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!

Bingo Master Board Version 1.7

Version 1.7

johnr from PowerPoint Creative promptly informed me of a mistake in the credits. While Hugh J. Ward launched the modern 75-ball version of Bingo, he did NOT create Bingo altogether.

This meant I had to update Bingo Master Board (PowerPoint) and Bingo Master Board PLUS. As I opened the original Bingo Master Board, something felt special about it. With the text-only Bingo numbers, 4:3 ratio, and the lack of PLUS macros/buttons, the original Bingo Master Board had a nice, simple vibe.

As such, I felt compelled to do more than simply re-credit Hugh J. Ward. Here it is, a Bingo Master Board update after nearly three years!

New to Version 1.7

• Visual improvements (again)
  While the previous version made a considerable effort with visuals, it was far from perfect. Since all faded numbers used the same color, the numbers on the edge of the slide (where the background is darker) were harder to read than the numbers in the middle.
  
  That's why starting with this release, faded numbers are semi-transparent. This means all the numbers look legible regardless where they are! Take a look at this side-by-side comparison.
  
  
  
  
  
  Version 1.6 | Version 1.7
  
  
  I can't believe I'm saying this, but the Rainbow theme actually looks good now.
  
  
  

  
  Version 1.6 | Version 1.7
  
  

  Did you notice any alignment improvements? Have a look at this (click to enlarge).
  
  

  

  
  

  Version 1.6 | Version 1.7

  
  
• Adds the ability to hide/show Bingo numbers
  
  This is a backport from Bingo Master Board PLUS. If you click a Bingo letter, you can toggle the visibility of all of that letter's Bingo numbers. This is useful if you're running, say, a four corners Bingo game.
  
  
  
  
  
  Unlike Bingo Master Board PLUS, the original Bingo Master Board implements this feature without macros. It makes use of a PowerPoint shape with background fill. (Thanks johnr for introducing this to me.)
  
  
• Adds Creative Commons License
  
  The original Bingo Master Board now has a license, and I bet you're gonna like it: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International.
  
  
  
  
  

  That's right, I'm using the least restrictive Creative Commons license. You are free to distribute and modify this project for commercial and non-commercial purposes as long as you credit Tim's Slideshow Games for the original work. Have at it!

  
  
• Adds promotional slide for Bingo Master Board for Web
• Re-credits Hugh J. Ward as the creator of 75-ball Bingo

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Question for you guys: Do you prefer the text-only Bingo numbers here or the Bingo balls from Bingo Master Board PLUS/Web? I may consider bringing this style to the Web version if there's enough demand.

Bingo Master Board PLUS will be updated soon to re-credit Hugh J. Ward.

Download Page

The first Bingo Master Board for Web preview is here

The stable release is out!

Click here for the latest stable version.

Last Updated: August 28, 2018

I am pleased to announce the first preview of Bingo Master Board for Web, the successor to PowerPoint's Bingo Master Board and Bingo Master Board PLUS.

What is Bingo Master Board for Web?
It's a port of Bingo Master Board PLUS that's fully usable on your Web browser. It scales to your browser window, or you can play in fullscreen. No need to download a file. No need to own paid software. No need to worry about macro security. It's a win-win for all!

Since we no longer have to deal with macros, we don't need the PLUS moniker anymore. There will just be one Web version: Bingo Master Board.

How does this Web version differ from PowerPoint?
The Web version is capable of everything Bingo Master Board PLUS has, along with exclusive features that would be convoluted, if not impossible with PowerPoint. Here's a few:

• Mouseover effects. Buttons can now react when you hover your cursor over them.
• Keyboard shortcuts. Manage the master board more efficiently.
• More to come with future updates!

Bingo Master Board for Web is not yet finished. As such, not every feature from Bingo Master Board PLUS is available yet. Check to TODO list at the bottom of the post to see what I still need to work on.

What are you using to make the Web version?
Bingo Master Board Web uses HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It used to use CreateJS but was removed as of the August 28 build.

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Sounds cool? If so, you should give Bingo Master Board for Web a try! While you test, be sure to try out these features:

URL Shortcut: Add ?masterboard to the end of the URL to instantly load the master board.
Keyboard Shortcuts: Press the space bar to draw Bingo balls. Press the r key to reset the board. Press the x key to toggle the Bingo blocker.

I look forward to hearing what you think! If you find any bugs not in Known Issues, let me know what it is and what browser you're using.

Known Issues

• If you refresh the game with control-R on the master board slide, you may lose your Bingo ball save data.
• In Safari on 1080p+ displays, if you reset the master board while the blocker is enabled, the G and the O will disappear during the animation.
• This is a browser bug and is fixed in the latest Technology Preview.
• Chrome also has this bug, but I added a workaround specifically for this browser. You may still trigger the bug if you mash the reset button.
• This workaround has a blur side effect, which is why I am only using it for Chrome.
• The fullscreen button does not work on the iPad.
• This is unfortunately a browser limitation. However, we may get fullscreen support in iOS 12 according to Apple's release notes.
• I will not be able to test this until iOS 12 releases.
• If fullscreen works for iPad on iOS 12, this bug fixes itself. Otherwise, I will need to hide the fullscreen button specifically for iPad.
• Pressing and holding the space bar draws Bingo balls rapidly, which may not be desirable.

TODO

• Winning pattern
• How to Use section
• About/Credits section

I will likely update the game multiple times during the preview phase. Any noteworthy changes will be posted in a separate dev blog post. Alternatively, you can view the GitHub commits.

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Try Bingo Master Board for Web [WIP]

GitHub Repo

Supports the latest versions of Edge, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari