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John Gabriel

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TimestampSince previousGameJohn Gabriel's comment
Dec 2 23:03:15 the big bad burger (browser playable) ♥ 0 He's pretty sprightly for a guy in that shape, if nothing else. That last level was hard, but not in a way that felt satisfying. The first two levels teach you that the way to win is by not jumping blindly, and that it's possible to get through without being slowed down on any walls; the third disregards all that with obstacles that - as far as I can tell - are impossible to avoid. Also, your source needs to contain more than just the code; it also needs to include the assets (graphics, sounds, et cetera) so that someone else can work on it. TL;DR: 10/10 fast food simulator, would get eaten by burgers again
Dec 2 23:26:41 23m 26s The Altar of Sacrifice ♥ 1 I love the sense of humour here. It's this beautiful combination of random events and a dry tone that reminds me a bit of Terry Prachett. Anyway, my strategy. I tend to look for stragglers; if there aren't any, find someone in a group and give 'em a punch so they move away from any onlookers. When they're nice and isolated, slug 'em, hoist 'em over your shoulder, and carry them to the altar to do unspeakable things to them. ...I would like the record to show that I am talking about the game here.
Dec 3 00:23:25 56m 44s Bloodmage ♥ 0 I really like the pixel art, and the shadows are a nice touch. I thought I'd get quite annoyed of having to sacrifice my health to fire, but the ability to regenerate it from coins/killing enemies makes it a pretty fun juggling act. Until you get the force field, that is. The lack of sound is a pity, but what's here is really neat. And this is your own engine!? Whaaat!?
Dec 3 13:38:05 13h 14m WAYT ♥ 0 The controls are quite floaty; by which I mean that you have very little ability to make fine-tune adjustments to your position. If you so much as tap an arrow key, your character will go at least one body-width in that direction, and more critically, they'll keep doing that when you release the button. This makes it quite tricky to land on blocks that are just one tile wide. I got accustomed enough to it, and managed to get to level seven. It's quite frustrating how you can make blocks despawn just by brushing up against the side of them, and the fact that you have very little recourse in that level means that a single mistake can send you all the way back to the start. The sound isn't great, if I'm honest. I have no idea what mood the music is trying to convey; is it energetic, or laid back? The trumpet stings seem out of place compared to the subdued bass and percussion, and the saxophone lines seem to just meander. And there are no sound effects. Boo.
Dec 3 13:54:09 16m 04s Dungeons of Forfeit ♥ 1 I like the aesthetic. The blocky level design reminds me of Wolfenstein 3D, and the shadows are a nice touch. Filling out the map and thwacking skeletons is just satisfying. The idea of having to take a sacrifice each level is neat on paper, but in practise, it doesn't affect the game too much. The music is appropriately lo-fi, but it works. The sound effects could use some work, though; the step sound effect in particular is quite grating, especially since you'll be hearing it a _lot_.
Dec 3 16:27:53 2h 33m King Combat ♥ 0 I can't help a feeling I'm doing something wrong. There seems to be no difference between slaying/saving (I'm not even sure anything is happening when I press Q/E), and your kings moves _horrendously_ slowly. And I'm not sure what practical use "go rogue" has, other than "I would like to lose the game now please". And the audio - aside from sounding like it was recorded by placing a microphone next to a speaker - is quite grating.
Dec 3 16:59:22 31m 29s The M.O.N.K. ♥ 1 I really like the stark visual presentation, and the music and sound is pretty good. The gameplay is a bit patchy, though. As I understand it, you get a trickle of mana from towns you've converted, but a huge lump of it whenever they're taken. This actually incentivises you to lose those towns, since the mana you gain gives you the abilities you need to get them back, meaning you get stuck in a loop. Still, a neat little game.
Dec 3 17:34:32 35m 10s Runaway Bus ♥ 1 Well, if nothing else, it proves that I'm fit to be in neither the bus driving nor the bomb defusing career. Another case of "I don't get it, I'm afraid". Quite aside from the pedestrians being complete maniacs, the green coin doesn't seem to do anything, and it's almost impossible not to get your wheels clogged up with the limbs of those not cautious enough to look both ways before crossing.
Dec 3 17:46:07 11m 35s AI Flying Bomb ♥ 1 Seeing the ghosts of your previous bullets is a really cool feature. After a while, you feel like you're a soldier in a massive battle; turning around to see one of your past selves hit their target, and three more desperately trying to wrangle their missile out of a nosedive. The controls and camera are wonky as all heck, but it gives it something of a charm. The lack of sound is a bit disappointing, though.
Dec 3 18:09:17 23m 10s Royal Archipelago ♥ 1 This is insanely fully-featured for a compo game! The visuals are very "programmer art"-y, but they get the job done, the sound effects are nice (having a worker practically sing "AAaaAAaaAAaa" as he gets tossed overboard is hilarious), and the mechanics behind it all are very complicated. When I saw just how much there was to it, I was expecting to really struggle, but I managed to win on my first try (pro strat: floor it).
Dec 3 18:13:08 3m 51s Perilous Passage ♥ 1 Nice visuals, neat concept, good execution, excellent use of mouthsounds.
Dec 3 18:26:48 13m 40s Space Virgins... In Space ♥ 1 When I saw the title, I was expecting a _very_ different type of game. But this was good too! I'm pretty sure I should not have laughed at those jokes... but I did.
Dec 3 19:19:03 52m 15s SATIATE! ♥ 1 The fact that a machine that eviscerates people to offer their flesh to an eldritch abomination makes a "ping!" that I'm pretty sure you recorded from your microwave is just the cherry on top. Great stuff!
Dec 3 19:50:00 30m 57s Faces ♥ 1 The only time I managed to delight a face was by murdering the face next to it once it had become enraged. This makes perfect sense.
Dec 3 20:16:19 26m 19s The Temple of Falala ♥ 1 I've found a bug where when you run over a key's location after you've already picked it up, it still makes the pick-up sound. Also, it seems like any damage that would take you to zero health doesn't register. Anyway... it's quite monotonous. Enemies with spinning blades get old fast, and when I walk into a room with several dozen of them, that's when I decide I'm really not all that invested in seeing a game to the end.
Dec 3 21:04:37 48m 18s Regain Power ♥ 1 The fact that the grappling hook is had so late in the game makes me worry that some people will switch off before they get to it, which is a shame, _because it is amazing_. Swinging around the island is easily the highlight of all the games I've played so far this jam.