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| Timestamp | Since previous | Game | superpokeunicorn's comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1 00:00:50 | Furnace Knight | ♥ 0 | This game is really fun! I love the way you pickup enemies on your spear like a monster shish kebab and hurl them into the flames. The game is at its best when you are surrounded and forced to hectically spam spears for your life. I didn't really find myself using the furnace bolts too often, as spamming spears was effective enough and didn't cost anything, though it did occasionally prove useful. Still, the game has enough going to keep me constantly engaged and at the edge of my seat. Great work! (Side note: the pitch shift on the sound effect when collecting multiple enemies is a nice touch!) | |
| Aug 1 00:19:54 | 19m 04s | Gargoyle's Curse | ♥ 2 | This game is pretty cool! The minimalist aesthetic is well executed and the victory jingle is catchy. The game is certainly on the difficult side. I really like how hectic it can get with how quickly everything is going and how many competing objectives you have to juggle. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through. That being said, the only way I found victory in the later levels was by ignoring the machine entirely and just focusing on taking out enemies and collecting amulets. All in all, I had a blast playing Gargoyle's Curse. Great work! |
| Aug 1 00:40:32 | 20m 38s | rop | ♥ 1 | This is a pretty good game for your first Ludum Dare. The opening text was a bit unnecessary, but the pace picks up when you start the game. I like the idea of collecting power cells to increase the range of your light. It gives each playthrough a sense of progression as your field of vision grows larger. I also like having to time your jump with the search lights in order to avoid getting caught. The random generation gives what is a pretty short game some level of replayability, though certain patterns proved unwinnable, which could be frustrating. Overall, this is a pretty solid entry. Nice work! |
| Aug 1 00:56:58 | 16m 26s | Greenhouse Dystopia | ♥ 3 | This game has great visuals. The pixel art is very detailed and the color pallet is atmospheric, setting a dark and gloomy tone. I also really like the music. The gameplay was simple and a bit unpolished, but I like the tension between attacking and self preservation, with each attack bringing you closer and closer to the grave. That tension turns what is otherwise mundane gameplay into something more engaging. Overall, I enjoyed my time with this game. Good job! |
| Aug 1 01:16:59 | 20m 01s | Scrapjunk Couriers | ♥ 2 | This is a pretty neat take on the FTL formula. I like how the game is distilled down to the power management aspect, creating a larger focus on managing around those power points. Not providing that FTL pause button creates really hectic moments where I'm having to juggle around many different threats at once with a limited amount of power to go around, which is when the game is at its best. My only real criticism is the fact that you basically have infinite time between combat encounters if you just turn off the engines. This does give some down time, but it also means I always have adequate time to repair, refill ammo, and put up shields between fights. Perhaps having some encroaching force you're running away from would've provided some tension even during downtime. Having an in game timer is a nice touch though, so optimization is at least encouraged, if not required. Overall, this is a really great entry and I had a blast playing it. Excellent work! |
| Aug 1 02:07:14 | 50m 15s | ZETPACK-99 | ♥ 2 | FIRST! But, seriously, this game is excellent. I love how you've combined resource conservation with spatial awareness and navigation. The reuse of space (which you've had a hand in shaping) as you constantly go back and forth trying to get to the goal with enough fuel to spare is genius. Add onto that crisp, minimalist visuals and a stellar soundtrack, and you have an amazing game on your hands. Outside of the possibility of getting trapped at the beginning with no way out other than to restart the game, I really don't have any major complaints with this one. Zetpack-99 is certainly a 5 star game in my book. |
| Aug 1 02:52:32 | 45m 18s | Oil Patrol | ♥ 1 | This game is very atmospheric. The quiet music combined with soft footsteps and your obscured vision give a great sense of isolation. I like the mechanic of hunting down snowmen by following their footsteps. It makes me feel like I'm hunting them as opposed to randomly stumbling upon them. being able to retrace my own footsteps is also a helpful feature. It's a very calming game where I can just sort of get lost and wander, which is nice. That being said, the game is not entirely unguided; the sledge serves as a good focal point for the game as you constantly return to it to feed it fuel and restock on spears. My only complaint is with how long the game is given the repetitiveness of the core gameplay loop (if there even is an ending). The game runs out of new things to show me pretty quickly, meaning I don't have the motivation to see it to the end. That being said, what is there is really fun and quite relaxing. Great work! |
