though the playlist finished about an hour ago, and I've been sitting in silence, typing away, such goes the in-depth late night coding session.

Tonight's code is in two halves, and I've just finished part one, so really need to get part two working before the two become one glorious whole.
I've opted to take a few minutes out, to not only hit Play on a different Playlist, but also jot down this short blog.

Hopefully the next half of this marathon code session goes as well as the first half, though I'm still not convinced the end result will work as well as I'm hoping.
But, hey, might as well try these things, right?

Also, I may have eaten a whole Terry's Chocolate Orange Easter Egg, along with the Chocolate Orange itself, over the course of today.
Oops!

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Late_Night_Coding_Blog_20260406B.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16030 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16030 Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:29:00 -0600


Step 1 is working well, which is hard-coded random instruments.
Step 2 will be to work out a tidy way to define the instruments, so that I can add or remove instruments based on how I want specific jingles to sound.

* mp3 * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/14/Jingle_Nu_mp3.mp3 * /mp3 *

The AGameAWeek Jingle, using the exact same bit of code over and over..
Specifically PlayJingle(90,''G.GEC.G.>C|C.G.<G>.G.C'',240);

90 is supposed to be the default instrument, but that's being ignored and random instruments (90 to 94) are being played instead.
What I need to do now is implement a way to say ''This channel can use any instrument 90 to 94'' inside the Jingle code, without it ending up being silly..
And have that same code for each channel.
And then implement volumes and panning and the like.

And this is just the jingles!!

You can actually test this out. Head on over to Link : https://shoeboxofgames.com/shoe2/test_aabl.html * Test AABL , tap any of the menu items, and it'll play one of three jingles.
You can hop in and out to retrigger it with random instruments.

I'm pretty happy with how that's turned out.
Still needs a ''little'' work, like how it doesn't quite seem to play the first note at the right point. I might have to add a couple of milliseconds before it triggers, or something.
But.. Yeah, I'm quite happy with the results, here.

Cool!

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Jingling_More_Blog_20260405A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16029 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16029 Sun, 05 Apr 2026 16:00:00 -0600


A couple of days ago, I asked for suggestions for how to score a game of Solitaire, to which Michael replied..

* blockquote * Please dont add a timer. I hate those in games of Solitaire. How about how many moves it took to win? Less moves means you played better. * /blockquote *

So I guess that's a no-go on the timer, then!!

I was in that mindset myself, too, to be honest. Windows Solitaire had a timed mode, and I avoided it like the plague. (Was it called Vegas mode or something? Can't remember. So long ago!)

How Many Moves is a nice suggestion, and indeed me and the chatbots were chit-chatting about Moves and Methods and Goals, too.
(Along the way we discussed best practices for creating ''Winnable Decks'', vs ''Shuffled Decks'', which I'll be adding in as an option, too.)

But the concept of ''Moves'' was put aside, too. Essentially you're asking for ''least moves'' when, realistically the game is WAY too randomised to allow that to be a scoring mechanism.
You're essentially asking for pure luck to get a high score. And it's not all that fair, in the end.

Imagine if you had an almost perfect deal vs a terrible deal.

Your perfect deal, you practically don't have to move a thing, and the game hands you everything on a plate, and bingo, you've won.

Now compare that to a terrible deal where you work and work and work at it, to manage to beat the game, and eventually succeed.

Which of those two things ''should'' you get a better score for?
Which of those should be at the top of the leaderboard.

''Barely did a thing'' or ''Deserves a medal''
And what quantifies deserving a medal?

It's a VERY tricky thing to ''compute''.

One method that .. I think it was Gemini that suggested this one.. .. would be to have a five star system.
Star One = Placed all Aces into the Foundations (The top right boxes)
Star Two = Placed all Kings at the top of the Tableaus (The 7 columns)
Star Three = Unveiled all the face-down cards in the Tableaus
Star Four = Emptied the Stock deck (the pile on the top left)
Star Five = Completed the game

This seems much fairer, but after a number of completions, you've got a full highscore table that'll never change. All fives, all the time!
Instead, I could replace ''High/Top'' completely with just ''Last''.. Maybe make it a graph?

And have a tally of how many times you've hit 0,1,2,3,4 or 5 stars...
...
The ''Play Screen'' would look quite different between Strings and Klondike, and .. I think that's ok.
Not every game is exactly the same.
Not everything needs a standard scoreboard.

You can probably guess this, but I haven't even started working on the Play screen yet.
There's a lot of GUI work involved :D]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16028 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16028 Sun, 05 Apr 2026 06:37:00 -0600


Yesterday was mostly spent getting timings a little more precise than I was expecting to, as I built the most basic of Jingle engines.

* mp3 * https://SoCoder.net/uploads/1/2026/14/Jingles_mp3.mp3 * /mp3 *

In order..

PlayJingle(91,''>C<GC'',260);
PlayJingle(91,''CG>C'',260);
PlayJingle(91,''G.GEC.G.>C'',260);
and finally..
PlayJingle(91,''<cdedefefgfefg|E..F..G...GB>C'',280);

Ooooh, now then!
Honestly, the way it works is quite easy.
All the notes get plotted into an array, and then there's a tick-tick-tick going on in the background, which plays the sample (91) at the right pitch/volume/time. (280bpm? .. I need to divide everything down a bit, I think)


The final example temporarily uses lowercase letters for ''half volume'', but I'll fix that later, expanding the syntax to add volume, panning, changing instruments, and things like that.

The plan from here is that the base Jingle functionality will be expanded further to allow for MML style PlayMusic('''') stuff, and then later that will be expanded even further to create a new JMTrackr. But for those to both work, I need to add sample loops and note lengths, which .. .. Yeah, we'll stick with Jingles for now!

Image : https://agameaweek.com/completeB/2026/Let39s_Jingle_Blog_20260404A.png ]]> https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16027 https://AGameAWeek.com/goto/16027 Sun, 05 Apr 2026 02:55:00 -0600