Hat Wizard

Hat Wizard is coming to desktop!

I am currently working on a new Hat Wizard game. This game will get a desktop release. You can follow the progress here, or on my youtube channel in the Hat Wizard Devlog series.

A new look

The new hat wizard adventure will take place in a universe with real time lights. With this I am hoping to create a more immersive noir vibe.

I also redesigned the guards. They have a little bit more detail, and their lasers now glow in the dark. So it will be easier to spot them, and I think it looks cool 🙂

New mechanics

I’m working on a couple of new mechanics for this game. Like slopes and a bouncing hat:

Release date?

I am currently working on the game when I have time. I don’t know yet when the game will be finished, but when I do, I will post it here, on my youtube channel and everywhere else I can think of.

Dev log videos

I am documenting the game’s creation in dev log videos on youtube. This way you can still keep track of the state of the game. I try to upload a new dev log whenever I’ve added a couple of features. This will probably be once or twice every month.

Take me to the devlog videos!

Underworld Boss Sprite

The underworld boss is a mysterious, hooded figure. He shoots magic at the player and has the ability to teleport.

After making this sprite there were two things missing: Magic effects for his attack, and an anticipation for his attack.

Attack anticipation

So first I added an anticipation move. Before stretching his arms outwards, the hooded figure ducks a little to build up the attack. This will give the player a queue that an attack is on the way.

The second draft of the underworld boss sprite. — This is the second draft of the underworld boss sprite. An anticipation animation was added before the attack.

Magic effects

After adding the anticipation move, I added magic effects to the sprite. Since the underworld contains green demon fire, it makes sense the boss also uses this.

The third draft of the underworld boss sprite. — This is the third draft of the underworld boss sprite. Magic effects were added.

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More levels for the Underworld

More level designs for the underworld! Keep in mind these are not final and might be changed before release.

Getting rid of an enemy is NOT always what you want do. In this case, when the enemies touch the fire crater, they will die. And that prevents them from walking over the switch. So be careful, timing is key in this puzzle.

Speaking of fire craters… How many boneheaded enemies does it take to introduce a new mechanic? One. This is the first encounter with the fire crater. Anyone who hasn’t seen one before could not possibly know they will die while standing on it. That’s why I use this enemy to demonstrate what happens.

Here’s the most recent level I made. The level is shaped like an X and this method got me thinking: Maybe there are other shapes that would make interesting and fun levels.

As not to spoil too much of the new content, I won’t show the rest of the levels. The underworld will probably contain somewhere around 10 to 15 levels, including a Boss fight.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave them in the comment section below.

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Will Hat Wizard get a level editor?

Time to talk about something many fans have suggested: A level editor

In the upcoming months I’ll be working on extra content for Hat Wizard 2, which will also serve as a test for mechanics and ideas for future games. This week however, I would like to discuss a couple of ideas I have for future Hat Wizard games.

Hat Wizard Creator (on Kongregate)

Hat Wizard Creator will be a game where you can create and share levels. You can browse through the levels of other players and play/rate them. You’re also able to unlock new objects and themes for your own levels.

The idea of players being able to create their own levels is very exciting to me.

Hat Wizard Desktop (on Steam and Kartridge)

At the moment Hat Wizard is a browser game. It would be interesting though if the game made a leap towards desktop. Benefits of this involve a bigger view port and heavier processing power; meaning that you can see more stuff on your screen, which leads to larger (not longer) levels. So you’ll be able to see enemies coming from farther ahead, to name one example.

The desktop version for Hat Wizard would also feature a level editor, or even a modding API. The cool thing about Steam is the possibility for integration with the workshop, allowing you to share levels or mods with others.

TLDR

Im thinking about building one of two games:

Hat Wizard Creator, which allows you to create and share your own levels.
Hat Wizard Desktop, which is more story driven but also allows you to create your own content. This one comes with the added benefit of desktop power.

Community

With all this in mind, the thing I value most for any of my games, is the community: You guys. Hearing what you guys like and dislike really motivates me and contributes to the quality and fun of my future projects. So if you want to be involved in the discussion about upcoming features, if you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to get in touch via the comments 🙂

And be sure to like Hat Wizard on facebook. This way you’ll be notified when a new blog post or video is released. I’ll also set up the occasional poll there, so you can vote on features or blog topics.

First underworld level concepts

Fire craters, fire craters everywhere!

I’ve been experimenting with the fire crater a lot. Here are a couple of level designs for the underworld.

The Sandbox

Some levels won’t be difficult to clear, the challenge rather being: “How can I get rid of my enemies in a fun way?”. When switching enemies on top of a fire crater, they are launched into the air.

Run wizard run!

When standing on one of these pillars the fire craters on top will spit fire. So no standing still.

Trick the fire craters

Standing on the switch will trigger the fire craters above. If only there was some kind of inanimate object you could use to fool the them…

Demo

Here’s a small demo of an underworld level:

Not final

These designs are not final. Please feel free to share any thoughts in the comment section below, I’ll keep them in mind for the next levels 😉

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First design for the underworld

The underworld will be death themed extra content for Hat Wizard 2.

Environment

I’ve made some progress on the tileset and background of the underworld. Here’s what it looks like so far:

Hazards

Hazards in the underworld will be death themed. Of course Hat Wizard will find creative ways to turn those into enemy killers.

The image below is what I call the fire crater for now. Standing on the crater will cause it to retreat for a brief moment, after which it spews demonic flames.

I’m thinking it could be fun to either have this burn foes or launch them in the air. The latter would require a more explosive animation though.

If you have suggestions or questions, please feel free to post them in the comment section below 🙂

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