New name? Why?

Yes, after thinking about it for a while, I've decided that this game needs a name change. The reason is pretty simple: B.i.t.Lock is just not a good name... It sounded cool on paper and has grown on me a lot, but I realized that it has some major flaws. The dots in the name and the capitalization make it really tedious to type and it's not really a good name to search for. Imagine telling your friends and family about your game, but struggling to tell the name and ending up writing the name on a piece of paper so they won't mistype it later. People should have a much easier time finding this game and related content with the new name.

So what's the new name?

It's Block in the Lock. That's actually still B.i.t.Lock, but spelled out completely. Yep, the B.i.t. part of B.i.t.Lock was actually an abbreviation all along. It was originally an inside joke, but it fits so well that it will soon be the new official name for the game. It describes the game well, is easy to search for and doesn't invalidate the old name. It will still take a little while before the change is complete since I need to edit a lot of artwork and rebuild the game. That's it for now. I just wanted to tell you all, so nobody gets to confused about it.

[ 2023-03-02 19:44:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

B.i.t.Lock 1.4 is now live!

The new Challenge Packs Update for B.i.t.Lock is finally released. There is lots of stuff to do and more!

What's new?

150 new levels were added to the game as 50 challenge packs. That raises the total amount of levels from 76 to 226! That's a lot! And it certainly took me a while to make them all. About a year to be exact. I did the best I can to make them all unique and interesting. No two challenges should feel the same. I tried really hard to make the best of all the mechanics and find interesting interactions and I think I did a pretty good job at that (except for one maybe). All the new levels are wrapped up in a single new World Section called the Challenge World, which is unlocked after completing the main game. In this world each level is actually a level pack with 1 to 5 levels (or stages) inside of them. Levels also unlock a lot faster and there is no final unlocking of the world. It's all about the juicy new challenge levels.

Additional Updates and Fixes

As this is most likely the final update, I tried to wrap it all up and do everything I can to make it as polished as I possibly can. For you it might not seem that much, but it's a bit of work for a one-man-band. Audio

• 1 new Music Soundtrack (for the Challenge World)
• Music now changes in the Overworld like it does in the Level Editor, giving it a bit more of a dynamic feel and making it less annoying

Save Files

• Separated percentages for main game and challenge levels
• Save file gets a shiny golden look when 100% completed

Achievements

• New achievement: Master of all Elements (complete challenge world)
• New achievement: Final Lock (complete everything)

Settings

• Added VSync (finally)
• Moving the window to another monitor with different resolution no longer breaks the settings menu

Workshop

• Fixed a bug, where the description will not be used when uploading a level
• Workshop menu navigation has been adjusted a bit
• Fixed a bug, where strange behavior occurred when enter was pressed as a level was completed in the level editor

Gameplay

• Spamming enter after leaving a level will no longer interrupt level spawning and thus will no longer make the world unplayable
• Repeatedly going on lava crack tiles and pressing undo will no longer make the lava tiles bigger or smaller (same for hole tiles)
• Wave blocks and conveyors no longer push blocks into each other (or at least I hope so, I fixed this bug like 5 times already and it keeps coming back)
• When a block is killed by a spike, which is on top of a lava crack, it will no longer play the death sound and animation from the lava tile
• The win animation (*click* at the end of level) looks cleaner now for some levels where there are multiple shapes to complete

What's next?

I've said this already in the past, but this will (hopefully) be my final update for this game. I'll move on to a new project that I have in mind that will take an entirely new approach on gaming, so stay tuned on Twitter. However, I still have some final things to do. This includes releasing the new soundtrack of the game for free and maybe another little extra that I won't spoil for now.

THANK YOU

I want to thank everyone who supported this game and also the players who play and appreciate the game for what it is. I've seen some amazing levels in the Steam Workshop and it fills my heart to see actual people enjoying what I make for them and contribute something of their own. I know, my game is not well known and bringing a game to the attention of people in todays age is not an easy thing to do, so I appreciate it even more. With that being said, everything is done for now. Stay tuned for my next projects and have a nice day!

[ 2021-08-13 17:24:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

Weekly Challenges?...

Yes, if you didn't know already, I was making a few levels a week and uploaded them on Itch every week (now that I think about it, I feel kinda stupid that I didn't make them available on Steam as well, but I guess I was just too lazy to implement all that network and database stuff). Now, after making 50 Challenges with 150 new levels, I can finally rest.

Wait! What if I still want to play them?

Aaah, I see. You want to play these limited time level packs, even though you missed your chance by not following me on Twitter? Don't worry! The thing that makes me happier than anything are people like you that want to play the stuff I make :) So in just a few weeks (hopefully) I will be releasing the NEXT BIG UPDATE with all of these NEW CHALLENGE LEVELS.

New Challenge World

There will be a new world after the final world where all the challenge level packs will be placed. This world behaves a bit differently. Each level is actually a level pack with 1 to 5 levels (or stages) inside of them. Levels also unlock a lot faster and there is no final unlocking of the world. The Challenge World will be unlocked after finishing the main game.

[ 2021-08-01 13:44:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

As you may or may not know, I've been doing my Weekly Challenges now for almost a year and posted them regularly on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/PeydaPete ). However, they were only playable in a web browser and I never got to implement them in the main game. I've decided that I will be stopping after my 50th Weekly Challenge and update the game with all of my levels that I created over the year. This update will be COMPLETELY FREE!

150 new Levels!

