[Game] Lazarr! [2.1.5]

[Wuzzy]

There will probably a new beta release within the next few days. I've built even more levels, but MORE are needed. The goal is 100 levels, with 20 levels in each difficulty. (The “Landlubber”/tutorial levels don’t count)

I've taken some of the player feedback into account to have made the following changes:

• Blocks now show an arrow overlay when you point a block with the rotating hook (see screenshot)
• You can now activate pirate sense permanently by holding down the sneak key. Press the place key normally anywhere to disable it again
• Wannabe Spiral now has one less "lap"
• Suspicious Barrels has a faster way to climb up (since a while now)
• More levels with double mirrors and skulls
• The Kitchen is slightly less crammed

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[Wuzzy]

Version 2.0.0.beta.7 released!

Yarr! The seventh beta release is out there.

In this release, there are 16 new levels. The levels of the first three difficulty levels (very easy, easy, medium) are complete. Now only hard and very hard levels are missing.
Also, this release takes into account some of the player feedback and includes several quality-of-life improvements, like being able to turn on pirate sense forever (with Sneak) or the hook displaying rotation arrows.

Lazarr! should be very stable at this point

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Changelog

• 100 levels in total (previous version: 84)
• Small level improvements:
  • The Kitchen: Slightly more space
  • The Pedestal: Fix a way to get stuck
  • Beach Fortress: Close off a shortcut on the roof
  • Atlantian Ruins: Add missing water block
  • Crystals: Fix floating palm
• Pirate Sense can now be activated permanently by sneaking
• Lantern icon displays while the pirate sense is active
• Hook now displays rotation arrows when pointing block
• Improve seabed and island stone textures
• Goldie the Parrot now asks you before giving hints (exception: Landlubber levels)
• Minor loading screen improvements
• Fix player falling into the ship at spawn sometimes
• Make controls help in first levels smaller on small screens
• Remove parrot stand and wood-framed glass (full-cube glass)
• Editor: Fix backdrop pos resetting sometimes when changing it
• Editor: Hide laser-incompatible blocks
• Editor: Can now edit the “level flags” (advanced settings)
• Editor: Add 3 new receiver types: Synchronous NAND/OR/NOR
• Editor: Pressing Enter in level settings now saves them
• Editor: Fix crash when using block variant changer on some blocks
• New hook rotation particle
• New button images for left/right/reset
• Turn crosshair into a cross when pointing at an object
• Level pack statistics for single levels no longer count _AUTOSAVE_ as a level
• Fix rare water sound when spawning in ship
• Updated translations
• Update CODE_DOCUMENTATION.md

TODO list for version 2.0.0

• Add 4 hard levels
• Add 12 very hard levels
• Improve the pirate ship
• Fix bugs
• Polishing
• A secret

Version 2.0.0 is in sight!
I’m very excited to announce that version 2.0.0 is coming closer and closer every day! This is the plan:

1. Finalize the levels
2. Release 2.0.0.beta.8
3. Wait 1 week for more feedback and for translators to catch up; use the time for the final touches
4. Release 2.0.0

[DragonWrangler1]

Nice! Look forward to trying it out

[kuboid]

Thanks for the kind words. :-)

You're welcome. Good work deserves some praise :)

Yes, Ocean Eye is really hard, but I promise it’s solvable. [...]

Didn't play 'Particle Accelerator' before, seems to be a new level. It gave me the one idea I was lacking when trying Ocean Eye...btw, "Teilchenbeschleuniger" seems a better translation to me than "Partikelbeschleuniger".

The new stack of difficulty levels is very good. Gives more structure and motivation to "level up".

Why is this game still categorized as "WIP"? Even though work is ongoing, it is definitive mature.

[Wuzzy]

I will call this game complete once version 2.0.0 drops. That’s the plan.


Thanks for the suggested translation change. Yes, that makes sense, I updated in Codeberg Translate. By the way, translators can always contribute translations here: https://translate.codeberg.org/projects/lazarr/

I’ve updated all the strings recently. Of course, more strings will appear for the coming levels, but the bulk of the texts are now likely to be stable. I hope to be able to enter an official "string freeze" for the next (and hopefully) final beta version for 2.0.0.

