Human + Energy = Wizard? Not what I expected, but I guess it works.
June 23, 2010 10:47 PM Subscribe
Doodle God is a unique Flash game. Start with just earth, air, fire, and water. Combine them to create the universe.
Reminds me strongly of the AD&D elemental cosmology. Kinda thought (what with the whole God thing) it was going to be like the Powder Game, but not so much.
posted by lumensimus at 10:58 PM on June 23, 2010
posted by lumensimus at 10:58 PM on June 23, 2010
I mixed oil and sand and got Saudi Arabia. Do I win?
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:02 PM on June 23, 2010
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:02 PM on June 23, 2010
I discovered vodka before I created any type of life form. That seems about right.
posted by lilac girl at 11:09 PM on June 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by lilac girl at 11:09 PM on June 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
Not windows only? I'm playing it on a Mac.
It's cute but a little tedious.
posted by Mizu at 11:15 PM on June 23, 2010
It's cute but a little tedious.
posted by Mizu at 11:15 PM on June 23, 2010
There's failing too!
posted by lumensimus at 11:22 PM on June 23, 2010
posted by lumensimus at 11:22 PM on June 23, 2010
Well... I've created ten or so elements. I think I see where the rest is heading.
posted by Hicksu at 11:25 PM on June 23, 2010
posted by Hicksu at 11:25 PM on June 23, 2010
Eggs and sand make a turtle? Like saying bread lying around makes mice.
posted by Hoenikker at 11:26 PM on June 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Hoenikker at 11:26 PM on June 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
It is interesting for about 5 minutes. Gets tedious after that.
posted by vidur at 11:31 PM on June 23, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by vidur at 11:31 PM on June 23, 2010 [3 favorites]
Oof. Repetitive click and reward puts gnidan into Zynga-zombie mode. Graaainns... farm graaiins...
posted by gnidan at 11:31 PM on June 23, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by gnidan at 11:31 PM on June 23, 2010 [3 favorites]
anitanita: “Oh windows only. Boo! I was thisssssss close to joining the school of fire :)”
What? How is this in any way Windows only? I'm on Ubuntu Linux, in a Google Chrome browser, more than a billion miles away from Windows. I didn't even have to do any hacky stuff - it works perfectly right out of the box. And if you're on OS X, well, I have a hard time believing this doesn't work somehow... are you sure your browser is installed correctly and everything?
posted by koeselitz at 11:57 PM on June 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
What? How is this in any way Windows only? I'm on Ubuntu Linux, in a Google Chrome browser, more than a billion miles away from Windows. I didn't even have to do any hacky stuff - it works perfectly right out of the box. And if you're on OS X, well, I have a hard time believing this doesn't work somehow... are you sure your browser is installed correctly and everything?
posted by koeselitz at 11:57 PM on June 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
paisley henosis: "Dust + Life doesn't spit out Human?
C'mon!"
Yeah, there were some missed opportunities:
Ashes + Ashes = Dust + Dust
Dinosaur + Stone = Ice + Bone
Bacteria + Bird = Sick Bird
Sand + Storm = Sandstorm
Ghost + Egg = Ghost in the Shell
Worm + Dinosaur = Intestinal Parasite
...
And I'm disappointed I couldn't use Life + Stone to start a silicon-based life chain.
Oh, and that my Dragon won't breed with a ghost to produce an Undead Dragon. If I were a god, that would kind of be my ultimate target.
posted by PontifexPrimus at 12:15 AM on June 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
C'mon!"
Yeah, there were some missed opportunities:
Ashes + Ashes = Dust + Dust
Dinosaur + Stone = Ice + Bone
Bacteria + Bird = Sick Bird
Sand + Storm = Sandstorm
Ghost + Egg = Ghost in the Shell
Worm + Dinosaur = Intestinal Parasite
...
And I'm disappointed I couldn't use Life + Stone to start a silicon-based life chain.
