Bingo Master Board for Web Commit 2018-09-10

Here's a new commit I'm quite proud about.

• You can now change the Bingo number style.
  
  For those who preferred the bold black numbers from the original Master Board, you're in luck. In Themes, there's a new setting that brings back the classic Bingo number look.
  
  
  
  
  
• Bingo Master Board now crypto-randomly draws Bingo balls. Hear me out.
  
  It turns out there are different ways to generate seemingly random numbers. PowerPoint VBA's Randomize/rnd and JavaScript's math.random() can generate numbers efficiently, but they are NOT cryptographically secure. This means that someone skilled enough could predict what numbers will be generated.
  
  For a Bingo game with tangible prizes, this poses a problem.
  
  Enter crypto-random, a method to generate random numbers using the Web crypto API. Along with using a more advanced algorithm, crypto-random bases its randomness on your computer's voltage, cursor movements, keyboard timings, and much more. This makes guessing the next random numbers incredibly difficult, if not impossible.
  
  I hope this change helps you feel more comfortable using Bingo Master Board in a competitive environment. Remember that you can check the new code on GitHub to your satisfaction.

Try Bingo Master Board for Web (WIP)

For reference, VBA's Randomize/rnd uses a linear congruential generator, and JavaScript's math.random() uses XorShift128+ in most browsers. Feel free to research the pros and cons of these algorithms if you're interested.

Bingo Master Board for Web Commit 2018-09-05

• Hide/show Bingo numbers is back. (Click the Bingo letters)
• Display drawn/remaining Bingo balls is back. (Click the big Bingo ball)

I made the drawn/remaining text bigger than it was in Bingo Master Board PLUS to improve readability.

Try Bingo Master Board for Web (WIP)

Updating Projects to Games by Tim

The Games by Tim migration is complete! Old info below.

Due to the site's recent name change, I'll have to update my projects to mention Games by Tim. Rather than make an update post for each project, I will keep track of my progress here.

The projects in the DONE list have been updated to say Games by Tim, along with the new version numbers if applicable. I still need to update the projects on the TODO list.

DONE

• GitHub Pages homepage
• YouTube
• Bingo Master Board for Web (WIP 2018-08-30)
• Wheel of Fortune for PowerPoint (v4.1.1)
• Button Masher (v4.3.1)
• Keyboard Masher (v4.4.1)
• Mouse Swipe (v1.1.1)
• I am Thinking of a Number (v3.0.2)
• Rebus Puzzles Galore
• Flashcards for PowerPoint (v1.1.1, adds macro checking)
• Bingo Master Board (PowerPoint v1.7.1)
• Bingo Master Board PLUS (v2.2)
• About page
• Escape a Tower (v2.4.3)

TODO

• None!

Welcome to Games by Tim!

Hi there. Welcome to my site, Games by Tim! Formerly known as Tim's Slideshow Games.

A name change?

That's right! Games by Tim is my site's new name, and I look forward to using it. It's not easy to commit to a new name, but I'm confident this will benefit the site in the long run.

When I launched this site back in 2011, I focused on PowerPoint games, which I referred to as "slideshow games." Thus, I used the name Tim's Slideshow Games. Now that I'm transitioning from PowerPoint to HTML5 games, keeping the "slideshow" in the name doesn't make as much sense.

Meanwhile, I wanted to buy a domain name for this site. I could have registered slideshowgames.com, but I thought to myself, "is this name still worth keeping?" After all, real money was on the line. The calling was there; time for a new name.

Why Games by Tim?

Glad you asked. A new name isn't something to take lightly, so rest assured; I thought this one out.

• Most people remember this site by my name.

When I talk to others about my site, they seem to remember the "Tim" part more than the "Slideshow Games." Fairly often, I'd hear something like, "Oh yeah, I remember the games Tim made. What was the site called again? Slide what?"

While this is by no means scientific, I have a feeling the "slideshow" flies past most people's heads. Quite troubling if the site URL is slideshowgames.blogspot.com. By placing my name front and square, I believe more people will recall how to refer to my site.

• Less characters in the name

The URL "slideshowgames.com" takes 18 characters to type. "gamesbytim.com" on the other hand takes 14 characters. The less typing the better.

Less characters also means I have more flexibility with my logo. If I'm in a tight situation, I could safely display the logo as two lines:

• It represents me better.

My name is Tim. I make games. Here are games by me. It's that simple.

What's happening to this site?

