CG
By Juju

CG isn't your standard game. CG isn't really a game. CG is a journey. From your birth in a world of ever changing colour, you are given cryptic clues as to your purpose. Hissing nodes, screaming spirals and green words await you in this deep and mysterious place. There are 61 truths, and you must find them all.

Just a little note - read the opening screen. It details the controls, which are generated at random every time you play the game. Furthermore, the game saves every time you die or return to the centre of the world (location 10, 10).


Desolate and alone, ready to face the world

This game is an expression of my view of the world and life, what it means to be human. The very gameplay is deliberately abstract and random yet the premice remains the same - find the truth. Truth is unchanging and uncompromising, both cruel and kind at the same time. Controlling the truth allows you to control the both and as such is forever being monopolised and corrupted. I feel that humans lie to escape from the shackles of boredom, of monotony despite the spiral of lies that we must keep telling to cover up older lies.


Confronted by a powerful guardian

At the end of the day, all a human wants is to escape this world carrying the truth with them. This game shows this struggle: From the start, like a child at school, you're told that the truth exists and given some vague instructions. The beauty of the game lies in how you want to complete it. You can attack the guardians or steal the truths carefully. You can systematically scan every area or you can use your intelligence and work out the what the game is telling you. Everything in the game is talking to you, through noise or through vision. All you have to do is listen and watch closely.

This is not an easy game or a normal game. But it is a good game. You don't have to complete it, you can chicken out and commit suicide, but once you've gone so far... Why not finish? Why not find the truth? Why not find the answers to your questions?

CG - 64Digits
5.1Mb download, made in GM7, runs in a 480 x 480 window and does not go fullscreen.

Some things users have said:
"I love the overall style and it's uniqeness. Great job Juju! 10" - Jaxx
"This game is like twister for my fingers! 10" - gamerman
"Only the truely intellectual can see how deep this game really goes." - marbs
"You created one of the best atmospheres I have ever played in a GM game" - thetagames
"Wow, this looks magnificent." - LimmingKenny

Absolutely beautiful! You created one of the best atmospheres I have ever played in a GM game (It would be even better if it were full-screen). The music is perfect, and the sound effects (although a little loud) are fitting as well. I have yet to figure out what exactly to do, but isn't that the point? Not every game has to have a straightforward goal that is readily visible; for this, I think it is best to leave the goal as the 'pursuit of truth.' I will definitely keep this!

The randomly generated controls are a neat programming trick, but they can really make for awkward gameplay. I got QXKP. Maybe you could randomly generate keys that are next to each other, arranged like the cursor arrows? One generation could yield YGHJ, or 8UIO, (or WASD).

Also, how did you make the save system? That was a very cool idea!


Nice work!

~ Theta Games

Thank you. That means a lot to me. It's always nice to have your work appreciated.

Interesting idea. I'll give that a stab. It'll probably require hard coding though, something that makes me feel a little ill inside

Firstly, whenever you go back to the centre, it saves just in case you hadn't noticed. Obviously, it writes all the game data to a text file etc. The way I created the file association is by a script I picked up somewhere (if anybody knows the author, please tell me):



Next, whenever a save game is run, it opens up the game executable but - here's the crucial bit - the save game path is stored as an executable parameter. What this means is that one can use parameter_string(n) to return the save game path. In the game's logic, use parameter_count() to check if the executable has been run from a save game and then load the game from there.

Wow, this looks magnificent.

im not really anabstract game kind of guy, but i hate the control idea. that bothered me to the max. scine i didnt get hooked by anything except the idea that i was supposed to complete the game i really didnt get motivated enough to get used to the controls. if they were simply WASD or even IJKL then i coudl spend some time trying to figure the game out. i got like TYFV and i have no idea what directions those were. also the sounds for the gaurdians got so annoying that i finnaly quit..

From mostly all the good comments...at 4 replies. I will give it a try for sure

Downloading...

Teh worst thing! BROKEN LINK!

I would try to play further if the controls weren't useless.

ADGL is not easy to move at all. I also didn't understand the sound part. Syth is kinda right on that one. If the controls could be standardized, I would play further than two of these "guardians".

Well I completed it (or as far as I can tell due to its cryptic nature) and once you figure out the controls and understand how to use the words to determine where to go next the game becomes very simple and repetitive. though I got the screen with a the truths listed on it I couldn't figure out what was with the round objects that made a noise and had a number.

I like the random controls, it makes every game unique boosting the replay value. I think everyones being a bit short sighted.

Thanks for the replies guys. If I decide to make a more playable/fun sequel, all your ideas and criticisms will be addressed!

