Released Climb! A Mountain in Your Pocket (now on iOS & Android)

[Ivan Alcaide Ferrer]

edit. 03/22/2017 now available for iPhone/iPad:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/climb-amiyp/id1202905758?l=es&mt=8

I've just release my first app on Android, a challenging game about climbing a mountain with an easy to learn, hard to master control with two buttons.

One button to grab with the left hand, another for the right; swing, jump, use your momentum and grab the diverse rocks to help you ascend through the mountain. But be careful, a single mistake could mean a fall down to the base camp.

Reach to the main bases before your run out of stamina, find the best paths to go up, and overcome the different obstacles you will find in each level of the mountain.
feet by feet, improve your record and climb higher each time mastering jumps and grabs.

Compare and share your records with the rest of the players.
Fight for the best time finishing the climb, if you achieve to reach the summit.

Trailer:

Screenshots:

Spoiler

and iOS soon (I hope so xD)

Thanks for read and let me know what you think, any feedback is really useful.

bye!

 

[Paolo Mazzon]

Looks very professional, unique gameplay, and great artwook. Good job!

 

[Roa]

I can't get past the tutorial, my life is a failure.

 

[Ivan Alcaide Ferrer]

Looks very professional, unique gameplay, and great artwook. Good job!

Thanks a lot ^^

I can't get past the tutorial, my life is a failure.

It's not your failure, it's a hard game, and I'm receiving similar feedback from almost everybody who play the game. I'm gonna reduce the swing speed and increase the size of the rocks to make it easier.
Thank you for play and comment.

like this:

 

[Buff]

This seems like a really neat game, but I haven't made it past the tutorial either. Exactly how accurate do you have to be to grab the rocks? Sometimes I can grab them even way off the rock but sometimes it wont grab the rock at all. Here's an example of me failing to grab acouple of rocks, even though I feel like I'm dead on.

 

[Ivan Alcaide Ferrer]

This seems like a really neat game, but I haven't made it past the tutorial either. Exactly how accurate do you have to be to grab the rocks? Sometimes I can grab them even way off the rock but sometimes it wont grab the rock at all. Here's an example of me failing to grab acouple of rocks, even though I feel like I'm dead on.

wow, thank you to take the time and even upload a video, I't helps a lot to see what happen when people play. I've updated the game with the new size in order to make it easier. Until now there was a tiny area to grab. I'm gonna upload an image with the collision system detailed.

 

[cdgamedev]

Wow. This looks like a pretty decent game, would love to try it but don't have an android device :'(

 

[hippyman]

You did a great job in the Signature. Just that alone makes me want to check it out. Although I won't lie, I thought this was going to be like an exercise walking app at first just because of the name. haha

 

[Ivan Alcaide Ferrer]

Wow. This looks like a pretty decent game, would love to try it but don't have an android device :'(

Don't have a Mac nor iPhone/iPad right now, sorry -.-

You did a great job in the Signature. Just that alone makes me want to check it out. Although I won't lie, I thought this was going to be like an exercise walking app at first just because of the name. haha

Yes, I thought some people could understand that it was some kind of app for real climbers. I'm thinking on change the app's icon, but I like to have the main logo on it.

This is the control and collision system the game use:

 

[AhmedElyamani]

Graphics and game looks super nice overall. I'm still waiting for the collision fix update, as I, too, can't get past the tutorial

 

[molcap]

It looks really good, also, it remembers me this game:

 

[Ivan Alcaide Ferrer]

Graphics and game looks super nice overall. I'm still waiting for the collision fix update, as I, too, can't get past the tutorial

I't already updated, the new rocks size and masks.

It looks really good, also, it remembers me this game:

You're the first to realize. Yes, the controls of the game are based in that game (I think there is another one for DS)
In 2013 I remembered that game, and I thought it could be a great control to use on a mobile device, but until last year it didn't occurred me an interesting game where to use it.

 

[AhmedElyamani]

Hi Ivan, I think you still have a problem with the difficulty. It seems as if it only detects my touch 20% of the time.

