Gappy's Adventure : Coinkeeper's Cantrip News

[p]coverart by 'Gappy Pixel Collage 2026 Participants!' [/p][p][/p][h2]HAPPY NEW YEAR![/h2][p]Hello everyone! It's been a while. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday merriment and fun and that the new year is treating you well! It's hard to believe 2026 is already here, that also means that 2016 was 10 years ago at this point. [/p][p][/p][p]2016 was a very key year in my life because it was the year I released my first game, the first few weeks into my freshmen year of high school. A long time before then I had ideas for games that I would sketch out and plan but never had the means to actually make them. And once I got my own laptop for my birthday the year prior I started messing around with Rpgmaker and then eventually construct 2 which is what I still use today! In fact, many of you may be shocked to hear that THIS GAME is being made with what is essentially a beginner's game development software but it's true! However, I believe this may end up being my LAST game made in the program as I'd like to try and pivot towards Godot. [/p][p][/p][p]This month's installment will be relatively short, but still exciting non-the-less! As My life has gotten a bit more settled, I've been able to get a lot more work done and I'm still very happy on the progress being made. I decided that I would focus a bit more on some back-end stuff so I don't have much to show sadly. [/p][p][/p][p]However, my main focus at the moment is tweaking up some older levels, planning out new levels, adding functionality (and flair) to the start menus and progress saving, and accessibility options! So all stuff that's either not fully finished or isn't too much fun to look at! My Bad![/p][p][/p][h2]Public Playtest Request Announcement! [/h2][p]So just to get right into it, You can now request access to an early, playtest version of Gappy's adventure! It's on the main storefront right now, all you do is click the button and you'll be put on the wait list! [/p][p][/p][p]It's been on the page since I believe late December but I was waiting for the Bi-monthly post to really post anything major about it, it's still gonna be a while till we let people check it out anyways as there is still quite a bit to do but the option IS THERE! [/p][p][/p][p]And maybe 'a while' isn't accurate, just not right away. I still have to decided what I want everyone to see, but in my minds eye I believe world 1 & 2 will be fully playable! Those worlds are finished but I would like to touch up any loose-ends and get some other behind-the-scenes stuff working before we let you guys rip into it, hence why a lot of the work I'm doing now is back-end nonsense! [/p][p][/p][p]We will also have a forum accessible in game so that players who do check out the playtest can send us what they think of the game thus far, what needs improved and all sorts of other complaints and complements you could think of! If I were you, I'd mark your Calendar for March 31st ;-) [/p][p][/p][h2]Gappy Friday(s)! [/h2][p]The Gappy Discord server has been pretty dead. This isn't a huge problem since there really isn't much to talk about since the game isn't out yet but it feels kinda weird to have a lot of people join from (I assume) seeing my posts that do fairly well and being met with a seemingly in-active server. [/p][p][/p][p]To somewhat curb the problem, I've decided to host an event called 'Gappy Friday!' which happens one Friday per month! For an hour or so I'll show off stuff I'm working on in game, answer any questions and try and just hang out. The next one is actually happening FEBRUARY 6TH and they only happen in the Gappy Discord! So come swing by, hang out and check it out! [/p][p][/p][p]Although things are bound to change if they interfere with my personal life, the goal is to try and host one the first Friday of every month, so keep that in mind too! In the server they will have the dates of when they are happening and I'll make sure to keep them updated as soon as I can! [/p][p][/p][p]I'll also be trying to plan other events in the server that people can participate in! I'm not super active on discord as is so if you have any ideas of what you'd like to see in the server, by all means let me know! Speaking of which... [/p][p][/p][h2]Gappy Pixel Collage 2026! [/h2][p]This was planned very last minute, and I appreciate everyone who participated in it! I gave people a little over a week to make a 64x64 pixel sprite of Gappy, so that a big collage would make this bi-monthly cover art. [/p][p][/p][p]For how short and quick the collage was announced we got a good amount of submissions! And they all look lovely, I loved how it turned out! I thought it would fit nice with the theme of this update too being all about community participation and growth. And i'd like to do this again next year, give people some more time and kinda up the scale of what it can be. So next year for sure, we'll do something a lot better and cooler but you gotta start somewhere! [/p][p][/p][p]Big shout out to everyone who participated! I hope you will participate again next year! :-) [/p][p][/p][h2]Closing Remarks[/h2][p]A pretty short update all things considered, but progress on the game is slow and steady and I shrimply don't have much to show at the moment[/p][p][/p][p]2026 is going to be a really exciting year for Gappy! I'm so happy that so many people are as excited for this game as I am. Although we hadn't even promoted the public playtest, almost 200 people have already signed up for it! Wishlists for the game keep growing everyday too, it's all just so wonderful to see! [/p][p][/p][p]So thank you for your continued patience on the game, it'll all be worth it I promise! I'll see you guys in march! Ciao! [/p][p][/p][p]-Levi Ramirez[/p][p][/p]

