Foon → Ludum Dare Explorer → LD45 → ...and to Nothingness Return
By philomory
| Category | Rank | Score | Count | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 266 | 3.75 | 67 | |
| Fun | 295 | 3.60 | 67 | |
| Innovation | 384 | 3.43 | 66 | |
| Theme | 354 | 3.61 | 67 | |
| Mood | 234 | 3.76 | 67 |
I was really looking forward to trying this game, but when I tried to run it on a Windows 10 system, I got the following error:
/and-to-nothingness-return-win32/src/game_state/fade_transition.rb:45:in `draw_rect': bignum too big to convert into `unsigned long' (RangeError)
Interesting game! I really like the mood it sets. Very much like that arcade cabinet game from club penguin. Art is beautiful!
Awesome idea! Loved the graphics and the sound effects, and the gameplay is simple in a good way.
The idea is very interesting but i can't run the game for some reason.
fun lil' classic tile puzzler with a bit of a mood and ambience to it — good job
Really thematic and moodish game, really enjoyed this play
Nice work.
Very cool idea and I liked the story. Managed to get to level 16 where I got stuck but I enjoyed it. Good job.
@tmat-productions @scott-steffes @jjoeyay @nachtwitch @death-is-cold Glad you liked the game!
@noshiz 16 is the final level so far, and, yes, I made it much harder than the previous levels.
@cincerteri @nek I'll try to reproduce the issue when I get a chance to test on a Win10 machine, see if I can figure out what's up. I'll let you know if I figure anything out.
Still unable to run it. The .zip folder looks like it's a mess right now.
I really really like this one! More focus on content and story than cramming in lot of game mechanics. Well done! A+!
a fun little puzzle game, really liked the themeing and some good pixel art
Nice puzzle game with simple mechanics supported by clever level design, I really enjoyed it ! I like the ambiant music you chose but the respawn sfx is a bit harsh. I'll definitely come back to it later to try to solve level 16 :)
Good job !
Very interesting puzzle! Like the spooky sound and visuals
Great concept for this theme, good scope and great executing. Everything just works well and feels polished. Amazing work!
Hey, wanted to try this - looks very good from a thematic point of view, but unfortunately the game crashes on start for me on Windows.
See the stacktrace below:
cmd_fQVsWFhB08.png
@chaotikza Thanks for the full stack trace; I've still not been able to reproduce this, but, I've uploaded a new build that adds some additional debugging in case an error occurs during that function, do you'd be able to try the new build and let me see the output? I'd really appreciate it because I'd love to get it fixed if at all possible.
Thanks!
Nice work! The way you used the theme was really engaging, and the core puzzle aspect was just challenging enough to keep me hooked. I'll definitely have to come back to this one, and try to reach some higher levels.
This is what I get when I try to run it (it starts to the title screen and "press any button to continue", then gives me this:
tonothingnessreturnbug.PNG
This was btw from the version downloaded just a few minutes ago.
@wolfrug I think I can see the problem, thanks so much for that. I've uploaded a version that I believe should fix the issue. Please give it a go and let me know if the situation has improved!
Worked now! Nice work! I got as far as level 14 before it got a little head-scratchy :-D But I get the concept, well done. Always fun to play as the MAW OF THE VOID now and again!
Nice puzzle game ! Would have been great if you made it works on time, but btw updates exists for that kind of problems. The sound of your character is far too loud ! Can't listen to the ambiant sounds :cry: . I quit on level 14 ^^
@wolfrug Thanks so much for your assistance!
@cincerteri @nek @drjeebus @chaotikza The RangeError issue has been resolved, you should be able to play now.
Thanks @philomory - it works now!
Great little puzzle game! Loved the poem at the start and played all the way to level 16 (which seems to me to be unsolvable). Very addictive, I kept trying just one more time...
Very atmospheric and although your character sound is pretty bad, it wasn't so loud that I found it problematic... I did try to adjust the volume pro-actively and crashed it again :see_no_evil: - just shout if you want a stack trace.
