Demden

pdotjpg 2021-04-26 16:44

The presentation is really charming – super tasteful pixel art and very pleasant, responsive controls. The monster dentistry theme is really cool too. But I was a bit puzzled by the gameplay side of things, unfortunately. Didn't initially realize that I could swing my pickaxe, and after that it took me a while to understand how to look for damaged teeth. Didn't understand the point of money, though, nor what exactly the icons and numbers in the menu screen mean. I bet this could be really cool with a bit of tutorialization – even adding some info to the game description would help. Feels like there's something cool here that's just a bit too obfuscated.

squeg-inc 2021-04-26 17:37

The idea of this game is really cool and original, I just think that due to game jam time constraints, the execution was a bit janky. However, the basics are well done, the sound design and art is beautiful, and I'd love to see this idea expanded on in the future!

godsboss 2021-04-26 18:10

I don't really understand how to progress in the game. I can dig into the ground to see the cavities, then dig to get them. But what do I do then? Every time my lantern fades away and I can play it safe and dig, or I can move around and die.

wesxdz 2021-04-26 18:15

@godsboss return back to spawn

godsboss 2021-04-26 18:43

Oooooooo, nice.

mrnyarlathotep 2021-04-26 19:15

Yeah, I have to echo what others have said that all of the elements are here, they're just not quite coming together in a way that I really get whats happening.

Theres a lot going on here, especially for a compo entry - maybe stripping it down a little bit and adding new mechanics at certain money thresholds? Theres NPC shop(?), pseudo-gravity flipping, light mechanics, and having to return to the start of the 'level' to 'bank', on top of the core mining and collecting stuff

dilem 2021-04-27 06:10

Surprisingly engaging! It wasn't always clear what would kill me since the teeth are different height, but after realizing that I need to stand where there is no teeth, I found it very fun. Well done!

dimaswift 2021-04-27 07:34

I love the music! It's so simple but on point

duck-reaction 2021-04-27 17:59

Nice pixel art style.

It's fun but I think that a slow character is little bit frustrating. The audio it's a good feedback for player.

Well done.

chris-delta 2021-04-27 18:12

This is probably my favorite to play so far! It does seem like there's a lot of progression towards nothing though, it's not clear to me if something significant changes further into the game other than upgrades to simple stats.

wesxdz 2021-04-27 22:04

@chris-delta I was planning to have multiple demons with more environmental hazards that you unlock if you make it futher, but didn't have time to implement them.

tengusheath 2021-04-30 05:08

Nice idea, but I was kind of lost playing it. I don't think I fully understand what I'm supposed to do.

dob 2021-04-30 05:54

I enjoyed this. Great look, very cool concept. It was hard to figure out what to do from the directions, but I eventually got it and mastered the controls and risks. Made it a few levels in before an unfortunate chomping on my best game. I wasn't sure what the money was for - maybe a feature later on, or not quite added? Cool game - nice work.

paroxysmal 2021-05-01 23:09

Interesting concept of being a demon dentist. Nice graphics and sound. Little confusing at first. Great entry.

nuclearredeye 2021-05-03 10:36

Very original take on the theme. Really liked the artwork and sound also. Took me a little while to work out what I specifically needed to do, but got there in the end.

leggy 2021-05-03 12:26

This game is really interesting. Nice art, music, concept. The only thing I found a bit annoying is the lack of tutorial: something to explain how to proceed properly. But i do congratulate, really nice and fun!

felo07 2021-05-05 17:27

Its an amazinhg idea, I just coudnt understand very well. Whats that blue light thing ? Also, I could pass through teeth without dying. I liked the graphics, are cute. You have a great game to work it on, please continue!

thegreenworm 2021-05-06 14:16

I do agree with some older comments, the main thing holding your game back is complexity and lack of tutorialization/progression. I'm still impressed by the art, witch felt very cohesive.

arancutter 2021-05-06 16:08

This is an interesting idea and I had fun with it. I like the crisp graphics and the retro audio. Having to venture into the cave, check for teeth below "gum" level, and carefully mine them out was a nice challenge. The upgrades felt meaningful and the constantly decreasing "energy" created a sense of urgency. I thought it was cool having a sort of soft lose condition when your light goes out.

I agree that it really needs to communicate things better. Through trial and error I got the hang of it pretty quickly, however. More than anything I really didn't know how to compelete a level (I eventually came here to read comments). I think something simple like an arrow pointing back to the entrance when you've completed your objective would help a lot.

Nice work on it, I enjoyed it.

f1krazy 2021-05-08 17:41

I like how distinctive this is. It's a very unusual game, in terms of both gameplay and how it interprets the theme. As has been noted, though, nothing is explained very well: it's not clear how you know which teeth you need to dig out, I didn't even notice the lantern timer until it ran out (I still managed to get out okay, though), and when I purchased an upgrade during Level 2, I'm not sure what it actually did (I'm not even sure that I *did* purchase it).

I do have to applaud you for something something different and unique, it's just not quite there yet.