| Aug 1 03:24:38 | 32m 06s | A Night at Grandpa's | ♥ 1 | Though the game is short, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. I like how the light mechanic isn't necessarily required for any sort of combat or puzzle solving, but is rather entirely informational. It's always interesting when a game allows players to exchange resources in order to gain information that is not mechanically required. I found myself quickly flickering the light to get a grasp of the room, then flickering them again as my memory faded. It shifts the conflict from inside the game itself to inside the player's mind, which is a perfect metaphor for the trippy, spooky situation the game depicts. That along with the audio and visuals are what really sell the game's creepy vibe. Very well done! |
| Aug 1 03:42:08 | 17m 30s | South | ♥ 1 | This game is really engaging. All of the twists and turns make for a very visceral experience and the slowdown looks great. You don't see too many 3D Ludum Dare games, and the minimalist aesthetic here works well. My only main complaint is the lack of music, which would have helped the game tremendously (especially if the music slowed down when shooting). All in all, this is a pretty good entry. Great job! (Side note: I made it past 7 loops) |
| Aug 1 04:04:57 | 22m 49s | Hypersquare | ♥ 1 | Yo, listen up. There's only enough room in this town for one Hyper Square, and that's mine! (made for an unrelated, non-Ludum Dare jam: https://superpokeunicorn.itch.io/hyper-square) All jokes aside, this is a pretty solid game. The controls are smooth and the gameplay is energetic. I like how hectic the game can get. It's one of those "throw yourself at the problem until you make it through" kind of games. The lack of audio is a bit disappointing, but understandable given the time constraints. Overall, I enjoyed my time with this entry, even if you SHAMELESSLY STOLE the very original name I came up with myself. |
| Aug 1 04:26:39 | 21m 42s | Guncharger | ♥ 1 | This game is pretty cool. I like the idea of using a gun to power things, and the game has a lot of mechanics that build on that core concept (though I didn't realize that you could shoot the fans multiple times at first). Needless to say that the visuals and audio are top notch and certainly add to the experience. My only real complaint is with the control scheme. I would have like to use X for jump instead of space, as it's closer to Z. Other than that, this game is really good. Nice job! |
| Aug 1 04:55:23 | 28m 44s | Running Out of Power | ♥ 1 | Well this is a bit meta. Jokes aside, this is a neat concept for a game and an interesting take on the theme. I always enjoy games that break the 4th wall and use the computer's actual interface as a mechanic. Though it's mostly just a matter of plugging and unplugging you computer while keeping an eye on the charge, the game certainly is unique. I did almost fail when I went to watch a YouTube video and nearly forgot about it, so there is some tension there. It's mostly just a neat thing to have on in the background, is cool in and of itself. It's an entirely different type of game compared to what you usually see coming from Ludum Dare. |
| Aug 1 05:55:01 | 59m 38s | LED Adventure -- Running out of Power | ♥ 1 | This game is pretty solid. The platforming feels good and I like the wall jump. The music does a good job of establishing the tone of the levels. The visuals are also good. I like how your power level is indicated by how bright your light is. The foreground in the first level was a bit distracting, although it's neat how it covered up certain secrets. All in all, this is a very well put together entry. Good job! |
| Aug 1 06:38:09 | 43m 08s | Giuseppe's Kidnapping | ♥ 3 | This game is really great! Having blood packets be manual is a nice touch. I love the tension of trying to optimize your movements, trying to go as far as possible without using a blood packet. Of course the window fading out is a nice touch. It certainly makes this one of the more innovative games I've played this Ludum Dare. I always love it when games mess with the interface of the computer itself. Plus the limited visibility adds to the risk of not using a blood packet. Also the audio and visuals are top notch. The music is excellent! Overall, this is a really great entry. Great work! |
| Aug 1 18:46:45 | 12h 08m | Kick Start | ♥ 0 | This game is really interesting. I like the way that your ball interacts with the environment in different ways than you do. It forces you to think of the level in two different ways at once. My main complaint would be how many kicks there are. The game would be a lot simpler if there was just one heavy kick and one light kick. Maybe three kicks would be fine, but 4 is a bit much to keep track of. That certainly didn't ruin my enjoyment, as the game was really fun and the puzzles kept offering new twists on the same few mechanics. The visuals are also nice and the kicking sound effect is very impactful. All in all, this is a really innovative entry. Nice work! |
| Aug 2 01:10:40 | 6h 23m | A Thirst For Power | ♥ 1 | This game is pretty neat. A lot of games are doing the whole "limited charge, go here to recharge" thing, but I feel that it works well here because it limits your mobility while dodging projectiles, so it actually blends well with the game's bullet hell mechanics. I will say that the first boss is very easy and repetitive, and the second boss is a rather large difficulty spike, but not unmanageable. Overall, this is a pretty solid entry. |
| Aug 2 01:23:26 | 12m 46s | The Engineer | ♥ 0 | It's unfortunate that you were ill and unable to dedicate more time to making a complete game, but this is at least functional for so little time spent. The gameplay is quite repetitive, though having the zoomed in camera which hides the collectibles does add some tension. I also enjoy the music quite a bit. I hope you get well soon! |
