GAMELOOPER DESKTOP APP
INTERFACE
Home Screen
“Home Screen” is the black screen that opens up when you open GameLooper. You can also reach Home
Screen by pressing “Go To Home” button in the top left corner of GameLooper.
You can go to tutorials, create a new project, load a project or connect/disconnect your Dropbox
account from Home Screen.
Menu Bar
On the top, you can see the Menu Bar. “Go To Home” and “Save Project” buttons is on the left and
“Basic Mode”/“Pro Mode” radio buttons are next to them. “Zoom In”, “Zoom Out” and “Focus to
Center” buttons are in the middle. You can also manually write the zoom percentage next to zoom
buttons. If you are in a tutorial you can see “Objectives”, “Last Video” and “Maximize/Minimize Video”
buttons on the right side of the menu bar
Game Design Screen
When you open a project file or create a new one, Game Design Screen opens up where you can design
the looks and properties of your game.
You can see tabs on the left where you can manage the screens, images, animations, sounds, variables,
game objects etc. Project settings are at the top of all these tabs with the project name written on it.
You can see “Properties Bar” on the right when you select an object or a screen. Project settings also
opens up on the right.
In the middle is our current “Game Screen”. You can drag & drop objects and design your game screens.
This screen has analytical coordinate system properties. X represents horizontal properties and
increases from left to right. Y represents vertical properties and increases from top to bottom. Top Left
corner of a game screen is a point where X equals 0 and Y equals 0. Anything on top of the visible screen
means Y equals a negative number, similarly anything on the left of the visible screen means X equals a
negative number.
Mechanics Screen
When you click the “Open Mechanics” button with a gear on it, next to the screen name under
“SCREEN” tab on the left, you enter Mechanics Screen. Every screen has different mechanics and
Mechanics Screen.
On the top left, you can see the thumbnail version of the game screen.
On the left, you can see the Block List to create code blocks and algorithms to define the mechanics of
the game.
You can see “Trash Bin” to delete any unnecessary code blocks. Just drag and drop the blocks onto the
“Trash Bin”. We recommend dragging code blocks from their relatively top left corners.
To exit the Mechanics Screen, press the X button in the top left corner of Mechanics Screen, under the
Menu Bar.
Objectives Screen
If you are in a tutorial, you can see Objectives buttons on the right side of Menu Bar. Clicking Objectives
button opens up Objectives Screen with listed tutorial objectives. Each objective has a video button on
the right and completed objectives has a green tick on the left.
Panning around a screen
To move around Game Design or Mechanics Screen, you can right click on your mouse and drag.
Copy and paste
You can select a game object or code block and press “Ctrl+C” and then “Ctrl+V” on your keyboard to
copy and paste it (On Mac, press “Command+C” and then “Command+V”). Same game object or code
block will be added on the screen.
What are Basic Mode and Pro Mode
In Basic Mode, there are fewer tabs in Game Design Screen, and there are fewer code blocks in
Mechanics Screen. Basic Mode is to design the game only.
In Pro Mode, you can find the tools to make your game ready to publish on Apple App Store and Google
Play Store. “ANALYTICS”, “GAME NETWORK”, “IN APP PRODUCTS” “AD UNITS” and “NOTIFICATIONS”
tabs are added to the left of Game Design Screen and necessary code block are added under “when”
and “do” block lists.
Switching between Basic Mode and Pro Mode
To switch between Basic Mode and Pro Mode, use the radio buttons next to Save Button on Menu Bar.
Switching between Basic Mode and Pro Mode relaunches you game. Don’t forget to save your work
before switching.
TUTORIALS
What are tutorials for?
GameLooper Desktop App has embedded tutorials to teach how to use GameLooper and how to create
different mobile game types. If you are new to algorithms or game creation, we recommend to start
with the tutorials.
Selecting a tutorial
On the home screen, choose “GO TO TUTORIALS”, select the game you want to create and select the
tutorial you want. We recommend to complete tutorials in their order.
Before selecting a tutorial, you can watch the gameplay video by pressing video button on the left of the
tutorial logo. You need internet connection to watch videos. To close the video, use the “X” button on
the bottom.
Completing tutorials
When you enter a tutorial, you can see your objectives on the right top corner of Menu Bar. Each game
consists of several tutorials and each tutorial covers one feature of that game.
GameLooper tutorials give you step-by-step objectives. When an objective is completed, a green tick
mark appears on the left. You can watch the video of an objective on the right to learn how to complete
it.
You need internet connection to watch videos in the tutorials
Controlling tutorial videos
Each objective has a video showing how to complete it. You can watch this video by pressing the video
button on the right of that objective.
You can minimize or close the video on the top right corner of the video. If you have closed the video
window and started completing the objective, you can reopen the video by pressing the video button
next to objectives button on the top right corner of GameLooper.
To maximize the video when minimized, press the maximize button next to video button on the top
right corner of GameLooper.
If you have a connection problem with a video inside GameLooper, you can press YouTube logo on the
bottom right corner of that video and watch it on YouTube website in your browser.
Where are the tutorial project files
When you open your first tutorial, a folder named “GameLooper Games” is created on your desktop. As
you open tutorials, folders with the name of that tutorial will be created inside “GameLooper Games”
folder.
CREATING A PROJECT
Creating a new project
You can create your own project by clicking “CREATE NEW PROJECT” on the home screen. Choose a
name for your game, choose the orientation of your device, and press the green “+” button to create
the project in a specific folder on your computer. You will use this folder to store the project files.
Changing Project Settings
You can see your project name right above the “SCREEN” tab on the top left side of GameLooper.
Clicking this button opens up settings of your project on the right side of the screen.
You can change the resolution of your game by adjusting “Project Width” and “Project Height”. You can
change the device orientation by choosing either “Is Landscape” or “Is Portrait”. “Project Width” value is
always the resolution of the short side of the device, regardless of the orientation. We recommend using
640x960 resolution for compatibility of all devices.
You can also add gravity to your project under project settings. “Gravity X” is horizontal gravity with
positive values being to the right and “Gravity Y” is vertical gravity with positive values being to the
bottom.
