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Shell Pirate

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Timestamp	Since previous	Game		Shell Pirate's comment
Aug 14 07:58:52		Claustrophobia	♥ 1	Good entry! I liked the graphics because of the gameboy palette and the subtle flicker animation on the light. The gameplay was solid if a bit random (playing didn't feel a lot like I was solving a puzzle as much as just figuring out the correct order of moves, but maybe that in itself was the puzzle lol). A bit of sound and atmosperic music would really complete the mood you were setting. Overall, good first entry and props on not using an engine.
Aug 14 08:08:51	9m 59s	Detox	♥ 1	Well executed entry! I think the idea was very simple but the randomness of both the falling and the physics interactions made me want to continue to play it despite the simplicity. It was polished in almost all aspects from graphics to the menus and especially the inclusion of an online leaderboard. I think with a soundtrack and some more mechanics and balance tweaking this could work even as a commercial game on mobile. Good work!
Aug 14 08:18:33	9m 42s	Block Caver	♥ 2	Good work! I think the graphics worked and the music reminded me of old miner-themed flash games for some reason. The gameplay was solid although some sound effects would make it more impactful. I also think the boxes themselves are a little jittery at times and it might be just me but they don't seem to be able to crush you - only the platforms do. I could be mistaken. Overall, solid entry!
Aug 14 08:38:56	20m 23s	TrackBlasters	♥ 4	I'm both really impressed and also a little critical towards this entry. Firstly, everything screams polish from the fantastic graphics to the soundtrack to the menus. It all feels like it came straight out of a SNES game and for a Jam entry that is something truly impressive. The controls and mechanics were generally well made and easy to understand so I had no issues there. My criticism comes in two aspects both of which might be a bit biased. I honestly don't enjoy the way topdown racing games work so I had a hard time truly having fun with this. Of course this is no fault of your own, I just wanted to make that clear. My other gripe comes with the core concept. Even though the racing while bombing mechanic is great on paper, I think your implementation could have been a bit better. I didn't really see a clear way to "beat" the tracks (does it have to do with doing a certain amount of laps?) and due to only having one route through the stage it becomes a total mess the moment you screw up more than once even leading to you possibly getting locked out of completing a stage. To negate this I think a better approach would be to have multiple routes through a track and using the bomb mechanic as a way to make the player choose to take different paths on the different laps or always go through the one that is fastest (but also most risky due to bomb damage). I am still very impressed with this but I just feel with a clearer goal, some polish to the main idea and more content it would make for an even better game. Fantastic work regardless!
Aug 14 09:04:04	25m 08s	Will Survive	♥ 3	I really like the graphics on this they remind me of stuff like Nuclear Throne and Enter the Gungeon. The addition of the into animation also added a lot to the setup and atmosphere which is not something usual for a Jam game. The music while nice, doesn't quite fit the dark mood in my opinion. The gameplay is rather simple, but for a Jam game that is excusable. I would like a bit more polish (such as stopping trees from spawning on top of the campfire/tent) and some more content. Overall though, good work!
Aug 14 12:57:56	3h 53m	Summer Breakdown	♥ 1	A charming entry! I really liked the whole mood of it from the warm colors of the graphics to the beach music and the hustle and bustle sounds of the people. It really worked well, plus, the voice over gave me a nice smile. The gameplay was really simple as it is with most entries but it worked and was quite fun because it kept me on my toes and aware of the people appearing and disappering around me. I can't really say anything other than just expand it with more content and mechanics if you feel like it. Overall, very solid entry!
Aug 14 13:32:22	34m 26s	Monster Girl Chaos: Hollow Apple	♥ 2	A well executed game! I like the presentation because it quite reminds me of old PC RPG games and the chracter designs on the main trio are well made (personalities included wink, wink). The music is nice and fitting and the writing gave me a chuckle at times. As far as the gameplay goes, it's a fairly standard turn based combat system similar to the Heroes series but I think you executed it well. The differences between the three are a good idea, but I feel like Felina was clearly the best character and she ended up doing most of the work in my playthrough. The other two had interesting abilities such as the divebomb and web shooting but I feel like they needed to be just a bit more useful to compensate for the raw power of Felina. A bit more polish could have been given to the impacts outside of the great punchy sound effects you chose (for example making the enemies flash) and there were a few bugs (such as the enemies continuing to attack a girl that has been defeated which allowed me to cheese certain levels). All of those are completely understandable considering the time limit though, I am just giving my two cents as to how to improve an already solid entry with quite a bit of length and polish. Good work!
