crewderek 2015-04-20 02:47
Man, that is deep. Not going to lie here. Gameplay overall not great, but the idea behind it was solid.
Foon → Ludum Dare Explorer → LD32 → The War Dog
By everard999
| Category | Rank | Score | Count | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coolness | 1 | 100 | ||
| Mood | 120 | 3.71 | ||
| Audio | 232 | 3.38 | ||
| Theme | 391 | 3.53 | ||
| Overall | 665 | 3.05 | ||
| Innovation | 673 | 2.82 | ||
| Graphics | 825 | 2.58 | ||
| Fun | 922 | 2.41 | ||
| Humor | 924 | 1.70 |
Man, that is deep. Not going to lie here. Gameplay overall not great, but the idea behind it was solid.
The music is very sad and fitting. Good job.
Really lovely audio. Good text too, I actually cared for the dog! Wished it was longer, and that there was more room to play around.
I read an article about this military practice durin WWII (not sure if it was geniune). The game could be a bit more polished, but I had great time playing it :)
This has a really unique control / movement scheme to it that I really like. The dog has momentum so pressing left or right just tends left or right rather than abruptly changing direction. Since most of the game is spent dodging mines that have pixel perfect collision, this control scheme almost lets you flow around them. I think it feels really good and slick. Also this fits the theme well and is a nice little complete nugget of game. There's not much to it but it's all pretty well done and you can leave satisfied having seen all there is to it.
Very interesting and creative take on the theme, while also fitting perfectly. Navigating the mines was challenging, and I liked the song. The graphics felt a little bit too bright for the theme in my opinion, but that was about it.
The music was great. I also really liked the feel of the controls, how it had some acceleration to it and some rotation, not just immediately flipping between left/right up/down.
I was kind of hoping that once I got into the tank I could start blasting stuff but...wait. Maybe I should have paid more attention to the moral lesson. :)
The music and concept are beautiful.
I remember reading about this kind of warfare used in Russia during WWII. Some great history here, and a touching story. A bit short.
Story is so great.
Short and sweet. But damn thats so sad. WOrks really well with the theme.A dog certainly is unconventional. I lik ethat there is multiple endings. Realy shows how much effort you put it. Great work!
I enjoyed the two different set of clues on the map. :)
I liked the idea but I think it is a shame you told what was the good and bad ending. Could have been even more deep if you actually gave some reasons for choosing either of the options such as texts that hinted to loyalty for example. Music fitted the game really well though.
Great fit thematically. There's a lot of room to move around in the game as it stands -- it would be really cool to add more stuff to find (even if it was just text, I'd love to feel like the game was rewarding me for exploring.
Man, that just sad, very sad! Great production, ruin my night. Kill dogs is just wrong! Bad Developer! Bad Developer!
I like the audio, I thought that was just a tutorial and sad to see it end so soon.
I would like to have seen a couple more levels, but what was there was good. I liked the music, but it seemed like my browser was having some trouble playing it smoothly. Good use of theme.
Awesome music. Awesome idea. Very fitting to this theme as well. Amazing job.
It felt like it was trying too hard to be "clever". The two endings were indistinguishable aside from the text (including a helpful bit to let you know if the ending was good or bad, complete with emoticon). The gameplay itself, meanwhile, wasn't engaging at all.
It took me a while to figure out what the weapon was. :(
Effective way to get an experience across though.
Short and not much gameplay, but I like the "story" of it. It's a clever take on the theme, nice entry!
Wow, just wow. What an incredible game. I had just come from playing a lot of action packed games to this and I have to say I am astounded at how you made me feel. I hope one day I will make a game that evokes emotions as strongly as your game. It felt very strange to be the dog and I think it made me empathize with it, I don't think I have played a game that has changed my perspective so much in a long time.
Interesting premise. The haunting music really underscores that. Good job!
It's like a puzzle game that meets Metal Gear and then stars a dog!
NICE MUSIC!!
The idea behind the story was solid but thats all that was really good about it. Even then, it could have been fleshed out a lot more. Especially since this is a jam entry.
I'm not sure why everyone is leaving such positive feedback. Judging this just off the game bit, it isn't much of a game. It's over in 30 seconds, and you just have to dodge several mines. The mechanics themselves could be implemented in about 2 hours.