Oh, and that my Dragon won't breed with a ghost to produce an Undead Dragon. If I were a god, that would kind of be my ultimate target.
posted by PontifexPrimus at 12:15 AM on June 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
Start with just earth, air, fire, and water. Combine them to create
CAPTAIN PLANET????
oh.
this is fun too.
posted by Throw away your common sense and get an afro! at 12:38 AM on June 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
CAPTAIN PLANET????
oh.
this is fun too.
posted by Throw away your common sense and get an afro! at 12:38 AM on June 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
Don't be silly, you can't create Captain Planet until after you've created Heart, as well.
posted by titus n. owl at 12:50 AM on June 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by titus n. owl at 12:50 AM on June 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
I tried, but I got vampire instead
posted by Throw away your common sense and get an afro! at 12:53 AM on June 24, 2010
posted by Throw away your common sense and get an afro! at 12:53 AM on June 24, 2010
No apparent strategy; click-and-get-lucky does not a game make. And enough with the facebook share button after every combination already.
posted by brokkr at 12:55 AM on June 24, 2010 [7 favorites]
posted by brokkr at 12:55 AM on June 24, 2010 [7 favorites]
Comments here have all the spoilers if any one would like.
posted by Throw away your common sense and get an afro! at 1:01 AM on June 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Throw away your common sense and get an afro! at 1:01 AM on June 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
No apparent strategy; click-and-get-lucky does not a game make.
Yeah - it reminded me of what I hated about a lot of poorly-written old text adventure games. They would have a room, and there would be a set of drawers in a room.
>OPEN TOP DRAWER
Great, it opens, there's a key there.
>OPEN BOTTOM DRAWER
>This drawer appears to be stuck.
And there's a window in the room, so you go:
>OPEN WINDOW
>This window appears to be stuck.
And then you go to the kitchen, and there's a fridge in the kitchen, so you type:
OPEN FRIDGE
>This fridge does not open.
If you're going to create a virtual world, at least program in all the possibilities, rather than leaving it to blind luck, as in crappy adventure games where you're made aware of the importance of something by the mere fact that you can interact with it at all.
This game was full of combinations, as others have said above, where I was thinking "Oh man, I can see what this will make!", and yet it didn't. Make they need to do a user-contributed version, where if you're the first person who decides to combine fire and a golem you get to call it, I dunno, a terracotta warrior or something.
posted by Jimbob at 1:33 AM on June 24, 2010 [4 favorites]
Yeah - it reminded me of what I hated about a lot of poorly-written old text adventure games. They would have a room, and there would be a set of drawers in a room.
>OPEN TOP DRAWER
Great, it opens, there's a key there.
>OPEN BOTTOM DRAWER
>This drawer appears to be stuck.
And there's a window in the room, so you go:
>OPEN WINDOW
>This window appears to be stuck.
And then you go to the kitchen, and there's a fridge in the kitchen, so you type:
OPEN FRIDGE
>This fridge does not open.
If you're going to create a virtual world, at least program in all the possibilities, rather than leaving it to blind luck, as in crappy adventure games where you're made aware of the importance of something by the mere fact that you can interact with it at all.
This game was full of combinations, as others have said above, where I was thinking "Oh man, I can see what this will make!", and yet it didn't. Make they need to do a user-contributed version, where if you're the first person who decides to combine fire and a golem you get to call it, I dunno, a terracotta warrior or something.
posted by Jimbob at 1:33 AM on June 24, 2010 [4 favorites]
I will have to check this out, as it sounds a lot like the android app Alchemy.
posted by JonnyRotten at 1:55 AM on June 24, 2010
posted by JonnyRotten at 1:55 AM on June 24, 2010
Shouldn't have started this at work - got to 20 but I gotta stop.
posted by luckylarry at 2:13 AM on June 24, 2010
posted by luckylarry at 2:13 AM on June 24, 2010
I love this game. This is the sort of thing I can spend hours tracking and charting. Thank you, OP.
posted by Solomon at 3:14 AM on June 24, 2010
posted by Solomon at 3:14 AM on June 24, 2010
That.. was not nearly as exciting as it sounded.
posted by pyrex at 4:07 AM on June 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by pyrex at 4:07 AM on June 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
If I wanted to grind my way to a virtual reward that has no bearing whatsoever on anyone's life, I'd play World of Warcraft instead.
Or maybe I'd just join the rat race.
posted by WalterMitty at 4:07 AM on June 24, 2010
Or maybe I'd just join the rat race.
posted by WalterMitty at 4:07 AM on June 24, 2010
Alcohol+worm != Tequila? Really?
posted by FuzzyLumpkins at 4:22 AM on June 24, 2010
posted by FuzzyLumpkins at 4:22 AM on June 24, 2010
1) Why would a Flash game be Windows only?