 

[RichHopefulComposer]

You should make the collision WAY bigger. Those hit boxes are very unintuitive, and depending how fast your hand is moving, they may not even meet, or might meet for only one frame. Which is a shame, because the presentation and physics look very satisfying!

 

[Ivan Alcaide Ferrer]

Hi Ivan, I think you still have a problem with the difficulty. It seems as if it only detects my touch 20% of the time.

You should make the collision WAY bigger. Those hit boxes are very unintuitive, and depending how fast your hand is moving, they may not even meet, or might meet for only one frame. Which is a shame, because the presentation and physics look very satisfying!

yes, making numbers, in the end you only gain 8 extra pixels, from 72 to 80. I've made the hand's mask bigger, up to 44, to have a 108px diameter to grab.

 

[AhmedElyamani]

yes, making numbers, in the end you only gain 8 extra pixels, from 72 to 80. I've made the hand's mask bigger, up to 44, to have a 108px diameter to grab.

Perhaps you should also consider the speed at which the climber is accelerating towards the rock when checking for collision?

 

[Ivan Alcaide Ferrer]

Perhaps you should also consider the speed at which the climber is accelerating towards the rock when checking for collision?

Yeah, that could be an option if this last update is still too hard. The problem with that is that I would have to increase the jump power too in order to be able to reach the rocks, and that looks a bit weird, because you see the climber swinging slowly, but suddenly makes a big jump.

Tell me what you think if you test this last version, and thanks for all the feedback.

Regards.

 

[Buff]

The new update is definitely an improvement, I'm playing a lot better now. Although there are still some times when I don't understand why I can't grab a rock even when my hand is right over it.
Here's a new video:

 

[Ivan Alcaide Ferrer]

The new update is definitely an improvement, I'm playing a lot better now. Although there are still some times when I don't understand why I can't grab a rock even when my hand is right over it.
Here's a new video:

I'm gonna have to decrease the swing speed definitely as AhmedElyamani said.

Nice jumps by the way, there's a little trick when your hand surpass the rock and you can't grab it, it helps in situations like the one at 1:17:

and also to secure a grab and gain time:

 

[Siolfor the Jackal]

I saw this the other day and it made me instantly think of DK King of Swing. My phone was dead so I put it on charge and started playing DK while I waited, then I forgot why I was playing that and all about this. Whoops!
I think it looks great and I plan to try it out later tonight(Phone is charged).

 

[Annoyed Grunt]

The problem I have with this game is that the controls are extremely clunky. Sometimes presses won't be recognized, sometimes the climber will just unhand things randomly and other times the game will just make me fall instead of jumping.

 

[Ivan Alcaide Ferrer]

The problem I have with this game is that the controls are extremely clunky. Sometimes presses won't be recognized, sometimes the climber will just unhand things randomly and other times the game will just make me fall instead of jumping.

Excuse me, could you tell me what device are you using? it can be hard to grab the rocks, but for the rest, it should work fine. you press the button and the hand doesn't close?
I've tested it in many devices, and in my Huawei Ascend P7 it's the only one where it makes strange things as the ones that you've mentioned.

edit. new update is ready. The swing speed have been reduced by 20% among other small details

 

[Buff]

I ran into this error after I locked my screen while playing:

Android destroys surfaces whenever you lock the screen or press the recent apps button or leave the app so you must always check that a surface exists, and recreate it if it doesn't, every time you go to draw to a surface or draw a surface. Like this:

if !surface_exists(surface)
surface = surface_create(width, height)
//Draw operations

Where "surface" is the name of your surface variable and width and height are its width and height.

I also took some of your swinging tips into account and I'm now the best in the world!

One thing I don't really get though, is there a way to stop being tired? Because no matter how many good grabs I do, my stamina never goes back up and I always die eventually from being too tired.

 

[Ivan Alcaide Ferrer]

I went to the android menu while I was falling and it also happened to me. I totally forgot to check if surface exists in the draw event.