I don't mean to be overly critical, I'm just being honest. The music was nice though.
Hey! First of all: nicely done! The title screen is promising and It took me 4 seconds to recognize that is was a dog from above I was moving in the game :D (Shoul have read the description fist ;))
Here is how I've choosen the score points:
Audio 3 because the music is sad (that's good!) but some more sound effects would have been nice.
Humor 1 because experiments with animals are simply not funny, so I guess you didn't expect a high humor rating ;)
Fun (in a sense of how much I enjoyed playing overall) 2 because it is not too easy to maneuver the dog through the obstacles but it's simply too short. One or two more levels would be great!
Theme 3 because - yes it's an unconventional weapon but compared to, let's say, AI-killer-dining-tables it's a 3 :D
Graphics 3 because: 1 would be no graphics at all, 5 is frostbite-engie or something like that. So gooaverage.
Mood 4: .. poor dog :(
Innovation 1: Because the gameplay is nothing I haven't seen before.
As I said, nicely done and keep up the good work!
Greetings!
Pat
This is quite a game! Execution could of been nicer, but idea is quite solid. I enjoyed it
Interesting concept, Good job mate!
The overall idea was pretty great ! But yes, I will agree with others that the execution could have been better, but thumps up for the Idea and the Music :)
Good feel on the dog's moves, a bit simplistic but it's short so it's ok. I run out of there as soon as i could but came back to see the 2nd ending :)
And i just searched about "anti tank dogs" and i hate humans.
Quite shot and very impressive music.
Also deep idea.
Interesting concept for a game, if a little dark :p Gameplay's very simple though.
In the beginning i felt like the hitboxes where off, learned after a while though. Cool idea with two voices and you get to choose which one to follow. Good job :-D
Soooo. Let's do some math here:
- compo ended ~9 hours ago
- you have a coolness of exactly 200
This means you rated a game every 2 or 3 minutes for the past 9 hours, without taking a break, and did so fairly and thoroughly.
Right?
The idea behind is really interesting. Thanks !
Unclear objectives. Good music
Nice score and well done with the concept !
I'm glad there was a good ending too, cause the first ending was very sad :-(
It's a bit short, but the idea is very good. Perfect music too. Great job on completing a game :)
Short but really deep.
Short and sweet, in a manner of speaking. The design is simple, and the goals are clear. This is perhaps one of the better examples of how to capture the essence of great game making.
Mood: Sad. Appropriate. Well done.
Humor: Not really applicable, for many obvious reasons.
Audio: Well done. The lack of in-game sound effects actually adds to the ambiance of this game, following the silent sad story trope.
Graphics: Not the best, but still clear enough to tell what's going on. There was no point at which I was astounded by the game's beauty, but I also never felt like they needed to be better to get the point across.
Theme: You took the theme and turned it on its head. It is clear and present in the game's premise, but not necessary for the player to use in the way one would normally think. Great job!
Innovation: I can't say there's too much that I would call "innovative" about this game, as far as mechanics, but the plot was rather innovative in some ways. However, games like this seem to be getting rather common (not to say they're bad, but innovation can only come from change).
Overall: Pretty great game for one so short. As others said, I wish it were longer. I feel like a pretty powerful story could be told, here.
Not much in terms of gameplay actually.
Well i like it mostly because itț music completly fits with the war theme! The rest is what you would aspect for 48 hours of work ,Not really too much of a game because its too short a few more levels would of been a lot better.
What a game !
Really like the idea.
I feel sad when got a bad end and see the report, so I decided to play again, and let the dog escape from this inhumanity experiment. Good job and good game!
Wow. I nearly cried. Great story and music. Gameplay wasnt so good, but that was clearly not your main focus.
Music is tremendous, and the message is clear and beautiful, thank you
I agree, music is very impressive.
Great game! The gameplay was not the best, but the environment, the settings and the mood the game gave were brilliant!
Great use of the theme. I didn't read your synopsis above so I wasn't sure what was going on and I'm glad I didn't. Coming into this without any knowledge I think made it more interesting. The conflicting texts were also a great addition.
Well that was short. :-) Liked the music. Please rate my game at http://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-32/?action=preview&uid=16225
Quite cool.