Aug 14 13:53:01	20m 39s	René in outer space	♥ 0	Good work! I liked the art despite it not being mindblowing or anything. I think René in particular has a certain derpy charm that makes the whole thing work. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to hear any audio (could have been my browser or maybe my headphones), so I won't rate you on that. The gameplay was fairly well executed with the controls feeling floaty but on purpose so the player has to get the hang of them if they want to be good at the game. I feel like you had a few too many gameplay elements going on with the different powerups and the way they interacted with René's size, but I may just be being simpleminded lol. I had some fun, regardless. Overall, solid work!
Aug 14 14:28:11	35m 10s	CRUMBLE	♥ 1	I quite liked the graphics because of the color palette you chose, my only issue is the fact the main character looks a little flat. The music is great and it really helped the mood. Gameplay-wise it's a neat idea that kept me tense throughout while keeping everything that's happening under my control because of the turn-based mechanics. I'm split on the randomness, as on one hand it helps with the tension by not letting the player know which crumbling block will fall next, but on the other hand it feels a little frustrating at times. Overall, a solid entry!
Aug 15 07:41:34	17h 13m	Falling Ecosystem	♥ 1	I liked the minimalistic pixel graphics, especially the palette. The sound wasn't anything special and I think some music would have helped a lot, but considering this is a Compo entry, it is completely understandable. The gameplay has potential. I liked some of your ideas quite a lot, in particular, the way you mined dirt. The decision making of whether to wait and see which blocks will fall and then quickly mine those so they don't go to waste, or mine some other blocks to save yourself the wait was quite a neat mechanic. Unfortunately, it's a bit of a double edged sword as it lead to a lot of downtime where the player does nothing. Another issue I had was the fact that not everything was indicated quite clearly (such as which things you build provide which resources and when exactly in relation to the timer those resources are collected). All of these are excusable for a Ludum Dare game, of course, I'm just pitching in as to how to improve it if you decide to move forward. Good entry!
Aug 15 13:14:33	5h 32m	Crumble	♥ 2	I really liked the cartoon-esque cel shaded style and the derpiness of the main character in particular. The music was a bit repetitive but worked okay, but perhaps a more oriental precussion and melody style would have fit the environment better. Gameplay-wise it reminded me a bit of Rock of Ages. It took me a while to get used to how the ball controlled and I feel like that was because of the big difference in acceleration and speed between the ground and air. I felt sluggish on the ground and a bit too fast in the air. Despite the faults, I enjoyed messing around in it and I commend your good work. Solid entry!
Aug 15 13:25:04	10m 31s	Crystalmancer	♥ 0	I liked the gameboy inspired graphics and the ability to swap your palette is a really cool aesthetic addition. The music was some nice bouncey 8-bit goodness. The game itself was well made if a bit too difficult for my tastes (mainly due to how slow you move and how big you are on the screen). I also feel like you could have taken it in a slightly different direction to fit the theme better. Initially, I thought the hammer wasn't a thing and went "Oh, okay, so the game is about timing where you kill an enemy so you don't block your path forward. That's a pretty awesome idea." I feel like if you took it more in that direction it could have been something more thematically fitting and smarter. As it stands, it is by no means bad, just a bit too hard for my tastes, but I suppose that is the nature of original Zelda-styled games. Good work!
Aug 16 05:40:18	16h 15m	Birdbird can't fly!	♥ 1	A good entry! I liked the Game & Watch styled graphics and the silly music and over the top sound effects and dialogue really made it quite charming. The gameplay was simple, yet engaging and the only thing I might tweak is the controls which felt just a touch too floaty for the rather small game space. That and as people have previously mentioned restarting feels sluggish due to waiting quite a bit, although I can't really see a way to avoid this other than maybe skipping the dialogue once you respawn or adding some sort of checkpoint system. Good work overall!
Aug 16 05:51:02	10m 44s	Hydrogenic	♥ 1	This was a good entry. I think the simple graphics and sound worked and gave the game a clean, slick look and feel which is fitting for the genre. Some music would really add, of course, but it's a gamejam entry so what can you do. The core mechanic has potential and I think for the most part you executed it well. The only issue is the confusing directions when moving. I feel you could either make player movement consistent rather than based on stage rotation, or if you keep the stage rotation make it so the stage visually rotates around the player so that it's clear and easy to grasp which direction you will end up moving in. Overall though, good work!
