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YoYo Games launches Little Town, an interactive game-making tutorial, that teaches students game design with GameMaker Studio 2

Published

5 years ago

May 10, 2021

George Miller

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Little Town provides an introduction to the principles of game development using GameMaker to college and university students. By building a game to control a child in an idyllic small town, players learn how to design games and develop key coding skills
The interactive game-building tutorial provides a robust framework for educators with teaching guidelines and assessment criteria with which colleges and universities can effectively start teaching game design to their students.

YoYo Games today announced the launch of Little Town – a major new game-making tutorial which teaches students and hobbyists game development with GameMaker Studio 2, the world’s leading 2D game development engine.

Developed in collaboration with award-winning game developer and university lecturer, Benjamin Rivers, Little Town has been designed to help new game designers quickly learn the core functionality of GameMaker Studio 2 in a natural, fun way.

Little Town is an adventure game in which players control a child in an idyllic small town. By following clues players must find the right items and bring them to one of the town’s three characters – the Baker, Teacher and Grocer.

The tutorial enables students, hobbyists and new game designers to create their own layout for Little Town and use code to bring it and its people to life. Users will also be able to choose where to hide each item, as well as writing their own hints and dialogue.

With over eight hours of video tutorials as well as a wealth of supporting materials, Little Town provides a robust framework for educators with teaching guidelines and assessment criteria with which colleges and universities can effectively start teaching game design to their students.

The Little Town tutorial teaches many core skills from creating vibrant animations using GameMaker’s powerful Sequences tool to controlling sprites, sounds and laying-out the playing area – providing the perfect introduction to GameMaker Studio 2 and the fundamental principles of game design.

Stuart Poole, General Manager, YoYo Games, said: “We’re extremely pleased to release Little Town, our most comprehensive GameMaker tutorial to date and the first in a series of high-quality tutorials which are currently under development.

Poole continued: “While we’re constantly striving to make GameMaker as easy to use and accessible as possible, quality tutorials like Little Town are essential as they provide a practical framework to enable users to quickly get up-to-speed with the core functionality of GameMaker so they can start making their own amazing games.”

Benjamin Rivers, Little Town’s creator, added: “While Little Town is perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to understand the basics of game making, the tutorial has been developed specifically to support students in higher education who are learning game design”.

The tutorial features six sections and has been designed to allow for both synchronous and asynchronous participation for in-class and remote learning.

“Little Town has been structured to encourage self-driven learning and experimentation, which we hope will inspire a new generation of game developers,” added Rivers

game releases

Greentube launches Cash Connection – Golden Sizzling Hot with guaranteed Winning Spins

Published

47 minutes ago

July 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

greentube-launches-cash-connection-–-golden-sizzling-hot-with-guaranteed-winning-spins

Greentube, the NOVOMATIC Interactive division, has launched Cash Connection – Golden Sizzling Hot on 14th July 2026. The new title extends the supplier’s Cash Connection series and introduces a gold-themed variant with updated bonus mechanics.

Cash Connection – Golden Sizzling Hot is played on a 5×3 grid with five win lines. Landing six or more disc symbols triggers a Lock & Spin feature, with access to four jackpots across the game and two bonus prizes. The Grand Jackpot can be triggered by landing 15 discs during the feature, which also ends the round.

Greentube said the Mini and Minor jackpots are tied to a separate Winning Spins feature. In this mode, played on a different set of reels without disc symbols, “every spin is a guaranteed win,” according to the company.

Richard Ganster, Director of Games Strategy and Games Portfolio Management at Greentube, said: “Cash Connection has grown into one of our most consistently popular game families, and Golden Sizzling Hot shows exactly why we keep coming back to expand it.

The Lock & Spin feature has always been a strong draw for players, but what really sets this edition apart is the guaranteed Winning Spins feature. Landing a Mini or Minor jackpot doesn’t just add a cash value; it opens the door to a round where every spin wins, and that’s a great incentive for players.

“Giving the game a golden makeover was about more than just a new look. It’s part of how we keep our most established franchises feeling fresh, and Golden Sizzling Hot is a great example of that balance between familiarity and evolution.”

The post Greentube launches Cash Connection – Golden Sizzling Hot with guaranteed Winning Spins appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

game-launch

Habanero releases Galaxy Babies slot with Black Hole Wild blocks

Published

47 minutes ago

July 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

habanero-releases-galaxy-babies-slot-with-black-hole-wild-blocks

Habanero has launched Galaxy Babies, a new 5×3 slot released on 14 July 2026, built around a Black Hole mechanic that randomly drops blocks of Wild symbols onto the reels.

The game runs on 25 paylines. In the base game, the Black Hole can appear at random and “warp in” Wild symbol blocks across the reels. Habanero said Wilds in the title are only triggered through the Black Hole feature.

A free spins mode triggers when three or more Scatter symbols land, with up to 50 free spins available and retriggers during the bonus round. In free spins, Habanero said the Black Hole “grows,” creating larger 3×3 and 4×4 Wild blocks.

Galaxy Babies also supports Habanero’s Jackpot Race, Buy Feature and Super Bet, which the supplier said gives operators options when configuring the game for different player preferences. The release follows recent titles including Happy Hatchlings, Nuwa Deluxe and Steampunk Plinko.

Toni Karapetrov, Head of Corporate Communications at Habanero, commented: “Galaxy Babies is a title with a lot of personality and a mechanic that delivers real impact. The Black Hole Wild is simple to understand but creates moments that feel genuinely exciting.

“It is a game that will appeal to a broad range of players, and we are looking forward to seeing how it performs across our operator network.”

The post Habanero releases Galaxy Babies slot with Black Hole Wild blocks appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

casino content

ICONIC21 distributes full casino portfolio via Blue Ocean Gaming

Published

47 minutes ago

July 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

iconic21-distributes-full-casino-portfolio-via-blue-ocean-gaming

ICONIC21 has signed a distribution agreement with Blue Ocean Gaming that makes the supplier’s full portfolio—live casino, slots and RNG titles—available through Blue Ocean Gaming’s operator network. The companies announced the deal on 14 July 2026.

Blue Ocean Gaming said it aggregates content from more than 140 providers and offers operators a catalogue of over 13,000 casino titles across categories including slots, live casino, virtual sports and sportsbook.

The integration includes ICONIC21’s live casino Gravity Series game-show formats, including Gravity Wheel. ICONIC21 said the title runs multipliers on every spin and includes four multiplier symbols—Saturn, Moon, Comet and Sun—with the Sun multiplier offering wins of up to 1,000x.

The agreement also covers ICONIC21 slots including Buffalo Wild Collection and Las Piggas, alongside RNG titles such as Chicken Run, Mines and Crash.

Alina Mihaela Popa, Chief Commercial Officer at ICONIC21, said: “Being distributed through a platform of this scale, alongside such a strong roster of providers, gives our content exceptional exposure and reach. What makes us proud is that our footprint keeps growing, and it keeps growing very quickly. Each new partnership is a reflection of our strength and potential, and Blue Ocean Gaming is a very meaningful addition to that journey.”

Dejan Jović , CEO at BlueOcean Gaming commented: “ICONIC21 is doing something truly exciting in the live casino space, raising the bar when it comes to player immersion and showmanship. Their ability to take classic table games and supercharge them with dynamic twists like the Gravity series adds a fantastic new layer of entertainment to GameHub. It’s exactly the kind of high-vibe, retention-driven content our operators look for to stand out in a crowded market, and we are thrilled to welcome them on board.”

The post ICONIC21 distributes full casino portfolio via Blue Ocean Gaming appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.