The new stack of difficulty levels is very good. Gives more structure and motivation to "level up".

Thanks. I figured with having many levels, grouping levels by difficulty like that kind of is a neccessity. I wish Inside the Box would have that, too.

-----

I am happy to report this game is now feature-complete (but not level-complete!). There were a few remaining (smaller) features on my TODO list, but all of them are complete. Most of my recent work was smaller bugfixes and polishing. Polishing includes a few particle effects.

I added a few new small graphics settings.

I reworked the "main menu" ship, it is now smaller (2 floors instead of 3), and most of the features are now concentrated in the "captain's cabin". The reason is so the player can navigate the game faster. Only the special bookshelf containing detailed help about all the blocks, and the "reset game progress" bomb require a bit of walking. Obviously the reset bomb should be further away to not give the player any ideas during regular play. ;-)
The Blocks bookshelf is intentionally also slightly further away to not "spoil" the game instantly, but the player may still look up all the blocks if they really want to. Earlier I planned to progressively reveal pages in this bookshelf as the player proceeds but since this game has a (short) up-front tutorial (5 minutes), I decided against that. This game is meant to be a game of perfect information.

The ship is now called "Old Shiny", by the way. :D

I predict the final levels will be the hardest ones for me to build, so they will probably take longer than the rest.


-----

By the way, did anyone try out the level editor yet? I wonder how usable it is. I tried my best to document it, but I never know …

[Wuzzy]

While you all are still waiting for the next big release, I’m presenting the first level pack: Forgotten Treasures.

Forgotten Treasures level pack screenshot

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This is a tiny level pack with 3 easy levels so far that didn’t make it into the main game.
The idea is, whenever I remove or replace a level in the main game, levels will end up here so they don’t go to waste.
The quality standards are not as high tho.

You can download it here: https://codeberg.org/Wuzzy/lzr_pack_for ... ve/1.3.zip

It’s a mod, so install and activate it like any other Luanti mod. Needs Lazarr! version 2.0.0.beta.5 or later.

(Repository, license and credits here: https://codeberg.org/Wuzzy/lzr_pack_forgotten_treasures)

As this level pack is very small and meant more like a "bonus", I won’t make a "proper" release as a mod forum thread or ContentDB release.

[Wuzzy]

Version 2.0.0.beta.8 released!

lzr_promo_beta8.jpg (58.25 KiB) Viewed 1331 times

I’m very happy to report this game is now both feature-complete and level-complete! This game is now finally what I wanted to be, and I’m so happy to have reached this stage. This game has changed MASSIVELY since the first game jam release. There is now a total of 116 levels to play, across 5 difficulty levels (plus tutorial) from super easy to mind-bending.

Go ahead and give it a try. Please report bugs, or just post whatever is on yor mind. :-)

Version 2.0.0.beta.8 is the final test release to find bugs, I don’t plan new levels or features for version 2.0.0.

Translators: With this release, Lazarr! also enters the string freeze. I promise to not change any texts until the next release (which is expected to be 2.0.0). I gladly accept all translations at <https://translate.codeberg.org/projects/lazarr/>

Changelog

• 16 new levels added (116 total)
• Minor changes to existing levels
• Added Goldie the Parrot hints in many levels
• New, completely reworked pirate ship
• Show victory message after completing a custom level pack
• Locked door can now be destroyed with signals
• Gold blocks now fly out of the chest at end of level
• Various minor UI improvements
• Editor: Return to inventory when closing most formspecs (Luanti 5.13 or later)
• Editor: Add a few more level warnings and errors
• Create particles when walking on sand, seabed or leaves
• Add water splash particles
• Add settings to disable rain, lightning, signal lines and more
• Update help books
• Fix bad-looking “W” character in font
• Fix player sometimes able to obtain block they’re not supposed to get while digging
• Fix minor issues in levels
• Fix many levels crashing in Luanti 5.14.0-rc1
• Fix slabs and other blocks sometimes showing wrong laser color
• Translation updates (100%: German. >50%: French, Spanish, Turkish)
• Added a secret

Acknowledgements

While I wrote most of the code and built all of the levels, this game wouldn’t have been possible without the work of various other people whose work I included in this game. This includes music, sound effects, translations, textures and 3D models. Thanks for providing free/libre media that is compatible with free software; without it, building Lazarr! would have been much more difficult.