Stamina is always getting low until you reach a main base. You lose stamina every two and a half seconds, but if you make a perfect grab the timer restarts. Also if you make a bad grab or a "static" grab (without jump) you lose a little extra stamina depending on how bad the grab is.

In the previous version you lost stamina every two seconds, but reach a base without getting tired was really really tight, son I set to 2.5. Every level is suposed to be completed in 3-4 minutes, and the whole mountain in 20-25 when you make it perfect. But the first base is 72 meters, so if you get tired around 50 I'm gonna have to make another change on the stamina system.

I use the stamina to stimulate good grabs and jumps, but not to be a difficulty per se, so the perfect grabs should regain stamina, and the good ones restart the timer. That gives them more value over the static grab.

off topic: I must be making a lot of grammatical errors, so sorry for my english.

 

[ParodyKnaveBob]

any feedback is really useful.

You already know it's pretty and cleverly advertised.

Gotta say, though, especially with your advertising banner being the first image I ever see of it, I received utter stun upon seeing the climber only use his hands -- the exact opposite of what every climber will ever tell you, pretty much -- instead of "always, always, always keep three touch points." Almost immediately, I started thinking, "This should really look a little more fantasy-based or have some kind of reason for why he's only handling and swinging all willy-nilly. Like, I don't know, maybe if he were a monkey or something."

$F^ }

Little did I know that was your inspiration. Ha. (I also considered a big hulking warrior-type or a even man disabled waist-down. ~shrug~ I mean, I guess your setting works, it's just we accept Mario's ridiculous "roles" as a carpenter because of the giant gorilla, as a plumber because of the floating blocks and walking mushrooms, and as a doctor because the viri have faces (not to mention the aforementioned floating blocks and walking mushrooms). Therefore, not saying, "If you don't change it, it won't work." Just saying, "It's initially off-putting as-is, but the immediately jarred suspension of disbelief can be overcome." (After all, it's not like he has rope or anything, either. Heh.))

So yeah, it looks like it could be fun, and it's great that you're jumping through hoops responding to feedback, but just saying, initial reaction was like seeing a snorkeling game where the snorkeler does flips in the water. $E^ b edit: I'm sure not the best example off the top of my head, but anyway, I hope you get what I mean. Probably not super-important. Just giving you my initial feedback is all.

Regards,
Bob $:^ J

(P.S. The pocket looks a little strange since you've apparently edited out whatever object was stored in it. Or maybe it was a phone and it's supposed to be a subtle joke?)

 

[Buff]

I went to the android menu while I was falling and it also happened to me. I totally forgot to check if surface exists in the draw event.

Stamina is always getting low until you reach a main base. You lose stamina every two and a half seconds, but if you make a perfect grab the timer restarts. Also if you make a bad grab or a "static" grab (without jump) you lose a little extra stamina depending on how bad the grab is.

In the previous version you lost stamina every two seconds, but reach a base without getting tired was really really tight, son I set to 2.5. Every level is suposed to be completed in 3-4 minutes, and the whole mountain in 20-25 when you make it perfect. But the first base is 72 meters, so if you get tired around 50 I'm gonna have to make another change on the stamina system.

I use the stamina to stimulate good grabs and jumps, but not to be a difficulty per se, so the perfect grabs should regain stamina, and the good ones restart the timer. That gives them more value over the static grab.

off topic: I must be making a lot of grammatical errors, so sorry for my english.

How does a static grab compare to the four dynamic grabs? Is it worth than all of them?
You did just make the swinging slower, so now it takes a bit longer to move, you might want to consider that in your stamina time calculation.

And your English is quite good.

 

[Ivan Alcaide Ferrer]

How does a static grab compare to the four dynamic grabs? Is it worth than all of them?
You did just make the swinging slower, so now it takes a bit longer to move, you might want to consider that in your stamina time calculation.

And your English is quite good.

with the new changes, you start with 100 points of stamina, every 2.5 (previously 2) seconds you lose 1 point (4.16 minutes if you don't move, prev. 3.3 minutes), a perfect grab regain 1 point and restart the timer (prev. just restart the timer), a good grab restart the timer (prev. lose 0.5 and restart the timer), a normal and a static grab remove 0.5 points (prev. 1 for normal), and a bad grab remove 1 point (prev. 2).
Now unless you make a bad grab or fail, it's much better to jump, improving the "risk/reward" and if you're good enough, you can reach a checkpoint almost without losing stamina. I have to change that explanation and image in the tutorial to make it clearer.

You already know it's pretty and cleverly advertised.

Gotta say, though, especially with your advertising banner being the first image I ever see of it, I received utter stun upon seeing the climber only use his hands -- the exact opposite of what every climber will ever tell you, pretty much -- instead of "always, always, always keep three touch points." Almost immediately, I started thinking, "This should really look a little more fantasy-based or have some kind of reason for why he's only handling and swinging all willy-nilly. Like, I don't know, maybe if he were a monkey or something."

$F^ }

Little did I know that was your inspiration. Ha. (I also considered a big hulking warrior-type or a even man disabled waist-down. ~shrug~ I mean, I guess your setting works, it's just we accept Mario's ridiculous "roles" as a carpenter because of the giant gorilla, as a plumber because of the floating blocks and walking mushrooms, and as a doctor because the viri have faces (not to mention the aforementioned floating blocks and walking mushrooms). Therefore, not saying, "If you don't change it, it won't work." Just saying, "It's initially off-putting as-is, but the immediately jarred suspension of disbelief can be overcome." (After all, it's not like he has rope or anything, either. Heh.))

So yeah, it looks like it could be fun, and it's great that you're jumping through hoops responding to feedback, but just saying, initial reaction was like seeing a snorkeling game where the snorkeler does flips in the water. $E^ b edit: I'm sure not the best example off the top of my head, but anyway, I hope you get what I mean. Probably not super-important. Just giving you my initial feedback is all.

Regards,
Bob $:^ J

(P.S. The pocket looks a little strange since you've apparently edited out whatever object was stored in it. Or maybe it was a phone and it's supposed to be a subtle joke?)

Yes, I understand your point on the real climb. In the begining the game was gonna be much more "realistic" with a system based on tons of animations, with crack climbing, some parts with standard jumps similar to the original Prince of Persia, some exploration etc, but it is my first game, and doing all by myself it would have been endless, and too complex for a mobile game with just two buttons.

 

[Misty]

Interesting.

 

[ShaunJS]

This game is awesome btw. Bunch of us in the office are climbers and really enjoyed it! I've always wanted to design something around the fun of rock climbing and I think this manages it very well! Cool to see you're getting feedback and still improving it =)

I also struggled on the tutorial but will come back to try the update!

 

[Ivan Alcaide Ferrer]

This game is awesome btw. Bunch of us in the office are climbers and really enjoyed it! I've always wanted to design something around the fun of rock climbing and I think this manages it very well! Cool to see you're getting feedback and still improving it =)

I also struggled on the tutorial but will come back to try the update!

Wow thank you so much, your videos and this forum have been a huuuge help to learn how to use Game Maker. I don't know if I could have made the game without that help.

 

[Husi012]

Hi, your game is awesome
I have found some bugs:
Sometimes the game was freezing when my two fingers were on the screen until I touch the screen again.
Once my legs were falling down and another time I could grap an empty place...

 

[lovareth]

Nice graphic!! I cant even past the tutorial too!
I read some of your comment above and the initial rock collision mask is way to small, but you already did some changes right? Btw good job

 

[Ivan Alcaide Ferrer]

Hi, your game is awesome
I have found some bugs:
Sometimes the game was freezing when my two fingers were on the screen until I touch the screen again.
Once my legs were falling down and another time I could grap an empty place...

I've seen countless bugs after all this time, but that freezing is new, what smartphone do you use?
My personal phone gets crazy short after I start to play, and similar things as those you comment happen. It's much worse when the phone is charging or especially hot. it's like if randomly execute pieces of code.
I'm worried, because I thought it was some problem with the device that I use or the model, but I've received another comment about this problems on a Moto G3 1Gb, that it is my main mobile to test the game and it always runs perfect.
The only thing I can think of is that the problem is related to the virtual keys I use to map the controls.

btw the legs separate from the body, or falls as if got gravity by their own? They're connected to the x/y body's position with "lengthdir_x/y".