| Aug 2 01:35:08 | 11m 42s | The Last Knight | ♥ 0 | This game is really good looking. Though I did run into some performance issues trying to get this to run on my somewhat older PC, the game's use of color and detailed pixel art is fantastic. However, I will say that the visual clutter could occasionally be distracting. I do like the feedback you get when attacking. The controller vibration in particular is a nice touch. That being said, the controls feel a bit stiff and unresponsive. I found myself trying to avoid most enemy confrontations as it was easier to just run to the next checkpoint than to stay and fight. Overall, this is a very visually appealing game, but one that feels a bit rough around the edges to play. That being said, it's certainly impressive for 72 hours. Nice work! |
| Aug 2 01:39:53 | 4m 45s | Cryozia | ♥ 3 | This game is pretty simple, but I like the idea behind it. It's all about trying to optimize movement and manage risk versus reward. That being said, I feel that the controls are a bit too sloppy. I found it quit difficult to steer the ship where I wanted it to go. The tank controls aren't necessarily a problem, but I think they need to be a bit more refined. That aside, the visuals are simple, but functional, and the colors help differentiate all of the objects. With a bit of fine tuning, this game could be improved a lot, but, for what it is, this is a fairly competent entry. Nice work! |
| Aug 2 02:10:07 | 30m 14s | Uninterruptible Power | ♥ 1 | You forgot to upload the data folder. |
| Aug 2 03:44:40 | 1h 34m | Battery Thief | ♥ 1 | I have a bit of a soft spot for endless runners, so this game is right up my alley. The sprite art is pretty good and the music sets a very cyber punk tone. The platforming could be a little rough as your default jump is a bit weak, though I imagine that's intentional as you must use your jet pack to compensate. Overall, this game is pretty basic, but it's simple and enjoyable for what it is. Good job! |
| Aug 2 04:06:24 | 21m 44s | Professional Protesters | ♥ 1 | Clicker games are always an interesting concept. This game has some things going for it, but has a few too many long stretches of just clicking without much happening. I feel like there need to be a few more meaningful upgrades to make the game more interesting. That issue aside, I really like the silly, cartoon visuals and the music is nice too. overall, this is a pretty polished entry. Nice work! |
| Aug 2 05:21:19 | 1h 14m | Running out of Butter | ♥ 0 | This game's visual presentation is really nice, with it's bright, colorful, and cartoony vibe. I particularly like the little trail the butter man leaves behind. This game also has really nice controls and the first world is really well designed. Unfortunately, the massive difficulty spike at the beginning of the second world prevented me from getting very far. You really need to introduce mechanics one at a time before giving a massive challenge like that (like Super Meat Boy). Looking at the video play through, it seems that that level is by far the most difficult in the game, so it's really a shame that it has to be a gatekeeper between me and the rest of the game. that aside, this game is pretty well polished and I had a good time with what I did get to play. Nice work! |
| Aug 2 18:43:08 | 13h 21m | Power Loss | ♥ 2 | I really like this game's visual style. It has this rather sleek flat/square looking going on which works really well. Even the particle effects on your bullets are little squares! The colors are quite nice as well. I will say that firing your gun feels a bit weak and could have used some screen shake (I'd watch this video for some pointers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=216_5nu4aVQ). The gameplay itself is pretty solid, though the level design could be a bit claustrophobic at times. I didn't feel like I always had ample room to dodge enemy shots or jump over obstacles. Still, I'd say I enjoyed my time with Power Loss overall and it's definitely a very solid entry. Nice work! |
| Aug 2 19:14:10 | 31m 02s | Energy Dash | ♥ 1 | This game has really great game feel. It has just the right amount of screen shake and the knock back on your gun gives each shot a real kick. The game freezing effect when getting hit was also nice, if a bit too long. Plus the game has killer sound effects and music. I also like the tactical decisions you have to make about the energy pods. Since they hinder your ability to combat, players are tempted to use them for a brief upgrade, but at the cost of the objective. All of these little points of polish really elevate this game above the mundane game it could have been into something great. The game loop could get a bit repetitive, but it was overall very fun to play. Excellent work! |
| Aug 2 19:45:38 | 31m 28s | Lionel's Weekend | ♥ 3 | This is a really clever use of theme. I love the idea of having to navigate the level once in the light and once in the dark. It's sort of a mix of a platformer and a memory game. It's pretty smart how you made the different kinds of floors make different sounds when stepped on to help tell where you are. The little computer screens and glowing rat eyes were also very helpful. The animation was a bit janky, but I guess that's okay when you're not seeing it half of the time. It was also a bit annoying having to sit through the same cutscene at the start of every level. Despite these issues, this is a really well designed entry. Excellent work! |