[p]coverart by 'BrolyNG'! [/p][p][/p][h2]HELLO! [/h2][p]Hello everyone! Happy last day of November! Most of you won’t know this but November is my favorite month! I love thanksgiving food and it’s also my birthday month. I turned 24 on the 16th of this month, and I was 22 when I started this! Likely, I’ll be 25 when this game release! How the years fly by! [/p][p][/p][p]Anyways, i'm gonna try and keep it brief today. I’ll be talking about stage gimmicks, features, and My game design philosophy! Let's get roight into it! [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Good art, Bad art, Rules, and Balancing [/h2][p]Something that a lot of indie platformers struggle with is variety. Now I'm not saying that indie platformers don’t have cool stage gimmicks and neat ideas, they do! But I feel that they can sometimes play it too safe when it comes to what they implement. [/p][p][/p][p]I believe this comes from a place of hyper-focusing on game design principles and rules, a problem that doesn't sound like a problem, but is plaguing almost ALL games now adays. For big AAA games, this comes from the fact that there is a committee calling the shots on what goes into a game, and no one persons' ideas or thoughts are implemented into these games. Rather, each idea is ran through about 50+ people, most of which are people who do not and will not play the games they are making or have no desire or care for games as a form of media, let alone a piece of art. For indie developers, these restrictions are heavily reduced, but are instead replaced with what YouTube game design essayists and armchair game critics describe as “core game design principles” [/p][p][/p][p]I don’t want this to come off as rude and mean-spirited because I truly believe the people making these claims are coming from a place of genuine love for games! But if you boil down entire genres into a few basic key components, you are giving game designers the recipe for making bland experiences. All forms of art has there key principles, planning, and designs that can allow for a better-experience subconsciously, but a flat, concrete foundation does not constitute as a house. [/p][p][/p][p]This all comes with experience, all of what I am critiquing is what I believed only a few years ago when I first started out. “Good games come from following good game rules” I thought, and at the core it’s true, my early works are technically fair and have a decent hook disguised as fun, but most lack any sense of flair, true real tangible flair! With time, you will realize that when it comes to games and any form of art, flair and meaning take more importance than following any sort of rules, since any rules to make great are all made up! I imagine for a lot of more talented designers than myself, this came quicker, for me it did not and that is why this game is being made! [/p][p][/p][h2]Freedom, Style, and Fun! [/h2][p]With all that being said, Gappy's main design philosophy is fun and style over all! My main inspiration when making this game is to try not to just mimic the style and vibe of old platformers of the 80s and 90s but try and evoke that same sense of magic, adventure and wonder those games had. Games like Super Mario World and Kirby's adventure just have such a way of capturing beauty and excitement in ways modern games struggle with today, even with improved ideas of game design and better hardware. It's a very specific vibe that can only be captured if you treat areas in a game less like levels and more like a canvas. It sounds pretentious I know, but art is supposed to be! [/p][p][/p][p]How to pull this off is another story, I feel like a lot of heavy lifting comes from my attempt to make every stage feel WILDLY different from each other, even if the levels are found in the same world. Obviously still trying to keep with the worlds overall theme. Basically just avoiding 3 levels all looking and feeling the same for the sake of it making sense in the context of the "world" you're in. