Tiny Magic

Tiny Magic is a new development started in 2020, to be released on the GOTO40 event (December 2023). The idea was to provide a game we can size in alignment with my free time. 

From a technical perspective, the game logic is written in c (with the help of the fusion c framework, for the very first version), but progressively moved to a combination of c (50%) / Z80 assembly (50%).

Tiny Magic is a cute puzzle game that tells the story of mage-in-training named Thiharis, who has to pass over 50 increasingly difficult trials to join the Mage Master circle. The young protagonist, student of the Mahoutokoro Magic School, is ready to take his final exam where he will be tested for his wit and magic skills. In order to pass the exam, a plethora of riddles is waiting for him to get solved which will grant him the title “master water mage”.

The game consist of puzzle levels involving rock and switch combinations that, once solved, will help guide Thiharis to the gate and progress to the next screen. Traps and opponents will try to prevent you from doing that. But, with the help of magic bubbles and other resources, victory lies ahead. And, in case of trouble, the unique undo feature can help you correct mistakes. A concept that is both simple and challenging.

Promotional video can be seen there: video

This game is designed as an advanced Sokoban like game, with the difference that the player have the capability to play with water bubbles, he can, create explosive balls of water, with which, he can pushes rocks, for instance.

From a level design perspective, we have opted to add dangerous enemies and traps to spice a little the adventure.

The game has been published by Coté Gamers, a French publishing company, with a physical edition (cartridge).

Credits

Technical requirements:

• MSX2 or higher with 128K Vram and 128K memory mapped ram
• MSX-DOS 1.x or 2.x
• FM PAK or MSX Music
• Emulation: all MSX2 emulator are compatible (BlueMSX, OpenMSX, Emulicious …)