Look for the credits section in the game to get a full list. (or read CREDITS.md)

Next release date
Version 2.0.0 is planned for October 8, 2025.

[Wuzzy]

Lazarr! version 2.0.0 released!

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Version 2.0.0 finally represents the finished game I have originally envisioned, and after a ridiculously long beta phase (with 8 beta releases!) I’m very proud to show you the REAL 2.0.0 RELEASE! This game has changed a lot in the last months, so if you tried older versions, please give it another try.


The finished game
The game starts very easy where Goldie the Parrot shows you how all this laser stuff works. But then the REAL puzzles begin where it becomes harder and harder to unlock the golden blocks. There are 6 difficulty ranks to master.

There are many different kinds of blocks that lasers interact with: mirrors, beam splitters, crystals, bombs, color mixers, bombs, barricades, skulls and more. Your journey takes you to tropical islands, lost caves, helpless ships, ancient ruins and other places. Play a total of 116 levels which represent countless hours of gameplay. Just in my own playtest, I needed about 10 hours.

You have your own pirate ship—the Old Shiny—which is like a mini-main menu. Start the game, read the help, look at your loot, talk to Goldie, change game settings, view credits, start the level editor.

You can also install level packs via mods.

There is a LOT to discover in this game now. If you played this game in 2024 or before, the game is COMPLETELY different now.


But wait! There’s more!

Lazarr! now has an OFFICIAL WEBSITE at:

https://wuzzy.codeberg.page/Lazarr/

Currently, you can find one small level pack there: "Forgotten Treasures". But maybe there will be more in future, if the community chooses to contribute levels under free/libre licensing (*wink* *wink*).


TIP! If you want to get the nice lighting effect like on the screenshot, go to Luanti settings, enable post-processing, then bloom, then volumetric lighting (in that order).


Changelogs
Changelog (compared to previous beta version 2.0.0.beta.8 from last week):

• Shorten bomb fuse sound so it doesn’t overlap with explosion
• Fix hook overlay being visible when pointing an object
• Goldie the Parrot now spawns in the center of blocks
• Level fixes and changes:
  • Bananarama: Close up some shortcuts
  • Change of Guard: Close up a shortcut
  • Reef of Five: Close up a shortcut
  • Fire in the Hole, but literally: Fix some detectors being unused
  • Three Drunken Sailors: Fix unused detector
  • Checkerboard Puzzle Box: Fix unused detector
• Minor level order change

Changelog (compared to previous stable version 1.4.0 from 2024):

• Brand-new, completely revised levels (116 levels in total)
• Levels are now ranked in one of 6 difficulties
• Improved graphics for some blocks
• Footstep particles on some surfaces
• Completely revised and walkable pirate ship
• In-game graphics settings
• In-game help books
• In-game credits
• Support for custom level packs
• Goldie the Parrot teaches you the game
• Onyx chests, bombs, triangle crystals, pillar crystals, color mixers, levers and more
• Some blocks now have iron screws (not rotatable) and copper screws (rotatable)
• Hooks now display a rotation overlay
• Chest animations
• Many decorative blocks
• Music
• Improved sound effects
• Beautiful island environments
• And a TON of more features and bugfixes (this is only a summary)

Acknowledgements
This game includes a lot of libre artworks and translations by others, which I am immesely grateful for. Read the full credits here.

[Wuzzy]

Lazarr! version 2.1.0 released

This is the first update after the big 2.0.0 milestone release. If you didn’t play this game for a while, check out the previous post for details. It’s worth it! :-)

Version 2.1.0 is a small update that just refines the game a little, that’s all.

A new music plays in your pirate ship: Pirates Carol by OpenGameArt.org user Bobjt. I think it fits the theme much better and makes the ship feel more alive.

Due to player request, you can now change the music volume.

