Lucas Pope
Devlog post on making "LCD, Please"
https://dukope.com/devlogs/papers-please/lcdplease/
Making "LCD, Please"

The de-make no one asked for. Play on itch.io I love a good set of limitations and on my way to making games with miasma and wind I’ve stopped off at the Game & Watch tier. LCD. Why. I played a lot of LCD games when I was a kid. They were mostly terrible. Before the Gameboy existed, mostly terrible in your pocket was great and we loved it.

Aug 17, 2023 at 4:43pmWeb
Show threadJoel AutersonAug 17, 2023
@dukope unrelated to the actual post but if you scroll up and down over these images it creates an optical illusion that they're moving separately to their background
Show thread7 [KINGOFSHIBUYA Ltd.]Aug 17, 2023
@dukope thanks for sharing! always cool to look at someone else's process
Show thread7 [KINGOFSHIBUYA Ltd.]Aug 17, 2023
@dukope also I found this version of papers please to be pretty addicting as well
Show threadIgnacio Castaño🍉Aug 17, 2023
@dukope This is amazing!
Show threadintellikatSep 12, 2023

@dukope Fantastic article and fantastic work in a whole body of great work over the years, Lucas. I really love your creative output.

Interestingly enough, I was revisiting Yokoi's series these past few months are am about to release a simple homage entitled Area 51. https://intellikat.itch.io/area-51

AREA 51 by intellikat

An homage to the Game & Watch LCD handheld series of the 1980s.

itch.io
Show threadintellikatSep 12, 2023
@dukope I think what Yokoi created, and what you both created and expounded on in your de-make and article is really valuable in terms of design thinking. Yokoi's "Lateral Thinking with Seasoned Technology" (枯れた技術の水平思考) is something that any young designer should consider these days, with technology advancing faster than the creativity to harness it.
Show threadintellikatSep 12, 2023
@dukope I'm actually hosting an LCD-handheld-style Game Jam in a month, and if interested would love to get your input or support in being connected with it! https://itch.io/jam/watch-this-game
Watch This Game!

A game jam from 2023-10-12 to 2023-11-26 hosted by intellikat. Photo: Nintendo HOW YOU BECOME PART OF HISTORY... Created by legendary designer Gunpei Yokoi , Nintendo's Game & Watch series of handheld electronic g...

itch.io
Show threadLucas PopeSep 13, 2023
@intellikat Nice! The Mr. G&W character design is so good. Only useful input is to maybe relax constraint #3. This would dq a few classic G&W and also LCD Please.
Show threadintellikatSep 13, 2023
@dukope Ah yeah, good call. Switched constraint #3 to be optional if a separate or coloured background is desired. I was thinking to keep this version of the jam "simpler" in a sense to see if it's inspirational for others if creating one for the first time. An evolution would be to think about how to create a game like LCD Please within similar constraints. Would you have any interest in being involved at any level... posting, judging, sharing, etc.?
Show threadJim the U+1F9A6 (Otter)Oct 16, 2023

@dukope This is super awesome. I've always been curious about what went into making these multi-segment displays, so I want to thank you for giving us your story.

Just the final face display itself is so insanely intricate that it's a masterwork in its own right.

I have to wonder if there's ever been a physical LCD game that has had this many elements on one screen. Would making this game as a product in that era have been commercially viable considering the processor power or memory? What do you think?

Show threadLucas PopeOct 19, 2023
@JimTheOtter Thanks! Dot-matrix LCD screens have a lot more segments but I don't know if the grid layout makes that more manageable.
Show threadlinkftingNov 11, 2023
@dukope could you please elaborate the DSL part or give some links regarding this topic? from my understanding it looks like renpy language, it's imperative ,like sequential commands, that instructs the execution flow. I also know ink language, but I have no idea how to make one myself in my game (like, idk what tools are out there).