IMAGES AND SOUNDS
Importing images and sounds into a GameLooper project
Just place your assets (images, sounds and sprite-sheet animations) into your project’s folder. You
determine this folder when you first create your project. GameLooper automatically recognizes your
image and sound files inside your project folder.
You can see your images under “IMAGE” tab on the left side of GameLooper. GameLooper only
recognizes .PNG files.
You can see your sound files under “SOUND” tab on the left side of GameLooper. GameLooper only
recognizes .MP3 files.
Creating animations
GameLooper uses sprite-sheet animations (an image file with every frame of the animation is next to
each other, like a movie strip) to create animations. To create an animation, press on the “+” button
with a running man animation under “ANIMATION” tab on the left side of GameLooper. On the pop-up
menu, first choose your sprite-sheet file using “Sprite Base Name” dropdown menu. You need to divide
the sprite sheet into frames by entering the number of rows and columns in the image. Determine
which frames to play, name your animation and enter the animation time in milliseconds. Create your
animation by clicking the green “+” button.
VARIABLES
What is a variable
A variable is a storage location paired with a symbolic name. They contain information referred to as a
“value”. There are some predefined variables in GameLooper like displayHeight. “displayHeight” is the
name of the variable, and the height of the display on the mobile device that your game is running is the
value of this variable. You can use a variable in mathematical equations; for example you can put an
object in the middle of the screen by defining its vertical location to half of displayHeight.
Variable values can be numbers, booleans (true or false), or a string (like a text)
You can see predefined variables under the VARIABLE tab on the left side of GameLooper.
Predefined variables
adsRemoved: a stored boolean variable that represents if the ads are removed or not.
deltaTime: a number variable representing the time frame of each game loop update in milliseconds.
displayHalfHeight: a number variable representing the half of displayHeight variable. This variable’s
value depends on the device it is running.
displayHalfWidth: a number variable representing the half of displayWidth variable. This variable’s
value depends on the device it is running.
displayHeight: a number variable representing the height of the device screen. This variable’s value
depends on the device it is running.
displayWidth: a number variable representing the width of the device screen. This variable’s value
depends on the device it is running.
gameTime: a number variable representing the time frame from the beginning of the game application
in milliseconds.
language: a stored string variable representing the language of the device in two letter ISO language
codes.
operatingSystem: a stored string variable representing the operating system of the device. It can either
be “ios” or “android”
Defining a new variable
To define a new variable, click on the “+” sign with (x,y) written on it, under the VARIABLE tab on the left
side of GameLooper. On the pop-up menu, define a name for your variable, choose the type of the
variable value. If the will be stored or bounded to an object, choose the settings and press the green “+”
button.
What is a stored variable
Stored variables are saved on your device, even if you close the game. For example; when you close a
game app, you do not need to keep the score value of that game, but you may want to keep the high
score value to show on your next play.
To define stored variable, mark the “Will it be stored?” checkbox in the variable pop-up. You can change
this setting in the property bar on the right, after you click on the variable name under VARIABLE tab on
the left side of GameLooper.
What is a bounded variable
Same variables can be bounded to objects. For example, you can define a variable called “life” and
bound it to enemies. In this case every enemy would have its own life and you can remove any enemy
when their life reaches to zero.
Deleting a variable
To delete a variable, you can press the red “-“ sign next to that variable under the VARIABLE tab on the
left. Make sure you have not used that variable in your mechanics before deleting it.
SCREENS
What is a screen
Think of screens in as different pages consisting of different contents and mechanics. For example you
can create a menu screen, settings screen, different levels on different screens, and a separate game
over screen.
Adding images and animations on a screen
You must first select a screen to add contents on. Under the SCREEN tab on the left side of GameLooper,
You can see your screens. If you have not changed any screens in your project, it should be named as
Screen1. Just click on a screen name to select that screen.
If you want to add an image to your screen, go to IMAGE tab on the left. You can see every PNG image
you inserted into your game project folder and each of these images has a “+” sign on their right.
Pressing that “+” button adds your image to your selected screen.
If you want to add an animation to your screen, go to ANIMATION tab on the left. You can see the
animations you have created using sprite-sheets. Pressing the “+” sign on their right will add your
animation to your selected screen.
When you add images and animations on a screen, you can see them in the middle of your selected
screen. You can also see them listed under that screen’s name under SCREEN tab on the left.
Creating a new screen
You can see three buttons under SCREEN tab on the left. Clicking the one on the left with a “+” sign and
a rectangle will open “Add New Screen” pop-up menu. You can define a name for your new screen and
press the green “+” button to create your new screen.
Duplicating a screen
You can see three buttons under SCREEN tab on the left. Clicking the one in the middle with a sign of
two pages on top of each other will open “Duplicate Screen” pop-up menu. You can define a name for
your new screen and choose a screen to duplicate, then press the green “+” button to duplicate that
screen. All the objects and mechanics on your first screen will be duplicated to new one. Duplicating
screens are generally useful to create different levels in a game.
What is an initial screen
Inıtial screen is the one screen that will open up first and the user will see when the game is run on a
mobile device. There is always one initial screen in your project and initial screens cannot be deleted.
Changing the initial screen of a project
When you select a screen under SCREEN tab on the left, property bar of that screen will appear on the
right. When you check the “Initial Screen” checkbox, that screen will become the initial screen.
This checkbox cannot be unchecked because your game has to have one initial screen and GameLooper
does not know which screen should become initial. You should always check the checkbox of the screen
you want to make initial.
Deleting a screen
To delete a screen, press the red “-“ button next to that screen name under SCREEN tab on the left.
Initial screens cannot be deleted. There is no red “-“ button next to the initial screen.
Turning a screen into Camera
To define a camera, you can select a screen and go to properties of that screen on the right. You can see
“CAMERA” settings. When you select an object for “Bounded to” dropdown menu, the screen becomes
a camera. You can select the bounds by changing Left, Right, Top and Bottom values. These values are
multiplied by your display width/height. The bounded object can freely move inside the view. When it
reaches a bound, the camera starts to move with the bounded object.
