In the summer of 2007, my daughter Helen (who was 5 at the time) and I (Erik Erikson) worked on a computer game project. She did a majority of the game design, most of the art and most of the sound effects. I did the programming.

The game is a simple game of collecting treasure. Collect falling coins to increase your score. Collect falling keys to open treasure chests. Avoid getting hit by falling rocks (rainbow colored shapes) and flying arrows. If you get hit, you will lose a heart. Catch a falling heart to recover.

The interface is very simple. Use your left mouse button to jump, and your right mouse button to duck (do the splits). You'll need to do both to avoid the arrows and rocks.

The game gets progressively faster. See what you can get for a high score.

We hope you enjoy the project.

-Helen and Erik

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Screenshots

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FAQ

• Is Helen's Game free?
• Is there a suggested donation price?
• How do I get Helen's Game?
• Why does Windows Vista User Account Control (UAC) appear with the message, "An unidentified program wants to access your computer", when I try to run the Helen's Game installer?
• Why do I get the error "d3dx9_36.dll not found" when I try to run Helen's Game?
• Why does Bog Turtle Games LLC use E-junkie?

Is Helen's Game free?

Helen's Game is free! Donations are accepted and will be transferred (minus transaction fees and taxes) by Bog Turtle Games LLC into Helen's personal savings account.

Is there a suggested donation price?

Both PayPal and Google Checkout have base transaction fees that make micro-donations (i.e., donations less than approximately 50 cents) ineffective. For example, if you donate 25 cents via PayPal, PayPal will charge 25 cents for the transaction. Our suggested donation price is $1.00 USD, and about a third of that donation will cover the transaction fees.

How do I get Helen's Game?

You can get Helen's Game by adding it to your cart. If you decide to donate (i.e., specify a non-zero price in the Amount column of the cart and then pressing the Update Cart button), you can use either PayPal or Google Checkout to finalize the donation. If you do not donate, you will have to fill out your name and e-mail address before proceeding (a requirement of E-junkie; see our privacy policy if you have concerns about sharing this information). You will then be sent an e-mail which includes a download link. Simply click on the link to download your copy of Helen's Game from E-junkie.

Why does Windows Vista User Account Control (UAC) appear with the message, "An unidentified program wants to access your computer", when I try to run the Helen's Game installer?

Helen's Game was developed on Windows XP. In order to play well with Windows Vista, the installer needs to run with administrator rights.

Why do I get the error "d3dx9_36.dll not found" when I try to run Helen's Game?

You will need to update your DirectX installation to the latest version in order to play Helen's Game. You can update your DirectX here.

Why does Bog Turtle Games LLC use E-junkie?

We use E-junkie because it offers an outstanding digital content delivery service on top of other payment services (i.e., PayPal and Google Checkout) all for a low monthly fee with no per transaction fee. If you are thinking of selling things (or accepting donations for) things online, do yourself a favor and check it out.