Nice graphic!! I cant even past the tutorial too!
I read some of your comment above and the initial rock collision mask is way to small, but you already did some changes right? Btw good job

Yes, the hand and rock's mask it's now much bigger, and the rocks size was increased before that. The swing speed is now 20% slower, and the rocks at the begging have been repositioned.
It's a little tricky to get used to the jump, but in the meantime you could exit the tutorial (the exit door opens after 3 tries) and practice on the first level.

Thanks for your comments.

 

[Siolfor the Jackal]

I finally got some time to play this, grabbed the free version on google play.
It's a lot of fun and I found it hard to put down. I had a few issues with not grabbing when I could've sworn I grabbed, but mostly it felt pretty great.
I did notice a few times I'd get myself in positions where I can't really go anywhere, I'm not lined up enough to jump up and there's no holds in places I could accurately reach, mostly as a result of not grabbing at the middle of the rocks.
Last thing, One time when I fell from high enough to get the neat animation, the sound of the falling didn't stop.
Overall I think it's pretty sweet.

 

[Ivan Alcaide Ferrer]

I finally got some time to play this, grabbed the free version on google play.
It's a lot of fun and I found it hard to put down. I had a few issues with not grabbing when I could've sworn I grabbed, but mostly it felt pretty great.
I did notice a few times I'd get myself in positions where I can't really go anywhere, I'm not lined up enough to jump up and there's no holds in places I could accurately reach, mostly as a result of not grabbing at the middle of the rocks.
Last thing, One time when I fell from high enough to get the neat animation, the sound of the falling didn't stop.
Overall I think it's pretty sweet.

I thought that was fixed long ago, I have to check that again. Thanks for the warning.

Grab some rocks at the edge it's complicated, you have to use the trick I mentioned a few days ago, try to go down and find a better path, or make a high jump to reach a rock too close to jump fully horizontally, but to far to grab it without jump.

 

[Siolfor the Jackal]

Yeah, I figure once I play it some more and get more comfortable with it, I'll start seeing how to deal with those situations. I just really love the controls, so simple and well done.

 

[marius]

nice vector art

 

[Husi012]

The Game looked like freeze. Maybe it could be my mistake and the player had grabbed an other rocket.

The legs had their own gravity.

Btw. why get I the "made with yoyogames" start screen?

 

[Ivan Alcaide Ferrer]

The Game looked like freeze. Maybe it could be my mistake and the player had grabbed an other rocket.

The legs had their own gravity.

Btw. why get I the "made with yoyogames" start screen?

It's certainly the same problem that happens to me. I'll send a bug report to Yoyo to see if they have seen or heard something similar from another game, but it doesn't seem to be related with Game Maker or the game itself directly.

The start screen is set by default. I think it can be removed, but it doesn't disturb anyway.

 

[warbo]

Honestly great game but the ads keep messing me up on my samsung.

 

[Annoyed Grunt]

The game starts slowing down once I reach 42~ meters. Up until that point everything's fine, and then boom, it runs like I'm going at a steady 15 fps.

 

[Ivan Alcaide Ferrer]

Honestly great game but the ads keep messing me up on my samsung.

Is there a special problem with the ads? slow down the game? is the banner's position unconfortable or are the intersticials too common? I'm thinkin on change the distribution, show banners just when you fall, and intersticials more usually, but I haven't had too many complaints about that.

The game starts slowing down once I reach 42~ meters. Up until that point everything's fine, and then boom, it runs like I'm going at a steady 15 fps.