Loved this game. The music was great. Play my game here: http://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-32/?action=preview&uid=52131
very deep and meaningful message. good way to make a stand for the dogs out there being used this way. good concept but wish there was more to the game play than just dodging mines. and the music is so sad
Audio and mood were great. Like the idea and use of the theme too. but Gameplay is a bit let apart i think. Would deserve better level design / controls. Good job !
i liked the music story and concept !!! great one
A deep concept. The character control is good, but at times collisions with mines are not detected... And some extra visual feedback could make it easier for the player.
Interesting concept. The game was lacking, but it was more of an experience. Music was well chosen.
Great feeling! The critic is perfect!
How has only one other person noticed that this entry has gained more than 200 coolness in less than 24 hours post-compo?
I like the music
Okay, but not moch Gameplay.
Wow. War is hell for dogs too.
Really liked the use of music, though I did notice that the two paths at the beginning lead to the same place, which undermines that choice. Great atmosphere, well done!
Simple concept, the execution felt a little lackluster; but it got the point across.
Interesting concept. The gameplay was pretty simple but the narrative was nice. I ended up playing both ways just to see what happens. I was expecting something bad to happen like the tank exploding or something when I went up to it :P. Overall neat game, good work!
all I have to say is, dam dude...
Great use of the theme. Endings didn't keep the same emotional impact as when I was reading the text (I guess not as much build up as I would have expected). Respawning at the start kind of sucked each time I hit a mine. Overall really cool concept! I could definitely see it turn into something SUPER cool with more time! :)
Nicely done! Nice controls. I actually like the mood. Great work
Deep :o
Music fits perfectly.
very cool deep and interesting
So depressing...
I really liked the music and the overall mood, good job!
I like the concept. Has modest goals to tell a story with some minimal gameplay, and executes on that well with a good atmosphere.
Apart from the graphics this game was very mind blowing! The writing and their positions are really well done!
I thought it was great.
Great idea, but I was not prepared for something that deep. The music fits well, and including messages makes you feel the pain of the dog.
Love the dog animation. And the end... saaaad.
Very strong theming and music, gameplay isn't terribly interesting. The mine evasion allows for interaction beyond literally walking to the exit, so it does augment the "choose where to go given different voices" theme, I just wish there were more to it.
Excellent short game, deep and reflexive, music totally fits with the game play and the story, good immersive experience. The messages gives to the game a great perspective of the dog.
Very very solid audio and mood. Gameplay could be developed more, but it really makes you think!
Well, there wasn't... much of a game?
Lovely story. played it twice to get both endings.
That game-play might not be that fun the the game it-self deserves some recognition.
Has an beautiful idea. The game soul is nice, but the gameplay itself... +/-
Very nice job with this. Really enjoyed it!
fantastic mood! Great audio. Real straight forward. Not very deep gameplay, but still very good!
The music, story, idea are really great. Gameplay is meh but I've played two times to try both endings. Good Job!
Solid music. That combined with the narrative really made me care for the dog. Have to say that controls are a little clunky, but I'm not sure how I would fix that given the style of the game.
Poignant with the music and theme. Kind of stunned really. Well done.
Nice music and message.
not a whole lot going on gameplay wise, Great idea though, and the music is nice! :)
Truly love it. Controls are smooth, idea is great, fitting in theme, with better graphics it would have been perfect !
Sort of wished the graphics would reflect how thought provoking the game is. Nice gameplay, could be a bit better but overall the mood is fantastic.
Nice work!
Sad, well written interesting concept. Couldn't hear the audio for some reason...
Deep and moving. I wasn't really expecting to get some feels while playing ludum dare games :P
Really great atmosphere and music. I like how the instructions were given as you explored the minefield. Very sad but when I managed to escape it was a bit uplifting. Well done!
I really like how to show the game message. I felt drawn that story.
Was a bit annoying to have to weave through the mines. Other than that, it was an interesting short game.
Set the mood, expected something bad to happen like exploding dog parts. The text was a nice change from the violent norm.
I like the gameplay, the control is smooth, and the idea is cool. The music is quite depressing though.
Dogs aways make me cry! OMG! Amazing job!
Interesting idea. Mood was fantastic albeit a little sad :) Great job!
