Hey everyone!
I am excited to announce the release of my latest adventure game, Thickety Creek!
Here are links to the game if you want to check it out:
Apple App Store:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/thickety-creek/id1320364842?ls=1&mt=8
Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.firemaplegames.Thickety_Creek
Amazon Appstore coming tomorrow!
Warm regards,
Joe
And here are some screenshots from the game:
It looks very pretty from the screenshots. Best of luck.
That’s some amazing artwork. Is it processed photography or 3D rendering?
I’m guessing this works like the old Myst games?
My only criticism is that, for me, the logo doesn’t replicate the same quality as the rest of the graphics. Sorru, but given a screen full of logos, I wouldn’t be intrigued enough to click through and see what sits behind that one. Stick a suitable screenshot in the background at least.
Hi Joe:
Congrats on another release! I love a good point n clicker. 
I noticed that this game is published under a different developer profile on the iOS app store than your previous games. (Fire Maple Games LLC vs simply Fire Maple Games) - just curious what the reason for the change was. Also, you may want to consolidate them under a single dev account, to aid in discoverability - I first tried to find your new game by linking through Grisly Manor but couldn’t. I had to know the new game’s title to find it.
Also: hello from a former Delco kid who still goes back every year to see family.
Hey Richard!
Yes, the game plays like Myst! And older adventure games from the 70’s and 80’s when I was a kid 
All the art is done in Photoshop. Photo collages and hand painted layers on top of everything. Very similar to matte painting techniques used in old movie backgrounds.Â
As for the title screen, I’ve fiddled with it for months! :-)Â
I liked that it was a little different from my other title screens, simpler I guess. But I respect that you don’t like it, and I don’t take that lightly. I’m always intrigued by the psychology of everything about these games. The art, the music, the difficulty level, the price, the icon, etc etc. etc.
@schroederapps - Yeah, I’m putting these games under my LLC and not my individual account so I can keep the payments and bank accounts separate. The only way I could do it. I split the profits of the older games with my former business partner, but this game I made solo. I’ll be cross-linking all the old games in the next few days. But yeah, I want to keep them all together but not really a way to do it.
Delco in the house! Awesome! Let me know when you’re back in town, I’d love to hang and talk apps and Corona!
And I get up to NYC often too, still have lots of friends in Brooklyn we visit all the time.
Â
To clarify, I don’t dislike the logo as such - I just feel the game screens look so much nicer than you’d expect of a mobile game that the logo just doesn’t do it justice. You want that if your logo is shown in an archive of game links, people will be drawn towards clicking through and seeing those graphics. Currently I just wouldn’t expect to find art like that behind the current that’s all.
Wow, another Fire Maple game…what a pleasant surprise!!!
I’ll buy it right now!
Thank you for keep doing this excellent games.
CheersÂ
It’s always great to see these incredibly well-done games.
Cudos!
Rob
Thanks, Rob!!!
I’ll keep making more 
Joe
Awesome! I too am a huge fan and buy everyone of them. Glad you will keep making these Joe!Â
Thanks, Lava Level! I am already hard at work on the next one!
Awesome work Joe, again!
My current project will be a premium app at the same price point. I see you also have a “Lite” version with IAP. Is it essentially the first chapter and then you pay for the rest?
@schroederapps - are you in Brooklyn too?
@sporkfin - close, I’m in Queens. Maybe we should arrange a NYC Corona get-together some time. And @firemaplegames, you are of course welcome any time you’re up this way!
@sporkfin: thanks!, and yes exactly. i put a pay wall about 20% into the game. IAP unlocks full game and lets you continue.
@schroederapps: I’ll come up anytime and talk games, corona, etc… I’m only about 90 minutes away so it’s no biggie.
@firemaplegames When they unlock the IAP the icon still says “Lite”?Â
I’ve decided that IAP and ads will be a big detractor from my game and there isn’t a clear path to “tricking” people into paying for the parts of the game I would intentionally strip out and entice them to pay for - and what parts can I strip out without ruining the game anyway?Â
Who knows, so I’m going for broke and making a premium app and looking to top quality experiential games like yours for inspiration. I just bought the paid version and downloaded the free version to see how you made it “Lite”.  Again, great job! Â
@sporkfin: yeah. the icon and app title still say lite. A few years ago I used the same icon and it passed through Apple no problem. But last year or so they started locking it down and the icon from the lite version cannot be the same as the paid version.
And I don’t really like the work LITE, but not sure what else to use. I’ve used FREE in the past, but Apple has blocked the use of that one as well.
I heard that Apple was trying to get rid of LITE versions, where the app is truly a limited version of the full game - less levels, functions etc. . I heard they wanted you to consolidate it into a single app.
My version is the full game, just with a delayed payment system. Who knows. It’s currently allowed it seems.Â
Years ago I looked into changing the icon on the fly, but wasn’t able to do it.  And now I don’t think it is still possible anyway.
For what it’s worth, I only download premium paid apps. I have a 6-year old and most of the ads in the free games are violent war games, sniper games, tower defense games, etc., so i don’t even bother anymore.
@firemaplegames Thanks!
I pretty much only download premium apps as well. The race to the bottom for app pricing - which ended at free then came back with excessive ads and IAP’s has made many a game unplayable for me. All of my favorite apps are premium so I’ve decided to take that road as well.
My kids and their friends play tons of free games but will never buy any of them or make IAP’s so they end up watching a ton of ads instead. Lately, they are sick of ads as well. I think it’s time for a premium app revolution - are you with me!?  :ph34r:
@FireMapleGames , I’ll admit, this is a pretty cool experience seeing you here. Definitely a celebrity moment for me. I recently discovered your games a few months back and quickly consumed half of them. I have Return to Grisly Manor on the docket and looking forward to jumping into Thickety Creek soon after. Gosh, what fantastic games you have put together, thank you! The detail you give them is top notch, easily my favorite point and click games in the marketplace. The imagery is unique and engrossing, the puzzles are challenging, and the app is soundly built. Honestly, I have to space them out because I get too absorbed in playing them. Even my five year old has taken an interest in them as well. She helps me with some of the easier puzzles and is quickly becoming a fan as well. We both enjoy hanging out on the couch trying to figure out all those various “how do I open that treasure chest?!” puzzles. You’ve got yourself a bandwagon my friend!Â
I wanted to post not only to give you kudos on your games but to thank you for providing the Corona credits at the end of the game. I had always wondered how developers created point and click games and this has helped stimulate my interest in building my own. Recently, I’ve been coming up with a lot of ideas to build my own 2D point and click puzzler and have found myself here in Corona ready to take that next step. I’m reading up on Lua at the moment trying to figure it all out. So far the response here as been fantastic. Really looking forward to building on this. I’m excited!
Keep doing what you’re doing man! Thank you again!
JustinÂ
@justinlitalien Thanks for the kind words, man! My 6-year old and all his cousins and friends help me test the games, which is why I generally try to keep them on the easier side
I am hard at work on my latest adventure game, hopefully this one will be out sooner than later! They always take way longer to make than I expect them to, but this one is going pretty smoothly at the moment!
That’s awesome that you are going to play around with Corona, I think it is so much fun. I’m now in my 10th year of using Corona every day! yikes!
If you have any questions or if I can be of any assistance, please let me know. You can reply through this thread or feel free to email me at: joe AT firemaplegames DOT com
Warm regards,
Joe