For example, imagine creating Super Mario. You can bound camera to Mario and define the right bound
to 0,75 of display width. When Mario reaches the right quarter of the screen, camera moves with the
Mario.
GAME OBJECTS
What is a game object
Whatever you add on your screen is a game object. When you add an image, an animation or a text to a
screen, they become game objects with physical or non-physical properties and you can add specific
mechanics.
Adding a new game object
Under SCREEN tab on the left side, there is a button with a “+” and a smiley face called “Add New Game
Object” button. When you press it, a pop-up menu opens. First choose the type of object you want to
add on the top left; sprite (image), animation or text. Name your object, and fill out other forms at the
bottom.
If you have selected “Sprite”, you should decide which sprite you want to use.
If you have selected “Animation”, choose your sprite-sheet and the animation you have created from
that sprite-sheet.
If you have selected Text, you should decide whether this text will be a stationary text file, or a text that
shows a variable. “Text Text” is stationary; it shows only what you write in that box. “Text Variable” is
bounded to a variable; if you change the variable, the text also changes. It is useful to for example write
score on the screen.
You can also add image and animation by pressin + sign next to the image/animation under “IMAGE” or
“ANIMATION” tab.
Game object names
When you add an image to a screen by pressing “+” sign next to that image, GameLooper automatically
names the object same as the image name. For example, if you add “Bird.png” to a screen, that game
object will be named as “Bird”. If you add same image to the same screen, second object will be
automatically named as “Bird2”.
If you add an image by pressing “Add New Game Object” button with a smiley face, you can name the
object manually.
When you add an animation to a screen, GameLooper automatically names the object same as the
name of that animation’s sprite-sheet. For example, you have a sprite-sheet called “Hero.png” and you
have created two animations called “Running” and “Standing”. When you add either “Running” or
“Standing” to a screen, the game object will be named as “Hero”. When you add either of these
animations to the same screen, new game object will be named as “Hero2”. This way you can change
the animation of a game object when creating the mechanics. For example you can change the
animation of “Hero” from “Standing” to “Running” when it starts to run inside the game.
If you add an animation by pressing “Add New Game Object” button with a smiley face, you can name
the object manually.
When you add a text, you have to use “Add new game object” button, and you can name the object
manually.
Selecting a game object
You can directly click on an object on screen to select it.
You can also see every game object on a screen listed under that screen’s name under SCREEN tab on
the left. Clicking on the name of a game object will select it. This is especially useful when a game object
is behind another one, or it is out of the current visible part of the screen.
Deleting a game object
You can select a game object and press “Delete” on your keyboard (on Mac, press “Backspace” on your
keyboard). Alternatively, you can press the red “-“ button next to the object name listed under the
screen name on the left.
GameLooper will ask you if you are sure to remove that game object on a pop-up menu. If you are sure,
press the red “-“ button to remove it.
If you have defined mechanics to that game object, they will be affected. So, before removing a game
object, we recommend to first remove the associated mechanics of the game object.
Duplicating a game object
You can select the game object and press “Ctrl+C” and then “Ctrl+V” on your keyboard to copy and
paste it (On Mac, press “Command+C” and then “Command+V”). Same game object will be added on
the top left corner of the game screen.
Copying and pasting game objects between screens are not allowed because every screen has different
game objects and can have conflicting objects.
Moving a game object while designing the game screen
You can select the game object and drag with you mouse.
To precisely locate a game object, you can change its position coordinates. When you select a game
object, you can see its properties on the properties bar on the right.
X value is the horizontal position of the game object (Left side of the game screen is being 0 (zero) and
increasing to the right).
Y value is the vertical position of the game object (Top side of the game screen is being 0 (zero) and
increasing to the down).
Z value shows the order of the game objects in the screen (Zero being behind every other object and
increasing towards the front). For example, Z value of background images should be zero, and if you
want an object to be behind another object, its Z value should be lower than the other. When you add a
new object, its Z value is automatically higher than the previously added object, meaning, newly added
object is in front of the previous ones.
Resizing a game object
First, select the game object. On the properties bar on the right, find “xScale” and “yScale” which are
horizontal and vertical scale ratios, respectively. For example, if you change both xScale and yScale to 2,
the object looks twice the size in both directions. Increasing only xScale makes the object look wider,
only increasing yScale makes the object look taller. Negative values makes the object look the other
way; negative xScale mirrors object right to left, negative yScale mirrors object upside-down.
You can also resize an object by precisely writing “Width” and “Height” values in pixels under xScale and
yScale values on the properties bar on the right.
Rotating a game object
First, select the game object. On the properties bar on the right, find “Rotation”. Write the value you
want to turn your object clockwise in degrees on a scale of 360.
Changing transparency of a game object
After selecting a game object, you can see the “Alpha” value on the properties bar on the right. Alpha
can be between 0 and 1; 1 means fully visible, 0 means fully transparent.
What is anchor point
Anchor point is the center or reference point of an object. For example, when you place an object to a
(X,Y) coordinate, you are actually placing the anchor point of the object; or when you rotate an object,
you are rotating the object around its anchor point.
Normally, anchor point is in the middle of the object; xAnchor:0.5 and yAnchor:0.5. xAnchor can be
between any number from 0 to 1, from the left of the objet to the right of the object. yAnchor can also
be between any number from 0 to 1, from top of the objet to the bottom of the object.
Changing the location of anchor point of a game object
After selecting a game object, you can see the “xAnchor” and “yAnchor” values on the properties bar on
the right. xAnchor is horizontal, yAnchor is vertical anchor locations inside a game object and they can
be between 0 and 1.
What are “Directly located on the screen” and “Will be spawned in run time” options
These options can be seen in the middle of the properties bar on the right, when you select an object.
If an object is “Directly located on the screen”, that object will be there when the game starts. Objects,
on default, are diretly located on the screen. When you change it to “Will be spawned in run time” you
have to spawn it in the game, otherwise it won’t be present. This is useful when you need to have the
same object many times (like enemies and bullets). Instead of adding every object individually, you can
add one and spawn it in the game whenever you need it.
Making an object spawnable
First select the object, then choose “Will be spawned in run time” instead of “Directly located on the
screen” in the middle of the properties bar on the right.