The atmosphere is great. I love kinda strange games like this. Even though it confused me

this looks interesting, and with most of these comments being positive I will download it and see how it is.
with a game as random looking as this, I think I will like it a lot.
Random controls dose sound kinda complex to grasp if one key is in the ''a'' key and the other is the ''*'' key on the number pad.
I will see after I have downloaded it, and then give you a full review.

I couldn't even play it.

No controls anywhere, Didn't know how to move

F1 didn't do anything


Rating: N/A

this looks so awesome. i'll download it now and report back.

edit: this is amazing. sound effects and music rock and make very cool atmosphere. also i like the random keys idea, which makes you think about how to move, especially when trying to steal the truth from guardian. when i encountered guardian i had to think how to move and time everything so it's not that easy. not to mention that some guardians are really hard to beat-steal truth from them.

so far i have 4 truths, only 57 left really cool "game". awesome work.

Read the opening screen. It tells you directly to use certain controls. What's more, just pressing random letters would have moved you. Please do try again, the game is well worth experiencing.

I'm glad you liked it, thank you for replying.

The first time I played I read through it but it disappeared before I saw it, Why do you make it disappear and not just press a button like enter?


Edit: I do not like this game.

I couldn't find ANYTHING to do, When I touched something it made a horrible loud noise, I went up to the left and found the white thing, Not knowing what it'd do or how to even fight it *If you can* I touched it and BOOM! back at the start

The controls are the worst controls ever conceived, WHY NOT THE ARROW KEYS? or A D W S ?

Because WASD would be too easy. It's a challenge-to know how to use strange keys, not the controls you see in every second game. Where is the challenge if you play with same keys you're use to over and over again? I don't like how people complain about this. These days "gamers"

I'm at 23 truths at the moment. I'm gonna beat this!

You don't want a game that annoys the player. No, Its just an inconvenience, Thats because some people want to make games that they classifie themselves as games

What the crap do you mean "Truths"?

You playing a fake game in your mind or is that actually part of the game?

It's ok to be irritated but please do read the opening screen. Don't just dismiss the game as annoying and give up without trying to understand it.

Why did you pick that quote of me? I wasn't talking to you..

It's very weird. The music is really good. And I liked the poetry at the beginning of the game.

How can I see my progress? And what do the numbered circles do (except making noise)?

But I got an error when double clicking on a .cgg file.

kinda trippy and weird. I dunno I just think these kinda random and "amazingly new and different" kinda games are actually not new and different, the GMC is flooded with them now. :/ just like fangames.

Haha, I didn't mean it to be quite like poetry but it is highly metaphorical.

I wouldn't call it a fangame necessarily, this is a game with a message presented in an intriguing and abstract way. I've certainly never seen a Game Maker game before with entirely procedurally generated graphics, gameplay and controls. In fact, I've never seen another game that smash through the fourth wall to challenge player perceptions without being transient and ineffective.

Something was explained to me, a few years ago. That something was this:

Not all games were made for you (me). As such, just because you (I) don't like a game, does not mean that the game is bad, nor does it mean that you're an idiot. It's kinda like how some people like mustard, and some don't. It's not for everyone.

I don't like this game. I don't like this game because it portrays a view of life that I do not agree with in the least bit, because it portrays life as a twitchy, neurotic and unguided place in which you are alone and have to "steal the truth" from "guardians". Basically, as far as I can understand, the message you're trying to sell is that the world is nothing but empty or hostile, and no joy or solace can be found anywhere. If that is not true (I doubt it is), I apologise, but that's the message I'm hearing

And I can, to a certain extent, relate to an empty and hostile world, but even through my lowest lows I've had at LEAST one friend to hang on to or get guidance from. Not speaking religion, here.

I do like the genre, though. Games like FlOw

http://intihuatani.usc.edu/cloud/flowing/

and that crazy game that came out a half-year back or so that was about birth, Coil

http://www.kongregate.com/games/Edmund/coil

and the submachine series. They're all games just ridden with atmosphere and riddled with meaning. Coil ALMOST pushed me too far out of my comfort zone, but I held on until the end. Your game pushed me too far.

That's my opinion. I don't like this game, but that doesn't mean it's bad. Good luck to any future players, I hope you take something out of it

He never said it was a fangame.
He said fangames are flooding the gmc.

This game is hard
hard but brilliant

Wow, now I'm gonna have to play this game.

Edit: nvm. Found it boring.

