This past month we hosted a Phaser Jam here on Newgrounds!
Phaser is a free, open-source, desktop and mobile HTML5 game framework created by @PhotonStorm, who also made Cat Astro Phi here on Newgrounds.
@PsychoGoldfish created some tutorials for the jam and beyond, such as Getting Started with Phaser, Animating Sprites with Phaser as well as buttons and user input. He also made a Phaser Jam preloader and a post-Jam tip guide for sounds on mobile.
The jam offered $100 prizes for the top three games and we’ve added two $50 honorable mentions to include all the judges’ favorites. Shout out to @PsychoGoldfish, @PhotonStorm and @PhantomArcade for judging assistance.
Here the winners!
1st Place - $100
Blooming is a difficult game but worth the journey! If you get stuck on the platforms before the title screen, note that tapping jump vs holding jump will help avoid bumping your head.
2nd Place - $100
Infinity Dungeon is a good opportunity to dungeon crawl on mobile. It gets repetitive but the concept is solid.
3rd Place - $100
Closing In is a gripping high score challenge, where the closing walls create a genuine feeling of suspense.
Honorable Mention - $50
Sarah is a point and click mystery with a surprising conclusion.
Honorable Mention - $50
“Hey! I just need some bread” has the makings of a decent brawler, right down to double tapping to run. Would be fun to see it expanded further beyond the jam.
Runner-Ups
Horizon 6 has interesting controls but they can feel a bit awkward. Shooting stuff is fun and the faux 3d classic arcade look is hot as hell.
Daxolissian System is a lot of fun when you get the hang of it, although it remains tricky to maneuver as things get harder.
Hoisted is a nice play on the platform golf genre. We could see this being especially endearing with a highly animated protagonist and more elaborate explosions.
Intergalactic Exterminator is a decent horizontal shooter with great visuals and a lot of potential to be expanded on.
Biker Hero is simple but plays fast and feels good. Art isn't the greatest, but works great with the sound effects.
Arcade Shooter Mix is a WASD+mouse shooter with progression and good path-finding enemies. It ultimately becomes repetitive but has a solid foundation.
Dog Bark is an interesting idea that takes a minute to figure out. Running around the spinning planet is cool but ultimately leaves you wanting more excitement.
Subby plays like Flappy Bird with reverse gravity and better art.
Feed & Evolve is a simple click defense game with a novel evolve mechanic.
Roadside Boardin' is an infinite runner that can have some cruel randomness. Also note that you jump on release vs press, if that’s causing any confusion.
Halloween Run looks, sounds and feels like a polished mobile game but the hitboxes can be a bit tricky.
Under Wife is a simple avoider game with a cute premise.
Fortify is a neat concept with cool physics but the collision feels unforgiving.
Cloud Ball is a basic bounce game but the cloud is cute.
Thank you everyone who participated in the Phaser Jam! The goal of jams like this is to encourage people to try different tools and frameworks, or stretch their legs with frameworks they already know. We all think and create in different ways and being exposed to a variety of tools is a great way to find the one that works best for you. We hope everyone had fun and learned some stuff as a result of the jam! You also gave us a bunch of cool games to play, which is always appreciated.