Wow. just wow. amazing story!
Great take on the theme. Good music that adds to the heavy mood. Very nice game!
I really liked your concept as well, the flavor text long the path really made the game. Excellent work creating the theme and mood from the music and ingame messages
I... don't know what to say.
The best possible apporach to the theme.
Where does the audio come from?
The story is hearth breaking, good job~! wish there's an actual gameplay, it would be great~!
So deep thanks, we can create a game with a good theme :)
Thanks for the experience. It was ¿fun? to test your game
wow this manages to tell an amazing story. i like how the dialogue is written how humans speak to dogs. not much gameplay but its still good
Apart from the fact of mine fields existing in our days not being fun, this concept game is solid and a nice experience to play it. Great take on the theme and nicely set mood. Now I am depressed. Great work!
At first I thought it was going to be longer, but it's still interesting.
As it was said before, the gameplay is not the best aspect of the game. It's difficult to move with the dog, since we can only walk in one of the eight main direction. You should probably make it follow the mouse, it would be easier.
On the other hand, the idea behind it is really interesting, I didn't see the end coming until it was too late.
The music is great, and really adapted to the ambiance you wanted for the game.
Good job.
Yeah, I should totally go under the tank while I have a beeping collar on, great idea!
So sad game
Cool take on the theme.
Music is nice, good story, annoying getting blown up :)
Very nice mood in this game. Very simple gameplay, but I had to follow the texts (Both colors) like a good(bad) dog, which kept curious, and as such entertained.
I enjoyed it - Good work.
In my opinion is too short, but you finish the game in time and dont give up! The idea behind is nice.
Great story with fitting music. But the gameplay is not much fun (May not be the main focus, so ok);)
Good concept, I like the two alternative ends.
Good job !
The gameplay was kinda dull, but the audio and story were quite good. The controls felt responsive, but the game was a bit too short. Overall, I enjoyed it!
I escaped!
Very nice game. The music fits it beautifully.
The gameplay and art wasn't really that great, but sound and mood fit well together.
It was an interesting take on the theme, but it felt more like a political message rather than a game (the choices you make during the playthrough have no effect on the final outcome)
I was a good boy :(
I've read about these dogs. Soviets trained them, but they used their own tanks for training and the dogs ran back....
It's hard to rate 'fun' high, though you diserve it, 'cos the game is quite hard and challanging to finish.
nice, i wish it was a bot longer
Awsome idea and well done, had alot of fun playing through it, the Theme is realy deep and the mood you create is well done *goosepimples ;)
Great job, guys! Music is great and the intent of it is awesome. Sometimes the texts throw me away from the immersion. Keep rocking!
The poor dogs of war! Points for mood, even if it is a sad mood.
hehe. fun game.. and I love dogs :D
I find the controls a little bit difficult, but otherwise it is really good.
Game is short but music is great.
Check our game too http://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-32/?action=preview&uid=44367
Pretty nice idea, well executed if a bit short. I would have loved more obstacles and more paths to the text (more endings). The music is really nice. Good job!
The vibe was great, great use of the theme. I played through twice, to see both endings.
Nice concept!
I was surprised. It did not seem that good at first, but the mood was really there and the audio perfect. I'm a good boy.
Beautiful, sad music, but the gameplay is a bit boring
Well that was sad. Right in the feels... good work. Next jam if you work on your graphics. Great job though on this.
The gameplay is very solid. And the music is great.
Wonderfull!
Audio wasn't working for me.
The gameplay is lacking a lot, but I liked the thoughts on the right or wrong of using animals as soldiers.
interesting idea indeed ... it was fun to read the instructions :)
Nice job. I found the controls a bit fiddly and it cut back a bit too quickly after the explosion effects but other than that an interesting idea well put together. Thanks...
Audio wasn't working for me. I agree with the previous comments: great theme, but gameplay could use some improvement, maybe vary the obstacles in each level?
Bit short, but I like the premise,
Gameplay is lacking, but it fully compensates it the massage put it to this game. We often use other animals (mice for example) for various tests, not understanding that they have a life too, they want to live just as much as we do. Deep game. Love it!
Atmosphere and story in this was very, very emotional. Good job on that. Gameplay could use more dimensions... but it is very good as is.
