DragTypist
This game is from ldjam.com, which is currently unavailable.
You can try viewing the original page on Web Archive (may not load correctly).
You can try viewing the original page on Web Archive (may not load correctly).
(TL;DR: The pretty pictures and download links are below. Scroll down.)
Err, anyway, this is a typing racing game. Because I've always bemoaned the lack of a keyboard behind the wheel. Press each letter as it appears in that cute little box above the track to move. That might sound easy (and it starts off pretty easy, but like most predators, I'm here to lull you into a false sense of security), but the faster you go, the harder it gets. Just like real driving, right? (I wouldn't know, I _always_ follow the speed limit). But seriously, as you go faster, the letters get harder to reach and you have less time to press them. Oh wait, I didn't tell you have to press them before they time out? See, I already trapped you!
Also, there's this other thing where if you go too fast for too long, your engine will blow up. Don't worry, it's not serious, you'll just stop completely. But you can go again right away, so it's not too bad. If you need to cool down, just miss a couple of letters (press the wrong one or let them time out, I don't really mind). Or just to make things interesting, press a lot of them in a row without missing any and you'll get a cooldown bonus!
Much as I'd love to crowd around a keyboard with a friend or two, multiplayer isn't something I had time for. There's "AI" cars though. They're not very smart, but they don't need to be. They only have to go in a straight line. A better way to compete would be for the quickest time. Actually, speaking of that,
Some people have said that it's a bit too hard, so I made an easier version, but remember _that is not the compo version, play that one (the download link is at the bottom of this post, before the comments), and score it_ then if you want to try the easy version, the download link is in the comments.
Alternatively, I don't know if anybody thought it was too easy, but I made a hard version. The download link for that is in another comment further down, but for the sake of my reviews, please remember to *play and score the regular version first*.
Linux (Thanks to @mrspeaker in the comments): If you have Python 3 already installed (most distributions should, if running `python3 --version` doesn't give you an error, you should be alright (I've only tested with 3.6 so I don't know how well earlier versions will run), if not, consult your distribution's documentation for how to install it), install pygame with `pip3 install pygame`, then extract the source code zip into a folder, open a terminal in that folder and run `python3 ./dragtypist.py`
Other platforms: download the source code, extract it somewhere and run dragtypist.py in Python. You'll need Python 3 and pygame (which you should be able to install through pip). If I have time later, I'll see if I can provide a precompiled version for Linux (ironically the platform least likely to need one).
Well, except for pause. Press escape to do that.
- A 640x480 minimum screen resolution. It'll probably run at less than that, but you won't be able to see all of it. Which would be bad. But as an added bonus, if your desktop resolution is at least 1280 x 960, it'll run at that.
- One actual note here: it only takes screen resolution into account, not scaling. This can both be a good thing (set scaling in Windows to whatever you want it to and it'll follow that) and a bad thing (it can go off screen if game resolution x scaling is above your actual resolution).
- Software requirements:
- Windows: A relatively modern version of Windows. Not sure if XP would work. 8.1-10 probably have all they need already. 7 may or may not need the Visual C++ Redistributable available from https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2977003/the-latest-supported-visual-c-downloads.
- Other platforms: Python 3.6 and Pygame 1.9.3. Not sure how well earlier/newer versions would work. Hopefully well.
DragTypist
When I say DragTypist, I don't mean someone in the office is stepping out a bit with their fashion choices, although I'm not _not_ saying that, either...Err, anyway, this is a typing racing game. Because I've always bemoaned the lack of a keyboard behind the wheel. Press each letter as it appears in that cute little box above the track to move. That might sound easy (and it starts off pretty easy, but like most predators, I'm here to lull you into a false sense of security), but the faster you go, the harder it gets. Just like real driving, right? (I wouldn't know, I _always_ follow the speed limit). But seriously, as you go faster, the letters get harder to reach and you have less time to press them. Oh wait, I didn't tell you have to press them before they time out? See, I already trapped you!
Also, there's this other thing where if you go too fast for too long, your engine will blow up. Don't worry, it's not serious, you'll just stop completely. But you can go again right away, so it's not too bad. If you need to cool down, just miss a couple of letters (press the wrong one or let them time out, I don't really mind). Or just to make things interesting, press a lot of them in a row without missing any and you'll get a cooldown bonus!
Much as I'd love to crowd around a keyboard with a friend or two, multiplayer isn't something I had time for. There's "AI" cars though. They're not very smart, but they don't need to be. They only have to go in a straight line. A better way to compete would be for the quickest time. Actually, speaking of that,
Please share your times in the comments!
Some people have said that it's a bit too hard, so I made an easier version, but remember _that is not the compo version, play that one (the download link is at the bottom of this post, before the comments), and score it_ then if you want to try the easy version, the download link is in the comments.
Alternatively, I don't know if anybody thought it was too easy, but I made a hard version. The download link for that is in another comment further down, but for the sake of my reviews, please remember to *play and score the regular version first*.
How to Run
Windows: extract the zip and run dragtypist.exe.Linux (Thanks to @mrspeaker in the comments): If you have Python 3 already installed (most distributions should, if running `python3 --version` doesn't give you an error, you should be alright (I've only tested with 3.6 so I don't know how well earlier versions will run), if not, consult your distribution's documentation for how to install it), install pygame with `pip3 install pygame`, then extract the source code zip into a folder, open a terminal in that folder and run `python3 ./dragtypist.py`
Other platforms: download the source code, extract it somewhere and run dragtypist.py in Python. You'll need Python 3 and pygame (which you should be able to install through pip). If I have time later, I'll see if I can provide a precompiled version for Linux (ironically the platform least likely to need one).
Controls
Press the letter that's in the box. It's that simple!Well, except for pause. Press escape to do that.
Developed in:
Python, using Pygame. Sound effects generated using Bfxr, musical cacophonies made in Bosca Ceoil.System Requirements
- Not much, really. Haven't formally tested it, but it's worked fine on the two systems I've tried it on. Anything that supports SDL, I guess, but it only uses software rendering, so I don't see why anything couldn't run it. Please don't take this as a challenge.- A 640x480 minimum screen resolution. It'll probably run at less than that, but you won't be able to see all of it. Which would be bad. But as an added bonus, if your desktop resolution is at least 1280 x 960, it'll run at that.
- One actual note here: it only takes screen resolution into account, not scaling. This can both be a good thing (set scaling in Windows to whatever you want it to and it'll follow that) and a bad thing (it can go off screen if game resolution x scaling is above your actual resolution).
- Software requirements:
- Windows: A relatively modern version of Windows. Not sure if XP would work. 8.1-10 probably have all they need already. 7 may or may not need the Visual C++ Redistributable available from https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2977003/the-latest-supported-visual-c-downloads.
- Other platforms: Python 3.6 and Pygame 1.9.3. Not sure how well earlier/newer versions would work. Hopefully well.