Mouse In The Maze 60th Anniversary Jam

gisbrecht's picture
Tue, Jan 01 2019 01:00 PM
01/01/2019 - 13:00
04/01/2019 - 13:00
Etc/GMT-7

Long Ago... In the year 1959... 60 YEARS AGO at MIT... A program is being added to the TX-0 Computer. The program is Mouse in the Maze!!!

Mouse in the Maze is an early computer game, now lost (re-created ports exist), involving mostly what the title says: A light pen was used to draw a maze and a computer mouse found the cheese or other foodstuffs. It was created by Doug Ross and John Ward [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mit/tx-0/TX-0_history_1984.txt]. The game seems to have not gotten as much publicity as other early games, but it is early nonetheless! The MAZE has been a common structural motif of the video game such as Mouse in the Maze, Pac-Man, Bomberman, Wizardry, 3D Monster Maze, Megami Tensei, MIDI Maze, Maze War, 3D Maze Windows Screensaver, Radar Rat Race, the list goes on and on...

In honor of 60 years of such a game's creation, I would like to host a small jam, the rules are simple:
1: The player character should preferably be a MOUSE, though other rodents would be acceptable, keep in mind there are more kinds of mice than house mice and pet mice!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muridae
What possibility!
2: The game takes place in a MAZE, a labyrinth, a world of routes and turns and too many dead ends. However it does not need be a literal maze- perhaps it is a maze of secrets, or a maze of inner conflict. It could be seen from top down or from first person- a rat's eye view. It could be more than one floor, why it could even be a dreadful teleporter maze!

Optional Rules:
X1: The game should have foodstuff to collect, CHEESE perhaps. However extensive research reveals mice don't seem to prioritize this food... get creative! I am aware an alternative version of Mouse in the Maze featured MARTINI glasses, but I would strongly recommend against giving rodents such beverages in real life. If you are to feature such a drink in a game, please do so cautiously!
X2: Ultra Hard Mode! The game could be controlled by PEN or TOUCH input as Mouse in the Maze was controlled by light pen input. However I am sure implementing such controls are a heavy task.

I am aware that some will be exhausted by the end of Sekret Santa, so eventually I will make an ASSET PACK that will be free to use, hopefully a little bit before the jam starts, but delays may occur.

MOUSE ASSET PACK is uploaded!

INCLUDES: Top-down rodent in six fabulous colors, brick and floor tiles, and a half baked first person dungeon crawler! I hope you enjoy. Please credit me as gisbrecht or MarikenG, and feel free to edit!

Happy Game-Making!

(From top to bottom: Mouse In The Maze recreation, Wizardry I for the NES, Windows 3D Maze, The Tailor of Gloucester artwork by Beatrix Potter)

AttachmentSize
promo2.png324.56 KB
mouse-in-a-maze-recreation.png68.93 KB
wizardryNES.jpg30.05 KB
windows95Rat.jpg108.76 KB
TailorOfGlouchester.gif14.85 KB
Mouse_Assets.zip17.24 MB
rodentCollage.png63.32 KB

Games made for Mouse In The Maze 60th Anniversary Jam

NameCreatedsort iconByScreenshotComments
Mouse Box04/19/2019 - 13:56everythingstakenscreenShot.png15
mouse sector04/19/2019 - 09:03fotocopiadorass1.png5
A Muddle Of Mice03/28/2019 - 16:16gisbrechtMuddleOfMeese.png3
Mouse Returns03/27/2019 - 16:07sylvie20190327_190614.jpg3
Little Mouse Maze03/25/2019 - 18:42sylviemousemaze.png9
The Four Desecrated Mruidea Kings03/23/2019 - 11:22nilsonScreen Shot 2019-03-23 at 2.18.14 PM.png8
Quiet Mouse Loud02/25/2019 - 00:09TheCakeFlavorpers.png7
Mice Mage : The Quest For The Cheese02/20/2019 - 14:22scarbomice.PNG6
Mice While It Lasted01/17/2019 - 11:49fizzhogcover101.png8

Comments

fotocopiadora's picture

mouse!!! yes

mouse!!! yes

Glorious Post

The Pool Deck Resurfacing has such awesome connections.

everythingstaken's picture

OK

Welp, I'm going to do this.

spiral's picture

this is such a great event

this is such a great event to start the year off with!

-Estelle- Updated

I updated the movement in -Estelle- so it's much more forgiving and easier to control (it was much too bouncy before). If you've played it before and found it difficult to navigate the narrow passageways, try it now and see what you think. Thanks!

Danni's picture

The new movement is much

The new movement is much better, but the new background makes it a bit hard to see the maze.

Adjusted

Tried to keep a cool colour palette, and adjusted the walls a bit. Thanks for the feedback, Danni!

scarbo's picture

whoops

Why do I keep missing game jams. :(

Edit: Read the end date wrong so I guess I didn't miss the game jam yet.

gisbrecht's picture

Good thing you didn't miss

Good thing you didn't miss it. Hopefully you can make a game!!!

scarbo's picture

I submitted a game :)

I submitted a game :)

gisbrecht's picture

ONE month LEFT!!!

One month left until this fantastic jam is OVER!!! Get to making games, or not!?
Now the complimentary images!!!

GOOD LUCK game makings!

(From Top to bottom, Mouse In The Maze Jam promotional art full,Second Reading Book (1882),East Germany Schnuffel Und Pieps Stamp,Skipping Mouse by Anonymous Geocities Master)

AttachmentSize
msskip-x.gif6.88 KB
DDR_Schnuffel_Und_Pieps_small.jpg249.48 KB
inthemaze.jpg386.93 KB
gisbrecht's picture

Only A Few more days

Only A Few more days everyone!!! But it's usually okay to submit after the event is over, right...? We aren't giving away any big cheese prizes...


Happy Belated Valentine's Day!!?


Christmas in February!

gisbrecht's picture

deadline extended

Based on consensus of some other Train-wreckers I have extended the deadline to April 1st... I have seen a lot of great work posted here and WIP'd on discord! I would put funny images here but my internet sucks right now sorry...

nilson's picture

submitted my game ~ ~

submitted my game ~ ~ -__-
really took advantage of the
extended deadline, lol...

gisbrecht's picture

Thank you everyone!

Thank you Everyone! Here are all the awards... even if you haven't finished. Including myself... ^_^

AttachmentSize
mouseawards.jpg316.37 KB
spiral's picture

these are lovely awards,

these are lovely awards, thank you!