@Others: This is a self exploration game, you learn who you are in this:

• Do you kill the enemies, or do you just avoid them and get the green thing? *avoid...avoid...kill*
• Do you try to find secrets, or just get the green things? *First yes. But now they're boring*
• Do you get frustrated on not being able to go left? *not much*
• EDIT: Do you like the message the game outputs? *no*
• EDIT: Do you wish you had a friend that could help you? *Hell yeah*
• EDIT: Do you feel lost in the game *Well, those numbers DID help...*
• EDIT: Did you try to figure out how to move instantly, or did you wait? *Left was good enough at first*
  

That's my view of this game.

I'd have to say, it's a very good meditation game. *Aumnnnnn...*
And I'm only 12. LOL
15/10 *No joke*
It's also very inspiring. *clicks on Game Maker symbol. tries at remaking... utterly fails due to complexity*
*retries at a fan-game... coming soon* -I'll be back-
EDIT: Don't worry, I'll just use the graphic style, and make my own message.

PS:Make something for your signature, PLZ!

This game is deep and thoughtful.

When I played this, I was all like "wat", then... I recognized the metaphor.
We, as humans, do not know how to do anything "right" by default (Random controls). We must learn through trial and error.
Once we know right, we may confront deceptions, guardians of the truth, and recognize truth.
When we know the whole truth (60-something parts in this case) we may know what to do.
How deep this game go? Very.

This metaphor applies heavily to life; and I commend Juju on his insight.

On gameplay, I felt I got lucky with Q / O being left / right, and G /K being down/up. But this is how life is. You are either lucky, and you get easy breaks, or you get unlucky, and keys like X T S L. Noise was a problem, but for the purposes of the atmosphere, it suited the theme.

9/10, simply because while such a game is brilliant, there is still improvements that can be made. (Such as a option for fullscreen, and making the message at the start go away when we press a button, not on it's own, I almost missed the controls.) Well done, Juju.

PS: Alternatively, if you aren't into all that metaphor stuff, it is a very good puzzle game. (Working out the controls, training yourself to use them right, working out how to kill guardians)

I liked the aspect of learning what was going on. I understood everything except the screaming nodes, the squares, and the vortexes (I don't know what else to call the scribbly-line things). Background? Or relevant?

At first. CG is an experience, then it's a game, then it's an experience again.

With roughly 10 minutes of gameplay, it's a perfect length. I don't know what else to say other than "I liked it."

The controls are randomized. It adds a small level of unfamiliarity.

Throughout the whole thing, there are small lightning-like creatures and bubble-like creatures with numbers trying to communicate in some unknown language.

If you want a few hints... [select ---
The X on the background is you. The whole background is a minimap, you have to collect the words.

Any red circle on a large attacking creature-thing will damage you, unless it's the centre of it in which case you will damage it. Go for a white circle to take out a "limb".
--- ]
This game is to other games as the last 2 episodes of NGE are to Pokemon. (Not "End of Evangelion", but the last 2 TV episodes)

I'm not saying that the game isn't fun or anything, but the way the controls worked was just wacky. Put in an option to input our own keys, or give ones like WASD. this would allow more people to enjoy your game, as I'm sure many people don't like this game because of the controls.

But for a while, it was fun. The controls made me keep dying from hitting wrong buttons, so I finally decided to quit.

Ehh... great as a work of art, not so much as a game. I'd love to say this thing kept me on the edge of my seat... but it didn't. It could though, just with a couple changes - not even something all that significant.


The good:
-Almost a constant feeling of "Ohhhh, I get it now!", figuring out what the numbers are for, where to find the green things, etc... at least at first.
-For being so minimal, the graphics work really well.
-No real lag to speak of, it even loads quick.
-The music fits the atmosphere really well.

The bad:
-After getting maybe 20 words of truth and figuring out everything, it gets really repetitive and boring. Could do with maybe a smaller map and less?
-After that half an hour or so when it got boring, the ending was something of a let down. You may as well have just said "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" instead. Essentially make it a bit shorter... maybe 31 words instead of 61?

The downright ugly:
-Seriously, do something about the sound! Are the guardians trying to kill me by blowing my eardrums out? Maybe just set the sound volume at 60% or so - quick fix right there.
-I don't care how unique, avant-garde or experimental the keyboard setup is, it sucks. I got off relatively easy with XJEL, but random keys do not make it enlightening, just irritating. I saw a suggestion to make the setup at least take a WASD-type shape so the user at doesn't have to hold the keyboard like a Gibson just to play. This would make it 10 times better IMO.

I'd say 3/5 right now, 3.5 if you fix the sound. The effort's there, the style's there in excess, but the thing needs some fine-tuning. Still, great amount of potential there.

can you please upload somewhere else as firefox and internet explorer are being **** for me so they wont load it but from people comments i really wanna play this