Before the Daily Click went down the last time, I had submitted an article with a title similar to this one. It was up for a mere 30 minutes before DC went down, and thus is lost in time. However, it was an article I really wanted people to read, and so, I'm rewriting the article for your reading pleasure. Enjoy, and feel free to comment!


Countless klik games come out each year that are praised for their gameplay by us klikkers, but they rarely do manage to "make it big" outside of the klik community. Whilst some might suggest it's because Freeware is basically a forgotten artform, I disagree. I believe it could be due to the lack of professionalism in Klik games. While there are quite a few companies that do work hard on making their games look professional (Blackeye Software and Fallen Angel come to mind), the majority of games released in our community definately lack polish. Perhaps it's the simplicity in which we program our games, which make us take our games for granted, or perhaps it's just that we don't understand how to make our games have that extra layer of polish that seperates the great games from the good ones.

My mission with this article is to give klikkers, from newbies to the experienced, a better understanding of how make their games more professional. Most of these are simply the overlooked factors of a game, but they shouldn't be. They should be factors that none of us simple glance at without interest.


1) Backgrounds - Yes, I know, most every game includes background, even klik games. But, it is the quality of the backgrounds that are the problem. Most of the klik games I've seen feature a solid background, gradient, or a poorly drawn motif. This isn't how it should be done. The back layer of your game will obviously be a solid/gradient/motif, but it should never be the only thing in your background. Making a platformer that takes place in a grassy area? Don't just add a solid light blue sky. Add some hills. Add some clouds. Throw some flowers on the ground. What about a bush? These are things that add so much more to a game than they are given credit for.

2) Title Screen - Other than the optional company logo/intro, the title screen will be the first frame that attempts to suck your gamer in. A solid black background with a title and a "press enter" string text is not enough. Add to it! Perhaps put in some special effects! Why not redraw the main character of your game into a larger form for the title screen? A title screen should look impressive.

3) Options - What is it with klik games not having more than one mode of play on the title screen? Usually I see two options - Start, and Exit. This shouldn't be! Add some sort of other option. Even if it's a credits, make sure you add a little something extra to the title screen.

4) Consistency - This is another item that sort of ties in with the Title Screen .I've noticed that too many klik games are very inconsistant. What I mean is that a gamer constantly has to change their hand settings. Here's a rule of thumb for consistency : Whatever control setting the character uses in the game, is what they should use in the menu(s). What I mean is that if you have a platformer using the arrow keys, the user shouldn't navigate through the menu and story with the mouse. It gets annoying and is very unneccessary. Eternal Daughter handled this perfectly. Through the menu, save slots, and cinemas, you would use the keyboard, making a very smooth transition to the in-game controls, which were also done with the keyboard. Another beautiful touch was making the Pause menu use the mouse. While it might be a bit annoying to have to switch to the mouse for the pause menu, it's good because you can't accidently hit resume game.

5) Multiplayer - Why is it that so many commercial games include multiplayer modes in their single player games? Or why do so many games designed for multiplayer also include a single player mode? It's for convenience. Think of Goldeneye. As a standalone single player game, it would've been good. Same thing if it was released as just a multiplayer game. A good game, but when released as a package, it was heralded as one of the greatest games of all time (with good reason). The same can be said about Siege, by Fallen Angel. A good single player game, a good multiplayer game, combine them, and you get a very rewarding package. Wherever applicable, be sure it include both a single player and multiplayer mode. (Do note, that even if your one player mode wouldn't work as a multiplayer game, you can always make a totally different style of game with the existing characters. Look at what Fallen Angel is doing with Lump!)

6)Replayabilty - Another thing lacking in klik games is replay value. Most klik games are very short, and once beaten, there is litte to no reason to beat them again. Multiplayer modes add a great deal of replayability, but another way is by adding unlockables. DF Designs' Pac Man DX is a good example of this. The more you played, and the better you got, the more options you would have. And it made you want them. Factor X by Fallen Angel also did this. A great way to add unlockables is by making you unlock something each time you beat the game. Games like Resident Evil did this, and it proves to work quite well.

7) Screenshots - The final topic I have is one that is the simplest, but also one of the most neglected. Remember that half the battle of getting people to enjoy your game is to get them to download it. Most people will not download a game unless there is at least a single screenshot, and having multiple screenshots is even more appetizing. I know I won't download a game without screenshots, unless it is by a developer I trust. Make sure these screenshots reveal some of the gameplay (although not too much, you want to keep some secrets for the gamer!), and they have to look good. They should be among the best looking parts of the game.


These are just some things I would like to start seeing in more of our community's games, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Even if your game is done, and you are on the verge of release, you should still consider these things. Delaying your game is almost always worth it, and if you are thinking of adding that extra layer of polish, I'm sure most of us won't mind.