2) WTF is the point of this game? The "share on FaceBook!" link after every.single.click. makes me think they are trying to connect into facebook accounts to "share" information. At the very least, it's a very unsubtle attempt to go viral.
posted by DU at 4:36 AM on June 24, 2010
2) WTF is the point of this game? The "share on FaceBook!" link after every.single.click. makes me think they are trying to connect into facebook accounts to "share" information. At the very least, it's a very unsubtle attempt to go viral.
posted by DU at 4:36 AM on June 24, 2010
There's a lot fewer people here loving this than I'd have thought. It's designy, it's geeky, it's logic puzzley, it's experimenty, it's Zen... I like it.
posted by scrowdid at 5:10 AM on June 24, 2010
posted by scrowdid at 5:10 AM on June 24, 2010
What logic puzzle? Click two items....share on facebook! Click two items...share on facebook!
posted by DU at 5:18 AM on June 24, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by DU at 5:18 AM on June 24, 2010 [3 favorites]
Like saying bread lying around makes mice.
At my house it makes ants.
posted by Splunge at 5:56 AM on June 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
At my house it makes ants.
posted by Splunge at 5:56 AM on June 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
There's no doodling, and very little god-ness. It's kind of a misnomer.
posted by echo target at 6:19 AM on June 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by echo target at 6:19 AM on June 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
Despite all the bad, I had fun with it. Got to 90 or so elements, then had to cheat. But even that was fun.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 6:34 AM on June 24, 2010
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 6:34 AM on June 24, 2010
I finished it. Kind of fun. Human + Dragon = ash
I was hoping for some branching and this is just an initial offering. They said the next version would have different story legs depending on what you chose and possible failure for bad choices.
posted by psycho-alchemy at 6:52 AM on June 24, 2010
I was hoping for some branching and this is just an initial offering. They said the next version would have different story legs depending on what you chose and possible failure for bad choices.
posted by psycho-alchemy at 6:52 AM on June 24, 2010
There's no doodling, and very little god-ness. It's kind of a misnomer.
posted by echo target at 8:19 AM on June 24 [+] [!]
This came up in a discussion about a different game, but apparently Doodle is a very common search term
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 7:03 AM on June 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by echo target at 8:19 AM on June 24 [+] [!]
This came up in a discussion about a different game, but apparently Doodle is a very common search term
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 7:03 AM on June 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
I feel like this is just mashing combinations to get a little hit of dopamine. My rational mind says "this is boring and stupid," but my primal reptilian brain loves it too much to put it down.
posted by mccarty.tim at 7:07 AM on June 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by mccarty.tim at 7:07 AM on June 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
Took me a while to finish. Appropriately, the final element was "Firearm".
posted by malusmoriendumest at 7:11 AM on June 24, 2010
posted by malusmoriendumest at 7:11 AM on June 24, 2010
Cute. Lizard + vodka = 2 lizards and an egg.
Reminds me of all the grinding moments in Lucasarts games back in the day.
posted by HeroZero at 7:46 AM on June 24, 2010
Reminds me of all the grinding moments in Lucasarts games back in the day.
posted by HeroZero at 7:46 AM on June 24, 2010
You are likely to create a grue.
posted by Babblesort at 7:51 AM on June 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Babblesort at 7:51 AM on June 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
I played it last night but after a while, meh.
I think the *idea* could be worked out and enhanced. But as it stands now, yeah, not so much. I did like the graphics. If they do work on improving it, I hope it works. It is something to keep an eye on.
I'm imagining a tech-tree sort of system, but right now it's too random and no structure...
posted by symbioid at 8:18 AM on June 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
I think the *idea* could be worked out and enhanced. But as it stands now, yeah, not so much. I did like the graphics. If they do work on improving it, I hope it works. It is something to keep an eye on.
I'm imagining a tech-tree sort of system, but right now it's too random and no structure...
posted by symbioid at 8:18 AM on June 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
Oh the "no windows" comment -- are you browsing from an iphone/ipad???
posted by symbioid at 8:18 AM on June 24, 2010
posted by symbioid at 8:18 AM on June 24, 2010
I got bored after ten seconds
posted by yoHighness at 8:43 AM on June 24, 2010
posted by yoHighness at 8:43 AM on June 24, 2010
That spreadsheet is missing the recipes for Energy -- an easy one, which makes most of the remaining combinations inaccessible -- and for Gunpowder, which is only necessary for a single element.