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]All of these levels are found in world 1. although they do share a lot of similarities they also do wildly different things with colors, moods and overall aesthetics. Every world does this and does it increasingly more as the game goes on. It comes naturally as I want to make as many set-pieces as possible in worlds that only have 4 levels, it makes for a fun art challenge! [/p][p][/p][p]But it's also not just the visuals obviously, it's gameplay too. Something I mentioned way back in this game's early development is that I feel some game devs are too scared to both let players go completely free & also are scared to mix up the game they are playing. And I still feel that way. I think a lot of indie devs avoid these pitfalls due to being afraid of how much time they'll spend on a project or it possibly being expensive. For me, I don't really care that whole lot. Time is meant to spend and I want my game to have a certain edge or charm in not being afraid to do something silly in order to be entertaining. And my expectations for how well Gappy will do are on the floor, I work full time for this reason. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]In level 1-3, at the final leg of the stage there is this section where you fly through spike traps on a spinning flower akin to battle toads. It only lasts maybe 30 seconds max and I find it very charming![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]In level 3-1. you go start to finishing riding a minecart. This is kind of specifically a "level-defining" gimmick but this is also one of the shortest levels, in fact it almost acts more of an intro to the second level of the world than anything else. And even this is more akin to the traditional gameplay of Gappy as it is essentially an auto-scroller, but it does have a fun sense of momentum when using the slopes to there full advantage. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]This one is a little smaller, as you have to go out of your way to interact with it, but in level 2-4 you can drive a little forklift around, breaking boxes and stacking ones on top of this bigger stack! [/p][p][/p][p]It's in these little moments of mixing up what the player expects from a platformer that really allow it to feel special! And all of these are allowed to simply exist, there isn't going to be 6+ levels of pushing the forklift to it's absolute gameplay limit because it would weaken the punch of it existing in this one little area. There are a few more I haven't shown and few more of those that are still in the planning phase, but these little moments really make video games feel special! I wish stuff like this was a bit more common-place.[/p][p][/p][h2]ARTIST CORNER : BROLY[/h2][p][/p][p]Yes, I did manage to get Broly from Dragonball to actually do art for Gappy, he seemed like a nice guy and his commission prices weren't bad. If I had watched more Dragonball I'd probably have more jokes to say but I don't sorry......[/p][p][/p][p]ANYWAYS, Broly on newgrounds is a real chill mf and a good friend of mine! He has worked on a ton of different NG animations collabs and is all around a real talented fella. [/p][p][/p][p]If you want to support him, I'd recommend checking out his ko-fi shop where he sells lovely little stickers, they are quite bee-you-tiful! :) [/p][p][/p][p]Again, this one was just a short update. A little preview into my creative process and to show signs of life on here that the game is still alive! [/p][p][/p][p]In all honesty, I've been going through a rough patch in my personal life, and it has pulled me away from working on Gappy as much as I'd like to. Realistically I won't be able to get back to working on Gappy like I was until the end of the holidays, which doesn't sound too bad but my game development has slowed to a crawl essentially since the end of October. [/p][p][/p][p]But, through all this I'm still trying to keep the Gappy dream alive! For those who follow me on twitter you may have noticed that I have been posting SUBSTANTIALLY more often! This has yielded a huge wave of Wishlist which is always amazing! For those on the discord server you may be seeing the exact opposite happen, the server is almost dead quite at all times. I'm hoping at the turn of the new year to turn that around as well, do some small community events and just generally try and be more active in the server, we'll see what I can do. [/p][p][/p][p]Anyways, I'll see you all next year! Ciao!~ [/p][p][/p][p]-Levi[/p]

