Quality Seal

By Aurélien Rodot, 6 years ago

Tutorials
META
Quality seal

Why Would I do this?

Have more people to enjoy your game! We'll put it in every new Gamebuino (with your agreement).

Inspire the others. If your game is well made and documented, others will follow your path.

Make money. Step 1 Quality Seal - Step 2 - Step 3 Profit (nah, seriously, we'll tell you more later).

How do I apply?

Make sure you comply with everything below and send us a message through the chat :)

Things in bold are mandatory. Other things are optional, you might not need them. It's just so you know where they go.

File structure

Have the game with the source + the binaries on GitHub (or other repos) with the following structure.

Let's say your game is named MyGame:

  • Binaries to copy/paste on the microSD card
    • binaries/MyGame/MYGAME.BIN
    • binaries/MyGame/TITLESCREEN.BMP (80x64px BMP RGB 24 bit)
      • The title screen must NOT be a plain screen recording to avoid user confusion
      • Show the version number so that people know if they have the latest
    • binaries/MyGame/ICON.BMP (32x32px BMP RGB 24 bit)
      • Make it real nice looking and earn money from it *___*
    • binaries/MyGame/TITLESCREEN.GMV (see note below)
    • binaries/MyGame/ICON.GMV (see note below)
    • binaries/MyGame/assets/track.wav (44.1Khz 8-bit uncompressed WAV)
    • binaries/MyGame/assets/tileset.bmp
  • Source code
    • Put it in a folder of the same name, or Arduino won't open it.
    • MyGame/MyGame.ino
    • MyGame/OtherSource.h
    • MyGame/OtherSource.cpp
  • Asset sources (the files you use to create your assets, eg. photoshop psd)
    • assets/tileset.psd
    • assets/track.mp3

Note: *.GMV files are automatically generated when you display the *.BMP for the first time on the Gamebuino META. It's better to include them so people don't have to wait for them to be generated. Include GMV if you have animated *.BMP as conversion times can be long. More information on that can be found here.

Creation

Make a Creation so that it appears in the Creations page. Please include the following.

  • GitHub link or other repository
  • Download link usually the GitHub zip link
  • Cover picture
  • Game description
  • Screen recording or screenshots of gameplay
  • Credits if any

User experience

  • The main goal is consistency across games and ease of use.
  • Use self explanatory controls. People don't have to RTMF if they need no manual.
  • TEST, TEST, TEST. User experience is based on what the user do, no what you think they should do.
  • Use as little text as possible. Replace it with pictograms. This way a kid that don't read, or someone that don't speak English could still enjoy your game. Plus, people are lazy and often don't read what's written (trust me on this one).
  • If you do use text, translate it into other languages, using the language API. More information on that here.
  • Use the default 80*64px resolution and use the Official Gamebuino Palette.
  • Use the lights. Make your game go beyond the screen. Be gentle, don't go disco-ball!
  • Buttons usage
    • A OK/validate/enter/start/shoot/main action
    • B cancel/return/discard/jump/secondary action
    • Menu items/game menu/map
    • Home It's there by default, don't change it. It allows to change settings, pause and exit.
    • Arrows Well do you need an explanation for that?
    • If you need key combinations, think twice about it. If you still need them, introduce them in the tutorial so people don't have to guess (or read the manual, because they won't).

Coding style

Check out the Arduino Style Guide for easy-to-read, beginner-friendly code.

Legal

You need to have the rights of what your share, including the art, the code and the names.