| Aug 2 22:58:14 | 3h 12m | Flashlight | ♥ 1 | This is a pretty neat concept for a game. I always like it when a game plays the amount of information available to the player. I like the whole risk versus reward mechanic you have going on with the flashlight. The player only needs to use it long enough to asses the situation, but overuse has a price. I will say, however, that the game is far too punishing. Returning the player back to the start of the game after taking only one hit means that most players won't make it very far at all. I would have liked it more if you could take a few hits and if there were checkpoints. That issue aside, this is a fairly competent game with a pretty interesting main mechanic. Nice work! |
| Aug 2 23:15:10 | 16m 56s | Blasphemy! | ♥ 1 | This game is pretty intense. I love how the short timer gives the game a speed running sense of urgency. The game could get pretty tough, but short levels along with tight, responsive controls make it do-able. The visuals were really nice too. It was clear what everything was despite the ultra low res graphics, although the flashing lights were a bit disorienting. The audio is also top notch. Very lovely chip tunes! Though the game is pretty short, I had a blast playing it. Nice work! |
| Aug 2 23:30:23 | 15m 13s | Running From Power | ♥ 1 | This game is pretty basic, but it's at least elegant in it's simplicity, only requiring one button. I also really like the way the game transitions from the title screen right into gameplay so smoothly. The visuals are simple, but serviceable and you get a pretty good sense of speed as you keep playing. That being said, with how fast you're going, it's really difficult to dodge things, giving you only a few frames to react to oncoming obstacles. I never really ran out of power because I would just get hit by an obstacle first. That aside, this is a decent entry and I had fun playing it. |
| Aug 2 23:51:13 | 20m 50s | Powered By Coal | ♥ 2 | This is a pretty well polished little management game. I like the art style quite a bit. it really fits that old west theme, and the little train going around is adorable. The game started out pretty fun, going around and giving everyone the resources they need to start up. However, after a certain point it gets a bit repetitive as you just sort of go around in circles and unload every so often at grandpa's house. The core gameplay loop is fine, but the game really needs some difficult scenarios to throw at the players so they don't just wind up doing the same thing the whole time. That being said, the game doesn't overstay its welcome and I had a good time playing it overall. |
| Aug 3 00:16:41 | 25m 28s | Ducks in a Row | ♥ 1 | This is a pretty interesting concept for a game. Sort of like Infinifacotry but with the player controlling a character. I really felt like a little factory working dashing around to make sure everything is in order. I like the idea of trying to optimize your movement with a conveyor belts. Certainly an good use of theme. My main gripe with this game is in the waiting. After you fix the machine, you just sort of sit there and wait until you run out of power. I'd say either end the level after one duck or give the player something to do even after they finished the puzzle. Despite the game's reduced demo scope, I think it's really interesting and shows a lot of potential. |
| Aug 3 00:26:31 | 9m 50s | Hoverboard Electrician | ♥ 1 | This game is pretty simple, but well put together. The pixel art is very crisp and I really like the background. Definitely makes for some good atmosphere. The music is also really good and fits the game well. The gameplay is simple, but competent. I like the idea of being able to slow yourself down manually, but not being able to strafe while doing so makes it pretty much useless. Also, it's quite difficult to actually run out of power because of how easy it is to get the batteries and how short the timer is. Maybe some obstacles which could take away more power would add some much needed tension to the game. Despite these issues, the game doesn't overstay it's welcome and is very competently put together. Good job! |
| Aug 3 01:11:23 | 44m 52s | Running out of Power Inc. | ♥ 3 | This is a very short and sweet game. I love the very crisp pixel art and the monochrome aesthetic combined with the drone of the machine in the background really set the tone well. I particularly like the dust particles and the little bit of screen shake when jumping. I like how the platforming is what actually advances the text, combining the story with the gameplay at least a little bit, although this occasionally led to weird pacing issues where you would move a little and then stop to read, only progressing inch by inch. Also, the jump over the wide spike pit was tough to the point of me questioning whether I was missing something. Despite these issues, I found myself really sucked in by the games atmosphere. |
| Aug 3 02:28:45 | 1h 17m | Low Energy | ♥ 1 | This is a really interesting game. I like how you have to optimize your movement in order to conserve energy. I enjoy how you occasionally have to choose between conserving energy by using your spit to take the shorter route and conserving your spit but having to take the longer route, wasting energy. Also the colorful visuals and energetic music work well together. This is a well made entry that I had a fun time playing. Nice work! |
