david-york 2022-04-04 21:51
Mac build doesn't work, I think it needs a file extension. My Mac opened it in a text editor. The windows version opened in a really tiny window. Otherwise it seems cool and I like the hand drawn art.
Foon → Ludum Dare Explorer → LD50 → SUNSTAMEN
| Category | Rank | Score | Count | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 400 | 3.28 | 23 | |
| Fun | 493 | 2.87 | 22 | |
| Innovation | 246 | 3.44 | 21 | |
| Theme | 384 | 3.47 | 22 | |
| Graphics | 327 | 3.37 | 22 | |
| Humor | 444 | 2.09 | 18 | |
| Mood | 265 | 3.33 | 20 |
Mac build doesn't work, I think it needs a file extension. My Mac opened it in a text editor. The windows version opened in a really tiny window. Otherwise it seems cool and I like the hand drawn art.
@david-york thanks for the heads up, i'll go ahead and delete the download for mac
& the game runs in 800*600, which works out in windowed for a 1080p display, but i'd imagine for higher resolutions you'd have to play fullscreen (F11) with the caveat of it's not going to look great upscaled. i'm really not great about that...
I liked the athmosphere with the hand drawn art, the colors and the inevitable darkness. I was sad about the lack of audio which could have strenghten the mood even more.
The concept of the game was fine too as you figure it out how to manage your seeds to "survive" longer. But I missed a timer or something similiar to see how good I am doing compared to previous runs.
Great game! I'll admit initially I was a bit wary given the dubiously small window, but as I played it I began to like it more and more :D
That said, a few pieces of feedback.
1. The tutorial - I understand it is allowed in the jam, but (despite the humorous remarks sprinkled in throughout the file), having to read instructions from a text file for a visual game just isn't *fun*. At the very least, consider attaching images to the text (to make it stick in the player's head). After all, it *is* a time based game, and coming back to see all the sunlight depleted after you switched to the text file for some help can be quite frustrating.
2. Even though it put me in "debt", I found I could just buy a ton of stuff and fill the entire garden with no limit whatsoever.
3. In it's current form, although fun and quite frantic, the game doesn't encourage the player to try again (despite the obvious repeatability). Why? Well, because there's no score counter, or some text displaying how many seconds you lasted. This is key for such a game IMO
Don't be discouraged by the critique though; it's only one part of the feedback. Overall, I really like it, and think it's a nice little spin on an oversaturated genre :D Good job!
@arihan10 i don't entirely agree about the tutorial, but the issue that you can't pause the game to read it is a great point i hadn't considered. thanks for the tip. and regarding debt, the thing is that you can't order more than eight seeds at a time, and can't place an order while in debt, so you'll end up failing faster than if you manage your garden more smartly. however, you can place yourself in irreparable debt as a tactic to extend the game at the end, which was intentional. The lack of a scoring system is another intentional point, as I personally feel monitoring your score would detract from the moment to moment play, and i don't intend for people to be playing for the sake of chasing a high score, but for the small decisions and learning experiences they have while playing. You have great points, but it just happens i have kind of wierd and stubborn philosophies on game design... i probably shouldn't ramble
The game is unusual and quite interesting, upsetting high difficult, I would like to play longer, but the light is inexorably fading
An interesting idea, but it seems to me that it develops a little at the very beginning, although I may just be tired.
Really like the interesting art style, and the way the sunlight worked. Just a really interesting game with a unique style. I think it has potential. Awesome stuff!
Ach, it's so hard! Maybe the rate the light diminishes could start a little lower, to give the player a little time to get used to the rules, then go up over time. I liked the drawings for the various stages of plant growth, and the interesting approach to the theme.
Well done. This game captured my attention for a lot longer than I initially expected. I kept wanting to find that sweet spot where you could keep it going forever. I could never quite find it though. I really liked the concept on this one. You managed to really use the theme to your benefit. The light on the mouse was a really good touch. Further development, you could add in some new mechanics and seeds. The only only complaint I really have is that it just needs small tweaks on the balancing. That just comes with lots of play testing though so really hard to get perfect for a game jam. Especially with this theme. Excellent work. Thanks!
this was so much fun! The difficulty balance felt perfect for me, it really is an inevitable loss but you can keep it going for so long if you really try! The graphics were great too, really set a mood. Great game!
A bit difficult, but else a fun little game. Well done.
I quite like the entertaining artistic manner and the way sunlight works. is a rather interesting game with an original manner.
I don't know what was going on but I like it!
Super cool idea for a game. Nice art style too. I think a game could have been better balance. I run out of money really fast. I also think the game mechanics have a lot of potential for further development. Good job!