FoonLudum Dare ExplorerLD38 → Timeless

Timeless

By chaseplays

View on ldjam.com

CategoryRankScoreCount
Overall304.0560
Fun433.9159
Innovation623.8160
Theme923.8760
Graphics1473.7760
Audio473.8058
Humor2592.5652
Mood1383.5058

Comments

binaryferret 2017-04-25 22:07

I didn't really know what to do at first but that quickly changed because of the awesome way you designed this. After a bit of warping through time it clicked and that realization made it even more awesome. I also liked how you introduced each new mechanic one at a time, then mixed them in. Learning the game through playing beats tutorial. Loved the music!

Really enjoyed this game. Thanks and well done.

richard-michael-smith 2017-04-25 23:34

This is very impressive. I like the pixel art graphics and the music is very well suited (reminds me of classic Sega games). The complexity quickly ramps up and I must admit to getting stuck on this level:

Timeless.jpg

Maybe I'm just being a bit slow?!?

chaseplays 2017-04-25 23:58

@binaryferret Thank you so much! One of my goals this time was to not teach the game through a tutorial, so it meant a lot to me that you recognized that.

@richard-michael-smith Thanks! In that level, you'll have to use the blue slime as a sort of trampoline, and then switch times in mid-air. It can be difficult to get the timing right, and even I have a hard time with it sometimes.

harry-jacobs 2017-04-27 12:45

Loved this. Really creative and interesting concept. Took me a little while to figure out what was going on at first but the game takes you through it gradually so it didn't take long to pick it up. Some really challenging levels in there which makes it very addictive and fun. Really impressive.

hackschnitzel 2017-04-28 22:52

You really should include a picture in your game description since it has none in http://feedback.ld.intricati.com/?event=9405&query=&sorting=coolness

chaseplays 2017-04-29 00:19

@harry-jacobs Thank you! I'm so happy that you enjoyed the game.

@hackschnitzel Thanks for pointing that out. I didn't know that Feedback Friends was even being used for LD38, but it should be fixed now!

huvaakoodia 2017-04-29 08:54

Fun and slightly innovative even. I have seen these alternative timeline/universe types before, but not in such a small world. The apples are a nice touch too.

Generally speaking I'm not a fan of puzzle platformers as often times I get stuck on the platforming part long after already having figured out the puzzle. Here the actions isn't too tricky and the reset is instantaneous, so that's not a huge problem.

A well made entry, although: :man: + :clock: + :apple::apple::apple: = :palm_tree: :sheep: :sunflower: :pig:...?

terracottafrog 2017-04-30 03:00

The itch link is broken, but I went to your profile to get the game. You may want to fix that :)

In other news...

Really cool game. The mechanic is explored in a lot of unique ways (which are sometimes a little bit too hard to execute unfortunately.) The apples give a good incentive to play again, although a few times it felt a little bit cheap when I didn't realize that there was no going back to get it once I performed a certain action.

I felt that ```z``` should have been another option for the jump. Using ```z``` and ```x``` together feels natural, and I (rather embarrassingly) died a few times because I used ```z``` instead of up.

Overall though, great game, and the mechanic is simple yet versatile.

EDIT: Also the music is fantastic and fits perfectly :)

camilo 2017-05-01 01:07

Your game is so fun! I truly enjoyed it, you created a very interesting mechanic and executed it so well. Also cheers for your pixel art, it's simple but works very well with the game. The only feedback I can give you is about the music, maybe it would be nice including a variation of the main theme between levels.

Thanks for sharing! I hope to see a complete version with more levels. (let me know if that happen)

chaseplays 2017-05-01 01:52

@huvaakoodia Thanks for playing my game, even though you're not too big of a fan of the genre! As for how :man: + :clock: + :apple::apple::apple: = :palm_tree: :sheep: :sunflower: :pig:…?, I believe it's clear that it's simply a completely accurate demonstration of time travel, at least from my experience.

@terracottafrog Thank you for your feedback, and the link should be fixed now! I had messed with the image uploading, and I guess I broke it there. As for actions that you can't go back from, you can actually press 'r' to restart the level. It says this at the start of the game, as well as on this game's page. Finally, thanks for the input on the jump button. If I ever make a post-compo version (I probably will), I'll definitely change that button to "z".

@camilo Thank you, and I'm glad you enjoyed it! As for the music, I made it last minute (well, I spent around an hour near the end), and had originally wanted it to be longer, but I assumed that the game was short enough that the length was about right. If I ever make a longer version, I'll add new tracks for each section (each level is too short to include a unique variation, but longer pieces of the game could include completely new tracks), each hopefully closer to 2-3 minutes, with less repetition. Also, given the relatively positive reception of the game, I probably WILL make a more complete version, but not necessarily in the near future.

aurelien 2017-05-01 07:14

I never spend so many hours chasing an apple xD That last level was really hard for me, but since I already collected all the previous apple, I HAD to get the last one :p

The fact that the character is really responsive makes it really addicting.

I don't really see where is the time travel in all that, why the inside of the planet change that much depending on the year, but hey! :no_mouth:

richard-michael-smith 2017-05-01 09:59

Just came back to rate!

gamequester 2017-05-01 10:10

This was very well designed. The graphics and the music also were very good. I also think this game fits the theme very well and the time travel mechanic feels very unique. Good job!

doppelgunner 2017-05-01 15:13

I enjoyed the game. I get stressed every time I die but still I tried so hard just to finish it and I did.

anayk 2017-05-01 16:49

I don't know what's wrong but the game is not working on my windows computer. It just shows a grey screen. I tried both the .jar and the .exe versions, this is the result: Capture.PNG If this can be fixed somehow, I will surely try the game and rate!

chaseplays 2017-05-01 18:07

@aurelien I'm so happy that you enjoyed it! I intentionally made that last apple hard, because... I didn't have a valid reason for that. It probably made 100%ing the game more satisfying though, although maybe the "satisfaction" that I was looking for was more "relief" than anything. When it comes to the inside of the planet changing, that gets into lore. You wanna talk lore?

@richard-michael-smith Yay! (I think that's all I should say...?)

@gamequester Thanks! I'm happy that you enjoyed it!

@doppelgunner Haha, good job finishing it. some of the levels can get difficult :wink:

@anayk Huh, I don't know why that's happening. The only things that I can think of are that you didn't give it enough time to load (honestly, it shouldn't need much time, so that's probably not it), or that your Java version is outdated (given that the window is set up at all, that's probably not it either). Does the music start, or anything?

mars 2017-05-01 18:51

Very solid entry! I enjoyed trying to get all the optional parts (which I succeeded at, giving me quite a sense of accomplishment). The controls and graphics all felt very well designed and it never seemed like you'd cut any corners anywhere, it was a complete and thoroughly well done experience.

The music is very well done too, it really completes the whole pixely 8-bit aesthetic of the game. Considering you've made everything yourself, I'm very impressed with all the work you've put in. You did a good, my friend, well done! =)

superpokeunicorn 2017-05-01 21:21

First of all, this is by far the best music in a game I've played this Ludum Dare, bar none. I also love the visual aesthetic and how the planet filled up as I kept collecting apples. It is a very visually satisfying way to mark progress. The gameplay itself is simple but effective. You make good use of limited space. It was tough, but I made it all the way to the end and had a fun time doing so. Great job!

red-fan-games 2017-05-02 01:20

Exception in thread "main" java.lang.UnsupportedClassVersionError: com/chaseplays/game/SmallWorld : Unsupported major.minor version 52.0

running on linux java v 1.7

chaseplays 2017-05-02 01:52

@mars Thank you so much! Good job collecting all of the apples, and I'm happy that you enjoyed the game.

@superpokeunicorn Wow! Given that this was actually my first time doing chiptune music, I'm really happy with how much you enjoyed it! Thank you!

@red-fan-games I think that it should work now - the old version only supported v1.8, but I think it will work with v1.7 now.

red-fan-games 2017-05-02 02:13

Thanks, works as intended now.

merrak 2017-05-02 03:03

Neat idea and solid entry! Progression and pacing seems good. I got to around 2002 BC. Unfortunately, the game seemed to hang there. I think I switched times while I was in the wall and the level didn't reset.

anayk 2017-05-02 04:09

@chaseplays I kept on clicking on the window, pressing space, etc. but nothing happened. I even reopened the game and waited atleast a minute everytime, nothing happened. My speakers don't work, so I don't know if bg music started. I will try today with headphones.

chaseplays 2017-05-02 04:15

@red-fan-games Great! I actually had to revert back to a Java 1.8 version, because 1.7 ended up a bit unstable. Sorry about that!

