Current Version: 1.4

Project Status: Completed

Highest Popularity: #6 during August 2007

Links: Web Site

Category: Puzzle

Developers: Phr00t

Ports: Windows

Source Code: Not Available

Author's Description: A great lemmings-like game where you must lead ants to safety. Includes 20 skills, a handful of difficult levels (all levels are 100% beatable), and now a level editor! This also includes a random level generator (level 0) that you can use for practice and random fun; not all the random levels are beatable.

Take a look at how the levels are created in the levels directory, and feel free to make your own using your favorite image editting tool! Make sure to send them to me if you do!

Feel free to e-mail me with any skills you might want to see in the game.

Rafal (From Review): Please don't review my game if you haven't even seen it. I'm sorry it will not run on your machine, but please post these types of problems in the forum.

Kazzmir (From review): I made the ants small so it would be more acceptable to forgo the exaustive animations, and to better fit the idea that they are small ants. I couldn't think of an effective way to inform the player which ants have what skills, but I think it is only important when they are doing the job. Please post any suggestions on this topic in the forum. You can play the random levels (level 0) to practice using the skills and interface.

Matt (From Review): Thank you for your review. I chose to forgo detailed animations because I wanted to focus on gameplay and skills. Animations and incredible special effects are great; if I can get some support, maybe I can add some more. What kind of interactive elements would you like to see?

Please post any questions, suggestions or comments in the forum.

Quick Notes:
* You can assign just about any job to a blocker (like a walker) to stop him from blocking.
* You can hold the left and right keys to only select ants going in those certain directions when assigning skills or jobs.
* Use the up and down arrow keys to flip through the levels on the main menu. Level 0 will generate a random level for practice and fun.
* The 'radio' skill where your ant gets trapped in a red box allows you to control him with the arrow keys.
* You can turn ants with the 'turn' skill while they are doing another job.

Please read the included documentation for more information.

Downloads

What's New:

1.4
A big release for Ants!

I recommend you delete all of your previous Ants! files (excluding any levels you may have made) when installing this version.

* Now Ants! and the level editor support multiple level directories to better organize levels.
* Added 4 new easier and funner levels.
* Added an arrow icon that appears when you are trying to select ants only going in one direction.
* Cleaned up the random level generation and made the random levels look like levels created with the level editor.
* Added a version indicator to the level editor.

1.3
I cleared up many loose ends in this version that should make the game much more enjoyable and less annoying.

* Fixed many tunnler bugs.
* Made both the high miner and tunnler easier to use - you do not have to be right up against the wall to use them anymore.
* Made the level editor more powerful and easier to use.

1.241
* Removed the MIDI driver.
* Released the source code! Linux away! :^)

1.24
* Added a fully functional level editor!
* Added a level exclusively made from the level editor.
* Updated the documentation.
* Bombers, exploders and umbrella users will not become lost when close to a level's edge.


1.23
* Fixed a bug that caused the game to crash on older computers upon startup. If the game didn't work for you before, try this version now.
* The game now creates a debug.log file every time the program is lauched.

1.22
* Documentation!
* Diggers now dig pixel by pixel, instead of two at a time. This should make them more accurate and less buggy.
* Made builders build just a little faster.
* Ant selection is now a little more accurate.

1.21
* Reduced the volume of the level introduction and failure sounds.
* Added two more levels, including something completely original!

1.2
* Reconstructed the 'lost' code for efficiency and stability: Now strange events won't happen when radio controlled ants go off the screen.
* Ants are now drawn correctly when they are on the leftmost side of the screen.
* Ants waiting for jobs at ends of stairs and platforms will now become disrupted if the ground gets removed beneath thier feet.
* Ant vs. Coin collision checking is done every other frame instead of every frame for performance reasons.
* Slightly increased the volume of the drowning sound.

1.1
* Added two more fun and easier levels!
* Improved the 'climber' icon on the toolbar.
* Added the 'sloth' skill. Now you can make an ant jump up and crawl along a cieling.
* Now you cannot assign different jobs to ants while they are being radio controlled.
* Now ants can drop from far heights to swim in water as seen in level 8.

• 8v1.21: Pretty cool game and good remake of lemmings. The ants are a little small though, and you never know what ability they currently have unless they are actively doing something. There should be a few training missions at first to get the player used to all the powers you can give an ant.
  kazzmir
• 8Right now it's a great Lemmings engine with some real potential. On the programming side this game is solid, but the level designs offer the player few choices while demanding precise timing/spatial judgement. I'm looking forward to seeing where this project goes as new levels are completed.
  Chris DeLeon
• 8A good "lemmings" game that let's you make your own levels. The graphics are OK, but more animation, special effects, and interactive items would be good.
  Matthew Leverton

Phr00t
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