It was fun to play, I really liked that as you went along with the messages it was only harder to tell who is on your side, probably none of them, and I liked the open ending. Hope you have more time to raise interesting questions.
Great game with a great message attached to it.
I really like the two voices and two paths! Gives it more depth for a short game.
This one had an interesting way of getting the story across. The story was interesting. But the gameplay was really lacking.
Very well polished game -- it capitalizes on a simple concept. I just wish the maps were a bit cleaner/better organized.
The music put me on edge. Like the dog.
It has a nice mood, although it's not so innovative. Tells a story though!
That was the most emotion I have had out of a game so far, otherwise a simple 'game' but it gives a really solid narrative to the player. A+ Story
Game was pretty simple; and I'm not really a dog person, but man, that was sad.
If this is a real thing that is done, I'm glad you're bringing awareness to it. The theme sells this game. I like your take on an unconventional weapon. The game controls nicely, and i like how there is a bit of a choice to be made. One of the best entries, well done!
Wow, nicely done. Told a story and good mechanics. Bravo!
Really nice game. The atmosphere is spot on.
i like this :) i like the story it's conveying...it's pretty sad >.<
A very interesting and though provoking piece. Thank you very much.
Awesome idea. That's deep. The music is really fitting.
The control feels good, I like different the game provides different paths for the player to choose. One sad thing there is no music playing, but i saw the Audio rating category, is there something wrong?
Really interesting interpretation of the theme.
Great game. Really touching.
Solid game with music that really fits the mood. Great synergy. The game was a little short and not as interesting gameplaywise, but it was straight forward and easily understood.
=') Thank you for letting me choose at the end.
Nice game. I was intrigued as to what the yellow text said. Feels more like a demo than something complete (well, you did say that in your description, so no fault there). Still, great concept. Good job. I loved the music. Set the mood nicely. This is the first game i gave 5 stars for mood.
Interesting really, but I'm missing more game play. More "explore the world" than "play the game". But the message is clear so kudos for that!
That was unexpected. Probably the best use of theme I've seen so far and I think I had an emotion.
Bit of a dark idea, the text in game is good felt like it was placed right to progress onto the decision.
Well done
Deep and sensitive story, very fitting music, but nothing else is especially great
I would like to hear more of that story, it's too bad the game is so short
I loved the audio and the background idea. I wish you could have explored more the gameplay.
So many feels, Very well done and well written. I really enjoyed the clumsyness of the controls which added an ideal level of difficulty to the game.
That was really touching!
First game at LD that made me feel something.
Even with the simple gameplay I enjoyed it a lot!
You set the right mood for the game
So I'm giving you 5/5 mister!
The gameplay is pretty ordinary, but well executed. Perfect collisions. BUT the mood is the best! I wish it was longer..
i love dogs );
Interesting concept. Lack sound though, but good music.
Great game with a hard hitting message
I cried like a little girl in both finals!!! Good work
Gameplay's a ll' too boring & the text would be much more effective if it were dialogue from two people. Not text on the ground. That being said, the thematic idea is great! A solemn, depressing take on the ludum dare theme that is both evocative and impacting!
Sad music and dogs, very touching. I enjoyed reading the messages on the way through the route.
I found two endings.The dogs tongue wagging about was a nice touch.
Its a nice idea and stick to the theme overall, I think you could have added in more obstacles or made it a little longer but it was fun and I do love dogs.
Thanks
Quite short, but entertaining :D BRING MORE USUAL WEAPONS! XD
I got both endings. Nice, tight controls. The music was well selected, and I really liked the use of the theme. It was very short, but it made a point and that's impressive.
Very simple graphics but a really nice game, great sounds and fits the theme perfectly. Congrats :)
Great experience!
love the idea, pretty quick and cool game
"I hope you think about after all this end."
Except I couldn't think about it at all.
Because I was a dog.
Would recommend.
Nice music, decent graphics and interesting The Stanley Parable dialogue style. Maybe the game is quite easy and the end a bit short. But good effort.
The music and overall mood of the game is great! It actually made me feel something as I was playing, which I applaud you for. As other's are saying, the gameplay was a little simplistic, but it might actually fit for something like this. I think if you went for more of a "Gone Home" kind of game, where you focus on story-telling rather than gameplay systems, you'll have a great experience. Good luck!
