I am the author of the SDL2 bindings for CHICKEN Scheme. Like I did with the January jam, I will be making a game as an example for how to use the library. I will be making a scrolling space shoot-em-up game. The gameplay will probably be quite simple, but with lots of enemies and bullets on screen so I can test the performance of the library.

I am posting progress updates on my blog once or twice a day. Right now I am working on collision detection and resolution.

Here is my latest screenshot, since everyone loves pictures:

P.S. Source code is published here as I go, in case anyone wants to play along.

I am creating a local multiplayer platformer game, where the players scramble to collect coins and gems that randomly appear throughout the level. It is inspired by the old Super Mario Bros Battle Mode, but with more emphasis on moving fast to collect lots of treasure, not trying to make the other player die. If I have enough time, players will be able to bump into each other, throw items, and trigger trap walls and platforms to try to slow down the other players. If I don't have time for all that, it will simply be a race to see which player can navigate the level fastest. I am going to try to make 2 or 3 levels, and have a simple text-based level format so other people can create their own custom levels.

Here is a mockup I made with the sprites I am using (from Kenney Game Assets), just to give a taste of what it will be like:

As I mentioned in the Introductions thread, I am using CHICKEN Scheme and the SDL2 bindings that I have been developing. Also, I am writing about the jam on my blog, one or two posts per day as I make progress.

Hello! My name is John Croisant. I live in Illinois, USA. I am the maintainer of the CHICKEN Scheme bindings for SDL2. I have participated in a few game jams in the past using Python and Ruby, but this will be my first jam using a Lisp dialect. :)

I will be using this jam as a reason to create another example game for the bindings. I will also try to hang out in the IRC channel (my handle is "jacius") during the jam in case people have questions about using the bindings, CHICKEN Scheme, or SDL in general.