Level Editor Release
It's hard to believe it's been 4 years since Frog Hop released on Steam! Today we have a huge update for Frog Hop that introduces a custom level editor! The Level Editor tools allow you to create your own levels and play levels created by other players. All you have to do is install the (free) Level Editor DLC to get started.
Follow this link to view the full tutorial playlist, which will walk you through how to use the Tiled map editor to make your own levels.
Level Editor Q&A
Q: What is Tiled? Why does this require a third-party tool?
A: Tiled is an open source map editing tool. It is intended for designing levels for 2D games in a generic fashion. Developing a custom level editor in a game engine is no small task. It would take months if not years of effort to achieve something satisfactory, and even then there are better tools on PC for the task. While the experience is not quite as streamlined and custom-tailored as an in-game editor, the tool is very robust and afforded us the opportunity to integrate with Frog Hop a feature that would have otherwise taken too much work to be practical.
Q: What are the limitations? Can I make levels as big/complex as the real game?
A: The level editor supports nearly every feature that you will find in official levels. Aside from bosses, every enemy is available, every charm, and you can even add switches that activate moving blocks! It supports checkpoints and gems (although your gems don't carry over once you complete a level.) There are no size limits, and you can chain together as many different rooms as you would like in your level. You can even add your own custom music!
Q: Can I share levels with other people?
A: Certainly! All you have to do is zip up your map and world files and send them to your friends. Consider joining our Discord, as it is currently the best place for sharing with a broader audience. We'd love to see what you come up with!
Q: Are there plans for Steam Workshop integration?
A: Not at the moment. The audience for Frog Hop is fairly small, and only a portion of players are likely to use the level editor tool. If there is a strong interest, we will consider adding workshop integration and/or a way to download and browse levels in-game as a future update.
Q: HELP! I have this cool level idea, but I can't figure out how to do ____!
A: If you haven't already, check out the tutorial videos on Youtube linked above; these will guide you through the majority of the features in the Level Editor. If you're still unsure how to accomplish your goal, or if you have a suggestion for a feature to add, please post in the Steam discussions or in our Discord. (Linked above.)
Frog Hop 2.0 Update
Along with the level editor release, this update brings changes to the core game. Most of these are internal; there aren't any new levels or major features added. However, there are still a few small things worth mentioning.
- Colorblind option added. This changes some of the node and block colors so they are a bit higher contrast.
- Many optimizations for better performance, especially with rooms that have lots of water.
- When using a controller and going through a door, there is now a delay that prevents you from accidentally going back through that same door.
- Internally, the engine has been upgraded from GameMaker: Studio to GameMaker Studio 2. This shouldn't mean much to the end user, except maybe better performance and stability.
- Various minor bug fixes.
Anything Else Coming Up?
If you have been keeping abreast with Frog Hop news, you might have noticed we released on Android, iOS, and most recently Atari VCS. Next up for Frog Hop we are hoping to release on MacOS and Linux - we wanted to release the level editor first to bring the PC version fully up-to-date. The hope is that the Mac and Linux versions will also support custom levels at launch, since Tiled already is supported on these platforms.
Additionally, we would love to see Frog Hop on more consoles. Xbox One and PS4 are being targeted as the next priority, with hopes for a Switch release further down the line. PS5 and Xbox Series may also be supported via backwards compatibility, but as Frog Hop is a very simple game, there isn't much of a need to create an enhanced version for these consoles. There is no ETA on console ports at this time, and consider this an aspiration rather than a promise; there are a lot more factors and obstacles to releasing on consoles than on desktop, but it is something we still strongly desire! (It should also be noted that any console/mobile versions will not be able to support custom levels.)
News about progress on consoles probably will not get news posts on Steam, as it does not pertain to the Steam release. As such, if you are interested, please follow us on our social media channels to learn about any future updates.