Making an object into a physical game object
On default, game objects are not physical and they do not get effected by gravity or each other. That’s
because the objects body type is “None”. To give an object physical properties, you should change its
body type to “Static”, “Dynamic” or “Kinematic”. You can see this setting on the property bar on the
right when you select an object.
What are “Static”, “Dynamic” and “Kinematic” body types
Static bodies are not effected by gravity, speed and forces; so, they do not move. For example walls in a
game are generally static bodies.
Dynamic bodies are affected by gravity, speed and forces. They also collide with other body types.
Kinematic bodies are not affected by gravity and forces, they can only be moved by changing speed.
They do not collide with other static and kinematic bodies, but they can only collide with dynamic
bodies.
For example; imagine a side scrolling platform game, like Super Mario, where our character needs to get
to the right and there are some rotating barriers in the way. Since the platform under our character
needs to stay where it is, its body type should be “Static”. Our character needs to stay on the platform
even if it jumps; so, it needs to be affected by gravity and its body type should be “Dynamic”. Since the
barrier in front of the character is rotating, sometimes it goes inside the platform and sometimes goes
outside to prevent our character from passing. Its body type should be “Kinematic” because it should be
able to move, but should not collide with the platform while it can collide with our character.
What is body shape
Body shape is a property of physical objects, and it can either be rectangle like a box or circle like a ball.
Body shape defines/draws the shape of your physical game object regardless of the image or the
animation. It is used in physical calculations by the software and objects hit each other according to that
shape.
Changing the body shape of physical objects
Select the physical object and change the “Body Shape” to “Rectangle” or “Circle” in the properties bar
on the right.
Density of physical objects
Objects with more density are harder to move by collisions with other physical objects. You can select
the physical object and change the “Density” value on the properties bar on the right.
Friction of physical objects
Objects with more friction slows faster when they are rubbed against a surface; objects with 0 frictions
does not slow down on a surface. You can select the physical object and change the “Friction” value on
the properties bar on the right.
Bounce of physical objects
Objects with more bounce value bounces back more when collided with an object. For example, imagine
a ball falling to the ground. With 0.5 bounce, it jumps back half the height each time it falls to the
ground. With bounce value of 1, it always jumps to the same height and never stops. With 0 bounce, it
immediately stops when hit to the ground. With bounce value of 2, it always jumps twice the height.
You can select the physical object and change the “Bounce” value on the properties bar on the right.
What is “Is Fixed Rotation” property of an object
Objects with fixed rotation does not rotate with physical interactions. If you want an object to have fixed
rotation, select the object and check the “Is Fixed Rotation” checkbox on the properties bar on the right.
What is “Is Bullet” property of an object
Physics engines check the physical state of the objects with a certain frequency. Objects with greater
speeds, like bullets, may need more frequent calculations to be correctly simulated. Imagine taking a
photograph of a bullet every second; one second it was in front of the wall, another second it is behind
the wall. In none of the photographs the bullet hits the wall, so you may falsely conclude that the bullet
did not hit the wall. But if you have taken more frequent photographs you could have seen the bullet
hitting the wall. Similarly, physics engine needs to check fast objects more frequently.
To make physics to check an object more frequently, select the object and check the “Is Bullet”
checkbox on the properties bar on the right.
What is “Is Sensor” property of an object
If an object is a sensor, it collides with other objects but does not affect other objects physics. For
example in a running game, you can place an invisible sensor object in a certain distance. When the
character reaches the sensor they hit each other and you can increase the score, but the sensor does
not affect our character; it is just a sensor.
To turn an object into a sensor, select the object and check the “Is Bullet” checkbox on the properties
bar on the right.
“On Camera” vs “On HUD”
You can see this setting on top of the properties bar when you select an object.
When your camera is moving with the bounded object, “on Camera” objects seems moving on the
device’s screen. But if an object is “on HUD” (Head up display), it stays on the device screen.
For example, imagine a Super Mario game with on screen arrow buttons. When Mario is moving right,
every “on Camera” objects seems moving left, like enemies, platforms etc. But the arrow keys need to
stay on the screen, so they should be “on HUD”, a.k.a. on display.
ANALYTICS
Adding analytics to your game allows you to track your players’ trends and actions anonymously.
You can see “ANALYTICS” tab on the left of the Design Screen, when you enable “Pro Mode”. To switch
between Basic Mode and Pro Mode, use the radio buttons next to Save Button on Menu Bar.
In order to use analytics in your game, you should have a Flurry developer account. Visit
https://dev.flurry.com to obtain
Adding new analytics
Under ANALYTICS Tab, press “Add New Analytics” button with a graph icon. On the pop-up screen, enter
your Flurry ID’s for iOS and Android. Also name your event and press green “+” button.
Changing Flurry IDs of an analytics item
Select the analytics item under ANALYTICS tab. On the properties bar on the right, you can change the
Flurry IDs for iOS and Android.
Deleting an analytics
Select the analytics item under ANALYTICS tab. Press red “-“ button on its right to delete the item.
GAME NETWORK
Adding game network to your game allows your players to track their achievements and leaderboard
status to compete with each other on Apple Game Center or Google Play Game Services.
You can see “GAME NETWORK” tab on the left of the Design Screen, when you enable “Pro Mode”. To
switch between Basic Mode and Pro Mode, use the radio buttons next to Save Button on Menu Bar.
If you are planning to publish your game on your own, you have to set up ‘achievements’ and
‘leaderboard’ in iTunes Connect (for iOS) and Google Play Developer Console (for Android). If you are
planning to publish your game with GameLooper, you can leave achievements and leaderboard IDs for
iOS and Android blank.
Creating a new leaderboard
Under GAME NETWORK tab, press “Add New Leaderboard” button with three boards behind it. On the
pop up menu, name your leaderboard (for example “High Score”). Then fill in ID forms if you are going
to publish the game on your own. Press green “+” button to create the leaderboard.
Leaderboards are colored cyan under GAME NETWORK tab.