@merrak If you try it again, I don't think it will crash. I've seen that bug, and I believe it's rooted in the audio somehow (I'm not sure...). Even so, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

@anayk Hm, that's weird. I'm not even sure what I can do if the audio DOES play. Sorry it doesn't work...

martenscedric 2017-05-02 04:31

Fun game with good graphics and a good concept well exploited. I don't really have any complaints, I'd be surprised if this did not make the top 50.

mango-malarkey 2017-05-02 10:19

Cool game, I found it quite difficult though and probably didnt get very far. I liked the graphics and the timetravel mechanic worked really well!

avavt 2017-05-02 16:51

Great game with frustrating game play but somehow I'm still hooked. Wonderful music and art style as well.

Very well done!

In the end I couldn't get the 3rd fruit (the one where you introduce mid-air wrap), too hard for me. Maybe as part of the tutorial that fruit could give more time for error?

bendev-games 2017-05-02 17:27

Awesome game! Very well executed in every aspect. Played till the end and wanted more levels. Level design on point and the visual feedback of the apples like others said added a nice atmosphere to the game. Congratulations!

palemachine 2017-05-03 12:57

Sweet, the production values for a Compo entry are insane. Simple but very vibrant pixel art and a lively chiptune soundtrack, great responsive controls and a fully developed core mechanic. Great level design as well with a stable difficulty curve. I couldn't get the fruit on the level where there's a tunnel with bouncy stuff on the floor and lava on the ceiling, but I still beat the game! Incredible job, thank you.

zebrainflames 2017-05-03 16:34

Overall an excellent level of polish for a compo game, one of the best I've seen so far. Graphics and audio are pretty much spot on for this! Also liked the gameplay, although I think I might benefit a bit more from a more puzzle-like approach, instead of the timing challenges on the later levels.

Perhaps some sort of sequence puzzles might fit this well? Or, as this is about time travel, changing a thing in the past having large effects in the future (like the famous tree puzzle in Day of the Tentacle)? Now this is a bit similar to the many "parallel worlds" platformers out there.

Still, an excellent effort!

numnumdude 2017-05-03 23:30

Very good game. I like the art style, and it's consistency. The audio and controls are not bad. I love the main mechanic and application to the theme this game has! Level design was great until the late BC's, then it became more about timing and less puzzle solving. I gave up at around 1 BC which was sad because I really liked the game. Nice job.

spiteful-fox 2017-05-04 04:04

This was really cool. Kinda reminded me of Time Fcuk. Some of those apples were sooooo hard to get, though. xD

chaseplays 2017-05-04 05:33

@martenscedric I'm so happy you liked the game! I'm not sure if it'll get in the top 50, but it means a lot to me that you think it might!

@mango-malarkey Yeah, it can get a bit difficult, but thanks for playing, even if you didn't finish!

@avavt Haha, sorry that you couldn't get the one apple. The apples were meant to teach more difficult examples of the same concept, but sadly it takes a level of repetition to get that one. I probably should have made it a bit easier. I'm glad that you liked the music and the art, and that you enjoyed the game!

@bendev-games Wow! Thank you! I'll probably make a full version of the game in the future, so you'll get the levels that you want :smile:

@palemachine Thank you! That one apple is the hardest by far (one of my friends even thought it was impossible). Usually, I even have a hard time with that one. Besides that, I'm really happy you enjoyed the level design and base mechanic.

@zebrainflames I completely agree with you that puzzle levels are better, but they take longer to make. They also require more space in the world to make efficient, and more time to play, so I had to rely more on the platforming elements. If I make a full version, I'll try and rely more on puzzle elements, and I love you idea about the past creating effects in the future.

@numnumdude Oh no! That was the last level. Well, I'm happy that you even played that far. You mentioned the puzzle elements being lost near the end, which was because of time constraints. Puzzles take more time and space to make, so I wasn't able to do that. Besides that, thank you!

@spiteful-fox Haha, some apples are pretty hard (replayability factor?).

cvetk0 2017-05-06 06:46

This is one amazing Compo entry! I really love the idea of switching between two rooms to get through the level and you executed it very very well. The graphics are cool and so is the music. Sometimes I'm really impressed by how much a single person can cramp up in those pesky 42 hours and this is one of those times. The difficulty gets quite hard and I have to admit that I stopped playing after getting to one of those levels with bullets where you have to time switches between rooms and jump timing perfectly to be able to get across the lava (it is lava, right?).