| Aug 3 05:30:43 | 3h 01m | Xenocide | ♥ 0 | I'm really impressed by the amount and variety among all of the weapons. They all look, sound, and feel both distinct and great. The visuals are definitely the highlight of the game for me. The pixel art is just so detailed and the animations are incredibly smooth. That explosion effect in particular is fantastic! I was disappointed by the lack of music, which left the soundscape feeling very empty. This is a jam game, so you could have just used some royalty free music if you didn't have the time to make any yourself. The gameplay itself is pretty good. It can be a bit slow paced, but it builds up when you're dodging a whole bunch of bullets on screen at once. I think I had the most fun in the game when I just turned on all of the upgrades from the start and rained down hell fire on my foes. I also love that you were able to include bosses in your game. So few Ludum Dare games are able to include bosses, and these bosses really give each level a climactic end. That being said, I need to address the game's one major flaw: how punishing it is. Booting the player back to the title screen and undoing all of their progress after just one hit is absurd and takes away any chance I had of making significant progress in the game. I get that this is supposed to be a sort of bash your head against the wall until you finally break through kind of game, but it just feels awful to beat a boss and then have that all taken away by just one single hit at the beginning of the next level. At least all of the levels are accessible from the start, so I did get a chance to play all of the levels. Even though the difficulty prevented me from making significant progress, I enjoyed what I got to play and this is definitely a great entry. |
| Aug 3 06:03:34 | 32m 51s | Visioff | ♥ 0 | This game is pretty sweet. I love the whole CRT effect you have going on. It actually helps a little when I run out of power completely and I can sort of see if I'm bumping into things based on the way the CRT moves. It's always interesting to see games go for concepts focusing on withholding information from the player as opposed to putting up any physical barriers. This game could technically be beaten with the lights off most of the time, but you wouldn't know where you're going. I think that blends well with the exploration aspect, as limited visibility restricts your ability to explore. There were also a lot of interesting mechanics introduced relating to redistributing charge which I enjoyed quite a bit. I think my main complaint with the game is a lack of guidance. I enjoy the whole metroidvania spin and how you have to navigate and gain an understanding of the space, but that can be pretty difficult when everything looks the same. Despite this difficulty, I still had a great time with this game and it's certainly an excellent and innovative entry. |
| Aug 3 22:20:14 | 16h 16m | Cell Out! | ♥ 0 | This is a really neat cross between a puzzle game and a platformer. It's sorta like 2048 with a spatial navigation element. What keeps this game from being entirely puzzle focused is the falling mechanic. Having to time bursts with your fall adds an element of platfomer-like skill based gameplay that you don't see in a lot of puzzle games. There are a lot of "puzzle platformers" that simply use platforming as a vehicle for the puzzles, but this game actually combines the best aspects of both genres. I think that combination of puzzling and platforming is this game's greatest accomplishment. Unfortunately, the game's short length keeps this play-style form being fully explored, but I'd love to see it expanded upon. In addition to the great gameplay, the little bit of screen shake when landing a long boost in addition to the player character's recoiling animation really sell the impact of each movement. Also, the resizable window is a nice touch. Overall, this is an excellent game that I greatly enjoyed playing. |
| Aug 3 22:54:15 | 34m 01s | Horrible Politics | ♥ 1 | I like jokes. This game has jokes. I am satisfied. Jokes aside, I think that using madlibs as a way to satirize politics is pretty smart. I particularly like how you don't always have all the words you need to say the right thing, so you're essentially having to perform damage control (do I call education "boring" or children "the worst?"). Also, the newspaper headlines reacting to your quotes are a nice touch. The portraits are very well made, and I like how you have options to make the game accessible to people of all political persuasion, even though the game's scenarios mostly seem to be focused more on current politics, if you catch my drift. Overall, this is a really clever and funny game that I had a good laugh playing. That being said, no option to play as Sean Spicer = 0/10 |
| Aug 4 01:03:03 | 2h 08m | THUNDER RUNNER | ♥ 1 | This game is pretty simple, but it's really fun when you're going for a high score. I'd say that the highlight of the game is the ground pound mechanic. Not only is it good for taking out enemies, but it's an essential tool for landing in time to get another jump. I always love to see new types of mechanics related to movement, and this one is simple, but effective. Plus, the sound effect and little trail behind you really make the move satisfying to pull off. I also like the effect that happens when you land on a cloud and the little rainbow trail you get when at full power. Speaking of the visuals, I really like the look of the main character. His design is simple, but elegant, and his animation is incredibly smooth. His little arm flail while falling in particular is adorable. I also like how the game subtly increases in speed over time. It's that ramping tension that keeps me really engaged. I do have a few issues with the game, however. It's a bit disappointing that you're incredibly unlikely to die from losing all of your energy. Energy is so abundant and the meter drains so slowly that I never found myself paying attention to it. It would have been nice if there was a hard mode where the meter drained faster. At least you get something for filling the meter up all the way, so there's still some incentive to collect the energy tokens. That being said, the tokens aren't very satisfying to collect. They just sorta disappear when you touch them. It would be nice if collecting them had some sort of visual or sound effect. That would make me really feel good about collecting them. It's a small change that would go a long way. Despite these issues, I had a heck of a lot of fun going for the NEW HIGH SCORE!!! high score.png |
