About
Thinking up game ideas is easy; turning them into prototypes starts with tons of boilerplate just to get a little momentum. So I’m working on a “Game Prototype Language” and engine to shorten the distance between having a game idea and feeling the fun.
Concepts
The entire game is text. Inspired by Puzzlescript, the entire game is defined via text files (a single file if you want to be compact). Sprites, components, behavior, sounds, UI, etc. are created and hooked together without ever leaving a text editor. The structure is transparent, and changes can be made in seconds.
Be opinionated, be limited. The language is made possible by scoping out certain game types and features. It excludes non-pixel sprites, imports, has limited native physics, etc. This is all okay, because everything comes back to its purpose of supporting prototyping, iteration, and quick sharing of something just polished enough for feedback.
Great artists steal. Rather than build a new language from scratch, the principles and language borrow from Godot for game system design; CSS properties for building UI; Streudel for sound and music; Puzzlescript for many other things.
Don’t forget the juice. Games are more than just a series of rules. Making it easy to add visual effects, sounds, events, and more are first-class features. It’s not just about creating games, it’s about creating game feel.