fnelix 2022-10-03 17:11
Ok, first: weird! Well executed and nice soundtrack! Quality control passed
Foon → Ludum Dare Explorer → LD51 → Der Schließmuskel
By oddballdave
| Category | Rank | Score | Count | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 352 | 3.17 | 22 | |
| Fun | 447 | 2.60 | 22 | |
| Innovation | 160 | 3.50 | 22 | |
| Theme | 311 | 3.40 | 22 | |
| Graphics | 71 | 4.02 | 22 | |
| Audio | 62 | 3.76 | 21 | |
| Humor | 71 | 3.52 | 22 | |
| Mood | 89 | 3.70 | 22 |
Ok, first: weird! Well executed and nice soundtrack! Quality control passed
This is really weird. Cool graphics. Das Loch sieht sehr realistisch aus.
Really strange and well executed, graphics fit the theme well
Really weird, oddly satisfying
Waooh, I loved the little guys, I sacrificed too many of them :'( I love the art and the mood is terribly creepy! Dynamics and controlers are great! Loved your game!
Alda, was?
Might be better if you had less than 10 seconds to QC, actually. As it is, it's just kind of impossible to see if they're good or not, maybe because there's no template to compare them too. Might be more rewarding if the time controls were tighter, but the defects more noticeable. Hee-hee, I said "tighter".
Too bad that there's only music on the menu, but not ingame.
I'm not really sure how to suggest improvements, because I lack the artistic vision for... this.
Really dug the whole vibe the graphics were great and the music fit in well (although it was a tiny bit quiet). Moving the arm around was fun, as was the physics.
Kind of wish there was some sort of indication of how I was going as I played (rather than at the end.. also the score at the end only showed up for a split second). Also 50 was a lot to get through would have preferred a smaller loop (maybe 20) but I'm impatient I prefer to do more smaller runs.
I don't really understand the idea. But the visuals and music is good.
Definitely nailed the eerie feeling. Sounds and music really added to it. I like how you're hit with that weird parallax effect on the start screen. The game feels too slow though. 10s for QC might be better if there was something else to do in this time. Maybe the player could bounce the food around to test for liveliness? Also a running score would help too.
Very uncomfortable. Wish I didn't have to do it fifty times to see what happens next, it's a bit much. I don't think I ever noticed any differences in the "produce" (and maybe that's the point). Sorry if I missed something.
Regardless of my feelings, it's undeniably pretty well done, controls well, good use of physics, attention to detail with animations and sound effects. There's certainly a vision here, even if I can't suss out what it's conveying. Technically well done but not at all for me 😁
(in a rush to test many, don’t mind the cursory style)
1. ah, German title; time to put that self-taught German learning (including Duolingo) to use! :) Checking *Schließmuskel* on a dictionary (I only knew *schließen* ‘close’ and *Muskel* ‘muscle’ independently): this means ‘sphincter’… O_o Now, what is this game all about?! XD 2. title screen: very nice artistic effect, with the blurring for the foreground character, and the (voluntarily) dissonant music 3. interface is super intuitive, with how the hand visually pinches; I like the extendable arm! 4. OH MY GOD, but this is HORRIBLE!! <:O The graphics (including animation) are really top-notch and really feel like some eerie animated shorts (the little ‘doll’ characters voodoo remind me of the voodoo dolls from a 3D animation film I saw recently, [*Sebastian’s Voodoo*](https://www.jshaw.co.uk/music?wix-vod-comp-id=comp-jbftqrtf)), but, is this GRUESOME… <:( The same is true for sounds. (I noticed several comments said the game was ‘weird’, but this pales before the sheer *horribleness*!) 5. I am not sure I understand the rules: I infer the player has to select the little guys that match some requirements and put them to the right, while putting the others to the left, but said requirements are not that clear; from the leftward poster, it seems like height/dimensions (or even proportions) is to be looked after, but some (horrible… I cannot get over it!) testing seems to always increment the counter. No wait, a tinier one did not increment; still, should there not be a penalty? 6. little nitpicky detail: passing the hand through the ‘pipe’ (let us call it this euphemistically way…) makes it appear inside of it (only the thumb, actually); I think the depth of the hand relative to the two parts should be either higher or lower 7. if proportions are really the criterion, then it is not so easy to inspect, as the little guys are hunched up. Or maybe you have to grab them to see better, and this is intended for difficulty! 8. only noticing now that the eyes follow the hand 9. the fact that all foreground elements wobble also adds life (shader, maybe?) (I know I was super happy with the rendering of my marine distorsion shader for — yet unfinished — *Breathe Heart*!) 