Tranquil Grove

somnium 2020-10-05 19:14

Very enjoyable game!

Mechanics-wise this is a solid interpretation of the theme, and a compelling game loop as well.

The level design was great, providing a limited amount of set routes (clearly marked through the choice of terrain), encouraging exploration without overwhelming the player.

At the same time it managed to both tantalize the player with barred areas, and also having routes sufficiently distinct as to make the exploration feel worthwhile. I rarely felt that I have wasted the "expedition of the day", usually returning with either a clear objective (having spotted an upgrade in the distance), or a clear idea of new paths to pursue the next time.

Speaking of the items, I felt that their placement and effect was effective as well, serving as direct goals and rewards for exploring a specific set of paths. Both the "get rid of new kinds of obstacles" and "increase travel range" bonuses felt meaningful, in the sense that they gave a feeling of actual progress and enabling of future explorations.

The skill-progression felt well balanced, with plenty of opportunities to improve either skill as needed. Although it took me some time to realize that you could actually dodge in combat (in effect, trading the more bountiful energy stat to save precious health). The steady amount of "walking-XP" at the same time meant that the time never felt completely wasted, even when ending up in a dead end.

Presentation-wise, I really enjoyed the graphics, and the background tune was nice as well. The UI elements were clear and informative, with the only exception I notice being not being informed in all cases that boulders required a pickaxe to pass.

Great work! :-)

hom-bre 2020-10-05 20:53

Cool idea, and I like the fact that you make progress just by walking. After getting the club I felt progress was a bit slow and I found myself beating at the same enemies over and over and just had to sink more time into the game in order to make it past them. But either way it was fun!

nethead 2020-10-05 20:56

I found this game really enjoyable and immersive! I really appreciated that dying just sent you to the next loop instead of back to the beginning of the game. Very impressed with the size of world you managed to create in such a short period! great job

theceases 2020-10-05 20:59

that was fun, i got through in 22.

etrealjunior 2020-10-07 10:20

I liked your game my congratulations, I also did one if you want to know, and give me your feedback I am very grateful, this is the link https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/47/resurrection

blubberquark 2020-10-07 16:48

badgame.png

=Balancing= This was tedious. It was an exercise in frustration. It's like minit except with grinding. I can't even say it's badly made, it's probably balanced like this on purpose because of the theme. After the fifth loop it dawned on me how grindy it would be.

=Scope= If the game had been just a bit less grindy, the big map would have been a big plus. I assume you're supposed to grind in the lower-level areas some more so you can exhaust yourself faster instead of walking for miles and dying for few XP, so the big map is wasted on the loops.

=Graphics= For a game about exploration, it probably wouldn't have hurt to de-saturate the trees, make the grass a bit more varied, and have some transitions between the tiles, but I guess making a Wang tileset could easily have meant 20x as many tiles.

=Audio= Nice and relaxing ambiance.

Overall, okay game, ambitious scope, very grindy.

shaolin-dave 2020-10-07 19:41

The constant ticking down with every movment had me feeling anxious at first, but after repeated rest and getting more of the world opened up, it became a bit more enjoyable. The artwork looks pretty but maybe a more limited palette could help draw attention to key locations/items. Sound and music are good.

invader 2020-10-08 09:24

Nice camping simulator :)

Waking up the next loop at the same location was frustrating at first... It feels like you don't make any progress at all. And only with upgraded skills you start to feel any kind of progress. It might make sense to include the ability to bring the tent with you :)

owlycode 2020-10-08 11:07

The sense of progression through the game is very good! I was hooked on it until I finished it!

I would have added a custscene when it loops to highlight the fact that you're trapped and what is keeping you there is the crystal. Maybe adding some dialogs to it at each loop like "You'll be there forever", "Stay with me" etc... To add more depth to the story and make it clear to the player that you're trapped and it's not just a common day/night cycle.

vivoubos 2020-10-08 11:19

Got it in 17 loop!

Very fun game. The "rogue like" system is well construct! Good job! It was fun to train on scarecrow ^^

It a very good entry!

eugenik 2020-10-09 17:13

Great job, congratulations :)

mbrezu 2020-10-09 18:21

One of the loopiest games I've played in this jam! Well done!

Especially loved the sounds and the level design!

samuli 2020-10-10 08:01

This was really solid entry. Played to the end. Finding the boots was the key to the killing of tedium. The initial walking speed was so slow that I almost stopped playing on first loop.

vesk 2020-10-13 15:41

Pretty cool little game. It's not the most original idea, but to be completely honest, I did the same interpretation, so I can't fault you for that. I felt like the game got off to a slow start, although with the speed upgrades it got better. The music was pretty chill and fitting. The graphics (especially the environment) were quite basic, but they did their job. Although I did get stuck for a little bit after I got the purple boots, I managed to complete my games within 21 loops. Overall it was a pretty enjoyable game and I'm glad I played it!