@chaotikza Aha, that one I was able to reproduce myself, it was a dumb mistake; before I released the game I removed some media files from the media directory that didn't end up getting used in the gameplay, including a particular sound-effect that I never used... except, I never used it during gameplay, but it _was_ supposed to play in the menu when you tweak the sfx volume, so that you can hear how loud your chosen volume is. I deleted it, so the file failed to load, which means it crashed if you tried to adjust the sfx volume. That's not something I ever re-tested after the initial implementation, since I just play with the default settings most of the time. :face_palm:
In any case, I've uploaded a fixed build that allows changing the volume without crashing.
Loved this game! Really sets the mood, awesome job!
Awesome game! Love the great graphics!
Taking a bit of a break while I'm stuck on 16th level. Damn that was some steep difficulty ramp up. Can't seem to figure out how to eat the bottom right castle without making a dead end since I need to do last move on top left.
The mac version didn't start when trying to launch normally. No error message, no nothing. Gave it a go from the terminal and it actually started. So this is for fellow macists who might face the same issue: ``` cd And to Nothingness Return.app/Contents/MacOS ./And\ to\ Nothingness\ Return ```
The first 15 levels were maybe even too easy. Well of course it needs to start easy and introduce mechanics but it didn't really ramp up the difficulty at all before the 16th. It was always just figuring out the first move and everything after that just fell right into place. The mechanic was introduced perfectly, even showing the keys and all which is a rarity in jam games. And you had proper options too, nice!
The look is nice. Love the trippy level intro but it gets kinda old when you need to constantly keep restarting and watching it over and over again. The sprite work is crisp and clean, wished there was more animation though. The music was great. Definitely would have needed more sound effects. Some munchy and crunchy omnom sounds for eating the world and obviously a nice fanfare for finishing a level.
Okay, I'll go back to bashing my head against that 16th level again... :triumph:
ntnrclose.png
Slowly getting there, thank god for the undo mechanic cause I can't remember how I did the castle part. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omoNXtnVt1g
Psh, easy! :blush:
ntnrez.png
And I even did it again and was ready for a screenshot on the second time. And now I notice too that you didn't do the art or the music so I guess commenting about those is moot. But they fit together well anyway.
Anyways, dunno what else to say. Nice puzzler and brain melding last level. Good job! :thumbsup:
@antti-haavikko Thanks for playing, and for the detailed feedback! Some specific notes:
* ~~The Mac version works flawlessly on Macs running older version of macOS, which is what I have, but for some reason can only be run by directly starting the binary from the command line on newer Macs. I suspect there's something wrong with the other bundle contents like Info.plist, but I don't have access to an updated Mac at the moment so I haven't been able to figure out the details. I have a few ideas for workarounds if I can't figure it out, though~~ I believe I've figured out the Mac launch issue, see "Known Issues" above for details. * The 16th level is, indeed, way harder than all the previous levels. It's hard to judge difficulty without extensive play-testing; as you said, you found the prior 15 levels quite easy, but I know some other people had trouble with e.g. level 14, and to a lesser extent level 7. I wanted to make the last level one where I _knew_ it was _definitely_ quite difficult, so I could have something challenging at the end even for people who found the rest of the game pretty easy (like yourself). Obviously, it would have been even better if I had been able to create a smoother ramp-up, but I didn't have time to create any additional levels. It's certainly something I'll be focusing on if/when I resume work on the game; your point about harder levels requiring more than just following necessity after figuring out the first move, is particularly salient. * As for the level intro animation, that is actually one of the graphical elements I made myself; the tiles are CC-BY licensed, but the player avatar and its intro animation were done by me (as was the background). On the topic of having to watch it over and over again each time you restart, you actually don't have to! Because the game is strictly turn-based with no timing elements whatsoever, it's coded so that if you provide input while an animation such as the level intro or movement-slide is playing, it'll just jump to the end of the animation and process your input immediately - you can beat each level in as little as 1 frame per tlle, assuming you're able to press and release keys that quickly. I didn't explicitly document it because it's not really an important part of the gameplay, but it's there. * Yes, I absolutely needed more sound effects; but after spending 45 minutes trying to find a sound effect I liked from CC sources, and then another 45 minutes trying to make the level intro effect myself and ending up with something that was merely 'ok', I decided it wasn't something I was going to be able to achieve this time around within the timeframe of the jam.
In any case, glad you liked it, and thanks again for playing!