One of my favorite entries so far! Keep up the good work!!! :thumbsup:

navot 2017-05-06 10:07

Really awesome game! The gameplay is very fun and graphics and music are really nice! I really liked the way you keep introducing new things into the game, and the level design was really good. In the end there were even some nice puzzles, and getting the apples was a really nice optional challenge. The difficulty was very nice and I managed to finish the game! I really don't have a lot criticism or possible improvements, because you did an excellent job!

kappaix 2017-05-06 18:20

Well done, very coherent and developed core idea. Managed to get all the way through, but no way I could get all the apples - too tough for me!

Well done, thanks for sharing!

breno-m 2017-05-06 20:47

Very original puzzle platformer. The music fits perfectly the mood. The gameplay is simple and fun, reminds me of last ludum dare's *Tangent*.

morbidcamel101 2017-05-06 22:55

This was fun. The time dimension (third dimension is time!!) idea is very unique. It's hard and challenging and definitely a rage quit masterpiece. Extra kudos for the original score and controls were slick. All the ingredients of a great game.

w1n5t0n 2017-05-07 01:43

Really interesting game idea!

candlesan 2017-05-07 06:17

I had a lot of fun! I liked the way you took a simple concept but made a lot of run levels out of it. Lots of good detail like reasonable jumping speeds, doing alpha on the bullets that are in the "background", and a smooth learning curve.

stevenjmiller 2017-05-07 07:31

Solid platformer! The music and graphics are splendid.

pixzleone 2017-05-07 08:17

Wow nicee! The graphics are good, music is super good, and the general gameplay feels very nice. The whole game feels well put together and was fun all the way through. The only problem I had was that it was really difficult to time travel into small spaces. I'd give the player a bit more margin for error, maybe you could just make the small spaces a bit bigger. I liked the different twists, and the levels were always just difficult enough.

Well done, keep it up!

fingerpass 2017-05-07 08:27

Really fantastic level design! And I think its kinda difficult for me when the bullets come out. Impressive 8-bit sound and pixel art.

I like it.

cogcomp 2017-05-07 08:38

Nice learning curve and great music! Well done! Jumping felt a bit too rough a times but I got used to it.

frankzhao 2017-05-07 09:00

Great game with simple rules and imaginative level design!

veralos 2017-05-07 11:30

Very nice game! The art and music are both well done. The central mechanic is interesting and the levels make good use of it. I really appreciate how you get a preview of the alternate version when you try to swap in a blocked place. Having the apples to collect as bonus challenge is cool, though I accidentally missed one of them by ending the level too early. I hope I didn't miss anything too big for not getting all of them...

feips 2017-05-07 13:50

This is my favourite game of this jam, as I love the concept of switching places. Also it reminds me of my favourite game of the last jam, Tangent.

chaseplays 2017-05-07 16:21

@cvetk0 Thank you! I'm so happy that you liked the graphics, music, and mechanic! The difficulty does get, well, difficult, and I probably should have made it a bit easier, but I hope it wasn't too bad. Also, yes it is lava :smile:. Thanks for playing!

@navot I tried my best with my process of introducing mechanics in level design, and I'm glad that you recognized that. Also, congrats for finishing the game!

@kappaix Thanks for beating the game, even though you didn't get all of the apples (I got pretty mean with some of those).

@breno-m Yeah, I noticed it was similar to *Tangent* as well, but I still think it was different enough. I had a lot of fun making the music, too! Thank you!

@morbidcamel101 The third dimension absolutely *is* time :smile:! I'm glad that you enjoyed the score and idea. Thank you for playing!

@w1n5t0n Glad you liked the idea!

@candlesan Thanks! I tried to use those little details to make the game as fair as possible. Thanks for playing!

@stevenjmiller I'm glad you liked the music and graphics. Thanks!

@pixzleone I *completely* agree with your comment about the small spaces, and that I could have been more thoughtful about the space that players would need. I'm happy that you liked the graphics and music, as well as the level design. Thank you!

@fingerpass Thanks! The bullets can get pretty difficult, especially mixed with the time traveling.

@cogcomp Thank you! I tried my best with the learning curve and level design, so I'm happy that you pointed it out.

@frankzhao I'm glad you liked it!

@veralos Nothing really happens if you get all of the apples. Each of them are sort of individual collectibles that affect the planet. Maybe that wasn't the best design choice on my part. I also wanted to make sure that you knew what the alternative level looked like if you couldn't swap, so thanks for noticing! Thanks!