Aug 16 06:02:45	11m 43s	The Subway: horror within	♥ 1	I liked this one. The graphics are really well made and as both a pixel and non-pixel artist I can tell just how much time and effort has gone into them and it's really quite impressive for a gamejam entry. The music and sound was also good. I think the gameplay has potential. The idea of timing your moves so they are most effective against the different types of people incoming is a good one and I liked your execution. I can't really suggest much other than adding more depth and content to it. I also feel like this would work better as an arcade game where the goal is to survive as long as possible rather than as a game with a set goal. Other than that, good work!
Aug 16 06:17:29	14m 44s	.S	♥ 0	Good entry. I like clean minimalistic visuals for these sorts of games, but some audio would have added a lot. The concept behind it is so simple, yet pretty clever - somehow snake works as a platforming game rather nicely. I will agree with others that the physics gameplay does feel a little clunky at times, but I think that is only a real issue because when you get stuck in yourself it's pretty defeating to have to restart the whole level over again. You seem to have found a good solution for this in a time reqind mechanic though, so I'm glad. Also please make it so falling down actually kills you because it feels unprofessional to have to restart manually once you fall into a bottomless pit. Overall though, a good creative entry!
Aug 16 19:35:12	13h 17m	Storage Madness	♥ 2	I liked your take on the theme with the obvious memory hog apps as enemies, I think that was a pretty creative aesthetic choice. Overall the aesthetic is nice but I feel that the floor tiles, while thematically relevant, were a bit too busy looking. The music was mostly just there but it was by no means bad and I suppose it fit the futuristic tech theme. Gameplay-wise I think you have the basics down pat and all that is needed is polish to make the game feel really good to play. I would start with the shop interaction. I feel it was clunky because of the inclusion of the exit shop button which just slows down the gameplay and leads to taking damage while fumbling to click it. A simple solution would be to entirely remove it and make it so when the player is close to the shop the shop menu appears and when they move away it disappears. Secondly, the shooting feels rather weak so I would adjust that to make it more satisfying. Faster bullets, a faster shooting rate, screen shake, a meatier sound effect, muzzle flashing, really anything you can think of can be added to make the shooting really pack the punch that is needed for this sort of game. I suggest watching Vlambeer Games' video on the subject of Game Feel (it's called "The Art of Screenshake" on YouTube). I will finish by saying I played the Game Jam version so perhaps my issues have been addressed in the update. I'm simply pitching in my two cents as to how to improve the game because you seem to have a strong desire to do so which is very commendable. Solid work overall!
Aug 16 19:56:02	20m 50s	Pre Alpha Build	♥ 1	An interesting take on the tower defense genre. I liked the tetris-like mechanic and I thought you implemented it well. The graphics were nice (save for the green field in the middle of nowhere as your setting, I feel like the surface of Mars or something would have been a far better choice for the menacing mood). The music was some great stuff and for the most part I can't really add much other than work on explaining the mechanics more clearly as the 'nope' on the help button is a funny joke sure, but it still doesn't actually help a player in case they can't fully grasp everything that is happening. Good work on this!
Aug 16 20:21:00	24m 58s	Zachary's Memory	♥ 1	This game was the artistic (if that is even the proper label for it) entry of Ludum Dare for me. The graphics and music work so well to create this cozy yet sad atmosphere it left me feeling bittersweet almost immediately. The writing is really good and I would say its strongest feature is found in the main mechanic. It's rare to see a game work the writing and story into the gameplay as they're usually treated as two separate entities but having to piece together this person's life not only works on a mechanical level (keeping you intrigued thoughout and trying to group the memories) but also in a narritive sense because it really manages to put you into the protagonist's shoes. It's really quite a simple but clever way to tie story and gameplay together and you did it really well. I can't say much other than maybe make it easier to figure out the criteria for grouping each set of memories, or perhaps make messing up more forgiving. I might just be dumb or it's too late at night to be playing a game this thought-involving lol. Overall, I congratulate you on crafting an engaging narritive experience in a LD entry, that is no small accomplishment!
Aug 16 20:53:47	32m 47s	Growing Out	♥ 1	Everything about this game screamed NES to me and I liked that. You really nailed that style of game both in the gameplay and aesthetically with the graphics and audio (the music could have been a bit better but the fact you even have music to begin with in a Compo entry is impressive enough). I really liked the smaller touches that were nods to that era of gaming as well. For example, the moment I started I knew I couldn't go right and I had to go left just like the original Metroid on the NES. The shooting had that arch similar to Mario's fireflower and the game was rightfully rather difficult (at least for me) just like old NES titles. I focus on this mostly because it's really what gives the game charm and it's good to see someone make an 'oldschool' game in which the word 'oldchool' isn't just a substitute for 'lackluster pixel graphics and sound'. I can't say much other than impressive work done in just 48H!
