That’s no spreadsheet… that’s a game engine!
That’s no spreadsheet… that’s a game engine!
That’s no spreadsheet… that’s a game engine!
By Tyler Robertson
November15, 2021
Summary
Getting one over on "The man" is only one of the benefits of making a game in a spreadsheet.
A while back I wanted to learn more about how chess games process valid moves, and the constrictions of a spreadsheet forced me to think about the order in which operations took place, in addition to the operations themselves.
One of my favorite party tricks is whipping out a game of Snake in under 10 minutes, to show the basics of transposing a game concept onto a spreadsheet.
Working within the constraints of a spreadsheet scratches the same itch as hands-on crafts, while stretching the same muscles as programming or playing an intense puzzle game.
Adding something clickable to your spreadsheet helps bring it a little closer to what most players will recognize as a video game, and create a more intuitive experience for them.
To check to see if your spreadsheet supports circular referencing, start a new spreadsheet and head to cell A1. There, type in =A1+1 and see what happens! If you're in Google Sheets, you'll get some instructions to turn it on, otherwise you might get a recommendation for what to try instead. Rows doesn't support circular references, but does have an interesting "EXECUTE" command to help make up for it.
If you're interested in seeing other games and weird uses for spreadsheets, you can check out my portfolio, which is, yes, a spreadsheet.
Reference
Robertson, T. (2021, November 15). That's no spreadsheet... that's a game engine! Retrieved January 11, 2022, from https://www.ludogogy.co.uk/article/thats-no-spreadsheet-thats-a-game-engine/