Sams Teach Yourself Game Programming in 24 Hours

Hour 23. Showing Off Your Game with Demo Mode

In the previous hour, you learned how important it is to display a splash screen that serves as a title for your games . This hour continues in the theme of making a game more complete by demonstrating the importance of demo mode. Demo mode is an animated sequence displayed when you're not playing the game that demonstrates how the game is played. Demo mode can be as simple as showing some of the game creatures moving around, or as complex as showing an entire simulated game being played . Demo mode is important because it gives a player a glimpse at how a game actually plays, which is a considerable step beyond the role of a splash screen.

In this hour, you'll learn:

• Why demo mode is useful in showing people how a game works

• What is involved in adding a demo mode to a game

• How to add a demo mode to the Space Out game