Creating a new achievement
Under GAME NETWORK tab, press “Add New Achievement” button with a trophy behind it. On the pop
up menu, name your Achievement (for example “Reached 100 meters”). Then fill in ID forms if you are
going to publish the game on your own. Press green “+” button to create the achievement.
Achievements are colored grey under GAME NETWORK tab.
Changing IDs of a game network item
Select the game network item under GAME NETWORK tab. On the properties bar on the right, you can
change iOS, Android and Google Play Game Services App ID.
Deleting a game network item
Select the game network item under GAME NETWORK tab. Press red “-“ button on its right to delete the
item.
IN APP PRODUCTS
In app products are the items that you can sell inside your game for your players via Apple App Store or
Google Play Store.
You can see “IN APP PRODUCTS” tab on the left of the Design Screen, when you enable “Pro Mode”. To
switch between Basic Mode and Pro Mode, use the radio buttons next to Save Button on Menu Bar.
If you are planning to publish your game on your own, you have to add your products in iTunes Connect
(for iOS) and Google Play Developer Console (for Android). If you are planning to publish your game with
GameLooper, you can leave product IDs for iOS and Android blank.
Creating an in app product
Under IN APP PRODUCTS tab, press “Add New In App Product” button with a shopping cart behind it. On
the pop up menu, name your product (for example “500 coins”). Then fill in product ID forms for iOS and
Android if you are going to publish the game on your own. Press green “+” button to create the in app
product.
Changing IDs of an in app product
Select the in app product under IN APP PRODUCTS tab. On the properties bar on the right, you can
change iOS and Android IDs.
Deleting an in app product
Select the in app product under IN APP PRODUCTS tab. Press red “-“ button on its right to delete the
item.
AD UNITS
Ad Units allows you to show adds inside your game, which provides some revenue in return.
You can see “AD UNITS” tab on the left of the Design Screen, when you enable “Pro Mode”. To switch
between Basic Mode and Pro Mode, use the radio buttons next to Save Button on Menu Bar.
If you are planning to publish your game on your own, you have to add your ad units in related ad
networks separately for iOS and Android. If you are planning to publish your game with GameLooper,
you can leave IDs blank.
Add unit types
Banner ads are small horizontal ads that are shown on the bottom of the screen. When these ads are on
the screen, the game is still playable. These ads are generally shown while either the game is being
played or user is navigating through the menus.
Full screen ads cover the whole screen either with still images or a video. When these ads are on the
screen, the game is not playable. These ads are generally shown when the game is over or changing to
another game screen.
Rewarded ads are full screen video ads that offers an in game reward. When these ads are on the
screen, the game is not playable and skipping these ads results in losing the reward. These ads can be
placed anywhere in your gameplay depending on your monetization plan.
Creating an add unit
Under ADD UNITS tab, press “Add New Ad Unit” button with a megaphone behind it. On the pop up
menu, name your ad unit, select the type of the ad unit then select the ad network you want to obtain
the ads. Then fill in unit ID forms for iOS and Android if you are going to publish the game on your own.
Press green “+” button to create the add unit.
Changing IDs of an add unit
Select the ad unit under ADD UNITS tab. On the properties bar on the right, you can change iOS and
Android IDs.
Deleting an add unit
Select the ad unit under ADD UNITS tab. Press red “-“ button on its right to delete the item.
NOTIFICATIONS
Notifications allows your game to show notify the player outside of the game..
You can see “NOTIFICATIONS” tab on the left of the Design Screen, when you enable “Pro Mode”. To
switch between Basic Mode and Pro Mode, use the radio buttons next to Save Button on Menu Bar.
Creating a notification
Under NOTIFICATIONS tab, press “Add New notification” button with a bell behind it. On the pop up
menu, name your notification. Press green “+” button to create the in app product.
Deleting a notification
Select the notification under NOTIFICATIONS tab. Press red “-“ button on its right to delete the item.
MECHANICS
Opening Mechanics Screen
When you click the “Open Mechanics” button with a gear on it, next to the screen name under
“SCREEN” tab, you enter Mechanics Screen. Every screen has different mechanics and Mechanics
Screen.
Block List
When you open a Mechanics Screen, you will see the Block List on the left, inside colored circles. They
are colored and grouped according to their functions; events, condition, actions, timer, mathematics
and repetitions.
Creating a code block
To create a code block, hover over a block list item with your mouse. Some list items has sub-categories
and hovering over them will show new block list items. Click on an item drag and drop onto the canvas.
Moving a code block
To move a code block, click on a colored part of the block and drag. GameLooper perceives the location
of a code block on its top left corner, not the location of the mouse. So, we recommend moving code
blocks by clicking close to their top left corners.
Interlocking code blocks
To create a mechanic, you need to interlock code blocks in a meaningful way. Code blocks has special
shapes to fit into each other. When you drag the top left corner of a code block to a compatible
interlocking position, the area highlights. When you drop the block, it will be interlocked.
Yellow “When” blocks has to be on the outside, covering other code blocks to run when that event
occurs.
Blue “If” block, pink “Timer” block and turquoise “Repeat” blocks can be inside each other and “When”
blocks.
Green “Do” blocks has to be inside other blocks, to do an action when time for those “When”, “If”,
“Timer” and “Repeat” comes.
“Math” blocks can only fit inside white hexagonal slots on “If”, “Do” and other “Math” blocks.
Any code block/blocks without an event block on the outside would be omitted and does not run.
Duplicating groups of code blocks
To duplicate a code block, first click on the code block to select it. If you want to copy a group of
interlocked code blocks, click on the block which is outside the others. Press “Ctrl+C” and then “Ctrl+V”
on your keyboard to copy and paste it (On Mac, press “Command+C” and then “Command+V”.
Copying and pasting code blocks between screens are not allowed because every screen has different
game objects.
Deleting a code block
You can drag the code block into the trash bin, or you can select the code block and hit “Delete” on your
keyboard.
Collapsing event blocks
You can press “Collapse Button” with two arrows pointing each other on the top left side of an event
block to visually hide the blocks inside of it. When an event block is collapsed, Collapse Button turns into
“Expand Button” with two arrows pointing away from each other.
