Hi !

For some time now, a small group of atari users have been working on a new ST game...

A picross for atari st named PicrossST !!!

for the end of the year we've made a preview video.

You'll find it on http://picrossst.free.fr

Well, it's technically waaaaaaaaaay under D-bug releases but we're still waiting for your impressions ! 

Awesome work, guys! I am really looking forward to see this game finished!

Very nice - loved the pause screen

CJ wrote on 23.12.07 at 09:20:14:


I second that! I can only speak from my own experience with game making (http://pouet.net/prod.php?which=7872) where, while the game was ready really quick, I spent about 4 months to add modplayer, custom windowing system etc. Those aren't bad additions, but they set back the release time.

(well, ok, I didn't spend the entire 4 months doing that, I also played the game a lot -that's why I wrote it in the first place - but the point is that had there not been a thought to add more features, the game would have been released much faster).

I guess you guys already have a sort of "design document" with a checklist of stuff to include in the game, so you'd better stick by it and let the people judge it afterwards

I'm really intersted in previewing/reviewing this in RGCD.  (www.rgcd.co.uk)

Our next issue is due out in the spring.  Reckon there will be a preview/demo version by then?

Keep up the good work!

Marskilla wrote on 23.01.08 at 11:08:17:


Well, I suggest you leave a message on http://bbs.dhs.nu/tracking/ and http://bbs.dhs.nu/scene/, there are LOTS of musicians around that will be willing to help

Marskilla wrote on 23.01.08 at 11:08:17:


Firstly: Chris, if you ever again go as far as to suggest something like that, you'll get a severe arse kicking (or even worse, I'll give you the disassembled source of the game and force you to fix it yourself )

As usual I have a Falcon, a MSTE and a TT up and running, so if you're out of machines to test then feel free to contact me!

a1exh wrote on 16.02.08 at 10:04:07:


It wasn't failed ! I used the term nonogram all over the website to avoid "picross" copyright, and we tried to implement small eyecandies (animated transition screens, various backgrounds) to get the game visually entertaining. But we focused more on the gameplay of the title, as it's a puzzle game and we didn't want to distract the player who will have to think about what he's doing.

a1exh wrote on 16.02.08 at 10:04:07:


Here I don't agree. There will be several mode (keeped secret for now). We HAD TO think about the gameplay, and his ST adaptation : size of the grids, 1 or 2 players, cooperating or competitive, timing counter, penalties, games modes, controls, difficulty level, progressive mode...

To give you an example a grid editor will be also released. Players will be able to design their grids and play them   

There will be also extra grids pack released...

We start to think about a way to publish players grids (probably on the http://picrossst.free.fr/ website).

Also, to enhance de "living length" of the title we implemented... something (keep your secret secret they say).

Anyway, reaching grid number 100 will unlock special modes   .

Also a lot of work has been made about difficulty. The main problem is that nongram is not a game known by evryone. We wanted to produce something challenging but dont repulse newbies. An complexity algorith has been made to evaluate each grid in order to sort the puzzles. Also the grids has been tested in a solver to doublecheck complexity.

PicrossST wasn't made like "let's do a mario's picross on st". We thought it from scratch. We used google docs to produce the specs (design document). One the game will be complete we might publish the document (it's written in french but, hey, nobody's perfect  ) .

Furthermore picrossSt is a team project, it has been discussed a lot. Please, don't use "he" but "them".  Thx.

a1exh wrote on 16.02.08 at 10:04:07:


Here I agree. But they were kind of "direct" (sorry my english sucks). Dont panic !  The team wasn't shocked. We listen evry feedback on the forums and examine them.

Otherwise, what would be the purpose of announcing the project on forums ?   

We could do the thing, released it , end of the story. We decided to "test" the atari brotherhood to make the game the better we could. So any feedback ( even unpleasant - which wasn't yours -) is welcome.

ggn wrote on 23.01.08 at 11:32:54:


The urls you suggested did great. Marcer and Starbuck will maybe create tunes for us ! It's a good piece of news because we start to foresee a release date (something about end of march begining of april, more or less few weeks). It would be a shame to release a mute game or to use a tune without permission.

Some german translation are to do, few bugs here and there to correct, but the game is yet fully playable. Another version, a championship edition for a french atari convention, is also on tracks. There will be a picrossST championship with prizes for the best players at the end of the event

The website has evolved too. there is now a rss feed for those who want to have real time news.

For the test, evry help is welcome ! I'll send you a mail when the first stable version will be compiled. And, why not, if we didn't manage to produce a flacon/TT/MegaSTE compatible version, maybe, can we hope to count on d-bug expertise ?

ggn wrote on 16.02.08 at 11:45:12:

Ok. I dont quite see what there is to get sour about? I gave an opinion. Tried to give it in a good honest way. No bull etc. Open enough to realise that other people dont share the same opinion.

ggn wrote on 16.02.08 at 11:45:12:

Hmm tough one. Original concepts eh? Guitar Hero, but some say it borrows too much from the "Dance Mat" genre, which I guess is true. Singstar, but it's little more than advanced Kareoke. I really liked Zak & Wiki on the Wii, it borrows heavily from the Lucas Arts adventures, but the use of the Wii controller is unique and adds a lot more gameplay. Mercury on the PSP by legendary 16-bit programmer Geoff Crammond, that is quite a unique game. Brain Training on the DS.

ggn wrote on 16.02.08 at 11:45:12:

I understand your point of view. But todays gamers (especially retro enthusiasts) rarely use one platform. If you have Call of Duty 4 on the Xbox360 you don't tend to buy the PS3 version too or Medal of Honour etc. unless you think it's going to be different enough. All I was only hoping to enthuse the developers into making PicrossST unique enough to stand above other Picross games, enough to make people familiar with the games genre to be curious.

ggn wrote on 16.02.08 at 11:45:12:

I couldnt have known that when I wrote my comments. The video was of the standard 1-player nonogram game.

a1exh wrote on 16.02.08 at 12:18:19:


I think you'll find it was the God himself, Archer Mclean.

PicrossST is finaly done !!! 

You'll find it, with the grids editor, the ac2008 edition and a puzzle bonus pack on http://picrossst.free.fr.

Please note the game require at least 1MB RAM and a wrtie enabled location (for savegames).

The team sincerelly hope that you'll enjoy the game as much we did making it.

Of course, it is not a very technically advanced program, it might have some bugs not resolved but we hope it will do it.

If you have questions and/or remarks just post them here !

ggn wrote on 05.05.08 at 06:48:06:


Is it that bad for you to test it and not post a comment on it ?   

More seriously, nobody has tested it ?   

Anyway further updates will be done in the following weeks (bug fixes, minor improvments...) I'll post something on the forum when the final version will be on the website.

This Topic was moved here from Random Access [move by] ggn.