| Aug 4 01:50:50 | 47m 47s | SAP | ♥ 0 | This is a pretty solid platformer. The character has tight, responsive controls, though it would have been better with a variable jump height. An easy way to do that is to increase the player's gravity once they've let go of the jump button, then change it back to normal once they start falling. While the construction of the levels could be a bit messy looking, the challenges were fun and had a well balanced difficulty curve. I also like how the charging stations doubled as checkpoints; that's very efficient design. That being said, I think the game lacked the sense of urgency that you wanted because the meter drains very slowly, so I never really felt any pressure to hurry up and get to the next checkpoint. I read your comment talking about how you were afraid that it would be too hard, and I can definitely relate as many of my own games have received complaints for being too difficult. Maybe adding in a difficulty option might help please all players. Also, it's really easy to miss the first weapon along with the tutorial on how to equip weapons. I missed it on my first play through and got very confused when it said "press space to fire" and nothing happened, and, when I got the second weapon, I didn't know what it was. These gripes aside, this is a very solid entry and I had a fun time playing through it. Nice work! |
| Aug 4 03:17:15 | 1h 26m | Robot Invaders | ♥ 1 | This is a pretty cool take on the theme. lots of people are doing the whole "energy always draining, either pick stuff up or go to a place to recharge," but I think you took it one step further. You sort of added an extra layer to the mechanic by making me kill enemies, THEN go to a specific spot in order to redeem my pickups. I think that's really smart, because it makes me have to balance killing enemies with returning to the base. Adding that one extra step really makes all of the difference. The visuals are pretty basic, but functional and the player character is somewhat charming. I do like the use of screen shake when hitting enemies. It really drives home the impact of each hit. This game probably needs a few more mechanics to be introduced as the waves go on, but it is simple, focused, and doesn't overstay its welcome. I certainly enjoyed my time with this game. |
| Aug 4 03:58:55 | 41m 40s | The Leech | ♥ 1 | This game has a really nice aesthetic going. The grim monochrome sets the tone well and something about how the characters animate is really captivating. Even though they're squares, they rotate in this really interesting way. The villain in particular has a really nice design. It would have been nice if leeching had a more interesting visual effect than a red circle, but at least the red circle communicates the mechanic well. I also really like the background in the arena and the cheering sound going on with it. It really makes the game come to life while you're battling. The gameplay itself has a very interesting concept. I like how the game boils combat down to spacing. My main complaint is how punishing it is. You start out with three hearts, but, if you die once, you'll have one heart for the rest of the game. Most players will die immediately because they're not sure what's going on and then they'll have to deal with one hit instant kills for the rest of the game. I'm also not sure what was going on with the story at the very beginning. I understood that the player character got kidnapped and separated from his brother, but I really have no idea what the brothers were talking about at the beginning as the dialog lacked context (Where were they? What was going on? Why were they having this conversation? etc). The overly long cutscene just sorta started the game out on the wrong foot, but the game picks up once you get into the gameplay itself. Those issues aside, this is a good looking and interesting game that certainly stood out. Nice work! EDIT: On a second play through, I realized that you CAN get your health back, but only by beating an enemy without dying. This somewhat mitigates my problem from earlier, but the game still has a pretty strong feedback loop: the more you die, the less health you have, which will only make you die more. Having this happen whether or not you beat the enemy on the first try would be a lot better in my opinion. That said, giving the player a choice between increasing max HP and refilling health is a neat idea. |