[p] coverart by 'SSF 2025 Attendees'! [/p][p][/p][h2]WELCOME, AGAIN![/h2][p]Hello everypony! Welcome back to another exciting installment of Gappy Bi-Monthly! If you missed last month's installment check it out here (It's kinda important for this one...)[/p][p][/p][p]Hope you all are doing wonderful! for the students reading this I hope classes are going well, and for those who celebrate I hope that the Silksong release was everything you could have hoped and dreamed of! Congrats to Team Cherry for there release! I haven't even played hollow knight yet so in the far off future when I eventually get around to checking it out I hope it makes me smile smile smile! [/p][p][/p][p]In this installment we will, strangely enough, actually talk about something related to gameplay! What a concept! A blogpost on a games storepage talking about the game on said storefront! What will they think of next! Stuff relating to the game's 'Tab' economy and all it's related mechanics! [/p][p][/p][p]But before we show off some cool game stuff we have to talk about some cool irl stuff first! So lock in because this one is gonna be longgggggggg......[/p][p][/p][h2]SHORT SHORT FEST 2025![/h2][p][/p][p]As I mentioned in the last post, Gappy had a small little demo booth set up at Short Short Fest 2025 at both the PA and MI events![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]In the SSF Demo, it would select 1-of-7 random levels from a roulette for the player to run around in, a very neat concept that people seemed to like overall! although you may not see it in the video the demo would also record people's best times and high scores for a sense of competitiveness between play sessions. The only problem was that I selected a lot of mid-game levels that may have been a tad too hard for someone just picking it up a to try out… [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]from this, I think some people may have gotten the wrong idea about the games difficulty overall, the game isn’t hard like this from the get-go, your just getting plopped into a late-game stage because I thought it looked cool. My main thought-process was I wanted to show people cool locales and kinda assumed most people wouldn’t struggle very much with what I thought was some pretty bog-standard platforming knowledge. And I learned the hard way that I was in the wrong! Very weird assumption for me to make but whateves ig! Even with people's struggles, everyone really seemed to like it! Something I was really shocked by overall was people's absolute love for the game's art, It seemed like everyone was singing the praises on the pixel art and the NES-style graphics overall! Leaning into this retro style was something I personally liked but assumed most people would scoff at, I guess most of that is just coming from terminally online people because it seems like people generally are much more accepting of this! Or maybe I was just too intimidating, people don't wanna pick a fight with this ol' slab of muscle, i'm sure of it! [/p][p][/p][p]But even though many people were nice, lots of people had there fair criticism. Someone who played the game for quite a while and gave a lot of good feedback was the iconic, glowing, krinkles, probably most famous for his Breadman series and something else I can't think of off the top of my head... uh?.. idfk[/p][p][/p][p]He specifically wasn't a fan of the old knockback system. In the SSF & NG demo knockback worked very similarly to castlevania's, when you take a hit you lose all movement control until you hit the ground. In a specific auto-scroller level the only platform you had was a very small ski-lift platform which made getting hit by a specific enemy that chases a 1-hit KO essentially, which was not fun! He suggested making it work akin to smash bros, where getting hit would STILL play a animation that locks you from moving, but only temporarily so that you can adjust and save yourself with a double-jump or dive. So of course, the next time I had a chance to sit down and work, that's what I did! And I think it makes the game feel so much more fun! [/p][p]
[/p][p][/p][p]And lots of other friendly faces got to play! And do you know what a lot of friendly faces got as a little prize for playing?..[/p][p][/p][p]CUSTOM PRINTED SHIRTS![/p][p][/p][p]I stupidly didn't get very many pictures of them but I was given out hand-printed shirts as prizes! Along with stickers, zines, and little magnetic figurines! All made with love (and stickerapp too) [/p][p][/p][p]With the shirts specifically, they were all thrifted / donated shirts to go along with the environmentalism message of Gappy, keeping shirts and clothing out of landfills and making them into cool art! Almost all of them were gotten from Ohio Upcycle in Athens, so thank you to them for supplying the shirts! They do a lot of great stuff in the Athens community and they made a lot of nerds smile at SSF! So go give em' some love! [/p][p][/p][p]This segment is already going on long enough and we haven't even gotten to the main thing so I'm gonna wrap this up with some quickfire thanks! Thank you to Nick Senny for pushing to go to this event, Thank you to Lee Thompson for hosting this and having me! And last but certainly not least thank you to Owen for giving me a place to stay, help me run the booth and also buying me a bagel for breakfast the next morning and also casting a protection prayer over me before I left Philly, I truly believe I would have gotten into a 30 car pile-up if it wasn't for that.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]One last thing! Shoutout to Popper and IndigoBluez, it was really nice to meet you fellers :o) [/p][p][/p][p]OKAY LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ACTUAL GAME NOW THANK YOU!!![/p][p][/p][h2]POP TABS! [/h2][p][/p][p]Yes, I call them Pop tabs, I'm from the glorious midwest where we call 'carbonated drinks' Pop like true red-blooded American patriots! [/p][p][/p][p]But more importantly they are the main collectible of Gappy's adventure, a stand-in for coins since... well... someone is keeping all of them. I wonder who?... [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Throughout levels you'll find the most common type of tabs, the grey ones. You'll find them in large stashes in hard to reach places, inside blocks, and as a soft guide on where to go in certain levels. As you go further and further on your adventure, they'll be less out in the open and more hidden away. So if you're not the curious type, spend em' wisely or start becoming a bit more adventurous. [/p][p][/p][p]For those who aren't afraid to snoop around or get there hands dirty you'll find them hiding in plain sight! Literally! [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Dice blocks are placed throughout levels and do all sorts of neat things! When you hit them they'll fly into the air and upon landing can reveal colorful secret tabs (Still worth the same as a standard grey tab) along with platforms and other such things! Don't let this gif fool you though, some dice can be a lot more dastardly and spawn tabs in way more treacherous spots to get too! Or the dice itself can be suspended in hard to reach locations[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Along with Dice Blocks, Bonus Bottles are found in every stage! Very hidden too, and when hopping into one of them they'll bring you to a bonus game! Not every bonus game rewards just tabs but a lot of them do! And this one specifically gets stressful! The more you play, the faster these blocks fall. But each time they land they grant 10 tabs which is quite the prize! In a later volume, I'll be showing off a bunch of these fun bonus games along with maybe some ones that are (so far) scraped! [/p][p][/p][h3]TAB TRADE-INS [/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p]Once you collect some tabs, you can trade them in for useful items on the overworld map screen at Parallelogram Man's Shop![/p][p][/p][p]Each item available at the shop in, descending order, is a different way to help players who want more involved help. [/p]

