This page was originally written in 1998, when color Macs had
only just become the norm. (See the words “Color Games” in your browser’s address bar? That’s a hint.) Think of it as a trip down Memory Lane rather
than as current advice. Inactive links have been deleted, and most of
the HTML has been dragged kicking and screaming into the present
millennium, but the body text is essentially unchanged.
Time to Move On
I started out using the World Builder game creation system, first
released in 1986 and now available as freeware. WB has built-in drawing
tools and its own programming language, many common actions are handled
in defaults, and the games’ user interface is almost flawless.
But, but, but . . .


This is probably what you noticed first. And if you have a PPC or
newer Mac, you must have wondered about the sound effects you were
missing.
It’s something like using your 28” stereophonic TV to watch a Chaplin
movie: sure, you’ll do it and enjoy it, but at the same time you
appreciate why they’re not making them like that any more.
As a game designer, I ran into another problem: World Builder will
only let you put so much code into each scene, and into the game as a whole.
Where Can I Learn More About World Builder?
IF{TEXT$=SEARCH}THEN
PRINT{You find a piece of paper with the scribbled words "World Builder."}
EXIT
Visit the Unofficial World Builder Page for information on other World Builder games and on World Builder itself.
And, if you’re curious about the genesis of my games,
the original WB versions are once again
available for download.
This page still exists, but is no longer maintained or updated. The site creator won’t mind if I quote his parting text (from April 2007):
In light of Apple’s decision to discontinue the Classic (i.e. MacOS 9) operating system environment under MacOS X 10.5, I have decided to shut down the Unofficial World Builder Home Page. Without Classic, World Builder and its games will no longer run on Macintosh computers. While I will make myself available for any questions you may have regarding World Builder or its games (at least those games with which I am familiar), I will no longer post World Builder, my World Builder games, or others’ games, on this web site.
Thank you for all of your interest and support over the past eleven years that I have hosted this site.
What If I Can’t Live Without Color?
Two game-development programs that I’ve recommended in the past are currently difficult or impossible to find.
If you come across James Burton’s “StoryMaker” application, hold on to it. This simple-to-use program supports 256 colors, uses standard-format Mac sounds (SND), and has a built-in programming language.
The Bad News
When last heard from, the author was living in Europe and was nearly impossible to get hold of.
The strangegames.com domain no longer exists.
If you’re more of an artist than a programmer, try “Adventure Creator”
from AutumnSoft. Unlike WorldBuilder and StoryMaker, AC has no graphics of its own; instead you import your artwork from the graphics program of your choice. And AC games require next to no coding.
More Bad News
AutumnSoft’s web site appears to be in a state of flux; recent visits have brought up only a blank screen.
Like Strange Games, Autumn Software is no longer in existence.
But What Did YOU Use?

If you’re feeling really ambitious—or you want absolute control over every feature of your games—you can do what I did: program the entire game from scratch using the programming language of your choice. Mine’s FutureBasic from Staz Software. FB is easier to learn than C, has excellent technical support and a very helpful newsgroup.
FutureBasic became freeware in 2008; you can find it on assorted download sites. If I knew Japanese, I might be able to explain why stazsoftware dot com—by that name, without redirect—is now a page about rentals in Tokyo.
Do You Have any Advice
for Game Designers?
Sure.
First: Do what you do best.
One reason my games have such a strong architectural emphasis is that, well, I basically can’t draw anything except
a straight line . . . and architectural drawing can be learned.
Second: Test. Test. And test again.
That doesn’t just mean bug-testing (does it go more than 24 hours without crashing?). It means getting people—preferably people you don’t know, who don’t know how your mind works—to play through your game. If you say “INSPECT” while everyone else in the world says “EXAMINE”, or if the same piece of furniture is a “CUPBOARD” in one room and a “WARDROBE” in another, you’ll end up with a lot of frustrated fans.