| Aug 4 05:12:28 | 1h 13m | Robo Power | ♥ 2 | I found the puzzle mechanic in this game to be very cool. It's neat how you have to program out a short little function that is supposed to execute multiple times in order to achieve your goal. It could seem a bit daunting with how many different combinations are possible, but it was always very satisfying to finally figure the solution out. I like how many different moving parts you have along side one another as you go along, and I'm impressed by the sheer variety of mechanics that all work so well together. On the other hand, I feel that those mechanics are introduced too quickly. You need more intermediary puzzles to ease players into new mechanics if you're going to have so many. That being said, I did eventually figure out even some of the harder puzzles, so it's not like the game's impossible, and, as I said, it was really satisfying to get that solution right in the end. Moving on, the visuals are very charming. The little robots are expressive and the mayor character is pretty silly. I will say that there is a level where there is a gap in the middle of the grid that was difficult to detect because it blended into the rest of the grid, but that only happened in one puzzle. Other than that, I don't have any problems with the visuals. Overall, this is a very well made puzzle game with a strong core mechanic which evolves over time. I feel that this could be expanded into a pretty strong, full game without even having to add many new puzzle mechanics, just by providing the intermediary puzzles that will ease players into the game. But, even with the current, steep difficulty curve, I thoroughly enjoyed playing this game. Nice work! |
| Aug 5 01:57:09 | 20h 44m | Devil's Curse | ♥ 0 | This game has an excellent interpretation of the theme. Taking away all of the player's abilities one by one ramps up the tension over time, as the player has fewer means of dispatching the enemies. The gameplay itself is simple, but fun and served the main mechanic well, though I did notice that monsters had trouble getting you at the top of the screen. The visuals are really great and serve to set a mood of despair. I particularly like the graveyard background and the weather effects. Overall, I found this entry to be particularly innovative and really enjoyable. |
| Aug 5 02:35:45 | 38m 36s | Pipe Trek | ♥ 0 | This game has an interesting premise of combining a frantic, Pipe Dream style mini game with a strategic management game. Unfortunately, however, those two halves clash with each other more than they work together. I do enjoy the Pipe Dream style mini game and the frantic feeling of having to put everything back together as quickly as possible every time the ship gets hit. This manic, improvisational feeling is the game's strong point. Ironically, it is that frantic pacing that gets in the way of the management aspect. I feel that this game wants me to pay attention to the various systems and prioritize based on the situation. The thing is that I'm having to act so frantically that I don't have time to pay attention to the situation or strategize outside of "get life support connected first and get them all connected as fast as possible." The game has a whole lot of text and bar graphs it expects me to read, but I don't have time because I'm focused solely on repairing all of the systems, even on easy mode. That being said, as a simple Pipe Dream mini game, this is pretty fun. moreover, it's an accomplishment that you were able to put together something as competent as this in 48 hours. Nice work! |
| Aug 5 03:03:45 | 28m 00s | PowerCubeStationBox™ | ♥ 1 | This game has a really innovative concept. I love the idea of a game inside a game. At first the outside elements seemed a bit token, but I really enjoyed it when the game introduced elements from the outside that interacted with the game itself, like the crank and the scroll wheal. Having to physically interact with something like that with the mouse is a lot more mechanically satisfying than pressing a button. That said, I feel that the need to constantly reset the screen brightness is a real pace breaker that prevented the game from living up to it's full potential. What I will say is that this type of device would probably actually work well as a real product, though I doubt either of us have the resources to make that a reality. In any event, I did enjoy my time with this game and found it to be one of the most unique and innovative entries I've played this Ludum Dare. |
| Aug 5 06:29:13 | 3h 25m | Upload the Game | ♥ 1 | This is a pretty basic, but competent game. I like that you included an upgrade system so you have something to build up towards wave after wave. You feel really powerful after getting a few speed and fire rate upgrades. I will say that the game would be a lot more interesting if the enemies fired back at you. That way you would have to dodge bullets in addition to firing at enemies. The art is pretty nice, although I didn't notice the door at first. I do like the color scheme; the green wall paper really pops. While this is a pretty simple game, it's competently put together and an overall solid entry. Nice work! |
| Aug 5 18:15:17 | 11h 46m | Turtle's Quest | ♥ 1 | This game is pretty fun! The metroidvania style exploration is good. I like having to search around for those strawberries to keep my meter up. I also like the idea of having a shield mode. Not only is it fitting given the turtle character, but it also forces me to make tricky decisions when going through a group of enemies, adding a bit of a twist to what could have been fairly standard gameplay. The hand drawn art style is charming, although the UI could use some work. The inventory bar covered up the bottom of the screen making it difficult to see where you were landing. My main complaint with the game is how punishing it is. Making the player restart the whole game after taking one hit is a bit much. Maybe taking away some energy would have been a more balanced solution. That issue aside, this is a very solid entry that I enjoyed playing. Nice work! |