• [p]1Ups are just for those who want extra chances at the stage they are currently on. [/p]
• [p]Helper Blocks make extra platforms, trap enemies and cover up pits for those who may be struggling on trickery sections of a level.[/p]
• [p]The skipper ticket allows you to skip a level outright! If you think it's too hard and just can't seem to get it, just skip it! However . . . during the campaign you only have access to 3 skipper tickets! Once your out, your out! So don't be using them all up willy nilly! [/p]

[p][/p][p]Now something you might notice is that each item all costs the same, even though some items are more outright helpful than others. in most games, the more helpful items would be more expensive. However, I want players who are seeking help to have an equal chance to get the kind of help they are getting, and for easier ways of play to be expressed! [/p][p][/p][p]If a player is struggling with the game, the reality is that they probably don't have that many coins! 1Ups are the most basic form of help, they just allow you to keep trying! If a player were to actually need help, why make them spend more coins that'll be even harder for them to get? So, they're all equal amounts! [/p][p][/p][p]And in my mind this also doesn't cheapen the game experience, for the skilled players you either don't HAVE to spend your coins on the uber-helpful items and just keep spending them on 1UPS or nothing at all, although I'd recommend buying 1UPS as not only does the game get really hard during the end of the campaign, but if you're ballsy you can trade them in for stuff for only extreme players! But we'll save that for another day ;) [/p][p][/p][h3]WAIT, LIVES? IN THIS ECONOMY?[/h3][p][/p][p]YES, Gappy's Adventure DOES have a life system! [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]I feel like life systems have gotten extremely over-hated in the modern era. It's really a tragedy because for me I feel like lives can really up-the-stakes in a game and in turn make them really rewarding and fun! But it seems like most modern games have just kinda given up on making them an engaing mechanic you have to actually think and plan around, and are just kinda there because... we'll they've always beem there! So for most people, when they think about life systems they think of Coin-Op arcade games and the absolute stinkers of the 80s and 90s. It seems like for 99% of games, they either have no bearing on the gameplay whats-so-ever or take a decent game to the absolute pits of frustration and pain. But when a game gets it right, it honestly feels magical. The perfect balance of tension and fairness, what ANY type of game, digital or not, truly aspires to be. [/p][p][/p][p]So with how way out of scope this project is already, why not swing for the fences in more ways than one, I am confident I can reach that sweet spot, but as a player you gotta be willing to meet me there! But if your still not convinced let me calm your worries. [/p][p][/p][p]The life system is ONLY for the campaign. [/p][p][/p][p]I.e, once you beat the main story the game goes into a sort of free-play mode where you get access to a level select! In this mode you get infinite lives, easy toggling of helper blocks for those curious and even a debug mode to mess around with! We'll take about this free-play mode in a future volume in more detail but I mostly just wanted to share just how outreaching the 1UP is on the player I suppose. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]I apologize for my lack of internet activity and how long this post was, I've been pretty busy these past 2 months with some irl stuff that needed my attention more[/p][p][/p][p]Gappy is still chugging along well, In fact It was chugging along so well that I forgot to commission someone for this months cover! I had to think fast so the very cool poster art will have to work! I sadly don't know who did the main piece of artwork featured, or most of the art for that matter so if you see this, let me know and I'll credit you at the top and possibly add an artist corner for ya![/p][p][/p][p]The next time you'll be reading a Gappy Bi-monthly post I'll be 24! So until then, bye-bye[/p][p][/p][p]-Levi[/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p]
coverart by MKMaffo[/p][p][/p][h2]WELCOME BACK! [/h2][p]Hello everyone! Welcome back to the Gappy Bi-monthly update! If you haven't read the last issue go check it out here! [/p][p][/p][p]What we have today is the July issue, which is the perfect time for swim trunks, bikinis, and other revealing swimwear alike! I hope everyone has had an amazing summer thus far! I know I have! :^) [/p][p][/p][p]In today’s issue I’ll be sharing the latest on the games progress, spotlight some neat fanart and share some REALLY exciting news! So sit back, get yourself a cold beer and a grill-charred wiener and enjoy the read!  [/p][p][/p][h2]DEMO RECEPTION[/h2][p][/p][p]But before we touch base with everything, I just wanna say THANK YOU! to everyone who gave such a warm response to the DEMO(s) that released last May! Specifically to the Newgrounds community & Staff as It got featured as the Newgrounds front page banner for a week or so![/p][p][/p][p](Gappy as the NG Frontpage Banner)[/p][p][/p][p]Along with this, the community voted it as the 2nd best game of May 2025 on the site! Only beaten out by another great browser game titled 'Waha's Circuit Break'! Congrats to them! :-) [/p][p][/p][p]And last but certainly not least, the social media reception has been fantastic! Seems like the people are finding Gappy who may not have heard about it otherwise, it's been great to see everyone so excited to see this game finished, I am right there with ya! [/p][p][/p][p]So special thanks to Tom Fulp, The Newgrounds staff, and YOU! for the overwhelming support! It really means the world [/p][p](This was a gif but I couldn't get it to load :/ ) [/p][p]Artwork by Sulfur-Creatin on twitter (OG post) [/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]Artwork by Pankakijyann on twitter (OG Post)[/p][hr][/hr][p]Artwork by BaldrekrGaming on twitter (OG post)[/p][hr][/hr][p]Please give some love to the art and the artist of the pieces shown below! Everything is linked so there is NO EXCUSES! And if you have any fanart you’d like to share, feel free to share it in the discord server or right here in the steam community! Who knows, maybe you'll be featured next! [/p][p][/p][h2]PROGRESS REPORT[/h2][p]As of today, I can comfortably say that HALF of the levels found in main campaign are FINISHED!