Marker World

A video of Marker World, a concept demo that I created which was inspired by many games - the most notable being Crayon Physics. The demo could really use some music. Actually it can use a lot of things but music would be the easiest to put in :).

Marker World is a physics based game where all you need to play is the creativity of your mind and the stroke of your mouse! It is a puzzle game where the goal is to control your ball, draw your way through obstacles, and collect stars. There is much lacking from the demo but I welcome any feedback.

[edit: 12/02/07 - demo version updated to version 1.0d, fixes the “NonPow2Conditional” message]

[edit: 12/21/07 - there seems to be some rendering bugs with running Marker World 1.0d on an ATI x1300/x1400. I don’t have a fix yet but I’ll be sure to post an update when the issue has been addressed. If you don’t have problems running Marker World on an x1300/x1400 (mobility or not), please let me know which driver version you are using.]

You can download the 2.25 MB demo here: MarkerWorld_concept_demo_v1_0d.zip
[edit: 12/28/07 - please download the latest version here]

Marker World uses Erin Catto’s Box2D Physics Engine.

53 Responses to “Marker World”

  1. Grant Says:

    hi, i found you game on a forum. looks like an awesome game, but a lot of us are having trouble. i have an 8800 gtx, and am on vista, and i think it has something to do with the directx 10. this is the error dialog:
    —————————
    Uh-Oh
    —————————
    Video card does not support NonPow2Conditional
    —————————
    OK
    —————————

  2. Grant Says:

    ok, now it works! i just played it through.

  3. allen Says:

    Yes, the newest version (1.0d) fixes the NonPow2Conditional message. I hope you like it!

  4. LogR Says:

    Hey, that’s a pretty well game you got here! It was both easier and thougher than Crayon Physics, for the ability to create the form you want allow you to create more difficult levels. I hope there will be (a lot of) new levels!

  5. Andrew Says:

    You stole the entire design of Crayon Physics, why not steal the music too?

  6. allen Says:

    @Andrew
    You stole the entire design of Crayon Physics, why not steal the music too?

    I was definitely inspired by that game but steal? I don’t try and hide which games inspired Marker World (Kirby Canvas Curse is another). Games are often built on other game ideas and really, that just benefits the end user. Would there be Dr. Mario or Puzzle Fighter if there wasn’t Tetris? How about Saint’s Row if there was no GTA?

  7. Gnome Says:

    you need to add a map editor for everyone for free. you would gain many more “fans” that way.

  8. Gernot Frisch Says:

    Very hard to make a serious game.

    Here’s why.
    [url=http://www.pic4.us][img]http://www.pic4.us/pic/aYA1601.png[/img][/url]
    You can always “cling” to a static object to get a rigid connection. Maybe you should limit the drawing line lengths?

    2nd:
    [url=http://www.pic4.us][img]http://www.pic4.us/pic/WfE1667.png[/img][/url]
    If you draw a lot of line-stipples over each other, the long lie slowly lifts up. Maybe you should not allow crossing of lines, or: if lines cross, they connect to one object?

    Apart from that, very nice idea.

    It would be cool, if the ball would play automatically, not by ASD keys. So, you can give the ball a left/right/pause pattern (maybe shown in a box above, like the TETRIS next-stone preview?)

  9. Gernot Frisch Says:

    Very hard to make a serious game….

    Here’s why.
    [url=http://www.pic4.us][img]http://www.pic4.us/pic/aYA1601.png[/img][/url]
    You can always “cling” to a static object to get a rigid connection. Maybe you should limit the drawing line lengths?

    2nd:
    [url=http://www.pic4.us][img]http://www.pic4.us/pic/WfE1667.png[/img][/url]
    If you draw a lot of line-stipples over each other, the long lie slowly lifts up. Maybe you should not allow crossing of lines, or: if lines cross, they connect to one object?

    Apart from that, very nice idea.

