CodeSpells brings wizard fantasies to life through coding. Players craft custom spells using Javascript or the visual Blockly tool, unleashing effects like igniting wildfires, draining seas, creating force fields, or blowing up objects. This action indie simulation adventure in early access reveals the magic behind games by letting creators shape their own elemental powers.
The active community and renewed development focus on open-source authoring tools for building spells, sandboxes, and experiences. Owners play the current Steam version while supporting ongoing work. It suits coders and imaginative players eager to code their dream magic.
Is this game dead?
No! CodeSpells development and the community are alive! Instead of working on JUST this game though, we are currently building an open-source platform so that the CodeSpells community can build tons of games, sandboxes, and experiences -- like this one. Everyone who has supported CodeSpells over the years has always had different hopes & dreams for what CodeSpells can and should be: we believe our new direction will allow the community to create amazing works of magical art to share with the world. You can follow new development of the CodeSpells platform on our blog at .
Why didn't this game get updated between Sept 2017-August 2020?
After Kickstarter funding ran dry, the team tried to find other funding sources. In the end though, the 4 people still working on the project needed to pay our rent and feed ourselves! (Reality sucks!) We tabled development in 2017 with the expectation of revisiting development soon after that.
However, "soon" turned into almost 3 years… then COVID-19 gave us a rare opportunity to work on this game again with fresh eyes! Two members of the original team are back, and we have our funding set for the next year of development. This time, we're planning to make "Authoring Tools" for CodeSpells games, so that even if we can't continue working on the game after ~Sept 2021, the CodeSpells community can keep pushing forward! We also have started a Patreon to help fund this work beyond Sept 2021.
When can I expect this game to be updated?
We plan to update the game on Steam after the open-source platform catches up with the "Kickstarter-version" of the game here. We plan to make at least 1 update within the next year, but we expect there will also be more open-source CodeSpells games that will be accessible for free soon too!
Why are you leaving this game on Steam if you're not actively developing it?
1. Steam is a great opportunity to promote our project: Even though we're starting to move in a new (but similar) direction, this game is a great example of what CodeSpells is all about: crafting magic spells with code. This version of the game gives people something to play with and helps them imagine what CodeSpells can become in the future!
2. All purchases of the game on Steam help fund development beyond our current 1 year timeline: This is a great option for anyone who wants to support more development, but can't commit to monthly contributions through Patreon.
NOTE: Over the past 3 years, all Steam purchases we've received for CodeSpells haven't even covered our web hosting costs for the project (website, forum, & spell sharing servers). We are really grateful that we haven't lost TOO MUCH money on CodeSpells development, but we also wanted to make it clear that we do NOT actually make profit from the version of CodeSpells on Steam, currently (in fact, we're losing some money!) Our decision to work on CodeSpells for the next year is totally just because we are passionate about this project. The CodeSpells concept is SO COOL that we both want to see it through to reality AND ensure it's in the hands of the community for the future!
Why was there no communication for so long?
OK! This was a mistake on our part. When development paused in Sept 2017, we honestly thought we would get back to development shortly, at least on a part-time, hobbyist basis. As time dragged on, we should have sent out an announcement about the pause. And we didn't. For that we are sorry!
At some point in 2019, members of the CodeSpells community reached out for access to the game so that they could keep developing it. While there was some work done in 2019 - mid-2020, there wasn't enough to warrant an update on Steam. However, we are super thankful for the awesome CodeSpells Discord community for not letting the fire burn out! The Discord community inspired us to revisit CodeSpells development this year! Thank you all!
A little bit more about the version of CodeSpells available on Steam:
When we were young, wizards like Gandalf and Dumbledore struck a chord in our minds. We spent hours pretending to be wizards and casting epic imaginary spells. We wanted to see these fantasies fully realized, so we created CodeSpells.
CodeSpells combines the creative freedom of imagination with the beauty and interactivity of video games. The secret sauce? Coding. Instead of limiting players to pre-packed spells, we allow our players see the real magic that happens under the hood of most games. Through Javascript or the intuitive, kid-friendly visual tool Blockly, CodeSpells lets everyone craft the magic of their dreams.
Ignite blazing wildfires, drain entire seas, turn the elements into a force field around you, or just blow stuff up - the choice is yours!
