Cleaning up the Road

A simple, kid-friendly 2-player PICO-8 game.

cleaninguptheroad

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cleaninguptheroad

by thtroyer

Cart #cleaninguptheroad-1 | 2022-12-27 | Code ▽ | Embed ▽ | License: CC4-BY-NC-SA

4

Goal of the game is to pick up and drop/throw trash into the trash bin on the left side of the screen.

Controls:

PICO-8 controller:

D-pad to move

X to pick up

O to throw

Start for menu

Keyboard

Player 1: Arrow keys = D-pad, X = Pickup/drop, Z = throw

Player 2: ESDF = D-pad, Q = Pickup/drop, W = throw

P/Enter key - console menu

About

Inspired by other PICO-8 games made by parents with their children, I asked my young daughter if she wanted to make a game with me. "Yes!"
"What should it be about?" "We would be cleaning garbage off the road."
"And what should we call it?" "Cleaning up the road!"

This game is the eventual result after trying a bunch of ideas, testing, and tweaking. It is not a hard game, appropriate for young kids to learn how controllers work. With so many games being too difficult for preschool age, I erred on the side of simpler and easier.

This is my first PICO-8 project and my first released video game. Enjoy!

Make sure your kids understand the dangers of roads.
 

Github repository for this project here.

Menu options

• Music can be toggled on/off
• Controls can be swapped for player 1 and 2.

Oof ! I can't throw the trash in the can, @thtroyer ! :(

@dw817 The hitbox is at the opening of the can. You'll have to move up a little bit if you want to throw it in.

I might make the hitbox work different for thrown trash in the next revision.

Thanks for the feedback!

Hmm ... How about this, @thtroyer ? Check to see if the trash, in the air or not, touches the bin opening, the black rectangle ? Giving it a bigger hitbox if it is aerial. I thought I always had to throw the trash in.

The first time I did it I saw it had an arc to it so I figured you had to stand some distance away to toss it in.

Also I got murdered by the cars. Code space allowing you could have the car which drags your corpse away be followed by a warbling ambulance going the same direction and lane.

Here is good sound for ambulance:

fodofiyata

by dw817

Cart #fodofiyata-0 | 2022-12-27 | Code ▽ | Embed ▽ | No License

@dw817 Yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking after seeing how you were throwing the trash at the can.

The way it's currently implemented is that it only checks trash on the ground against the hitbox at the top of the can. It functionally works if you aim at the right spot, but it doesn't make as much sense intuitively.

The throwing mechanic is the last thing I added. I like it, but there's not a whole lot to do with it on this game, so it didn't get a ton of polish here. But I am reusing it and refining it for another game, something a little more action-oriented.

(Also, lol at the ambulance idea. That ambulance sound is impressive...)

Hi @thtroyer. Glad you like the sound. I'd like it higher pitched but Pico-8 has a weird way of not getting a warble to work correctly if you go an octave above the middle.

As for the accuracy of the sound, I can attribute that to the sort of neighborhood I live in where you can hear a firetruck, ambulance, or police car at least once every hour.

I did manage to get some other car sounds found HERE:

https://www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?pid=70263

You are welcome to them if you like.