First off, the new URL is gamesbytim.com. slideshowgames.blogspot.com should redirect for now, but I highly recommend you change your bookmarks/attributions. That's because if, hypothetically, I migrate away from Blogger, gamesbytim.com will be my only way to take people to the new site.

I will need to replace the Tim's Slideshow Games references with Games by Tim throughout the site and my active projects. This will take some time, so bear with me.

Since I have a domain name, there's a chance I'll be able to put a contact email here. I haven't fully researched this yet, so no guarantees. I'll post a blog update if I get this to work.

Other than that, things will continue as usual. So I hope you enjoy your stay at Tim's Slideshow Games  Games by Tim!

Bingo Master Board for Web gets a Rewrite

Who would've thought this would happen?

I recently returned from Make School Summer Academy, a 6-week program where I learned more about Web development. Along with building team and personal projects (which I'll probably share here later), I learned about some nifty Web concepts.

Who knew:

• JavaScript evolved a lot since I first learned it (ES6),
• there's an easy way to vertically align objects (flexbox),
• fractional units exist (CSS grid),
• and CSS itself can scale things (CSS transform)?

Essentially, these concepts made me realize, how can I use these to rewrite Bingo Master Board?

Wheel of Fortune for PowerPoint Version 4.1

UPDATE (8/31): Version 4.1.1 updates the links to the new site name: Games by Tim.

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Time for another Wheel of Fortune for PowerPoint release!

Version 4.1 primarily focuses on refinements here and there. It also adds a feature originally planned for the 4.0 release.

What's Changed

• Puzzle Swapping
  Created a puzzle in slot 1 but want to move it to slot 3 instead? Now you can with the new puzzle swap feature. In the Show All Puzzles slide, use the new arrow buttons to sort your puzzles to your liking.
  
  
  
  
  
• Macro Checking
  Many users have told me that Wheel of Fortune for PowerPoint doesn't work. Almost every time, it's because they unknowingly had macros disabled.
  
  To save each of us the trouble, Wheel of Fortune for PowerPoint now checks if macros are enabled. If a user clicks on any of the title slide buttons with macros disabled, a alert box will appear with a link to the macro troubleshooting post.
  
  
  
  
  
• Refinements
• Multiple alignment fixes
• Grammar fixes for round explanations
• The trashcan in Set Up Puzzles now animates when clicked
• Fixes a bug that prevented editing the vowel price or house minimum on the first try

Moving Forward

As I mentioned before, I want to transition this project from PowerPoint to the Web. This means at some point, you will be able to create and play Wheel of Fortune games straight from your Web browser.

As such, Wheel of Fortune for PowerPoint is now in maintenance mode. I will work on bug fixes and refinements if need be, but don't expect any more features until the Web version arrives (which will take a while).

I greatly look forward to the Web release, and I hope you do too. For now, I hope you enjoy this new PowerPoint release.

Click here to Download (Windows)

Click here to Download (Mac)

PowerPoint Game Not Working? How to Enable Macros

If Bingo Master Board PLUS, Flashcards for PowerPoint, or Wheel of Fortune for PowerPoint doesn't work for you, chances are that macros and/or active content are disabled. Macros are the code that let these games keep score, randomize values, and much more.

Fortunately, Microsoft has handy guides to help you enable them.

• If you use PowerPoint for Windows, use this guide to learn how to enable macros.
• If you use PowerPoint for Mac, use this guide.

Macros won't run on PowerPoint Viewer, PowerPoint Online, or PowerPoint Mobile.

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With all the security alerts, it's natural to feel cautious about macros. Fortunately, you don't have to trust me because all my VBA (the programming language for macros) is open source.

To view the VBA code:

PowerPoint 2010 or newer (Windows)

• Click the File tab -> Options
• In the Customize Ribbon section, check Developer.
• With the new Developer tab that appears, click Visual Basic.

PowerPoint 2011 for Mac

• Click the PowerPoint menu -> Preferences
• In the Ribbon section, check Developer under Customize.
• With the new Developer tab that appears, click Editor.

PowerPoint 2016 for Mac

• Click the Tools menu -> Macro -> Visual Basic Editor
  

If you don't see the Visual Basic Editor, you may need to update Office with Microsoft AutoUpdate.

Feel free to inspect to your heart's content!

If the PowerPoint game still has problems, and you know for sure macros are enabled, please leave a comment on the game's blog post. Make sure to describe what specifically doesn't work and your version of PowerPoint. If possible, video footage will help me troubleshoot more effectively. Thanks!