| Aug 5 19:24:40 | 1h 09m | The Overseer | ♥ 1 | Combining a match three game with a management game is a really neat idea. I like how the player has to balance treating innocent protesters fairly with self preservation. Some times I had no choice but to kill all because all I had were red tiles and I was in a tricky spot. Forcing the player make tough choices like that is really smart design. That said, I feel that my success in the game was determined by RNG most of the time. It's frustrating to get several patterns in a row without a row of 3. Despite that, I still had a pretty fun time with the game. The meaningful choices the player is forced to make on top of the game's wonderful visual aesthetic make this a really solid entry. Nice work! |
| Aug 5 19:46:13 | 21m 33s | QTechnologic Quest | ♥ 2 | I really like the cutesy aesthetic of the game. The robot has a nice design and I like how the batteries have little faces on them. The background is also really nice and I like the color scheme. The ending screen is also really cute. It's unfortunate that your level loader got messed up, but I'd love to see a post-jam fixed version with all of the levels. The game starts out well enough and I like how you have some level of procedural generation to keep each play through different. I just wish I could see how you were planning to develop the mechanics further. That said, this is a very promising start with a wonderful aesthetic. Nice work! |
| Aug 5 20:09:00 | 22m 47s | Coffee Hero: Powered by Coffee | ♥ 3 | This is a really great game. I like the frantic pace as you quickly try to fill everyone's order. Having to replace the ingredients as they run low is a nice touch. I will say that I was initially confused, thinking that the speech bubbles meant that those machines need x amount of ingredients as opposed to the machines HAVE x amount of ingredients, but after I figured that out it wasn't a problem. I really like the voxel aesthetic. Everything is very smooth and colorful. I also like how expressive the characters are and how all of the machines are animated. The music is good and fits the theme of the game, though it did get repetitive because of how short the loop is. Aside from a few minor gripes, I really enjoyed myself with this game. Nice work! |
| Aug 5 21:19:39 | 1h 10m | Orcs in Space | ♥ 2 | This is a pretty neat concept. Sort of an RTS crossed with a tower defense game. It's basically Star Craft but with a focus on the resource gathering. I like the hectic feeling as you got more and more workers and had to make sure they were all doing something. It's smart how the enemies that go after the base and the enemies that go after the workers are different enemies and have difference color schemes so you can easily tell them apart. It's also very good design to have the enemy spawn rate go in waves so that you get a big wave every so often with a couple smaller attacks in between. It gives you those big climactic battles with enough time in between to prepare, but it never feels like the threat's gone away entirely, keeping you constantly on your toes. Those moments where you are getting absolutely swamped by a big wave of enemies are the best parts of the game. I had a really great time playing this game and it certainly is a stand out entry. Nice work! |
| Aug 5 21:35:30 | 15m 51s | Dash Guy | ♥ 1 | This game has some pretty neat ideas going on. I like the very fast pace gameplay; I felt like my skills were constantly being tested. Having the levels be in a random order is really smart. I was repeatedly dying at first as it took a while to get a handle on the mechanics and the game was throwing obstacles at me faster than I could react to them. That could have been frustrating, but having the levels be in a random order allowed me to constantly get to see new content and practice my skills on new levels. Eventually I improved enough to be able to handle the game's fast pace and really enjoy it. The randomness really helps the variety and replayability of the game. The visuals are pretty nice, if a pit noisy. I particularly like the look of the main character. Overall, this is a really enjoyable game, even if it is a bit rough around the edges. |
| Aug 11 19:57:33 | 142h 22m | daemon | ♥ 0 | I really like the aesthetic of this entry. The pixel art is very detailed and I love the minimalist use of colors. The music does a good job of contributing to the mood of the game, though the jump sound effect seems out of place. I like the idea of making the double jump a limited resource, but theming it as a sword slash is a confusing decision. You'd think that this would let you kill enemies, but it seems that it's just a jump (at least as far as I got in the game). Also, the controls could be a bit fiddly as wall jumping is not always reliable. This is a really interesting premise for a game and I love the aesthetic, but the movement would need to feel more natural for the game to flow properly. Despite these issues, this is a really interesting and gorgeous entry that I enjoyed playing. Nice work! |
| Aug 11 20:18:55 | 21m 22s | Inferno | ♥ 2 | I really like this game! The gameplay is nonstop, action packed glory and the theming and mood reflect that. The screen shake really sells the impact of your shots and blood is very satisfying to collect. The music and audio also contribute greatly to the game's tone. Weapons all seem sufficiently differentiated and useful, and having an upgrade system along with a ramping difficulty gives the game a good sense of progression between waves. If I had to give one piece of criticism, it's that the dark visuals along with the near constant screen shake could make it difficult to differentiate different gameplay elements. Maybe making certain elements a bit brighter would have helped add some contrast. That aside, I still love the aesthetic and had a blast playing the game. Excellent work! |