    It would be cool, if the ball would play automatically, not by ASD keys. So, you can give the ball a left/right/pause pattern (maybe shown in a box above, like the TETRIS next-stone preview?)

  10. Chance Says:

    You should make a shortcut key to reset like in Crayon.
    Maybe one for the ball and one for the whole level?
    I dont know. ¯\(°_°)/¯

  11. Grant Says:

    does the game really use box2d? i mean, there are no boxes in the game and i don’t think box2d supports these kinds of shapes.

  12. allen Says:

    @Gernot Frisch - Yes, the draw anything capability and behavior of the physics does most puzzles rather easy, I’ll admit.

    @Chance - That is a good idea and would be something I would put in if Marker World ever becomes more than a concept demo

    @Grant - Yes it uses box2d in a sort of creative way :)

  13. Can't play Says:

    hi i’ve got a problem: when i try open MarkerWorld.exe there comes a window wich says:

    Creating Direct3D device failed! Exiting…

    what’s wrong???

  14. allen Says:

    hi i’ve got a problem: when i try open MarkerWorld.exe there comes a window wich says:

    Creating Direct3D device failed! Exiting…

    If you have a compatible 3d video card make sure your desktop is set to 32-bit color depth.

  15. Ken Says:

    Well done! A nice extension of Crayon Physics!

  16. Chance Says:

    Try making an “exoskeleton” (a shape around your ball from witch you have compleat controll).

    example - http://img89.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pokeballua0.png

    Try making a stick figuer exoskeleton with the ball inside the head. I could make my guy cartwheel, flip, balence on one leg, break dance, climb things, hop around, and much more! If anyone has thought of other ideas for an exoskeleton, please share them.

    Exoskeleton are also mentioned here -
    http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=474421&whichpage=1&#3113488

  17. David Says:

    I can’t play the game, when I try playing it makes random lines in the shape that I am making (I.e. If I make a Circle it looks really weird, and I can’t even see the outline of the shape.) Any help is appreciated.

    Using DX 9.0C
    .NetFramework 1.1, 1.1 fix, 2.0
    32 Bit Color Depth

    Any help is appreciated

  18. David Says:

    Just a note, I can see everything except Hand drawn lines, and the game thinks they are there, I just can’t see them.

  19. allen Says:

    I can’t play the game, when I try playing it makes random lines in the shape that I am making (I.e. If I make a Circle it looks really weird, and I can’t even see the outline of the shape.) Any help is appreciated.

    Some people have reported this before and have said updating their video card drivers fixed the problem (the video cards in reference were ATI X1300s and X1400s). If that still doesn’t work please let me know.

  20. Joey Says:

    I have an ATI X1400, I updated the drivers, and the game doesnt work. It loads and everything but instead of seeing the shape i drew i see dotted squares. It works fine and if I draw a slant it will go up but i cant see what i drew.

  21. Ricko97 Says:

    allen said: “I was definitely inspired by that game but steal? I don’t try and hide which games inspired Marker World (Kirby Canvas Curse is another).”

    …I think “inspired” is too light a term. You have a cool game here, but I have played Crayon Physics a dozen times and so far I see no difference between the concepts of your game and Crayon Physics whatsoever… you even ninja’d the way instructions are presented to the player. Oh, and the stars. And the paper. And the crayon colours.

    The only real differences I see are that your version has a different name, lacks music and features different level design. Though it seems there are less limitations on the way shapes can be drawn in your version, which is pretty nice, but even so, you’ve barely deviated from the original concept of the game and I’m convinced you’d face a lawsuit with the original makers of Crayon Physics if both games were to ever hit the shelves.

    Kind of like the way “Plasma Pong” was taken offline when Atari complained, only the difference between the two games in this instance is much less.

  22. Ricko97 Says:

    Oh, something else I forgot to mention - the introduction of movement control over the ball is also a nice touch, but that’s only the second significant difference I’ve seen and I stand by most of what I said previously.

  23. bill Says:

    Here are a couple suggestions.

