Leadwerks Game Engine News

A beta build of version 4.5 is now available on the beta branch on Steam.  This updates the engine to the latest Newton 3.14.  Versions 4.5 and 5 beta are now compiling side-by-side with the same source code.  Because of major engine changes in version 5, some bugs may need to be resolved before the final release.  Some preliminary information on updating C++ projects can be found in this thread.

Version 4.5 is planned to include official support for VR (both Vive and Oculus) and a new improved vehicle system.

Our most recent game tournament was a smashing success.  We had fewer entries this time, but they more than made up for it with the great quality of this round of games.  Without further ado I am happy to present the entries...


Wow!  This game by burgelkat features a variety of missions from blowing up drug manufacturing facilities to sabatoging a plane.  Although the same mechanic is usually used, the action never gets old and you will keep playing just to find out what will happen next.  You may recognize the voice acting from our own Jorn Theunissen (Aggror) on the forum.  You don't want to miss this one!
https://www.leadwerks.com/community/topic/16788-behind-enemy-lines/




Nirvana is popular right now, and the SNES classic edition was just released.  In case that's not enough 1990's nostalgia for you, here is the excellent Nightmare Prism by AngelWolf.  Clever level design with lots of traps and well-placed enemies will keep you on your toes as you frag your way through three levels of hellish onslaughts.
https://www.leadwerks.com/community/topic/16784-nightmare-prism/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9sD5tCgYlc

Third on our list of games is an explicitly Halloween-themed title with tombstones and pumpkins aplenty.  The Cemetery by Rozsoft is a short but suspenseful experience putting you into an old graveyard at night in search of your disappeared friends.  Best played late at night with the lights out!
https://www.leadwerks.com/community/topic/16812-the-cemetery/



This title by member "FortifyThisMFker!" brings us back to the 90's shooter theme with a center-mounted gun and an arena of enemies.  After dispatching your foes you can select an upgrade for your weapon, health, or suit, which makes for some interesting choices.  But I've got to be honest, seeing the giblets fly is what really makes this game fun.  Try it out!
https://www.leadwerks.com/community/topic/16792-dread-loop/



In Exit Zed by mdgunn you will explore a scientific facility in search of zombies to high-five...except that the way you like to give high-fives is with your handy dandy fully automatic Bunsen burner tool (patent pending).  The game is obviously unfinished and you might stumble across some doorways leading to nothingness, but the sound effect of your trusty scientific tool alone makes this worth playing.
https://www.leadwerks.com/community/topic/16821-exit-zed/



Available in Leadwerks Game Launcher, Dissension is another nail-biting SciFi shooter from Garlic Waffle.  Despite the cartoonish graphics, his games really frightening.  This one is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1170731468



Garlic Waffle has gone into overtime and brought your TWO free games to play this tournament!  In Sewer Survival you play to make it out of an underground prison.  Expect clever puzzles, loads of enemies, and not a lot of hit points.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1187466135

Fall is in the air. The leaves are changing colors, people are bundling up, and game developers are itching to try their hand at another community game tournament. How does it work? For 30 days, the Leadwerks community builds small playable games. Some people work alone and some team up with others. At the end of the month, on Halloween day, we release our projects to the public and play each other's games. The point is to release something short and sweet with a constrained timeline, which has resulted in many odd and wonderful mini games for the community to play.

WHEN: The tournament begins Sunday, October 1, and ends Tuesday, October 31st at the stroke of midnight.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE: Publish your Halloween-or-other-themed game to Steam Workshop or upload it to itch.io before the deadline. You can work as a team or individually. Use blogs to share your work and get feedback as you build your game. If you need models for your game, we've got a Halloween Model Pack for you to use for free from Leadwerks Workshop.

Games must have a preview image, title, and contain some minimal amount of gameplay (there has to be some way to win the game) to be considered entries. It is expected that most entries will be simple, given the time constraints.

On November 1st we will post a roundup blog featuring your entries.

Black as your Soul by RagingMages is a short horror puzzle game about a scientific corporation trying to do everything to save mankind from total extinction.

Sometimes it is better to not play god, sadly it is too late.

In this game you have to explore, fight, and solve puzzles to uncover the truth.

Made in Leadwerks Engine, the world is set in a near future where water has become scarce and a very precious asset.

Play time is around 25 to 40 minutes, depending on your play-style.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Yme56DQr8

Leadwerks Game Engine 4.4 is now available on Steam.  This version adds a new GUI system, support for inverse kinematics, and enhanced visuals.  The free update goes out today to over 20,000 paid users on Steam.

Leadwerks Game Engine 4.4 sees the introduction of Leadwerks GUI, a system for creating resolution-independent in-game menus.  Custom GUI elements can be created with Lua script, or an item can be selected from a number of pre-built GUI scripts including buttons, tabbed panels, slider controls, and more.  Leadwerks GUI is designed for the future, with support for 4K and 8K displays, as well as VR menus of any resolution.



Inverse kinematics are now supported, with two new joints that provide fine control over the orientation of physics bodies.  These can be used to control the end effector in an IK setup, or for precise control of moving objects.  The Leadwerks physics system has been updated to the latest Newton Dynamics 3.14.



Post-processing effects have been updated to enhance visual quality.  Bloom, HDR iris adjustment, SSAO, and fog have all been updated for improved graphics.  A new shader has been added to the vegetation system that scattering millions of rocks across a landscape to make terrain more detailed and realistic.



The Leadwerks learning materials have been converted into an all-new documentation system.  This allows easier searching and browsing of tutorials, API documentation, and examples.  A new series of tutorials has been added to teach the basics of C++ programming, in addition to the existing lessons on Lua scripting.

Leadwerks Game Engine can be purchased at a discount during the Steam summer sale.  All Leadwerks games have Steamworks support integrated out-of-the-box and are ready to publish through Steam Direct.