Aug 17 06:41:01	9h 47m	Deep Down	♥ 0	Good entry! I liked the graphics, especially the color palette and the music was awesome. The gameplay was fun and it kept me wanting to move forward despite the difficulty. I will say you could make the collision detection a little tighter as I found myself slipping from the edges of blocks (it was never truly a serious issue, just thought I would mention it). Also I am not a fan of the way the yellow sticky blocks worked. I think you should be able to let go of them without jumping vertically because it made one of the sections at the end of the second level more difficult than it should be. Other than that solid entry!
Aug 17 09:21:37	2h 40m	Reasonable Claustrophobia	♥ 1	Good entry! The graphics were nice and pleasant looking and the music was upbeat and energetic. I think your take on the theme was well executed and simple to grasp, yet with some potential behind it. My main issue is the slightly slow pace of certain things such as movement speed and especially respawning. I thought having to press R on every death was unnecessary and slowed things down needlessly. Absolutely keep the option to restart, just make it so dying automatically resets the level. Additionally, maybe speed up the respawn time because I feel the little letterbox transition was a tad too sluggish, if nice looking. Overall, good work!
Aug 18 11:14:46	25h 53m	The Best Internet Experience	♥ 4	I think visually you nailed the aesthetic of 90s computer interfaces. Audio-wise I believe a few of the sound effects were out of place (mainly the Skype and Discord sounds) as they are from applications that were not in use during that era. In terms of gameplay, you managed to turn what is usually the major annoyance of getting rid of ads into a pretty fun experience and a creative take on the theme. I would suggest adding a bar or some sort of visual indication as to how many more adds you can let come on the screen before the game ends.
Aug 18 11:34:25	19m 39s	Loot Keeper	♥ 2	I like the aesthetic of the items, although the pixel art on the dungeon view felt out of place. I liked the idea as a concept, but I feel the execution needs a bit of polish. Firstly, using WASD to move items feels like a pointless hassle and just being able to drag and drop the items would have worked better (of course with some difficulty adjustment for the change in controls). Secondly, if you insist on keeping WASD you need to make it a bit more responsive because it felt like there was input lag which often lead to me moving the items more than one space without intending to. I don't mean to come off harsh, of course, I can tell you've put in a lot of good work, these are just my thoughts about how to improve it going further.
Aug 18 12:42:08	1h 07m	Ink Flood	♥ 1	A solid platformer! The graphics were simple but worked and the music on the menus sounded good, although I am not sure why there wasn't any during the actual gameplay. The controls felt responsive but also just a bit floaty. The level design was alright and the difficulty curve wasn't too unforgiving. I am not a fan of having a game over system as I feel letting the player attempt as many times as they need to is a better option. Also a few bugs in the menus made the buttons unresponsive at times. Other than that solid work!
Aug 18 12:51:22	9m 14s	Demonic Digestion	♥ 2	I really liked the Asian aesthetic both visually and with the soundtrack which was definitely a highlight. The core gameplay was simple to understand and pretty fun. I feel like the only complaint I would have is the character movement feeling a bit floaty, but honestly that was probably a design decision so it's not really a bad thing. Perhaps just make it so the head rotates a bit smoother to match the direction of movement as at the moment it looks rather rigid. Other than that, good work!
Aug 18 13:03:17	11m 55s	SpaceOut	♥ 1	I liked the graphics and the music was awesome, it reminded me of the original Doom's soundtrack. I especially appreciated the Atari-esque digitized speech. The gameplay was simple and fun to play for a little while. I would have liked a clearer explanation of the mechanics that wasn't done via text, but considering the time limit of the Jam it's excusable - just something to look into doing if you decide to take it further. Solid work!
Aug 18 13:20:00	16m 43s	Zero Grace Megadrive	♥ 1	I would describe this as competative snake, because on the one hand you have snake mechanics of your own to deal with (worrying about hitting your own trail) but you're also using your trail to trap the worms who also have snake mechanics. It's a neat idea. The aesthetic was nice and clean and I could see this working if more content was added to it. Perhaps zoom out the view though, so it's easier to judge the worms' movements (if I recall the original snake was all on one screen and I think there's a reason for that). Overall, solid work!
Aug 18 13:37:50	17m 50s	EVOLUTION	♥ 1	A simple but effective narritive game. I loved the Binding of Isaac styled art and the music was a little offputting at first (sounded a bit too detuned and jerky for a cheery tune), but maybe that was the point to suggest from the start that things will end badly. The sound effects were great, especially the cries of pain coming from the planet which gradually became louder and louder. It kept me intrigued to see it through to the end despite the minimal gameplay. I also love the idea of the title as what appears on the surface to be the evolution of your society is actually causing horrible effects to the planet without any of the people realizing. I would only suggest making the planet's death gorier or maybe a bit more disturbing to make it just the more impactful when it finally happens. Other than that, great narrative entry!