Atmospheric music, acceptable graphics, but the font could have been better. Is the dog really a weapon? Nonetheless solid and entertaining for a while!
While there was no real gameplay, this was still a great game! Thanks for making it. Do they still use dogs as bombs btw?
Sooo sad. But really fits the theme. and I liked the music. Thanks.
Firstly, the music is wonderful and fits the mood of the game perfectly. With some nice graphics and more story this would be a very compelling game. A little like Valiant Heart, I would like to learn more about the bomb dogs whilst I played. The gameplay was nothing special but finding all the text compelled me to keep playing. I also like how yes you are an unconventional weapon but you can also choose not to be a weapon at all.
Great work!
Wow it is so dark! Instructions sometimes are unclear and the gameplay is pretty plain, but yeah solid idea!
A great idea with a nice music, efficient gameplay... Nice job !
the mechanics are simple but the message is deep . and i really like that kind of games .. good job
Great story - I enjoyed reading texts and choosing direction.
Good music, game was a little simple, but I did like the story. Could've used some something bigger for the tank ending than just some text.
This is great...
Well Done :')
Nice music. Very atmospheric gameplay. Could perhaps have been expanded on a bit. But very nice.
We loved the music and the meaningful multiple endings. Great entry!
Interesting
This rememberme to my dog... cool game dude.
Loved the dog motion and the music.
Okay, I love this. It's pretty short but intense. You did an awesome job!
I really liked the mood set by this game. It is more of an experience than a game. If you could expand the gameplay, that would be great.
I like the music!
I really like that storyline, but gameplay is pretty boring. Also, music is great, but atmosphere needs sound effects too.
I really enjoyed playing it. I think the gameplay is solid for the experience but there are room for improvement. The concept is great, keep working on it!
Hmm... Very interesting game. Well done! The typos detracted a bit from the experience, but that might just be me. :)
I feel this game wasn't as a game as rewarding as I felt it would be based on the concept and idea behind the mechanics, but surely was among the games I played here the one that made me feel the most, and that is definitely a plus.
If that was the dog that barks all damn night and morning in my neighborhood, waking me up all the damn time, then it had it coming. I ain't leading it to freedom. BOOM bitch. BOOM. J/K. Hurting animals is wrong.
The music totally made this game. glad there wasn't any sound effects as they would have distracted for the overall experience.
The feels I got from this game... As a player I was easy to form a connection with the dog with the clever use of static text over the map. Game play is very minimal but it evokes a very emotional experience.
The idea to use a Dog as weapon is not so innovative, and about the Audio: Honestly, your music doesn't fit with the aesthetics of the game, you tried to create a serious atmosphere but unfortunately you failed, poor vst quality, very very poor arrangement, try to improve the envelopes and velocities with midi instruments in the next time, I liked the musical idea but you should improve this, and finally where's the Sound Effects of this game?
Good story, to be honest, I almost cry
I didn't know what to think so I did the tank first and made myself sad. Never again.
quite simple
Hey man, I liked it and the story points, I did a LD game with a dog too :-)
Didn't hear any sound from WebGL on Mac/Safari here.
great idea - good delivery - nice job
these two "voices" brought life to this game. Pretty nice concept and lovely grafphics.
I like the graphic of the dog!
Great mood, there. The music is awesome and brings all the emotion of the game. But so short and without any challenge.
i really like how this turned the theme around in its head.
While I approve of the message, i couldn't hear any audio, and the gameplay lead me to beat it very quickly, which reduced the impact of the message. I would like to see more of a build up to the message so that it hits harder
Incredibly strong mood of losing this virtual dog. Good job. Fake path to freedom is fun. You're joking and when I realise it I laught on myself, following orders and take illusion of choice.
Keep it going. Good luck.
That's deep D:!!
Wonderful mood in this little game.
The game is a bit to short and simple, but the gameplay is solid.
Good music, but the graphics it's not that good.
Keep up with this game that imho is promising :D.
Music was gorgeous and the overall tone of the game was felt really powerful. Unfortunately though the quality of the graphics did not seem to match the art style of the piece overall. Great job though!
Really lovely audio and mood. A thoughtful entry, nice work.