maymay 2023-01-09 02:00
Fun game! I can't escape the wheatshifter for my life lol. The art style is really nice and spooky and having a level editor is really cool!
Foon → Ludum Dare Explorer → LD52 → Beware The Wheatshifter
By fnkee
| Category | Rank | Score | Count | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 236 | 3.23 | 32 | |
| Fun | 260 | 2.98 | 32 | |
| Innovation | 217 | 3.15 | 32 | |
| Theme | 179 | 3.63 | 32 | |
| Graphics | 156 | 3.56 | 32 | |
| Mood | 162 | 3.30 | 32 |
Fun game! I can't escape the wheatshifter for my life lol. The art style is really nice and spooky and having a level editor is really cool!
@maymay Thank you, glad you find it nice and spooky! They're sneaky for sure. Thought a level editor was a smart move - then I ran out of time!
The tension is great even without any sound. This could get really scary if you add some voice acting!
@imyellowfish Thanks!! It's a shame I didn't prioritize adding some audio to this; some eerie creaks from those guys as they're closing in on you could've been fun
Really cool entry, but difficult game! I found the 3rd one pretty difficult - I finally managed to make it, but it was only to die in level 4 :laughing:
The only thing that bothered me was the collisions between the player character and the crop being a bit too punitive. You could definitely decrease the size of the collider on the player's character by half :p.
Now I'm also wondering if it would be as fun if it was turn-based instead. It would definitely lose the "oh shit he's going to find me" vibe - but would make it more strategic and about movement optimization.
I'll give you an additional .5 star because you used the theme twice!
Nice visuals! I would have loved to listen at a nice tune while playing :p
Good job!
Not only the game itself but also the level editor! Amazing! It's fun to play. The wheatshiter’s face is cute actually, but it’s still scary to be chased by them lol
@rolly Thanks, this is some juicy feedback! Couldn't agree more - getting stuck on the corners is such a hassle, and I regret not spending more time on making navigation smoother. That and level design would be first priority if I was to make an improved build later.
Going turnbased sounds like a really good move. It makes sense considering the AI's patterns, and the chase-bit could still be used as visual queue upon losing.
I'm planning to assign delegate time to the various parts of the game for my next jam, as I spent way too much time on AI, and none on sound or music!
Thanks again for trying it out :pray:
@mikyokyuji Haha thanks, glad you enjoy it! They just want to give you hug you know
Very interesting idea! Lovely art style. I tried to figure out the exact logic of the wheatshifters' movement but failed, and couldn't proceed past the third level!
@lisyarus Thanks for giving it a shot! I wasn't sure whether I should explain the wheatshifter's AI or not, but I see now that their behavior isn't necessarily intuitive; will put a note about that in the description!
Please add arrows for other keyboards ^^ otherwise the game is really cool and the graphics are so nice !
Neat game. Even having read the explanation, the Wheatshifter always feels unpredictable, and I think that really adds to the fear- you never quite know when they'll strike. Pretty much the only thing it needs is audio- other than that, very well done.
@yumepix orz I'll make sure to add the arrow-keys for my future entries. I'm happy you like it!
@ipsl0re Thanks man - Yeah, he's more out of control than I intended him to be! Audio will be pri next time, that's for sure
The level editor edition is really impressive! The Wheatshifters are excellent hunters! Be extra sneaky..
Cool game, and I really liked the level editor! I was a bit confused by how the Wheatshifters moved since it's a bit unpredictable though in a way that makes the gameplay more interesting and tense.
Nice idea! Kinda fast-paced game, but in the same time with puzzle mechanics. Very good fitting art style, a bit sad that there was no sounds. At some point this even felt scary when they were switching to rush me down)
@cloughd Sneaky's the way! (though some times you just gotta run for it) Thanks you - if only I had the time to use it properly! Hopefully I can make some improved maps after the rating is over :')
@mad-brokli Thanks, I'll take note of that! Perhaps I can teach away their behavior through improved levels, if I make another version. I can definitely see that the way they move can be confusing - glad it can still bring some ~~slaughter~~ laughter and joy
@corporation The missing sound effects and music is a big downer for me too. I'm glad you enjoy the combination of fear and puzzle solving. It still puzzles me how horror and puzzle-solving tend to work so well together, despite their differences! Thanks for all your nice words
I really like the atmosphere and art style of this game!
Great art style! I felt like the controls were a little imprecise and I got stuck on corners pretty often, maybe making the tilemap for the wheat have beveled corners when there's no adjacent or diagonal tiles would alleviate that without much implementation work.
The brutality of thinking you're safe and then the wheatshifter just runs over the tile and nabs you. :) It's a very tricky game but fun to try and beat - but a few sfx might have helped set the tone.
Such a cool art style :) I really like the sprites for the keys, lives, and Wheatshifter. Great work on this one!
I intend to cut the wheat more quickly? At all, I like the sneaky feeling.
@camden-obertop thank you!
@tpunisher33 Thank you! And I couldn't agree more; getting stuck on the corners is so obstructing currently, that an update would definitely require chamfered corners on the colliders.
@picttarge The wheatshifter got some field experience for sure owo I'm glad you find it fun, despite it's difficulty! And agreed, the mood would probably improve with some sounds effects.
@chompdev Thanks chomp!
I like the art style! This is a pretty straightforward puzzler, and I was really intrigued.
As I played through a few levels, it became pretty hard to anticipate the wheatshifter's design, though. When did it decide to hop across wheat and chase me? Was it based on how close I was, or whether they could "see" me? I really couldn't figure it out. It ended up feeling a little unfair versus a challenge to be solved, so I'd think about what you intended to happen and how to clearly message that to the player!
Also, I think the controls would have felt a lot snappier if the movement was grid based! As it is, I kept getting stuck on the corners of the wheat blocks. Congratulations on the submission, and thank you for sharing!
thanks for great design feedback @hawkin. It seems like the unpredictability of the wheatshifters are more annoying than riddling, which is understandable.
I've been working a bit on an updated version, where the stance of the shifter changes while they're hunting(actively chasing the player down and able to walk through wheat). Hopefully that will make them more readable.
Will also make sure to put some thought into navigation while I'm at it - corner-collision will be the first thing to go!
This is such a cute game the art is so adorable! I died to the Wheatshifter so many times, it didn't feel too annoying though and help on itch was definitely appreciated. This is definitely one of my favourites this jam and your interpretation of the theme is really neat! ^~^
@weefairyfabi Wow thanks, that means a lot! I'm relieved to hear you didn't find the wheatshifter too annoying
edit: And tysm for adding my game to your itch page!! Just saw that :heart:
Great idea! Feels good to figure out the solutions and there's some dynamic element in running away from the wheatshifters. Gj!