Which I discovered by writing a perl script to solve the game for me. this is how i relax don't judge me
posted by ook at 8:48 AM on June 24, 2010 [3 favorites]
Which I discovered by writing a perl script to solve the game for me. this is how i relax don't judge me
posted by ook at 8:48 AM on June 24, 2010 [3 favorites]
More to the point, though, I need to stop playing games in which writing the perl script to solve the game is more entertaining than playing the game itself.
posted by ook at 8:57 AM on June 24, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by ook at 8:57 AM on June 24, 2010 [4 favorites]
Yeah, I... umm... well, instead of working on my thesis this morning, I... I got all of the elements. The first 70 or so by luck, and the rest by cheating.
I... I need to go shower and feel productive now, because otherwise, I'll realize how much time I blew on that.
posted by SNWidget at 9:04 AM on June 24, 2010
I... I need to go shower and feel productive now, because otherwise, I'll realize how much time I blew on that.
posted by SNWidget at 9:04 AM on June 24, 2010
The spreadsheet misses some of the possible combinations. Lizard + Air = Bird as well.
posted by mrgrimm at 9:51 AM on June 24, 2010
posted by mrgrimm at 9:51 AM on June 24, 2010
Symbioid, Tech tree was exactly the sort of thing I was seeing through this.
With my maths head on I was looking for "Geometry + Algebra = Calculus" and the like.
posted by 92_elements at 9:55 AM on June 24, 2010
With my maths head on I was looking for "Geometry + Algebra = Calculus" and the like.
posted by 92_elements at 9:55 AM on June 24, 2010
Other missed combinations (imo):
Human + Fish = Mermaid
Fire + Vampire = Ash
Electricity + Corpse = The Monster
Dinosaur + Water = Sea Monster
Human + Book = Scientist
Wizard + Book = Tome/Spellbook
Firearm + Airplane = Fighter Jet (I can make 4 kinds of ships but only one airplane??)
Firearm + Car = Tank
Car/Cart/Chariot + Brick/Concrete/etc. = Streets/Roads
Coal + Earth = Diamond
I found the order of the combinations amusing. My humans were flying airplanes, fighting dragons, and farming... naked. For quite a long time.
Also, creating things that are never usable is a bit frustrating. Hey, I created a Phoenix... which doesn't combine with anything.
For the record, I never cheated. Created all 115 elements, only occasionally using the in-game hint system. Final score: 6420.
posted by digitaldraco at 10:08 AM on June 24, 2010
Human + Fish = Mermaid
Fire + Vampire = Ash
Electricity + Corpse = The Monster
Dinosaur + Water = Sea Monster
Human + Book = Scientist
Wizard + Book = Tome/Spellbook
Firearm + Airplane = Fighter Jet (I can make 4 kinds of ships but only one airplane??)
Firearm + Car = Tank
Car/Cart/Chariot + Brick/Concrete/etc. = Streets/Roads
Coal + Earth = Diamond
I found the order of the combinations amusing. My humans were flying airplanes, fighting dragons, and farming... naked. For quite a long time.
Also, creating things that are never usable is a bit frustrating. Hey, I created a Phoenix... which doesn't combine with anything.
For the record, I never cheated. Created all 115 elements, only occasionally using the in-game hint system. Final score: 6420.
posted by digitaldraco at 10:08 AM on June 24, 2010
In-game hint system? Now you tell me.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 10:30 AM on June 24, 2010
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 10:30 AM on June 24, 2010
Alcohol+worm != Tequila? Really?
Yeah, that should be mezcal.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:48 PM on June 24, 2010
Yeah, that should be mezcal.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:48 PM on June 24, 2010
That just stole about 3 hours out of my day. Strangely unsatisfying after a while.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:30 PM on June 24, 2010
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:30 PM on June 24, 2010
Totally took up my work afternoon. Good thing I had nothing to do.
posted by CPAGirl at 2:01 PM on June 24, 2010
posted by CPAGirl at 2:01 PM on June 24, 2010
Unsatisfying is right. The art was pretty and the interface was nice (though too click-intensive). I love the idea of combining stuff to get new stuff, and combining that with other stuff to get newer stuff. Like others here pointed out, there should've been a lot more jokey/unrealistic combos and hidden items just for fun. Ultimately the stuff you make ought to do something besides just get checked off on a scavenger hunt list. I'd rather play a puzzle game where you have to combine things in certain ways to solve problems.
