Source code: As3_1 Ball
Built with Processing
Ball Pit is a fun, playful program. I can sit and play with simple games such as this for a little too long. I find it incredibly unwinding to click my mouse repeatedly, especially when I know there is no limit to the amount of times I can click it and have something happen. I become relaxed as I watch the balls bounce up and down the screen and I enjoy the anticipation of what the next ball will look like and how it will add to the colourful array of what’s onscreen already.
Ironically, the experience of creating program was quite the opposite. I find programming to be something that requires my full concentration. It’s not something I feel relaxed while doing by any means.
I like that the product of this hard work is something that almost counteracts the stress created by programming it. It’s a virtuous cycle!
I see Cake Monster as a game for all ages. There is one simple aim – to eat all the cake you can. There is no resolution, as Cake Monster never becomes full. As he eats the cakes, he responds by changing his eye colour to reflect his enjoyment.
With a cartoon aesthetic, the game appears playful, and possibly childlike at first glance. Though the game is simple, it’s something anyone can enjoy and find satisfaction in. To play Cake Monster requires some concentration – but a concentration that is kind of entrancing and addictive.
It is this kind of concentration that I love in a game. It takes me back to my days of playing Timon and Pumbaa’s Jungle Games – a set of five arcade style games. Thirteen years later, If I could find the disc, I’d probably still enjoy the games. I hope that Cake Monster is a small step in the direction of a timeless game that anyone can play.