* [/p][p][/p][p]It’s been a long time coming, A huge milestone! Does this mean the game is halfway finished? NOPE! But it’s getting closer and closer every day! The goal I have set for myself is to have all the levels of the main campaign done or close to done by this year’s end, along with a good chunk of the games finalized menus and other back-end stuff ready for the games side content + polishing state which (should) be my main priority during the last year of the games development. [/p][p][/p][p]Now some of you more astute readers might be thinking to yourself “Levi? How are you only half-way done with the LEVELS of the game? This game has been in development for close to 2 years at this point!” [/p][p][/p][p]first of all, SHUT UP.[/p][p][/p][p]Second of all, I know. It’s probably not the greatest workflow but my goal for this game is to have every level both feel and look unique. For context, the main campaign is split up into 5 worlds, each with 4 levels. That may not sound like a lot, but my goal is to not make 20 levels that all feel, play and look the same. I want something with lots and lots of variety! Each level has a unique tileset, unique mechanics, widely different set pieces and sometimes even different playstyles! [/p][p][/p][p]It’s been a lot of fun, but also a lot of hard work to make these levels feel truly unique yet interconnected along with actually fun to play. I really want to capture a sense of going on a big adventure throughout a world that seems somewhat believable, cohesive too! It’s a game and art piece that begs to be taken slow and cautiously but I believe it will pay out in the end! [/p][p][/p][h2]SHORT SHORT FEST 2025![/h2][p][/p][p]And for the big announcement, Gappy is going to be having a booth at Short Short fest 2025! Appearing at both PA & MA events! [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]This is festivals first year of showing off indie game titles, as it has originally been geared towards showing off original animations! So there will be a lot of really cool people to meet there + Me + Gappy! [/p][p][/p][p]Also! There will be a SHORT SHORT FEST EXCLUSIVE demo that will only be playable at the event! Along with 2 NEW LEVELS not yet seen! There will also be prizes given away such as custom made printed tee-shirts, clay figurines, stickers, comics and so much more! [/p][p][/p][p]If you are able, please consider stopping by to checkout the Gappy’s Adventure booth, and stick around for a night of awesome cartoons and a great way to interact with some amazing creatives irl, I’ll be excited to meet all of you! Lee Thompson for his help throughout this to get this booth up and running, I’d like to also thank Nick Senny for pushing me to do this as well! (Also shoutout to Owen for giving me a place to crash after the event lol) [/p][p][/p][h2]ARTIST CORNER : MKMAFFO[/h2][p][/p][p]now I know you’d be lying if you said you haven’t been made a little hot and bothered by this issues cover art, hey I’m right there with ya bud! But who is the genius behind this work?… [/p][p][/p][p]MKmaffo is an Italian newgrounds artist! If there is anything you’d know her for it would probably be her artistic involvement on the game Ritz! a platformer where you play as a cute little rat character who I believe is in FNF? idk sorry cam… [/p][p][/p][p]anyways, Maf is very sweet and nice and she likes to draw sexy ladies and gentlemen in skimpy outfits! WONDERFUL! And so I thought it would be most fitting to have her do the SWIMSUIT ISSUE of Gappy Bi-monthly! [/p][p][/p][p]thank you Maf for doing the art of this month’s issues. Please come back to the states soon we need to hang out again and smoke big cigars together! Follow her on Newgrounds and Twitter and send her some love![/p][p][/p][h2]FINAL REMARKS[/h2][p][/p][p]And that’s a wrap on this month’s issue. [/p][p][/p][p]I know this wasn't a very long read, but with everything I've had to do to get ready for SSF this year I didn't have time to really hone in on one specific topic. Next Issue I really do wanna give a peek behind the curtain into some creative choices I've made on the game. I'm thinking either an issue about the game's bonus games or just a write-up of my level design philosophy, who knows we'll see. [/p][p][/p][p]I’m also trying to make an effort to be more active on social media. Post some more teasers, posts memes, keep the pages alive, etc. I know I can’t AFFORD to not be active on instagram and twitter and tiktok and what-have-you but there’s something in me that just can’t do it. There’s a part of me that has this artistic voice telling me that it is the process of creating that doesn’t need to prove it exists to happen. Social media promotes that we must constantly show off what we do instead of sitting in the silence of crafting something great. And there’s also a part of me that knows that my game, my baby, will drown under the waves of games who chose to be loud. And In the middle is me who simply doesn’t want to reveal there hand in fear of spoiling the fun of experiencing a game fully blind! [/p][p][/p][p]I just want you all to know that I am putting my entire heart and soul into this, for better or for worse [/p][p][/p][p]So wish me luck! And Until next time! [/p][p][/p][p] - Levi [/p]