    1. The awesome thing about Crayon Physics is that it looks real….or very close to the real thing. The wrinkled paper and realistic lines are fantastic. Your version is a few steps backward in terms of art.

    2. The ability to move the ball is kinda lame. I think the beauty of Crayon Physics is the fact that it feels like one is influencing the objects, but not moving them. Your game takes a concept that is novel and makes it less novel….i mean we have been moving characters for decade. c’mon. Try pushing it further away from games of the past rather than closer…..cause if you go closer we may as well play those other games.

  24. allen Says:

    @Ricko97

    I didn’t think I’d have to use this space to make any sort of defense or anything [on Marker World’s relation to Crayon Physics].

    [edited]

  25. bill Says:

    I don’t mean to be negative. I think it is awesome that you are doing something like this. Keep it up for sure!

  26. allen Says:

    @bill
    I didn’t mean to appear offended or anything :) I welcome any comments, positive or negative. Thanks for the feedback.

  27. allen Says:

    I have an ATI X1400, I updated the drivers, and the game doesnt work. It loads and everything but instead of seeing the shape i drew i see dotted squares. It works fine and if I draw a slant it will go up but i cant see what i drew.

    Hmm, looks like there are problems with ATI x1300’s and x1400’s. I hope I can get this sorted out but I don’t have access to these cards for better testing. I’ll be sure to post an update if I find the problem.

  28. Person Says:

    Called dibs on Pencil Land.

    Anyways, cool concept. I think a couple things could be better. First, a higher resolution would be nice. Also, what if the object you controlled was a complex object, such as a car, or bike? I also think the camera movements are a bit wonky. Though, overall, it is about the same as Crayon Physics.

  29. anonymous Says:

    You should really add some music.

  30. Person Says:

    Newest version (101) crashes on my Vista Home Premium when I click on the window. Compatibility settings don’t help either, and the log.txt file is empty.

  31. Chance Says:

    @Ricko97 (And anyone accusing Marker World as stealing from Crayon Physics)

    I know of more than 20 physics games that use the same concept (drawing combined with physics) as Crayon Physics and Marker World. There are game for the Iphone, at least two for the DS, plus many more that are for computers. They have been around for a long time and I do not think anyone knows who came first. However I do know that there are many games that came before Crayon Physics (not accusing Petri of stealing) with the exact same ideas: Getting to a star, the red ball, drawing style, even the same levels. Marker World is the only game of this type I know of that lets you control the ball. In this way I feel that accusing Marker World of stealing seems a little ironic.

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    I enjoyed reading what you wrote, you should give http://www.sudokulive.net a look for Sudoku puzzles.

  33. Chance Says:

    Ok, looks like this post is being spamed. Can that be fixed?

  34. Chmee Says:

    Stealing or not… thats not evident AND not the question..

    but the controllable movement of the ball makes it really simple..
    it gets funnier and more difficult if you use your physical thoughts
    to get the ball moving..

    Thanx for the game - its a lot of fun without ‘a’, ’s’ and ‘d’

  35. GAMER 117 Says:

    Hi i keep having a broblem with this when i open marker world it opens but then when i do anything like click or press a button it closes by itself and then windows trys to find the problem. Is it because i have vista and what can i do to make it work???

    ANY ADVICE WILL BE VERY APRETIATED 8)

  36. GONZALO Says:

    HI I FOUND THIS GAME AND I THINK ITS AMAZING

  37. DeadlyWombat Says:

    Onoes, spam _(>.<)_
    Love the game. I’ve never played Crayon Physics, but I think I prefer this one because being able to control the ball means you can build big machines with cogs and such. One thing I would really like is the ability to ‘fix’ lines to the background, so that they don’t fall down and things can hang off them. (^w^).

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  43. Morrock Says:

    Just found this game googling for info about Box2D and it’s highly addictive, I love it.

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    LOL
    that doesn’t even make any sense!

  45. Devin Says:

    i cannot get onto markerworld.

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