My grandsonβs name is Max!
Currently getting everything in place, and then the focus will shift to performanceβoptimizing speed, memory usage, model reduction, soundfx etc. After that, Iβll be expanding the item library for the level builder while, of course, adding tons of new levels with fun narratives and an engaging storyline!
Beta Hype Update!
Nieuw checkpoint bereikt op weg naar de thrilling Beta! Een dozijn βonbedoelde featuresβ gefixt en een paar nieuwe toegevoegd om hier te komen.
Multi-profile management!
Meerdere spelers op dezelfde PC kunnen nu (om de beurt natuurlijk) levels bouwen en spelen (voortgang per profile). Log je in op een andere computer? Online levels worden automatisch gedownload zodra je je βkentekenplaatβ bevestigt.
Online levels
Work in progress⦠Zoeken hoe we dit UI technisch goed kunnen inrichten.
Profielgebonden voortgang
Story progress blijft per profiel bewaard, en level uploads worden gescheiden op e-mail & kentekenplaat.
Testteam on the job!
Ethical hacker probeert mβn kristallen server te kraken.
UI & graphics expert bekijkt flow, gameplay en elk detail met zijn βdronesβ.
Allround tester checkt gewoon alles.
Oh, en YES! Steam-account zijn we aan het optuigen en βDe websiteβ? Die staat een beetje in de wachtrij β prioriteiten en zo.
Op naar de volgende mijlpaal! - First BETA ;)
Oh!.. and Yes!.. i will share closed beta keys!..
Godot 4.4 !!.. running like a charmβ¦
The only thing i found was a visual change where i had a str(number) that converted to 1.0 instead of 1 between godot 4.4 and 4.3 (but wrapping it with an int() and visual solved
Congrats with this great job Godot team!!
Level 17: Coastal Chaos
Prompt:
βGolden beaches, crystal watersβ¦ and a 90% chance of catastrophe. Hope you packed a life vest!β
Description:
βA tropical paradiseβif you ignore the collapsing cliffs, treacherous tides, and quicksand thatβs way too eager to make new friends. Just another relaxing day at the beach!β
Narrator:
The edge of the jungle gives way to sun-bleached planks and shifting sands. Wooden walkways, worn thin by time and tide, sway under your weight. The sea glistens invitingly, but donβt be fooledβone wrong step, and youβre part of the scenery. And if the collapsing structures donβt get you, the quicksand just might.
System Log:
Ah, the beach! Sun, sand, andβ¦ structural instability. Nothing like a relaxing stroll over suspiciously wobbly planks and treacherous terrain. Also, memo to self: quicksand is very poorly named. Should be called βOops-Too-Late-Sandβ or βInstant Regret Pit.
With official testers in da house, the Jira board is filling up fast! Which is a good thingβit directly contributes to quality, playability, and overall polish. Every bug squashed and every piece of feedback helps refine Bobβs Crystal into the best version of itself. Serious project, serious testing!
Upgraded X-Ray View in the Level Builder
I improved the X-Ray view in the level builder (the builder wil be included in the game, so you can build and share your own fancy-schmancy, over-the-top-perty levels! ), making it much more useful for precise object placement and working with hidden elements. The upgraded system works by:
Making all existing objects material-less β Instead of just reducing opacity, the X-Ray view strips away materials from already placed objects, turning them into simple wireframes or ghosted outlines. This ensures they donβt visually obstruct the scene while still allowing you to see their structure.
Highlighting newly placed objects β Any new objects you place in X-Ray mode remain fully visible and retain their materials. This helps distinguish them from the existing environment, making it easy to position and tweak them without interference from background elements.
Use Cases:
Building behind walls β Perfect for placing objects inside enclosed spaces or behind other structures without constantly toggling visibility.
Working with electrical circuits β Great for routing wires or placing components when working on in-game circuit systems, ensuring everything is properly connected even in cluttered areas.
General scene editing β Useful for any detailed work where occlusion by other objects would normally be an issue.
What do you think?
Is this useful, or just a nice-to-have feature?
I would say in the context of a level builder, incredibly useful!
I still canβt quite believe how beautiful your game is looking! Amazing work and very inspiring too.
Almost Beta! Stitching It All Togetherβ¦
Alrightβ¦ Iβm finally piecing everything together to reach the beta phase of Bobβs Crystals!
A bit of advice from the trenches:
The hard part? Giving your game a proper beginning and end.
Itβs tempting to spend all your time on the flashy stuff β mechanics, particle effects, explosions (guilty!) β but actually finishing a game? Thatβs the real boss fight.
You need patience, focus⦠and maybe a little caffeine-fueled madness .
What saved me:
- Setting up a clear folder structure to keep the spaghetti in check
(See structure below) - Building custom tools that make adding content fast and painless.
Sure, that tooling ate two months of my life β¦ but now?
I can drop in a new model, tweak the scale, add a description, set its breakability, and boom β done in five minutes. Total win.
Pro tip: Invest in your dev tools.
It might feel slow at first, but itβll save you a mountain of time later β especially when your project grows into a wild jungle of assets, logic, and last-minute edits.
Folder Structure
BOB/
βββ .godot/ # Engine-generated directory
β βββ editor/
β βββ imported/
β βββ shader_cache/
βββ assets/ # All game assets
β βββ artwork/
β βββ fonts/
β βββ icons/
β βββ Images/ # Textures and image files
β β βββ bricks/
β β βββ metal/
β β βββ rock/
β β βββ β¦ (other texture sets)
β βββ leveleffects/ # Visual effects
β β βββ boids/
β β βββ explosion/
β β βββ lightning/
β βββ levelelements/ # Game elements and prefabs
β β βββ collectables/
β β βββ crystals/
β β βββ electrics/
β β βββ environment/
β β βββ hazard/
β β βββ movables/
β β βββ pathway/
β β βββ tiles/
β βββ levelmusic/
β βββ levelvoices/
β βββ models/ # 3D models
β β βββ bob/
β β βββ minibot/
β β βββ β¦ (other models)
β βββ shaders/
β βββ skyboximages/
β βββ soundfx/
βββ scenes/ # Game scenes
β βββ bobgame/
β βββ introduction/
β βββ levelbuilder/
β βββ level_rating/
β βββ markercrystal/
β βββ minigames/
β βββ outroduction/
β βββ startgame/
β βββ testlevel/
βββ scripts/ # Game scripts
β βββ autoload/
βββ data/ # Game data files
βββ theme/ # UI theme resources
This is my first proper compilation of the gameβs ending β finally giving Bobβs Crystals a real head and tail.
Below is the end-game cinematic β this wraps up the story and kicks off the credits.
Let me know what you think!