[p]
coverart by Pollyanoid[/p][p][/p][h2]GREETINGS! [/h2][p]
Hello everyone! Levi here, lead developer and designer behind Gappy’s Adventure : Coinkeeper’s Cantrip!

It feels so surreal to FINALLY be officially announcing and talking about this game to the public in a major way simply because it feels like I’ve been working on it forever! And I really haven’t shown much off about it because it’s always a bit more fun to hide your hand ;)

Since you’re here PLEASE consider wishlisting the game! However much you think wishlisting an indie game helps, double it! And also to plug one last thing before moving on I’d recommend joining the discord server! I have a million other links but I don’t feel like shilling more than I already am, there are more links to other cool things in the server and you’ll be able to chat with me and other Gappy-heads alike! What fun!

ANYWAYS! This is also the first volume of ‘Gappy Bi-monthly!’ A bi-monthly update / Preveiw of the games development, features, plans, and other fun stuff! Since a large majority of you may be confused about what the plans moving forward are, or what this game even IS I’ve decided to dedicate this volume to answering what I feel are some important questions, while also pointing you towards the first PUBLIC DEMO(s) of the game! So let’s get right into it! :D

[/p][h2]DEMOS [/h2][p]
First and foremost, an early demo of the game is available! It’s playable in browser on both Newgrounds and Itch.io! Both (should) be fully compatible with controllers!