If you are having trouble finding a code block you have created, you may want to check if it is inside a
collapsed event block.
Event Blocks
Yellow “When” on the block list represents event blocks.
When>Game>Initialized: When that game screen starts running
When>Game>Over: Right before that game screen stops running and another game screen starts.
When>Game>Updated: During the game screen is running. Game screens has a refresh rate, like movies
has frames. This event block represent each time that screen refreshes itself, which is approximately 30
times per second, depending on device performance.
When>Screen>Finger Pressed: When player touches the screen of the device. This event is a one-time
event, running on the start of that touch.
When>Screen>Finger Dragged: When player drags a finger on the screen of the device. This event is
continuous, running as long as the finger moves on the screen.
When>Screen>Finger Released: When player stops touching the screen of the device. This event is a
one-time event, running at the end of that touch.
When>Screen>Finger Slided: When player slides a finger to a specific direction on the screen of the
device. You can select the direction of the slide from the dropdown menu on the code block. This event
is a one-time event, running with that slide.
When>Screen>Tilt: When player tilts the device and accelerometer data of the device is updated.
When>Game Object>Hit: When two physical game objects collide with each other. You can select the
objects by clicking object selection arrows. Game objects must have physical body types to appear on
the code block.
When referring to these colliding objects inside this event block, the object on the left side, which is
hitting the other one, is defined as “related” object, whereas the object on the right side, which is hit by
the other one, is defined as “collided” object.
When>Game Object>Pressed: When player touches on a game object with a finger. You can select the
game object by clicking object selection arrows.
When>Game Object>Dragged: When player drags a game object with a finger. You can select the game
object by clicking object selection arrows. This event is continuous, running as long as the game object is
being dragged on the screen.
When>Game Object>Released: When player stops touching on a game object with a finger. You can
select the game object by clicking object selection arrows.
When>Game Object>Spawned: When a new game object is spawned. You can select the game object
by clicking object selection arrows. Game objects must be spawnable to appear on the code block. You
can spawn a game object by using Do>Game Object>Spawn code block.
When>Game Object>Removed: When a game object is removed from the screen. You can select the
game object by clicking object selection arrows.
Pro Mode Event Blocks
When>System>Started: When the game application starts running
When>System>Suspended: When the game application is suspended in the background because the
device switches to another application or to device OS.
When>System>Resumed: When the suspended game application starts running again.
When>System>Started: When the game application is closed.
When>In App Product> Purchased: When user purchases an in app product. You can select the in app
product using the dropdown menu.
When>Ads>Watched: When user completes watching a rewarded ad. You can select the rewarded ad
using the dropdown menu.
When>Notification>Clicked: When user returns to the game application by clicking the notification. You
can select the notification using the dropdown menu.
Condition Block
Blue “If” on the block list is the condition block.
If: “If” block is used check a condition. Two math blocks needs to be placed inside hexagonal math slots
to compare. If the condition on the first row of “If” block is met, inside of the “If” block starts running. If
the condition is not met, inside of the “If” block is skipped and inside of the “Else” part starts running.
Else can be left empty and if the condition is not met, whole block is skipped.
Action Blocks
Green “Do” on the block list represents action blocks.
Do>Variable>Edit: Use this block to change the value of a variable. You can select which variable to edit
from the dropdown menu. New value of the variable is defined by inserting a math block into the
hexagonal math slot.
Do>Game Object>Edit: Use this block to change a property of a game object. You can select the game
object by clicking object selection arrows. You can select which property to change by using the
dropdown menu. New value of the property is defined by inserting a math block into the hexagonal
math slot.
In different cases, the middle dropdown menu of this code block can or cannot be selectable. If it is
selectable, in every event except “When>Game Object>Hit”, the object mentioned in the event is
defined as “related” object. However, in “When>Game Object>Hit” event, the object on the left side of
the event, which is hitting the other one, is defined as “related” object, whereas the object on the right
side, which is hit by the other one, is defined as “collided” object.
Do>Game Object>Spawn: Use this block to spawn a new game object. You can select the game object
by clicking object selection arrows.
Do>Game Object>Remove: Use this block to remove a game object. You can select the game object by
clicking object selection arrows.
Do>Game Object>Change Animation: Use this block to change animation of a game object. You can
select the game object by clicking object selection arrows, and select which animation to be played from
the dropdown menu. You can only change animations between those created from the same spritesheet.
Do>Sound>Play: Use this block to start playing an .mp3 file. You can select which .mp3 file to play by
using the first dropdown menu. From the second dropdown menu, selecting “once” plays the sound
once and then stops, selecting “forever” loops the sound and plays it again and again.
Do>Sound>Stop: Use this block to stop playing an .mp3 file. You can select which .mp3 file to stop by
using the dropdown menu.
Do>Go To>Screen: Use this block to go to another game screen. You can select which screen to go to by
using the dropdown menu.
Pro Mode Action Blocks
Do>Go To>Leaderboards: Use this block to go to leaderboards page on Apple Game Center or Google
Play Game Services.
Do>Go To>Achievements: Use this block to go to achievements page on Apple Game Center or Google
Play Game Services.
Do>Go To>URL: Use this block to go to a web page using device’s web browser. A string math block is
included in this action block to write the url.
Do>Go To>App Page: Use this block to launch the app game on Apple App Store or Google Play Store. A
string math block is included in this action block to write the App ID for App Store or Package Name for
Play Store.
Do>Go To>Share Pop Up: Use this block to open device’s native pop-up share screen. A string math
block is included in this action block to write the message to be shared.
Do>Analytics>Log Event: Use this block to log an analytics event to Flurry. You can select which analytics
item to log from the dropdown menu
Do>Game Network>Set Highscore: Use this block to set a new highscore for a specific leaderboard. You
can select which leaderboard to update from the dropdown menu. New value of the leaderboard is
defined by inserting a math block into the hexagonal math slot.
Do>Game Network>Unlock Achievement: Use this block to unlock an achievement. You can select
which achievement to unlock from the dropdown menu.
Do>In App Purchase>Buy Product: Use this block to send in app purchase request to App Store or
Google Play. You can select which in app product to request from the dropdown menu.
