Making Things Differently

Welcome to another issue of Ninja Sparks!

Well, that didn’t last long!

In the last issue I shared DarkBASIC Online, a website dedicated to the programming language I used to make games many years ago. Unfortunately, in the two weeks since publishing the newsletter, the website has been shut down and now redirects to a new game-making platform.

The new site uses a different programming language and even has an AI assistant that can write games for you. It’s quite a change from the days when I was typing out hundreds of lines of DarkBASIC code myself!

It’s a shame to see another little corner of the internet disappear, especially one I’d only recently rediscovered and which brought back so many happy memories.

On a more positive note, I’ve been revisiting one of my own old games recently, and I’ve discovered some interesting creative tools that are doing things a little differently.

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Tiny Little Office

This isn’t really a creative app, but I absolutely love it. It’s the sort of thing I like to make, and I wish I’d thought of it first. It’s an office suite!

Tiny Little Office runs entirely in your browser, without requiring an account or cloud storage. It includes a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tool and even a minimal drawing app. All the essentials, along with a few things you might not expect.

Your files are saved locally in your browser, so you can work on multiple documents without sending them to a central server. But the thing that excites me most is how it handles sharing.

Like Code Ninja and Emoji Art Maker, it can store your work directly inside a link. This makes sharing incredibly simple, without requiring a server to store everyone’s files. There are limitations, particularly with the size of documents you can share, but for smaller files it’s a wonderfully elegant solution.

I love this approach because it gives people more control over their work and privacy, while removing much of the complexity of traditional online services.

To demonstrate how it works, I’ve written a little story called The Ninja Who Collected Sparks. You can read it here. The entire story is stored inside that link!

Try Tiny Little Office

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Project Updates

I worked on three different projects over the last two weeks.

I spent some time getting my calculator app ready for release. It’s a project I started during the summer holidays that lets you create custom calculators for things like unit conversions, maths problems and splitting bills. You can also share your calculators through a link, just like Tiny Little Office, although I started making mine before discovering their site!

Unfortunately, the closer I get to finishing, the more little things I find that need improving. So I’ve slowed down a bit to make sure everything works properly before launching.

I also received an email from someone using Paint Ninja in a personal project. They were embedding the app on their website and wanted visitors to create images and save them to their server. So I spent some time improving that process and fixing a few bugs.

While I was at it, I added a text tool and improved the zooming and panning so it feels more like a traditional paint app. It’s always nice to hear from users and improve my tools based on their feedback.

Finally, I’ve been experimenting with a new game. It’s an updated version of Pixel Peak, a game jam project I made back in 2018.

The original was inspired by SkiFree, but with a bit more structure. You ski down mountains, dodging trees and other obstacles while trying not to crash. This time I’m turning it into a full game called Pixel Piste, with lots of levels to explore.

I’ve been having a lot of fun making it and hope you’ll enjoy it when it’s ready. If you like playing unfinished, possibly broken or buggy games, you can try the prototype here (I will be updating this periodically).

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Sparked Discoveries

Here’s a handful of odd and interesting corners of the web I stumbled across recently:

50 Reasons Why Everyone Should Want More Walkable Streets

This isn’t the sort of thing I normally post, but there was a lot here to like. One statistic in particular caught my attention:

Research suggests that walking boosts creative output an average of 60%.

Living in England, we’re fortunate that many of our towns and cities are more walkable than those in the US. However, commuting by car or public transport is still incredibly common, especially around London.

When I worked at Miniclip, I switched to working from home, long before that became fashionable. Removing the daily commute made a massive difference to my life.

If I ever had to commute again, I’d want to live close enough to walk. At least then I’d get some exercise and fresh air rather than sitting in traffic.

Fossify

Fossify is a collection of open-source, privacy-focused alternatives to common Android apps.

The big advantage is that they’re generally faster and simpler than the stock Android apps. They do their jobs without getting bogged down in flashy nonsense, and they don’t track your usage.

I’ve been experimenting with a few of them on my phone, particularly the calendar, gallery and camera apps. So far, I’m really enjoying their simplicity and speed.

Unfortunately, they’re not available on iOS. If you know of anything similar for Apple devices, please let me know!

A Comic Book Syllabus

These are the notes for a course on comics in education, presented as a minicomic that serves as the syllabus. It’s a wonderfully creative way to outline the course content and expectations.

I recently read Scott McCloud and Raina Telgemeier’s The Cartoonists Club, which explores similar ideas about making comics.

I love the idea of using comics in education, much like using animation to help students learn. Turning something you’ve learnt into a comic or animation encourages you to think about how to explain it clearly, helping reinforce your understanding.

Plus, it’s a lot more fun than writing another essay!

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Currently…

I’m currently listening to Florence Road and their new single 7563. I love a bit of rock, and they remind me of Paramore. Talking of which, I recently realised that Paramore’s Misery Business is almost 20 years old. Increasingly, things like this make me feel old.

I’m also reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. It’s a really engaging science fiction novel about a lone astronaut trying to save humanity.

I mentioned the special effects from the film in a previous newsletter, and I’ve finally got around to reading the book. I haven’t actually watched the film yet, but I hope to soon.

Loving it so far!