Aug 18 18:14:29	4h 36m	A Bunny's Tale	♥ 1	ANEWMAN.png The only 5/5 experience for me this LD. I feel like a new man upon completion. My muscles have grown twice in size, I've grown a beard which has proceeded to also grow a beard, I can now cut a log with my jaw line and the only fluid I intake is beer pumped directly into my veins via IV. Truly this game has transformed the boy into the man so please accept my sincerest gratitude.
Aug 18 18:25:05	10m 36s	Dear Leader's Diet Plan	♥ 1	You had the audio-visual aesthetic pretty much down for a Jam game (I especially liked the propaganda font and voice sound effects). The gameplay was alright, but I feel this would have worked better as a pinball game or something a bit more dynamic becuase I ended up beating most of the levels by just slamming myself against a single wall repeatedly. Some more unpredictable and wild bouncing around would have made it more fun and challenging. Still good work on the token political entry of the Jam!
Aug 18 18:40:58	15m 53s	Space Run	♥ 1	You have a solid foundation for a runner game here. I liked the aesthetic for the most part although I wished there was just a bit more variation in the tiles for each planet and there was some music. It's understandable, however, and the fact you managed to create something that feels like an actual game with progression and levels, as well as a clear beginning and ending point is a job well done in my book. I'd say work on game feel and ironing out other minor things (I could see the level being generated as I ran, I wished there was a meter for the jetpack so I knew how long I could fly for, I wished it was a bit faster and harder, things like that) Good work overall!
Aug 18 18:53:07	12m 09s	Overflow	♥ 1	I really like the visuals they reminded me of The Wind Waker and usually the lack of music is a minus in my book but here it kinda worked with the serene waves of the sea and the pleasant sound effects. The idea was solid, but I feel it just needs a bit of polish. The controls could be a bit tighter (maybe make the boat stop easier) and the range at which you can pick up people could be a bit more forgiving. Additionally, the third level felt impossible to me and a little badly designed considering it wasn't clear from the start where the people were leading to an almost guaranteed failure the first time due to no real fault of the player. Just my thoughts on how to improve the game in the future, solid work still!
Aug 18 19:17:29	24m 22s	A Way Out	♥ 1	Not bad for your first published game! You kept it simple yet it worked and it was a bit of fun. The graphics and audio did the job and the core gameplay loop was smooth and responsive. Really the only thing I kinda disliked was the fact your bullets could hit the red and blue balls as well. That could be an additional element of challenge, however, I just personally wasn't a huge fan. Still, solid work on your first published game!
Aug 19 12:28:49	17h 11m	Dodghell	♥ 0	A nice little game. I think the aesthetic was servicable and the core idea, while simple, could become a pretty fun and addicting game to play with some additional polish. My main issue is the fact it started feeling a little too hard as soon as more than two enemies came into play. Other than that, quite solid work!
Aug 23 18:09:17	101h 40m	Sodaboi	♥ 0	This was a solid entry! The graphics style was well done and the music was quite gnarly, if I do say so myself. The main concept was pretty good and I liked the multitasking aspect which kept it chaotic and engaging throughout. I would say the only thing that would need improvment is the game feel. I think the cannon should feel much more powerful (a stronger sound effect, screen shake etc. would help with this) and hitting an enemy should feel more impactful as well (make them flash and react much more than they do now for example). I also think on a pure visual level the arc at which the cannonballs travel doesn't quite look right. Other than that good entry!
Aug 23 18:21:22	12m 05s	Keys, Please!	♥ 1	Very polished entry! I really liked the visual style and the bounce of the animations. The music was great and despite the minimal dialogue you managed to give me a laugh with the valet's name. The gameplay was solid and worked. I will say I felt the steering was a little delayed, but other than that I can't really say I found much else wrong with this entry, although I usually don't enjoy top down driving games. Great work!
Aug 23 18:34:54	13m 32s	PROJECT R.O.O.S.	♥ 0	I liked the visuals and the animations you managed to pull off. Unfortunately, I couldn't hear any sound (could be an issue on my end) so I won't comment on that. It wasn't much of a game but a nice interactive experience with a twist. I think what's most charming and unique about it is the fact you made it in PowerPoint. So in a sense your programmer bailing may have been a good thing. Good work!