Comments (15)
I am enjoying the game so far!
a game with a mighty fine gameplay, fun puzzles and obstacles that will test your skills along with fun little mechanics to spice up the usual rolling routine that is, unfortunately, jagged around the edges of its technical performance...
first off, the intro scrolls too fast for the average reader to be able to keep up with it, and that coupled with the fact that the font choice, while fittingly fantasy-ish is still hard to heard (i'd suggest changing it to something like Lugatype or Dalelands, basically a font that still has the fantasy look while not being too hard on the reading part), and the skip intro button only decides that it wants to work if you click on it 5 times in a row. next, the Start button doesn't respond immediately and if you click on it multiple times you'll be treated to a lovely part at the beginning where the game loads you for every time you clicked start. blissful. also, in the central hub there's a staircase clipping through the wall. the game doesn't stop if you press the esc button, which is unfortunate since a force-major may happen and i would need to stop the game but, nay! you can only teleport to the central hub and lose all of your progress or die to a flamethrower or some other thing. sweet. the coins look like lava pancakes or something, i was terrified of them the first time i saw them - you better change them to look like, well, actual coins if you want the players to know what they are from the get go))) i hope that you change up or at least adress all of the aforementioned bugs so that the game is great not only in the gameplay sense but also in its technical features. good luck and take care!
Done Gin Roller
DoneGinRoller – The Game That Proved We Could
Some games are made in studios with teams of developers, big budgets, and deadlines.
This one was made in a prison classroom… by a bunch of guys who thought they’d never achieve anything worth showing the world.
I was the teacher, yes — but this wasn’t my game. Every trap, puzzle, mini-game, and surprise came from them. I was just the bridge between their ideas and the code that could make them real.
It started small — a lesson on how to make an object move with physics in Unity. I made a simple ball, rolled it with torque, then built a basic hallway to give it somewhere to go.
Then one of them asked:
> “Can you make the gravity go forward? Or up?”
I laughed and said:
> “Here, hold my beer and watch this.”
From there, the ideas came flying — inventory systems, smash blocks, lava traps, puzzles, hidden rooms, mini-games, even a working trebuchet.
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The Hub
We decided it needed a central hub — a massive square fortress with long outer halls and a plus-shaped cross of corridors in the center.
In the middle was a mysterious chamber with four locked doors, a floating stone tablet that whispered clues, and a wall where a massive blueprint would slowly come to life.
At first, the hub looked empty. You rolled around wondering what to do… until you heard a deep gong.
A glowing message appeared:
> “Getting close.”
Another pass — gong:
> “Almost there.”
Third time — gong:
> “So it begins.”
A hidden door appeared, leading to a swirling vortex — and Level 1 began.
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The Journey
Each level started with a cinematic flyover, showing you the world you were about to face, before dropping you into challenges that were pure inmate imagination:
Swinging hammers
Lava corridors
Mini-games like the old tilt mazes
Trap floors and vanishing walls
Keys hidden in barrels or treasure chests
Talents like 5 seconds of invincibility, anti-gravity, or speed bursts
Every level had two things to find: a piece of the map and a part of the massive trebuchet.
Only by collecting every piece and blueprint could you assemble it for the game’s finale.
After each victory, you returned to the hub to see your blueprint wall fill in… and a new door open.
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The Hall of Kings
When you finally completed the journey, the ending wasn’t just credits.
We built a final challenge where the player launched themselves across a lake of lava into a castle, rolled through the Hall of Kings — eight grand portraits, each one a member of the class with their name and what they built.
At the end, a long staircase into the clouds… and from there, you looked down on the entire game world before the traditional credits rolled.
It was our way of saying:
> “You built this. You belong here.”
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Juice
One of those kings was Juice.
He wasn’t the fastest learner, but he had heart, dedication, and the kind of personality that filled a room. His level — in my opinion — was the best in the game. He never gave up, even when health problems made it hard for him to work.
His last project before he got sick was a sniper shooting game that showed how far he’d come. We didn’t know it at the time, but DoneGinRoller would be his last finished game. He passed away months later from heart and liver disease.
Now, his work lives on inside this game. Every player who rolls through his level sees the creativity, humor, and persistence that made him unforgettable.
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Why This Matters
For four months, these men — men the world had written off as lost causes — came to class early, begged to stay late, and threw out wild ideas just to see if they could be made real. And every single time, we made it happen.
This game is proof that they can dream, can build, and can finish something extraordinary.
It’s proof that the past doesn’t define the future.
It’s proof that sometimes, the best games aren’t just played — they’re lived.
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🎮 Play it, explore it, and know that every trap, puzzle, and surprise came from the minds of men who learned that they could create something that will outlive them.