A few blocks for level building were added. They’re only for custom levels, they don’t exist in the official levels. The new trapdoor is like a normal door except it is meant to be placed flat. Like door segments, it can be used as a level exit, or be used as a decorative barrier.

Changelog:

• Can now change music volume (with loudspeaker block, game setting or /music command)
• Replaced music Seaside Village with Pirates Carol (by Bobjt)
• Move level Particle Accelerator to next difficulty rank
• Move level Bombastic Beach to previous difficulty rank
• Add blocks: Wooden trapdoor, loose wood stairs, loose wood slabs
• Editor: New tool: Water Plant Grower (grows plants underwater)
• Editor: Goldie speech now supports multiple lines
• Editor: Triggers will be saved in predictable order
• Add more automatic level quality checks to reject bad levels
• No longer write credits into console
• Fix level error ignited_bomb not showing
• Fix some crashes when loading bad levels
• Fix detectors not playing particle+sound effect if activated by a laser that was activated by a lever
• Translation updates

Call for Community Levels
While the official game already has 116 levels, I will gladly take community levels to add in a level pack.

If you made a good level in the level editor, consider submitting it to the Forgotten Treasures level pack—the official community level pack, curated by me. There are currently 4 levels, but there’s potential for more. ;-)

[Wuzzy]

A minor version has been released: 2.1.1

Changes:

• Fix editor not resetting level area when loading level
• Controls help text in first level is now smaller on small/medium screens
• Translation updates (Swedish: 25%, Spanish: 59%)

[Wuzzy]

Version 2.1.2 released!

This version fixes a critical bug causing the game not to work, or behave very badly, if the Luanti settings had a low value for the mapgen_limit setting. Now this game should world regardless of your Luanti settings. Your Luanti settings file will NOT be touched.

EDIT:
Version 2.1.3 released!

There was a problem with the license info in the credits, which is now fixed. If you used any content of this game, please read the details here.

[Wuzzy]

Version 2.1.4 released!

This fixes the annoying error message spam that started appearing in Luanti 5.15.0 when you load a level. These error message were faulty, there was no actual error.

[Wuzzy]

Version 2.1.5 released!

This is a critical bugfix release. It turned out that since Luanti 5.15.0, the pirate ship menu sometimes just didn't generate at all and made the game unplayable.

I fixed this by forcing the game to use a default setting for "num_emerge_threads" of 1. If you have set this setting manually in your Luanti settings, you should reset it to the default.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

By the way …

I’ve been working on new features on this game again.
I was bothered that you can't do much with laser colors so far except mixing and detecting.
But if you can have color, why not do more with it?

So these are new blocks that MAY come in a FUTURE release:

Filter glass removes certain colors of a laser and lets others pass. For example, if a white laser hits red filter glass, only a red laser goes out on the other side.
One-way glass allow lasers to go through only in one direction.
Dichroic mirrors can split laser into two color components by letting one color pass and the other one is deflected. It can be seen as a reverse mixer. Or like a combination of beam splitter and filter glass. For example, a white laser hitting a red dichroic mirror will split it into a red laser (that goes through) and cyan laser (that is deflected).

It sounds super complicated but I think it should be more intuitive when actually playing. Oh, and the dichroic mirrors actually were a player suggestion and I thought this was a cool idea.

lzr_newblocks.jpg (62.2 KiB) Viewed 363 times

[Wuzzy]

I’ve been busy working on version 2.2.0 of this game.

In the meantime, the new blocks filter glass, one-way glass and dichroic mirrors have been finalized. They all work as intended now.

I plan to add 18 new levels. 8 are already complete.

The next version will (hopefully) be more mobile-friendly.

First, it will have a more robust UI that works with smaller screens as well, important for mobile devices.
I will change the touchscreen control scheme to something that is more "logical": Short tap will be punch/take and long tap will be place/interact. This simple change makes the game much more playable IMHO. Until now, it was the other way around which is more annoying.

Level packs will be able to specify a minimum Lazarr! version that they depend on. They will also be able to specify the difficulty of each level, just like in the main levels.

And finally, there are a lot of technical changes behind the scenes.