Software in GDevelop (And a backstory)

[DesmonDev]

Hello everyone!

This is a bit different from my other posts, but I’ll explain. I’ve made all sorts of software in GDevelop, even though you kind of aren’t supposed to. However, before I start my next project, I’d be curious to see what software you guys would be most interested in (or is most practical) to be created in GDevelop.

A Small Bit Of Backstory

A long time ago, I made an operating system in GDevelop named GMS (Generative Messaging System, as it centered around a powerful AI that actually knew how to do things for you, unlike most modern AI assistants today). It was not a good operating system…But it laid the foundation for how a “Web Operating System” could be set up in GDevelop. The microkernel used in GMS was named Rosemary, and its transpiled programming language used to create apps was named Paprika.

Paprika and Rosmary’s respective logos

Sooo… What Was GMS?

GMS was an ambitious project which slowly gathered more and more meaning as it went on.

GMS’s “Dash”

This operating system is actually codenamed AndromedaOS, because the device is named GMS. GMS was much like a tablet, except it clipped onto your arm in a housing. Many people referred to it as a “Pip-Boy” in its form factor. The device was designed to be as premium, but as cheap as possible to make it affordable to everybody, which was done through intentionality. It was a device meant to enable communication, and to help manage certain parts of your life. Its planned app store had tight restrictions against most types of social platforms, as the device was designed to better you, your physical health, and your mental health. The obvious exception for this was gChat, the platform’s chatting app.

An unthemed gChat thread

An important part of this operating system was customizability. If you’re supposed to wear this all day, then it should feel like a part of you. So, the UI was intentionally built to be themeable using JSON files, along with a theme editor.

A Nyan Cat theme loaded on GMS

The Dream

Imagine a place where you could foster connections that were actually meaningful. A device truly capable of keeping your data and life secure through limited Wi-Fi usage and tight security. Imagine you’re in a developing country and need a quick, secure, and cheap way to message friends and family. Imagine what you need just at a glance, but everything you don’t need tucked away. This beautiful device of comfort, personality, and a true merging of modern and retro that feels right.

…Well, I stopped working on it.
Anyway

Now, after all of that, and many failed attempts beforehand, what software do you genuinely want to see? What would feel useful to you?

Some options include…

1. An TV operating system, with a twist
2. A UI system for building other software
3. Dear ImGui like UI in GDevelop for debugging
4. …Something else? I wanna hear your suggestions!

I apologize for the very very long backstory I said would be short, but considering GMS was made in GDevelop, it felt like I really should have said something sooner lol.

[SnowyRawrGamer]

Personally, I think 2 things could be super cool!

1: GDevelop in GDevelop
Imagine making a game in GDevelop, in a game, made in GDevelop!
(Okay, that one was a bit of a joke!)

2: It would be cool if there was some sort of system that taught GDevelop coding or something like that. Maybe like a “GDevelop Overview” system that shows like popular templates with reviews, how to code specific things, maybe even user uploaded tutorials for others?

(Sorry if these ideas don’t fit your theme, after all, they are just suggestions! )

[DesmonDev]

i actually already did technically make gdevelop in gdevelop…because well, since gdevelop has a web version, you can load the web version in an iframe within a gdevelop game. i like the second idea, thats also cool. i always though gdevelop was a little clumsy with teaching

[SnowyRawrGamer]

The best attempt I’ve seen at a teaching game would be Vegetato’s “GDevelop Heros”

GDevelop Heroes (Play and Learn) (Update #4)

I will say, if you do a teaching system or something like that, I’d be happy to help some tutorials or etc for it! (As long as they are easy enough to make )

(Also, I have another idea but it’s more of an “extension” than an entire system, do you still want to hear it? )

[DesmonDev]

absolutely! Rosemary was technically just a bunch of extensions named “core components”. but that also meant it was very modular and could be used in other projects without needing the whole thing

[SnowyRawrGamer]

Okay so…

Have you heard of the company “Jackbox Games” before?

They make party games where one device hosts the game, and others use a room code to join. Then, everyone watches the game on the host device, while typing answers and etc on their own device.

For example, one of the games is “Quiplash” where everyone gets 2 prompts such as “Worst place to take a first date…” and then they answer them. Then, the prompts appear on the host device and everyone (except the people who answered) vote for their favourites,.

I think making a host and room code system would really be cool in GDevelop, I could see myself making a ton of party games with it

[DesmonDev]

i could…probably do that! i mean, ive made a system just like that outside of gdevelop, so maybe.

[SnowyRawrGamer]

Could you send the link here to the system you made like that outside of GDevelop? Now I’m interested!

[DesmonDev]

Well, here, no… It’s not released yet and is an incredibly serious (even though normally it probably shouldnt) project. perhaps i could PM you about it or something? i can say that the way it worked is it actually encoded data within the code, like an ip address and port, its not just an identifier.

[steliosm]

This sounds alot like AirConsole games: https://www.airconsole.com/
What is does is transforming the player’s mobile phones into game controllers. It’s a great concept and technically not too complex. Maybe GDevelop should look into supporting “party games” with a similar mode.

[SnowyRawrGamer]

That site looks like what I was thinking!

I bet someone can create an extension & example project that shows how that would work. I myself haven’t done any multiplayer things before, so I couldn’t figure it out, but maybe someone else can!

@DesmonDev

perhaps i could PM you about it or something?

Totally! You can always PM me right here on the forum.

[HugoDz]

Very cool projects, I’m also very curious about making software with game engines, we can imagine CAD tools, editors, all sorts of creative tools…

I built Sprite Fusion using web technologies, but I wonder if I would have done it with a game engine if I had known.

[DesmonDev]

its really a mix of both web technologies and gdevelop stuff.

[petlimpet]

I’ve used pixel studio before which was made with unity. I was trying to think the other day about how you’d create one in Gdevelop…piskel is pants!

[KipgubbYT]

You should make a digital audio workstation inside GMS like BeepBox (and I don’t mean setting up an iframe to run BeepBox or JummBox or AbyssBox or whatever, I mean a standalone DAW)

[petlimpet]

I seem to remember @Ondaluce was working on something like that.
But you should have a go yourself …I know you like your crazy time signatures!

[Taco2009]

I attempted to make something similar to Piskel in GDevelop back in Early 2024 and it had the core concepts of a visual art software aside from export & import
You could draw things and change the colors of your drawing tool and reset the canvas though just nothing more

With how much I’ve learned in the engine these past 2 years though, I could try and maybe give it another go

[DesmonDev]

ive tried that before lol. the part that throws me off is deciding the pitch to be determined by multiple files, or the actual pitch which would take a lot of math to be tuned correctly. Both my attempts were “Decibel Studio” and “Destracker”…however i just remembered my game needs a music creator! so…ill get back to you on that.

[petlimpet]

Its the import export thing that i’ve not got a clue about. It would take a while to create one. Did you have transform and polygon/lasso selection etc? (all missing from piskel) I had thought about doing a vector editor so that you can create arrays of paths for shape painter - but i’ve got too many projects in the pipeline already!

[Ondaluce]

I created an app for making music, similar to FL Studio, but obviously much simpler. However, I also created an extension that integrates a JS library capable of replicating many synthesizers and playing samples. The sound is almost perfect (the only issue is that sounds with very few sampled notes tend to slow down a bit in the lower octaves). If you’re interested, I can share it!