@bungalow @sillyman987 Thanks for playing!
Very cool puzle game. Some real brain breakers in there!
It was very fun!
Nice puzzle game! The barriers and castles added a nice twist to the game. I spent quite a while on level 16 but couldn't complete it, maybe I'll try again later. Really cool looking game, great job all!
Phew, Level 16 is quite the headscratcher. Took me a long while to destroy the castle without getting stuck. The game is very moody and the assets all fit well together and even though I dont enjoy puzzle games it hooked me enough that I did not want to lose, especially after reading that it is the final level. Well done puzzle game!
Really nice game, I liked the puzzles, the only thing is that, up to the level I got looks like that all terrains are the same, I got some obstacles but they are not really related to the terrains.
I really, really, really enjoyed this. I loved how the game introduced new mechanics as I went along. The only thing I might suggest is some kind of hint system - some of these puzzles are punishing!
A very nice and unique puzzle game. Started off really simple, but the levels got harder and harder in a good progression. Simple controls and good eerie music. The intro sequence was great as well to set up the story for you.
I liked it.
Level 7 throw me for a loop man, after that I was quite good at it. I enjoyed the ambient noise, make me feel right in the void. Very simple mechanic but very well thought out puzzles. I spend quite more time than the normal for a Ludum Dare entry.
Overall amazing job!!!
Intro was cool! I liked your approach to the theme. Very innovative! Level difficulty is a bit messy but I understand that it needs a lot playtesting to grasp it effectively. Still one of the best game designs I've seen :) "Not" seems like a dark hairy were-pac-man :') Loved it and want a plushie of it
Excellent themed game (and oddly satisfying to eat the world like that). I liked that you ramped up the difficulty pretty quickly, that was pretty key to keeping me going. Around level 11 is when it definitely started taking me a while to get past levels. I liked that each mechanic had a real world tie to what it represented (like the city taking 2 hits), it was just another good tactic for drawing me into the game's universe.
Neat puzzler that really tests the brain. I like how as the game advanced, there were new challenges like walls and castles. Over time "existence" was really beautiful too, nice maps I had the privilege of destroying! :^D
Nice little puzzler. I think you guys did a really nice job of taking a simple concept - "fill all the spaces" and added a lot of nice touches to it! The aesthetic was cool, the atmosphere was great, and the game added enough challenge that some of the later puzzles really had me scratching my head a few times until I figured them out. Well done.
A great little puzzle game that definitely deserves a 5* rating over every aspect. You've done yourself proud with this entry, and it fits the theme perfectly.
Very fun! And really long for a jam game. Great take on the theme. Is there a way to run in full screen?
Loved this great little game. As a puzzle game it was alot of fun!
The visual style was great as well, loved the art!
didn't personally run into any bugs, so points for that too! Great job and keep up the good work!
@redz0ner @franciszek-pyrc @johnny-turbo @poweranze @realitycheck @sebastian-m @peachtreeoath @itsdanidre @aurel @jonno @chambre19 Thanks to all of you for your kind words! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the game, these sorts of responses have made me eager to continue working on the game to make it even better.
@sharbelfs Thanks for playing! The terrain itself is just a aesthetic; I had some ideas for doing different things with different-looking terrain, but I ended up deciding against them.
@ryusui I'm glad you liked it! I have a few ideas for how I could implement a hint system, but it'll have to wait until all the judging is over and I have a chance to go back and add new levels and stuff, first.
@virimine You're right that balancing level difficulty is very difficult in these circumstances. I'm glad you liked the game! If there are ever plushies of the Maw of the Void, I'll let you know :stuck_out_tongue:
@rodrigo-robles Thanks for giving it a go! And yes, you can toggle full-screen mode from the Options menu, accessible from either the main menu or the pause screen.
Extremely fun/addictive. I like the art and music. The mechanics and their introduction were spot on, although the difficulty ramp was pretty harsh. Designing puzzles is not easy. Great work!
Could we have more hedgehogs? Awesome work!
So happy to see a game done in ruby. Love the "philosophical" part, kind of addicting.
Fantastic idea, didn't expect to get a sokoban puzzle after that intro. Loved The Langoliers vibe, the sound design is nothing short of great, and the game is very nicely polished!