@feips Wow, really? Your favorite game? I'm so happy that you enjoyed it, and it is a whole lot like Tangent.

valiap 2017-05-07 18:55

Really good game! The game play reminds me of that time travel level in dishonored 2. I was wondering how to make a similar game but stuck at finding a affordable game type, and your platform game solution was clever. The achievement system was clever and fit the theme. I especially like the GBM. All in all, great work!

游戏性让我想起了《耻辱2》里的时间传越关卡。我一直想做类似的游戏,但是想不好比较好实现的设计。这个平台类游戏的做法很聪明,也很可行。成就系统很精明地贴合上了主题。我很喜欢背景音乐。总而言之,很棒!:smile:

phaze0 2017-05-09 00:05

I really like this game. Simple, yet fun to play. Also, level 1BC is just cruel trying to get the apple.

nedmakesgames 2017-05-09 23:24

Great game! You used the mechanics very well, which led to good level design. Art and sound were both good, though the music was a little repetitive. Controls were smooth. Maybe be a little more forgiving when checking for collisions with the walls after teleporting. Good job!

chaseplays 2017-05-10 17:04

@valiap Thanks! I'm glad that you liked my take on the time travel idea. Also, did you mean BGM for "Background Music", or something else?

@phaze0 I'm happy that you liked it, and yeah, I made that apple waaay too hard. That was my overtired brain making decisions, "Hmm... people who finished the entire game are gonna HAVE to get that last apple. I'm gonna make it really, really hard." Sorry about that :smile:!

@nedmakesgames Thank you! The music was a bit repetitive, but I was hoping that the game was short enough to justify the short time. Honestly, I probably *could have* made it longer. I'm glad that you liked the controls and art as well, and if I make a post-compo version, I'll try and making the collision a bit more forgiving.

omiya-games 2017-05-11 01:06

Had a bit of fun with this dimension-hopping game. Some of those levels were nasty hard, but I've managed to make it to the end.

I do like the fade-ins in the situation the character is unable to swap to the different time. That really helped figure out the timing and where to go in regards to the next location. At the same time, since your character barely hops, any platformer-like sections ended up being more difficult than necessary. Some level designs also felt downright unfair. That said, I did manage to get all the apples, so I obviously enjoyed it to some extent.

2017-05-13 17:26

Fun game! I included it in my Ludum Dare 38 compilation video series, if you’d like to take a look :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dPr-ubTa3k

ellian 2017-05-14 11:20

This is really really fun! I didn't really know what to expect and it's a well made platformer. Doesn't quite hit the theme for me, but it's definitely very fun to play! The music is good, and the level design is good and doesn't feel repetitive. All the kudos!

korvyashka 2017-05-14 12:28

Really think it is perfect for LD. It is playing fast, not punishing for death/lost and very fast restart. Levels are small but challenging. And music is great.

Didn't notice, what apples did at first levels as a bit inattentive, but found it eventually. Best game I played rating in LD so far.

siegfriedcroes 2017-05-14 15:07

Really awesome little puzzle platformer :D Loved the little pixel graphics :D Well done :)

dejvo 2017-05-16 11:55

Nice little game, with really good concept, but it was too hard to control and figure out what to do. otherwise, great entry!

pascalman 2017-05-18 14:28

Great concept and art!

kurekurecicz 2017-05-18 14:54

This should be a full game!!!

Shameless self-promotion: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/38/lil-hunt

chaseplays 2017-05-19 03:31

@omiya-games Yeah, it's surprising to me how different the comments about difficulty are. Some people thought it was way too hard, similar to you, but others said that the difficulty was perfect. I think some people felt determined to collect all of the apples, which may have been why some people felt it was too hard, and you fell into this category. Still, I really appreciate your feedback, and will change the difficulty a bit if I make a post-jam version.

@jupiter-hadley Thanks for playing!

@ellian Wow, I'm so happy that you liked it! Thank you so much!

@korvyashka I'm honestly a bit overwhelmed by some of the positivity I've gotten! Thanks so much, and it means a lot to me that this was your favorite yet!

@siegfriedcroes Thanks!

@dejvo Sorry that you got a bit confused, and weren't a fan of the controls. The concept can be a bit hard to grasp at first, and maybe I could have fixed the controls a bit more. Thanks!

@pascalman Thank you!

@kurekurecicz I may actually make a full version of this! I need to figure out how big I'd want to make it, but I've definitely been thinking about it a lot. I'll be sure to play your game as well! Thank you so much!