150 new levels will be added to the game as 50 small challenge packs. That's a lot of new levels. About double the amount of what is already in the game. I did the best I can to make them all unique and interesting. No two challenges should feel the same. I tried really hard to make the best of all the mechanics and find interesting interactions and I think I did a pretty good job so far.

What else is in the Update?

Bug fixes. Also, I will rework the options menu. it's a little bit messy and buggy.

When will the update be released?

Probably some time after the 50th Weekly Challenge. I'm at #39 right now, so it will take at least 12 more weeks until then.

No more Weekly Challenges?

Sadly, yes. After the 50th Weekly Challenge, I will no longer do any more levels. So this might be the final official levels from my side. This will also free up some time of the week for me to work on some other projects of mine.

Other Projects?

Yes. I'm back in the game biz. I've taken a small break recently and worked on some web stuff (including my own website), but I missed working on game projects, so I will use my time to work on something new and exciting! It won't be a puzzle game this time (sorry, my puzzle lovers), but it will be interesting nonetheless.

Stay tuned!

If you want to keep up to date with what I will be working on in the near future or want to play some of the remaining 12 Weekly Challenges in advance, be sure to follow me on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/PeydaPete ).

[ 2021-05-16 16:39:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

After a year in development, the update is finally finished.

Level Editor and Steam Workshop

When pressing 'Start' in the Main Menu, you will now see a 'Workshop' button in the bottom left, which will lead you to the B.i.t.Lock Workshop. Here you can make levels, share them and play levels that you have subscribed to in the Steam Workshop.
Making new levels is fairly easy and straightforward. You can place and erase blocks, select, move and copy sections and even change the world size and theme. Just like in the game, you can undo your actions (and redo too). Play testing can also be done instantaneously with the press of one button. All controls are shown when you hold the 'R'-key, however the controls are keyboard + mouse only.
Sharing a level is just a simple button press in the Workshop Menu followed by filling out some level informations (title, description, etc.). Playing other levels is jus as simple. By subscribing to items in the Steam Workshop, they are automatically downloaded and ready to be played.

Free to Play

As already mentioned in my last post, the game has now changed from paid to free to play. This change was made, so that I can reach out to more people and make the game more available.

Linux Support

To make this game even more available, I have added Linux (64bit) support.

Additional Patch Notes

Audio

• 9 new Music Soundtracks
• Many new sound effects to make the game feel more alive

Visuals

• Changed some sprites and colors for certain Blocks (Solve, Wave, Connector)
• Made credits prettier
• Cool animations for the Workshop Menu

Levels

• Out of Reach (World 4 Level 7): Made the level smaller so you don't have to move around so much
• Energy Belt (World 5, Level 10): Changed the level to make it a tiny bit less confusing
• End Game (World 6 Level 1): The goal is on block lower to make it more symmetrical
• Renamed some levels with silly names

Gameplay

• After clearing a level, the amount of taken steps will be displayed
• Doors can no longer be entered sideways
• Blocks don't get energized inside door from sideways
• Sticky Blocks got a performance boost
• Blocks should no longer get bounced or shifted into each other

Misc

• Default Volume is now at 50%
• Credits can be accessed in the Main Menu (yay for developers)
• Lots of bugfixes that nobody even knew existed, because they were only possible once the level editor was completed

What's next?

Sadly, I think this will be the last major update. I've been working on this game for long enough and I want to move on to the next. There might be the occasional bugfix and I will also be there for the community, but don't expect anything new unless the game explodes in popularity. However, the Weekly Challenges will still continue! Every Saturday, new levels will be available to play for one week on peyda.itch.io/bitlock. I always announce them on Twitter (@PeydaPete).

[ 2020-12-29 19:15:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

B.i.t.Lock will unlock soon! Meaning: It will be FREE TO PLAY

The whole game for free?

Yes. On every platform. This includes Steam, itch, Gamejolt Android, iOS and all future platforms. It will be available on Dec 29th 2020.

But why?

Simple. To get more people to play the game. As the next update will include a Level Editor, it would make me much happier to see people play, build and share levels instead of me getting some extra cash. I kind of regret not making it free from the very beginning.

What's the new update all about?

Basically a full Level Editor with Steam Workshop integration, many new Sounds and Music, a Performance Boost and some Bugfixes. All the details about the update will be in a separate announcement next week.

What if I bought the game already?

I still have to come up with something to compensate for your initial pay. For now, maybe it makes you feel better to know that you got to play the game before everyone else and supported a random developer. At this point I would like to thank all the people who bought the game, gave reviews or met me at conventions to try out the game! Seeing others having a good time with the game fills my heart with joy :)

What about you?

I'll live. Nothing to worry about.

Anything else?

Yes, actually. I never announced this on Steam (oopsy), but I've been doing free weekly challenges for a few months now. If you want to test your B.i.t.Lock skills, you can play them at peyda.itch.io/bitlock in your browser. I upload a new challenge every Saturday! You can also follow me on Twitter (@PeydaPete) to get notified about them.

[ 2020-12-23 11:56:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

[BUGFIX] Resetting while having a spawned spike on a square starting position no longer destroy them on reset making the level impossible to solve. [NEW] Some additional controls were added: - Level selection and confirmation is now possible with Space - Menus can now be exited with Escape

[ 2019-09-08 16:15:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

[BUGFIX] 2 x 2 Spikes now no longer breaks the game when destroying an adjacent square [NEW] Movement speed can be increased by tapping faster on the keyboard without limitation

[ 2019-09-08 00:33:54 CET ] [ Original post ]