The PC games of 2017 mega-preview

As Old Father Time grabs his sickle and prepares to take ailing 2016 around the back of the barn for a big sleep, we’re looking to the future. The mewling pup that goes by the name 2017 will come into the world soon and we must prepare ourselves for its arrival. Here at RPS, our preparations come in the form of this enormous preview feature, which contains details on more than a hundred of the exciting games that are coming our way over the next twelve months. 2016 was a good one – in the world of games at least – but, ever the optimists, we’re hoping next year will be even better.

… [visit site to read more]

from Rock, Paper, Shotgun http://ift.tt/2hEG8UM
via ifttt

The ninth RPS Christmas Cracker

***** The RPS team now are in their winter hibernation state and will return on 4th January. In the meantime we didn’t want you to think we’d forgotten about you or the supporter program so we have hand-crafted a selection of the Bestest Best RPS Cracker Jokes. It’s also our way of giving you the “reveal” moment we no longer have in the advent calendar. We’ve made these posts open to all. Whether you celebrate or not we hope they raise a smile. Love, RPS xxx *****

Q:What do you call a skinny hitchhiker who has had too much caffeine??

… [visit site to read more]

from Rock, Paper, Shotgun http://ift.tt/2iokvVX
via ifttt

Making a game in PICO-8: The final reckoning

Welcome to the final part of my series in which I make my first-ever game. I’m using the lovely PICO-8 [official site], and the game is called No Frog Left Behind. It’s about abducting frogs by pushing them into your spaceship, and it’s time to design its levels. … [visit site to read more]

from Rock, Paper, Shotgun http://ift.tt/2hCvsG4
via ifttt

The eighth RPS Christmas Cracker

***** The RPS team now are in their winter hibernation state and will return on 4th January. In the meantime we didn’t want you to think we’d forgotten about you or the supporter program so we have hand-crafted a selection of the Bestest Best RPS Cracker Jokes. It’s also our way of giving you the “reveal” moment we no longer have in the advent calendar. We’ve made these posts open to all. Whether you celebrate or not we hope they raise a smile. Love, RPS xxx *****

Q: What’s a snowman’s favourite VR headset?

… [visit site to read more]

from Rock, Paper, Shotgun http://ift.tt/2iMdeyd
via ifttt

The Foxers

A week of rich confectionery, cold turkey and fortified wine can do terrible things to an organic CPU. An hour or two in the company of the following three puzzles may not repair all the damage, but it should leave you fit enough to take on simple tasks like deciphering the Voynich manuscript, discovering the whereabouts of El Dorado, and completing an HMRC self assessment tax return. … [visit site to read more]

from Rock, Paper, Shotgun http://ift.tt/2ifcmFb
via ifttt

Making a game in PICO-8: Shooting frogs

This is the fourth part of my diary about making my first-ever game, using PICO-8 [official site].

Since No Frog Left Behind now has a frog and a player moving on lily pads, it’s finally time to implement the game’s core mechanic, the ability to push the frog across the map with a bullet. Because this is a game about pushing frogs into boxes. … [visit site to read more]

from Rock, Paper, Shotgun http://ift.tt/2iIZ4hk
via ifttt

John’s Favourite Games Of 2016

One of my favourite things about end of year lists on RPS is they never match the personal list of any individual writer. They’re a compromise between us all, an erratic, uncoordinated vote where consensus sees games of real worth rising to the top and filling our annual advent calendar. It makes for a list that’s far more broad and useful to the largest number of readers, and because it’s driven by nothing other than what we’ve all enjoyed that year is equally likely to be filled with the tripliest of As and the most obscure of indies. Still though, it certainly leaves me wanting to say, “But! But there are THESE games too!” So below is my list of my favourite games of 2016, far less useful to far fewer readers, but goodness me, a collection of games that deserve adulation. … [visit site to read more]

from Rock, Paper, Shotgun http://ift.tt/2hwewzs
via ifttt

The seventh RPS Christmas Cracker

***** The RPS team now are in their winter hibernation state and will return on 4th January. In the meantime we didn’t want you to think we’d forgotten about you or the supporter program so we have hand-crafted a selection of the Bestest Best RPS Cracker Jokes. It’s also our way of giving you the “reveal” moment we no longer have in the advent calendar. We’ve made these posts open to all. Whether you celebrate or not we hope they raise a smile. Love, RPS xxx *****

Q: What did Michael Marshall, sometime collaborator with the 90s hip-hop group Luniz, say when we asked if he used VR with his new gaming PC?

… [visit site to read more]

from Rock, Paper, Shotgun http://ift.tt/2ibdhXj
via ifttt

Making a game in PICO-8: Bashing against collision

This is the third part of my diary about making my first-ever game, using PICO-8 [official site]. So No Frog Left Behind now has a map and you can move the player around. But I’m now on my third big session on it and I’ve got a long way to go before there’s any kind of game there.

Key to getting an actual game running is working out when things collide, like players with impassable water and frogs with bullets, and frogs with boxes. For this is a game about pushing frogs into boxes with bullets. And collision is my Agincourt. … [visit site to read more]

from Rock, Paper, Shotgun http://ift.tt/2i7Utbs
via ifttt

The sixth RPS Christmas Cracker

***** The RPS team now are in their winter hibernation state and will return on 4th January. In the meantime we didn’t want you to think we’d forgotten about you or the supporter program so we have hand-crafted a selection of the Bestest Best RPS Cracker Jokes. It’s also our way of giving you the “reveal” moment we no longer have in the advent calendar. We’ve made these posts open to all. Whether you celebrate or not we hope they raise a smile. Love, RPS xxx *****

Q: Why did the Westworld robots go to Citadel Station?

… [visit site to read more]

from Rock, Paper, Shotgun http://ift.tt/2hNcf0y
via ifttt

Making a game in PICO-8: Getting stuff moving

This is the second part of my diary about making my first-ever game, using PICO-8. Yesterday, I grappled with ideas and fiddled around with code enough to realise that most of them are beyond me. But now I have a concept I think I can make: a game in which you push frogs into boxes. It’s called No Frog Left Behind.

And yet… I have no idea whatsoever how to start. Other than to hit escape, which brings up PICO-8’s suite of tools, and typing out its fundamental structure in an attempt to feel constructive and full of direction. … [visit site to read more]

from Rock, Paper, Shotgun http://ift.tt/2i3PWa6
via ifttt

The fifth RPS Christmas Cracker

***** The RPS team now are in their winter hibernation state and will return on 4th January. In the meantime we didn’t want you to think we’d forgotten about you or the supporter program so we have hand-crafted a selection of the Bestest Best RPS Cracker Jokes. It’s also our way of giving you the “reveal” moment we no longer have in the advent calendar. We’ve made these posts open to all. Whether you celebrate or not we hope they raise a smile. Love, RPS xxx *****

Q: What does the Coca Cola Company use to stir their drinks in VR?

… [visit site to read more]

from Rock, Paper, Shotgun http://ift.tt/2in68Rs
via ifttt

Making a game in PICO-8: Getting an idea

Welcome to the first part of a FESTIVE SERIES in which over the course of a week I will smash my head against something I’ve never done before. Specifically, making a game. And I’m terrified. … [visit site to read more]

from Rock, Paper, Shotgun http://ift.tt/2hgYBBR
via ifttt