Tinyhack

January 2, 2012 4:34 PM

Tinyhack :Tired of the graphical complexity of Nethack? Yearn for a game smaller than a favicon?
posted by leotrotsky (32 comments total)

This is good.
posted by Nelson at 4:40 PM on January 2, 2012 [2 favorites]

Hahaha, read the story with Javascript turned off.

Are you strong enough to TAKE the MCGUFFIN? The world needs you, HERO!

The KINGDOM of NAME is in STRIFE and BADTHINGS DOBADTHINGS. Search for the Sword of WHAT in the forest of WHAT. Locate the Shield of WHAT in the tomb of WHAT. Collect the 16 GOLDS and find the KEY to unlock the secret of ISLAND FORTRESS, where the evil BADDIE gathers forces for the final attack.

Enter a world of EMOTION1 and EMOTION2 with GAME NAME, the most gruelling and challenging game of 1978. Remember, hero: BADDIE threatens to DESTROY the world!

"What language do they speak in What?"
posted by BiggerJ at 4:42 PM on January 2, 2012 [16 favorites]

Amazingly playable... in fact, I could be playing Skyrim right now but this is more fun.
posted by Huck500 at 4:43 PM on January 2, 2012 [1 favorite]

See also Overworld Zero, originally a mini-game built into System Shock 2. It's basically like this game but Ultima instead of Hack.
posted by Nelson at 5:01 PM on January 2, 2012

So I actually made this with the idea that it should be a 1970s-era electronic toy on an 8x8 grid. The ninth pixel was added at the last moment because having the player-pixel off center gave me to weird OCD feeling!

You will doubtless be pleased to know that I am working on TinyHack HD, which runs at a staggering 16x16 resolution and will go up at Boing Boing soon. I am told that the system requirements will be outrageous ("Never go full favicon") but I'm sure video cards will catch up eventually.
posted by beschizza at 6:28 PM on January 2, 2012 [26 favorites]

I really wish this worked on the iPad. I saw a JavaScript version of minecraft today that had on screen buttons for those of us with no keyboard. Please consider adding those.
posted by Ad hominem at 6:36 PM on January 2, 2012

which runs at a staggering 16x16 resolution

And no doubt a cover-shooter mechanic and regenerating health. I am so tired of these dumbed-down consolizations of perfectly fine franchises for the sake of AAA cash-ins!
posted by cortex at 6:37 PM on January 2, 2012 [4 favorites]

Too many monsters, not enough fountains. I keep dying.
posted by spitefulcrow at 6:52 PM on January 2, 2012 [3 favorites]

You can drink as much as you like at the pub!
posted by beschizza at 6:59 PM on January 2, 2012

Well where is it?
posted by spitefulcrow at 7:01 PM on January 2, 2012

This is a good time.
posted by box at 7:12 PM on January 2, 2012

The pub is in the town; a few pixels northeast of the starting spot.
posted by beschizza at 7:15 PM on January 2, 2012

Pub found! And then everything else found. Except the island fortress.

I now enjoy this game.
posted by spitefulcrow at 7:24 PM on January 2, 2012

it's the gray spot all by its lonesome.
posted by leotrotsky at 7:38 PM on January 2, 2012

Yeah, I found it and then realized I hadn't gotten the secret gold piece in the dungeon by itself in the middle of the water.

Then I got in and promptly died when I found three pink enemies. Even though the game is really short, I wish there was a save feature, because no way am I doing all of that again.
posted by spitefulcrow at 7:59 PM on January 2, 2012

I will do character portraits for $5/ea. Here is my portfolio.

. . . .

(and, nsfw:) .
posted by Pastor of Muppets at 8:12 PM on January 2, 2012 [8 favorites]

where's the secret gold piece in the dungeon by itself in the middle of the water?
posted by leotrotsky at 8:39 PM on January 2, 2012

It's in the green one where you get the shield (or sword?). There's a path that splits off on the left and goes down and around everything to a piece of gold.
posted by spitefulcrow at 8:43 PM on January 2, 2012

Don't fight the 3 pinks in the last dungeon. It's possible to barge through if you have sword, shield, full health and hit them with magic first (which halves their level), but always a bit chancy. You can go around them.
posted by beschizza at 8:54 PM on January 2, 2012

@biggerj i wonder when the whole excuse plot thing is gonna be played out
posted by This, of course, alludes to you at 11:39 PM on January 2, 2012

Moved to a machine with a mouse and keyboard to play. So this is what computing was like in 2010.
posted by Ad hominem at 11:58 PM on January 2, 2012 [1 favorite]

The best part about minimalist graphics is that the dragons don't look like ducks. Oh yes, the little red blocks--there be dragons.
posted by hanoixan at 5:49 AM on January 3, 2012

I AM WARRIOR PIXEL
posted by XMLicious at 6:21 PM on January 3, 2012

Finally, sweet victory!
posted by leotrotsky at 8:52 PM on January 3, 2012

This means you get to name an NPC in the sequel. Please submit one in the form of a hexadecimal RGB value or HTML color name.
posted by beschizza at 6:23 AM on January 4, 2012 [1 favorite]

You're joking, but I don't care and will instead pretend you're being serious.

#9999FF

Or, as I call her, "Nin-Effie."
posted by leotrotsky at 7:27 AM on January 4, 2012

On the contrary! In fact, I have already programmed Nin-Effie into the game. Here is a screenshot of the protagonist defending her from the predations of three savage magenta pixels.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3687980/tinyhackHD_screenshot.png
posted by beschizza at 8:11 AM on January 5, 2012 [2 favorites]

Man, you quadrupled the resolution; what's that done to the FPS?
posted by Nelson at 9:46 AM on January 5, 2012

You'll need at least a Cray II. And don't skimp on the Flourinert coolant!
posted by beschizza at 11:09 AM on January 5, 2012

I can only find one grey spot; it's not in the northeast, its in the northwest. And it's totally inaccessible.
posted by BurnChao at 12:45 PM on January 5, 2012

Found it. It's red, not grey.

Could you make this for the Nook? Seriously, that'd be pretty cool. Actually, I should look for Nethack for the Nook, too.
posted by BurnChao at 11:42 PM on January 5, 2012

This seems like a good candidate for a port to a Meggy Jr.
posted by Hello Dad, I'm in Jail at 4:09 AM on January 6, 2012