Do>In App Purchase>Restore Purchase: Use this block to restore any previous purchase from the store,
if it was made.
Do>Ads>Show: Use this block to show ad units on the screen. You can select which ad unit to show from
the dropdown menu.
Do>Ads>Hide: Use this block to remove a banner ad units from the screen. You can select which banner
to remove from the dropdown menu.
Do>Notifications>Schedule: Use this block to schedule a notification from the point this block is run.
You can select which notification to show from the dropdown menu. One math number block and one
string math block are included in this action block to schedule the notification in seconds and to write
the message to be shown on the notification. The notification should arrive even when the game
application is closed.
Do>Notifications>Cancel All: Use this block to cancel all notifications.
Timer Block
Pink “Timer” on the block list is the timer block.
Timer: This block is used to keep a timer, repeatedly or once. It waits how many seconds entered in the
second raw, than runs the code blocks inside itself, and repeats how many times entered in the first
raw. For example if a timer block “Repeat 1 times, Wait 2 Seconds” is used, it waits 2 seconds, then runs
inside the timer block and does not repeat. But, If a timer block “Repeat 2 times, Wait 1 Seconds” is
used, it waits 1 second, runs inside the timer block, then waits another 1 second and runs inside the
timer block again.
Mathematical Blocks
“Math” on the block is represents mathematical blocks.
Math>Base: This block can hold another 2 math blocks, and used for arithmetic operations. “+” and “-“
is for addition and subtraction. “*” is for multiplication and “/” is for division. “%” gives the remainder
from dividing the first math block by the second block. Base block can also be used to combine two
strings blocks together with “+” operation.
Math>Variable: This block returns all defined variables to use it in other code blocks.
Math>Number: This block is used to manually enter numbers.
Math>Random Number: This block generates a random integer between the two numbers entered,
inclusively. Only integers should be entered in this block, because randomizing algorithm can also
generate the numbers you entered as boundaries. If you want to generate a random floating number,
you can enter a greater interval and divide by 10. For example, to generate a random floating number
between 1 and 2, you can use Random Number code block between 10 and 20 and use Base block to
divide by 10.
Math>True False: This block holds “True” and “False” values. You can use it to set a boolean variable to
set true or false, or set a condition with an If block that a variable is true or false.
Math>String: This block is used to manually enter text.
Math>Game Object: This block returns a property of a game object. You can select the game object by
clicking object selection arrows. You can select which property to get its value by using the dropdown
menu.
Math>Event: This block returns values from different events. You can get current position of a touch to
the device’s screen by selecting “Touch xPos” and “Touch yPos” from the dropdown menu. You can get
the starting touch position of finger dragging on the device’s screen by selecting “Touch Start xPos” and
“Touch Start yPos”.
You can also get readings from accelerometer in three axis.
When holding the device in portrait, “Acceleration xGravity” returns the value of right/left tilt between 1 and 1; -1 being full left tilt, home button on the right and 1 being full right tilt, home button on the
left. “Acceleration zGravity” returns the value between -1 and 1; -1 being fully tilting away from you,
device facing up and 1 being fully tilting towards you, device facing down.
When holding the device in landscape with home button on the right side, “Acceleration yGravity”
returns the value of right/left tilt between -1 and 1; -1 being full right tilt with home button on the
bottom, 1 being full left tilt with home button on the top, device upside down. “Acceleration zGravity”
returns the value between -1 and 1; -1 being fully tilting away from you, device facing up and 1 being
fully tilting towards you, device facing down.
Math>Function: This block holds another math block and calculates a functions of that block and returns
the value.
“abs” returns the absolute value of your math block.
“floor” returns the greatest integer number less than or equal to your math block.
“ceil” returns the smallest integer number greater than or equal to your math block.
“round” returns the closest integer number to your math block.
“sqrt” returns the square root of you math block.
“square” returns the value of your math block multiplied by itself.
“cube” returns the value of your math block cubed.
“sin” returns the sine value of your math block.
“cos” returns the cosine value of your math block.
Repetition Blocks
Turquoise “Repeat” on the block list represents repetition blocks.
Repeat> For Game Object: This block repeats the code blocks inside of it for each spawned game object
you select. You can select the a spawnable game object by clicking object selection arrows.
Repeat> X Times: This block repeats the code blocks inside of it for how many times you specified
without keeping a timer.
DROPBOX
Why do we need Dropbox
GameLooper allows you to test your games on your mobile device and it uses your Dropbox account to
simulate on your phone. When you save your project with your Dropbox account connected, project
files are uploaded to your Dropbox account in order to be downloaded by your mobile device and
simulated.
Connecting GameLooper Desktop App with Dropbox
Press “Connect Dropbox” button on the Home Screen of GameLooper Desktop App. You can reach
Home Screen when you open GameLooper Desktop App, or you can press Home Button on the left of
the Menu Bar.
After pressing “Connect Dropbox” button, a webpage of Dropbox loads, asking you to sign in to
Dropbox. Enter your credentials and press “Sign In”. On the next page, Dropbox asks you to allow
GameLooper to reach its own folder. Press “Allow” and it will return to Home Screen.
Connecting GameLooper Mobile App with Dropbox
Open “User Tab”. Press “Connect Dropbox” button on the bottom. A webpage of Dropbox loads, asking
you to sign in to Dropbox. Enter your credentials and press “Sign In”. On the next page, Dropbox asks
you to allow GameLooper to reach its own folder. Press “Allow” and it will return to GameLooper Mobile
App.
Disconnecting GameLooper Desktop App from Dropbox
Press “Disconnect Dropbox” button on the Home Screen of GameLooper Desktop App. You can reach
Home Screen when you open GameLooper Desktop App, or you can press Home Button on the left of
the Menu Bar.
Disconnecting GameLooper Mobile App from Dropbox
Open “User Tab”. Press “Sign Out” and it will sign you out from Dropbox.
Where are the project files stored on Dropbox
GameLooper only writes and reads a folder named “GameLooperGames” under “Apps” folder in your
Dropbox account. When you save a project won GameLooper Desktop App with Dropbox account signed
in, project files are automatically uploaded into “Your Dropbox/Apps/GameLooperGames” folder.