Originally, the plan was to not only release the steam page today, but also release demos on Newgrounds, itch.io AND Steam

However, due to how Steam handles demos, we be wasting a significant marketing opportunity releasing that now, and wouldn’t get the full traction from a later release since this demo and the games full release are spread VERY far apart. If this sounds confusing, that’s because it is!

To put it bluntly, we decided not to release a “Steam Demo” today because we didn’t want to upset the algorithm! I know! We’re sell-outs!

BUT! When that steam demo eventually comes out, it’ll be an updated version of the current demos, and those demos too will also get updated! Any feedback you have for us now could be invaluable in shaping the future of Gappy. So stay tuned for that as we patiently await the release of the FULL game!

So with you properly pointed in the right direction, let’s wrap er’ up with some questions!

[/p][h2]FAQ[/h2][p]Q : When will this release? [/p][p]A : Goal is 4th quarter 2026! But things are bound to change (game development is not my full time job, it’s my 2nd!) [/p][p][/p][p]Q : How much will it cost? [/p][p]A : 4.99! Base Price![/p][p][/p][p]Q : Will there be content updates or DLC? [/p][p]A : My plan is to release a fully featured game upon release, and as of RIGHT NOW there are no plans to expand on what will be available at launch. However, this might change and if it does then any content updates will be 100% free! [/p][p][/p][p]Q : Where is the best place to stay up to date? [/p][p]A : These little blog posts will drop every other month, and this will be a great place to stay up to date about everything going on in Gappy's development! If you check steam often then I'd recommend just checking this page every other month or following my Steam creator page! If you are looking for something outside of steam I'd recommend twitter or joining the discord server! I'll also be active there too so there are plenty of ways to stay in the loop! :-) [/p][p][/p][p]Q : Will Gappy ever be brown? [/p][p]A : what[/p][p][/p][p]Q : Will there be a Demo available on steam? [/p][p]A : Yes! Eventually! Look forward to an updated (and expanded) Demo next year! For now go check out the Demos on both Newgrounds & Itch.io. When the steam demo gets uploaded eventually the browser-based demos will also be updated so they will all match, so stay tuned for that! [/p][p][/p][p]Q : Will Gappy be at any public events? [/p][p]A : Although I can't say with any certainty that Gappy will, We are actively seeking out events both digital and physical that we can show Gappy off! We are working on it![/p][p][/p][h2]ARTIST CORNER : POLLYANOID[/h2][p][/p][p]When you opened this blogpost you probably noticed a row of 3 incredibly cute lil' gappies staring back at you. Those were drawn by the ever talented Pollyanoid! [/p][p][/p][p] She has been a very kind-hearted mutual of mine for a while, and her art is absolutely wonderful! Her art style is so wonderfully rendered in a painterly-3D style that I just knew I had to have her do art for Gappy in some capacity! [/p][p][/p][p]But she has also been working on other very cool projects! For the GAMERS in the audience her art style may have made you do a double take, maybe you've seen her work before? You might have! She did some promotional art for GIMMIKO! Very epic little indie game that will release in the near future! Very epic! [/p][p][/p][p]She also has worked on an amazing Newgrounds cartoon along with Gooberthed called 'The LAST SODA on Earth: Strange Scavenger' Which is a very stylized and fun watch :][/p][p][/p][p]Please go give her some love! And thank you for doing the first cover art for Gappy Bi-Monthly! [/p][p][/p][h2]FINAL REMARKS[/h2][p]
I hope you all are excited to go on an adventure with Gappy in the near future! Again, if you'd like to get a taste of what's to come Please go check out the demo on Newgrounds! And keep an eye-out for the steam demo coming sometime in the future![/p][p][/p][p]I'd also like to give a huge thanks to 2 Left Thumbs for publishing! I'm excited to partner with them on this game and perchance more games in the future! [/p][p][/p][p]Lot's more will get released in the next edition! So stay tuned for that when it drops mid-july![/p][p][/p][p]Til' next time! Later! [/p][p][/p][p] - Levi [/p]