Games

Games and development systems I have made or contributed to. For everything else, see Not Games

Interactive fiction (IF)

The simplest way to see samples of writing from my IF games is to play them; they're all free on my itch site and run in the browser.

Hamlet – The Text Adventure

Hamlet – The Text Adventure

2003 · parser · JavaScript

play on itchview on IFDB

Aunts and Butlers

Aunts and Butlers

2006 · parser · JavaScript
play on itchview on IFDB

  • Built on the engine used for Hamlet, adding better support for NPCs

Portcullis

Portcullis

2015 · parser · JavaScript
play on itchview on IFDB

  • Includes complex NPCs, multiple puzzle solutions, narrative pathways and endings

Draculaland

Draculaland

2016 · point-and-click · JavaScript
play on itchview on IFDB

  • Implemented a new, mobile-friendly 'parser-like' hybrid point-and-click engine

  • Showcased at the Wordplay narrative games festival at the British Library

  • Review: PC Gamer

The Xylophoniad

The Xylophoniad

2016 · parser · JavaScript
play on itchview on IFDB

Detectiveland

Detectiveland

2016 · point-and-click · JavaScript
play on itchview on IFDB

  • Built on the Draculaland engine, with improved design adding support for graphical elements and music

  • Complex narrative structure with separate 'cases' which can run sequentially or simultaneously, with interdependent narrative pathways leading to multiple endings

  • Winner of IFComp; shortlisted for six Xyzzy Awards (Best Game, Best Puzzles, Best Individual Puzzle [sneaking through the house], Best Implementation, Best Use of Innovation, Best Use of Multimedia)

  • Reviews/press: Rock Paper Shotgun, Giant Bomb

Zeppelin Adventure

Zeppelin Adventure

2018 · point-and-click · JavaScript
play on itchview on IFDB

  • Built on the Draculaland/Detectiveland engine, adding support for better presentation of longer prose

Pirateship

Pirateship

2019 · point-and-click · JavaScript
play on itchview on IFDB

  • Shortlisted for four Xyzzy Awards (Best Setting, Best Puzzles, Best Implementation, Best Use of Innovation)

Gruesome

Gruesome

2021 · parser · JavaScript
play on itchview on IFDB

  • Revised parser engine, incorporating improvements from my hybrid engine

  • Game designed for replayability, with autonomous NPCs who interact with the game world and each other

  • 2nd place in ParserComp

  • Shortlisted for two Xyzzy Awards (Best Puzzles, Best Individual NPC [the skeleton])

IF development system

Gruescript

Gruescript

2021 · JavaScript

  • Rule-based development language and online authoring tool for parser/choice hybrid point-and-click IF

  • Designed to mimic the game design and play style of parser games without the need for the player to type, with attention to the implications of this for puzzle design

  • Games can be downloaded as standalone HTML pages, in the model of popular hobbyist authoring tools such as Bitsy and Puzzlescript

  • Includes documentation and annotated code examples including a full length game, The Party Line

  • Winner of the Xyzzy Award for Best Technological Development in IF

  • Demoed at Programming Languages In Interactive Entertainment at AIIDE (watch talk)


Other solo-developed games

Homicidal Robots, Inc.

Homicidal Robots, Inc.

2018 · 2D emergent puzzle · JavaScript

play on itch

Zookoban

Zookoban

2020· 2D puzzle · JavaScript

play on itch

Block Pushing Puzzle Game But You Can Time Travel

Block Pushing Puzzle Game But You Can Time Travel

2020 · puzzle · JavaScript

play on itch

Commercial credits

as AI Tools Developer/AI Developer (via Kythera AI):

Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem

Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem

Wolcen Studio, 2020 · ARPG · CryEngine
websiteSteam

  • Worked on visual behaviour tree authoring system

Aquanox: Deep Descent

Aquanox: Deep Descent

Digital Arrow, 2020 · 3D shooter · Unreal Engine 4
websiteSteam

  • Worked on visual behaviour tree authoring system

  • Authored enemy behaviours

as QA:

Thaumistry: In Charm's Way

Thaumistry: In Charm's Way

Bob Bates, 2017 · interactive fiction · TADS
websiteSteam

Noncommercial credits

NetHack

NetHack

Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, 1985–2022 · roguelike · C
websiteGitHub

  • Contributed code for monsters and gameplay

  • Contributed artwork (yes, it has some)

Shunty Train

Shunty Train

Glastonbridge Software, 2017 · puzzle · JavaScript/Pixi
play online

  • Game design and level design

  • Contributed artwork

...plus a lot of beta testing of hobbyist interactive fiction.

Cryptic crosswords

cryptic crossword

I knew there'd be something that didn't fit neatly into "Games" or "Not Games". I set cryptic crosswords here.