In a way, maybe that's the appeal of games like Scribblenauts too. Extreme open-endedness is hard to program, and usually you end up with dead ends like the ones in Doodle God, where users think of dozens of things that simply never crossed the developer's mind. Which is, yeah, unsatisfying.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 2:16 PM on June 24, 2010
In a way, maybe that's the appeal of games like Scribblenauts too. Extreme open-endedness is hard to program, and usually you end up with dead ends like the ones in Doodle God, where users think of dozens of things that simply never crossed the developer's mind. Which is, yeah, unsatisfying.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 2:16 PM on June 24, 2010
I too got a little bored with this, but I can't help thinking that there is a really great game in there (the artwork is very cool).
Hmmm, how about this. You have certain quantities of the basic elements. You are told what new molecules (cute, right?) are legal and how much it costs to make them. Obviously there needs to be some way to replenish elements (perhaps things like lava can provide a perpetual source of fire or something) or perhaps it's just a game to see how much you can create with your limited starting "stuff".
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 3:11 PM on June 24, 2010
Hmmm, how about this. You have certain quantities of the basic elements. You are told what new molecules (cute, right?) are legal and how much it costs to make them. Obviously there needs to be some way to replenish elements (perhaps things like lava can provide a perpetual source of fire or something) or perhaps it's just a game to see how much you can create with your limited starting "stuff".
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 3:11 PM on June 24, 2010
Am I the only one who kept getting "hints" to combine elements I'd already combined?
posted by isnotchicago at 3:50 PM on June 24, 2010
posted by isnotchicago at 3:50 PM on June 24, 2010
Lizard + vodka = 2 lizards and an egg.
In my limited time on the lizard bar scene I have to say this is very realistic. Many female lizards will happily produce an egg if you get them drunk enough. Of course they don't expect you to father children. The egg is more of a souvenir. You are supposed to keep it in a special place in your home, like a mantle-place or shelf. This shows that you care for the cold-blooded female and you might one day fertilize one.
OTOH, if you are playing the field, be careful that you don't leave the wrong egg on the mantle when you bring home your nightly conquest. Then there will be a fight. And you don't need that. They have very sharp claws and may occasionally clamp onto a limb and do a death roll.
Sure they'll apologize later, but who needs the blood loss and the hospital bills. Not to mention the stares.
Lately I've been spending more time with moss and amoebas. They don't judge. And isn't that the whole point?
posted by Splunge at 7:25 PM on June 24, 2010
In my limited time on the lizard bar scene I have to say this is very realistic. Many female lizards will happily produce an egg if you get them drunk enough. Of course they don't expect you to father children. The egg is more of a souvenir. You are supposed to keep it in a special place in your home, like a mantle-place or shelf. This shows that you care for the cold-blooded female and you might one day fertilize one.
OTOH, if you are playing the field, be careful that you don't leave the wrong egg on the mantle when you bring home your nightly conquest. Then there will be a fight. And you don't need that. They have very sharp claws and may occasionally clamp onto a limb and do a death roll.
Sure they'll apologize later, but who needs the blood loss and the hospital bills. Not to mention the stares.
Lately I've been spending more time with moss and amoebas. They don't judge. And isn't that the whole point?
posted by Splunge at 7:25 PM on June 24, 2010
I think I've spent too much time contemplating the Golden Dawn system of Tattwas not to start picking at nits.
Earth of fire is NOT the same as fire of earth!
posted by malocchio at 8:05 PM on June 24, 2010
Earth of fire is NOT the same as fire of earth!
posted by malocchio at 8:05 PM on June 24, 2010
For all the work and time you put into the game, the end results are very unsatisfying.
posted by BettyBurnheart at 4:42 PM on June 25, 2010
posted by BettyBurnheart at 4:42 PM on June 25, 2010
So - any coders here? Anyone up for "MeFi Games"? Maybe like Projects? People can propose a few games and after a set round and discussion threads the design is set forth and coders and artistic people can work with the designer(s)? It sounds like there's a few people who've made games here...
I think it'd be interesting.
posted by symbioid at 6:24 PM on June 25, 2010
I think it'd be interesting.
posted by symbioid at 6:24 PM on June 25, 2010
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posted by anitanita at 10:57 PM on June 23, 2010