That's the point when it's starts to get dark, the game creates a surface to generate the light. It must be too much for the smartphone. what device are you using?

edit. I've just tested it on a 2011 Galaxy S2 and it runs perfect until that point too. It can't handle surfaces, so I'm gonna have to exclude the device

 

[ParodyKnaveBob]

That's the point when it's starts to get dark, the game creates a surface to generate the light. It must be too much for the smartphone. what device are you using?

edit. I've just tested it on a 2011 Galaxy S2 and it runs perfect until that point too. It can't handle surfaces, so I'm gonna have to exclude the device

Hey. I can only make guesses since I don't even have a touch device these days, but maybe you don't have to exclude:

How are you using surfaces? How do you mean going dark? Do you mean just creating the "darkened overlay" look at, say, 0:17 in your trailer? You should be able to just plop a foreground, sprite, or primitive (depending on your scaling needs) over the screen, right?

I hope this helps,
Bob $:^ ,

 

[Ivan Alcaide Ferrer]

Hey. I can only make guesses since I don't even have a touch device these days, but maybe you don't have to exclude:

How are you using surfaces? How do you mean going dark? Do you mean just creating the "darkened overlay" look at, say, 0:17 in your trailer? You should be able to just plop a foreground, sprite, or primitive (depending on your scaling needs) over the screen, right?

I hope this helps,
Bob $:^ ,

Yes, that's how it was initially, but when the climber's light and the bonfire's light get together it looked weird; that's why I use surfaces, so that they could combine without mixing transparencies. Anyway, level 3 is full of clouds that use surfaces to show player's shadow, so even if I change the light, nobody could progress beyond that point with those devices.

 

[ParodyKnaveBob]

Anyway, level 3 is full of clouds that use surfaces to show player's shadow, so even if I change the light, nobody could progress beyond that point with those devices.

...unless you removed the purely visual effect of clouds on those devices? $:^ ]

(I haven't been able to see your fire and such, thus I don't have much suggestion there, other than again, if certain features are fiddled with for certain devices, then you don't have to knock them out for the whole game.)

I hope this helps, $:^ ]

 

[McWolke]

Hey there,
I just tried your game and i really like it, love the graphics!
But i also have found some bugs.
The first time i started the game it was totaly messed up with the scaling. This was probably because i didnt have the newest version of Google play thingy.

Also ive noticed that the climber does not always immediatly grab when i touched the screen, i guess it mostly happend when i touched right when the climber turned the direction and had almost no speed. I watched his hand and it took quite a while for him to close his hand which made me miss many times.

Edit: you could also use a background music or is there music but i didnt hear it?

 

[Ivan Alcaide Ferrer]

...unless you removed the purely visual effect of clouds on those devices? $:^ ]

(I haven't been able to see your fire and such, thus I don't have much suggestion there, other than again, if certain features are fiddled with for certain devices, then you don't have to knock them out for the whole game.)

I hope this helps, $:^ ]

umm, its seems a little drastic, but if I want the game to works on more humble devices I'm gonna have to do that, thanks for the advices.

Hey there,
I just tried your game and i really like it, love the graphics!
But i also have found some bugs.
The first time i started the game it was totaly messed up with the scaling. This was probably because i didnt have the newest version of Google play thingy.

Also ive noticed that the climber does not always immediatly grab when i touched the screen, i guess it mostly happend when i touched right when the climber turned the direction and had almost no speed. I watched his hand and it took quite a while for him to close his hand which made me miss many times.

Edit: you could also use a background music or is there music but i didnt hear it?

That scaling is really weird, and I don't understand why that happened, because scaling only activates when device's display is different from 16:9 (and the screenshot is 1920x1080)
it was just the first time you play?

There is a little time when the climber starts to swing when you can't actually grab, it based on the angle (if less than 20 you can't)

Right now there's is no background music, and it's the first task I got when I finished to fixed the main problems.

 

[doom13]

Great job! It reminds me of GIRP.

 

[Pyro]

"A Mountain In Your Pocket"

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

I feel your name for the game is poorly chosen.

 

[Ivan Alcaide Ferrer]

I've just update the game with a optional cursor that shows where the character is gonna jump, right now it seems too hard to know.

"A Mountain In Your Pocket"

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

I feel your name for the game is poorly chosen.

why?