GameLooper Mobile App only recognizes and simulates projects inside “Your
Dropbox/Apps/GameLooperGames” folder.
GAMELOOPER MOBILE APP
INTERFACE
Mobile Tutorial
When you first open GameLooper Mobile App, you will see a small tutorial. Swipe left to read
instructions.
You can Reach this tutorial later by pressing “How to?” button under “User Tab”.
Tabs Bar
On Android devices, Tabs Bar is on the top of the screen, whereas on iOS devices, it is at the bottom.
The tab with a gamepad button opens “Showcase”. Because of Apple’s App Store policy, you may not
see Showcase tab on your iOS device. The tab with GameLooper logo opens up “My Games” in which
your games saved to your Dropbox account will be listed. On the right, you can see “User Tab” with
different settings.
Opening a game
Pressing the logo or the name of a game starts loading that game and runs. Loading progress is
visualized by a blue progress bar under that game.
Orientation of a game
GameLooper Mobile App can only be used in portrait mode. However games can be portrait or
landscape. GameLooper will display a notification to turn your device when necessary.
Closing a game
On android, pressing back button on the device will close that game.
On iOS, there is a floating “Close Button” with an X, that closes the game. You can change location of
that button by dragging it with your finger.
Sharing a game
Pressing the “Share Button” of a game with an arrow pointing to right, opens your devices share
options. Choose the appropriate method to share the game link with a friend.
Options Button
To see other options of a game, you can click “Options” button on the right of each game, with three
dots on top of each other.
MY GAMES
Opening My Games
Press GameLooper logo on tabs bar to open my games. If you haven’t signed in with Dropbox on
GameLooper Mobile App, you will see a button reminding you to sign in. You need to have at least one
game saved by GameLooper Desktop App with Dropbox signed in to be able to see games on My Games.
Sharing a game
Pressing the “Share Button” of a game with an arrow pointing to right, opens your devices share
options. Choose the appropriate method to share the game link with a friend. They need to save this
folder into their GameLooper Games folder in Dropbox to be able to play with GameLooper.
Since sharing a game shares all the project files of your game, you should only share the game with
people you trust.
Deleting a game from My Games
To delete a game from My Games, you need to reach your Dropbox account and manually delete the
project folder from “Apps/GameLooperGames” folder. You can use Dropbox mobile app, Dropbox
computer software, Dropbox web page, etc. If you want to keep the images, sounds or other files, don’t
forget to back up your files.
Publishing a game
To publish a game on Showcase, Apple App Store or Google Play Store, you need to request publish
from the mobile app. Press “Options Button” on the right of the game, then press “Request Publish”.
Select your mail application to send an email to GameLooper Team. They will contact you back.
Clearing game data from device
In case of GameLooper Mobile App does not recognize the small changes you make to your game, you
may clear the game data from your device. Press “Options Button” on the right of the game, then press
“Clear Game Data”.
Assigning an icon for your game
For your game to display an icon in My Games, you need to place a .png file into the project folder in
Dropbox. This icon file must have a resolutions of 180x180 and must be named “gameIcon.png”
SHOWCASE
Opening Showcase
Press gamepad logo on tabs bar to open Showcase. Showcase displays games created by GameLooper
community. Games you see on Showcase will change in time.
Because of Apple’s App Store policy, you may not see Showcase tab on your iOS device.
Game of the Day
Successful games on the Showcase will be selected for Game of the Day and will be displayed on top of
the Showcase. If available, App Store or Play Store link will be provided to download the full game.
Publishing a game on Showcase
To publish a game on Showcase, go to My Games, press “Options Button” on the right of the game you
want to publish, then press “Request Publish”. Select your mail application to send an email to
GameLooper Team. They will contact you back.
Reporting an abusive content
If you see an abusive content on a game on Showcase, you can report it by pressing “Options Button”
then “Report Abuse”. Explain your reasons with an email and GameLooper Team will analyze your
report.
Rating and commenting
Coming soon. Rating a game or commenting about a game is not yet operational.
Sending a feedback about a game
Press “Options Button” then “Send Feedback” to share your feedbacks about a game on the Showcase
with an email.
USER TAB
Opening User Tab
Press user logo on the right side of Tabs bar. User Tab will appear from the right.
Wi-fi Only
Since GameLooper requires internet connection to run games, you can switch this toggle on to use only
your wi-fi connection instead of your mobile data.
Removing Ads
Since GameLooper is free to use, it display some ads. If you want to remove these adds, you can open
User Tab, then press “Remove Ads”. Press “Remove Ads” on the new screen to go to payment options of
Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
If you have already removed ads from another device but you are seeing ads on your current device,
press “Restore Purchase” after you pressed “Remove Ads” on User Tab.
Restoring Purchase
If you have already removed ads from another device but you are seeing ads on your current device,
press “Restore Purchase” after you pressed “Remove Ads” on User Tab.
Privacy Policy
You can reach GameLooper’s Privacy Policy under User Tab by pressing “Privacy Policy”
Contacting GameLooper Team
You can press “Contact” under User Tab to send an email to GameLooper Team.
Or you can directly send emails to [email protected]
PUBLISHING A GAME
To publish a game on Showcase, Apple App Store or Google Play Store, you need to request publish
from the mobile app. Press “Options Button” on the right of the game, then press “Request Publish”.
Select your mail application from the list and send an email to GameLooper Team. They will contact you
back.
Sharing on Showcase is easier. You need a fun game which is working and bug-free. GameLooper Team
may have suggestions for you to make changes on your game before publishing on Showcase.
To publish on Apple App Store or Google Play Store, there are some policies defined by Apple and
Google. You also need to use GameLooper in Pro Mode to add your game some features including game
network, analytics, in app products, ad units and notifications.
If you want to publish your game for free with GameLooper Team, they will guide you through this
process and publish your game using GameLooper’s account. Revenue of the game will be split between
the developer and GameLooper.
If you want to publish your game yourself, you can request publish indicating that you want to export
your game. We will be paying the export fee of $199 per game and all rights and revenue of the game
will be yours.