10. struck by an idea: I think you should really put some warning that this is not for the faint-hearted (like me, to some extent)! I mean this seriously. (I wish we played to save the little guys, but alas… XD) 11. only noticed now the inverted "L" in "QUALITY CONTROL"; fitting with the twisted music. And so ironic with the quality control concept! X) 12. and suddenly think about the theme: fitting (thinking of it, you could see the context as a denouncing of slaughterhouses; this is not far-fetched. Also, ~~Asch conformity experiments~~ Milgram experiment comes to mind: here, the regularity can make you forget the nature what you are really doing) 13. agreed with ThaProfesional that 50 points is a bit heavy/large, but I may be biased because I have to test many games and try to be efficient ;) And there may be some bonuses doing things right in a row, or even points for putting the ‘misfitting’ characters to the left 14. another detail: the lower jaw keeps moving. The setting is really lively (how ironic!!) 15. end: aaaaaaah, NOW I get it: you get your performance (as a percentage) only at the end!! :o Also, third piece of music, apparently! (possibly a non-dissonant / harmonious version of the title screen one)
(1/2)
(continued: 2/2)
**Takeaway:** artistically speaking, the game stands somewhere at the top of the heap (my literal programmer (programming!) art feels like nothing compared to this). As for gameplay, although the basic concept and interface makes itself quickly intuitively clear (which is no small thing), I tried all the while to see what the precise *criteria* could be, but am still unsure. (This may be me! Still, I would advise giving some more explanations on the page or/and comments, to better understand the game.) Anyway, there is apparently a total lack of punishment for not doing the ‘job’ correctly; maybe there is a bonus for a sequence of correct matches? Or maybe this is more of an implicitly (!) ‘narrative’ game, as an absurd fable. (A mix between the hideous reality of slaughterhouses and Milgram experiment?) **Pseudo-edit** (because I composed the conclusion before finishing): it turns out there *is* an estimation (and thus incentive), but only at the end! This means the problem lies in the lack of *feedback* while playing: I feel there should really be something that tells us whether the match was correct or not (for example, the eater could moan if given an improper little guy). And a smaller total amount would help making the player want to replay to try beating his score.
This was artistically impressive, and at the same time… horrible. :o Still, thank you for the vision; although you may have programmed my next nightmare!! XD
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@indigo There IS in-game music!
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@thaprofesional
> the score at the end only showed up for a split second
I think this is caused by quitting the screen with pressing any button (as for the title screen). Not sure though, but I voluntarily let it for a moment (wary because of said title screen!) to hear the music!
@mossieur-patate Great feedback. And not gonna argue with any of it as it's only a jam game. I was going for that old-school internet weird, kinda like 'Salad fingers' and other early internet memes.
I will address a couple of points as your feedback was so well thought out.
The lack of guidance, that is intentional. You are supposed to have confusion and a sense of not getting it, or to even give up caring about which are good/bad.
There is a strict criteria for good produce. The arms must be the same length as the legs, which must be the same length as the body, and must be the same length as the head. The poster only hints at this, again on purpose. Bad produce sometimes also has an off colour to help with selection.
There is a little bit of feedback when you select good/bad produce. The mangler has a light that turns red when good produce is mangled, green for bad produce. The taste-tester burps if given bad produce, it makes him gassy, and gives an 'mmmmm' for good produce.
Other than those clarifications everything you said was bang on. Thank you for the feedback :8ball:
The graphic is incredibly different, that's good. But I didn't think that every 10 seconds a new one drops, whatever it is, fits the theme. I didn't see any difference between throwing it in the trash or in the character's mouth. It's very interesting in the first few seconds, but it's like an art installation, there's no goal or anything, just feel it. But good artwork...
That was... interesting XD The art style is really nice and stylized. Sound design is also super good! Some feedback to the player (if it is doing good or bad job) would be nice. Anyway, good job with the game. I "hate it" and love it at the same time! :)
I also didn't notice the feedback while playing. After reading your comment about what the actual criteria and feedback are, I tried to do the objective, but I stopped caring because it was too hard and because flinging them around aimlessly was more fun :laughing:. It's awesome as a sort of 'Salad Fingers'-esque 'Interactive Buddy' -- more ways of disposing of or testing the produce would be fun.