The Rock

wouter52 2023-10-02 14:20

I had fun playing yours! I played it all the way through :-) Once learning that the rock needed to be destroyed because of greedy reasons, I really hoped there would be some sort of alternative ending where the mayor would get banished or something ^^"

I really laughed about the father & son fishing, I like this quirky kind of humour :laughing:

The graphics are acctually pretty fun! There is a coherent styling to it, and I think that is the most important when rating graphics. (so, no pixel art mixed with high detail renders for instance)

I think you did a great job! Once ratings open, I'll make sure to revisit yours to rate it :-)

fupi 2023-10-02 14:24

@wouter52 Thanks mate! Yeah, unfortunately the only good ending is to just leave the island and don't beat the game lol, that was the point. I'm glad you enjoyed my little mess!

Weird that the ratings aren't open, but I'll check your game out later too!

catulus-zesmar 2023-10-02 16:46

I really love the art! Such a cute and fun game :)

fupi 2023-10-02 16:56

@catulus-zesmar thank you! glad you liked the art

aluminumfool 2023-10-02 17:37

The mechanics were very smooth, nice job. I also liked that everything was hand drawn. This made the experience so much cooler.

fupi 2023-10-02 17:46

@aluminumfool I really obsessed over the dialogue system so I'm glad you enjoyed it. ^^

iiandii 2023-10-04 02:09

I kinda enjoyed the graphics! It was unique and cute in its own way!

emilyy 2023-10-04 02:15

Played all the way through and it was really fun. I liked the backstory and characters a lot; they were really funny! I know you said you weren't a fan of the art, but I feel like it added a nice feel to it to be honest. Wish there was a good ending though, I was sad I broke the rock ): lol Regardless, it's a really good game! ((:

fupi 2023-10-04 02:18

@emilyy The leave option is there for a reason! The good ending is just to decide not to break the rock and return to menu x)) It might not be exciting, but it is a difficult decision after all!

rossk 2023-10-04 02:34

The art and writing are great! I was about to use the chefs kiss emoji, but it apparently doesn't actually exist? What else are they lying about?

Anyway, nice little game!

catusfelony 2023-10-04 02:54

This was really cute and I especially loved the art and the little designs for each character, the shopkeeper is my fave.

**spoilers kinda, i hope everyone who's reading finished the game**

As for the story, I don't know if there's an alternate route or if I am just supposed to end the game in order to not get the Bad End, I tried figuring it out but there was nothing to do but do the job, or get out. Played through three times, liked it a lot.

fupi 2023-10-04 02:59

@catusfelony Thanks for playing! <3 The shopkeeper is my problematic favorite too. Yes, there is no good ending, only the one where you leave the rock and the town alone and return to menu. I don't really like games with unambiguous good/bad endings so I just made one that's bittersweet

fupi 2023-10-04 03:01

@rossk Here's a makeshift chefs kiss emoji! 😙👌 Thank you for playing!

0x-void-x0 2023-10-04 11:19

Haha that was amazing! you know for jam games made in 3 days, I'd generally expect good gameplay, maybe good art, good music, good level design, all things that can be made with some sacrifices to other elements of the game. but good freaking story with some sick writing???? as someone who really loves the story telling element of video games you nailed this! I enjoyed every conversation and every character, no conversation felt rushed or like a filler just there to make the game longer. from the 4th wall breaking witch to the crocodiles have no soul lol, you're really good at story telling Fupi, and for a jam games that's saying a lot! so many creative ideas too, the rock theories made me chuckle and that witch tought me not to make assumption and THE MUSIC! I honestly expected no less from you but still got surprised by the quality of that melody, and how the instruments kinda have a conversation, I know it's not an easy thing to do, to make such dynamic melody between a couple of instruments. I heard that bass in the menu and I was like "yep that's Fupi with his bass again" :laughing:. needless to say I fell for it.. I knew that the rock meant something to the people but thought it's for the greater good that we make more room.. I learned the hard way that it wasn't my decision and that I should've respected their believe no matter how stupid they sound lol. you got me dude, I'll get you one day too :smiley:.

anyway sorry for the wall of text, but this is really good, if I could vote I'd give you 5/5 innovation. who cares if the art style isn't great, everything else makes up for it, and you should be proud my cat loving, story writing, music nerding friend!

masterproject 2023-10-04 12:01

Hey hey Fupi! Gravei gameplay e meus pensamentos em vídeo, que acho mais fácil de capturar minha experiência. Segue o link, ainda ta renderizando HD kk:

(https:)//youtu.be/KljJDudqVxc

Coloquei parenteses pra evitar embed automático

fupi 2023-10-04 12:05

@0x-void-x0

Void buddy I'm so happy to see you here!! 🫂🫂 Was excited to talk to you again this jam and was afraid you wouldn't show up. x) Thank you for enjoying the game and the music! You know I love me a strong bassline. Bass, electric piano and hiphop drums are my signature style, I could make an entire album of completely different moods and melodies just with these 3 instruments. Unfortunately I didn't make the main music you hear in the game, only the menu and ritual music. I wanted an electronic bossa nova for the map screen but had never made one before and didn't have time, so I went with stock. x)

Also very thankful the story had you feeling some type of way, I really wanted to make the player reconsider what they did at the end, even if they didn't necessarily feel guilty or like they were in the wrong. All the characters who helped you and made you laugh in the game love this rock, so blowing it up in the end just feels so wrong!

Again, thank you very much for showing up to play my game. I'm excited to see you in a next event! ^^ Take care friend!

fupi 2023-10-04 13:02

@masterproject Mto obrigado mesmo pelo video!! Vou postar a minha resposta aqui também só por acaso, pq o youtube as vezes deleta os meus comentários sem motivo.

Limpar o carro pra parar de chover é uma nova pra mim KJDSKJDS adorei ver vc jogando! Eu vi várias pessoas diferentes jogando o jogo e o mais interessante é como todas elas tiveram uma reação completamente diferente. Por exemplo, algumas pessoas disseram que a quest da pá e a dona da loja eram a parte favorita do jogo KJDSJKD, mas sim ela foi def uma saída fácil pra mim na hora de desenvolver do tipo "ah, eu posso só colocar um dos itens na loja e pronto". Não é uma quest muito envolvente de jeito nenhum, só serve pra estabelecer q o prefeito é um cara bem de vida. A personagem é pra ser uma guaxinim aliás, então faz sentido vc achar q ela parece sleazy. Não posso confirmar se ela roubou a pá ou se realmente aquela pá não era sua. x)

Sobre a sua reação sobre o final, eu acho que a história cumpriu exatamente oq eu tentei fazer. Quebrar a pedra *é* o único final, é inevitável. O final do jogo só acontece se vc quebrar a pedra. Porém, durante o jogo, vc vai aprendendo que todos os personagens q vc conheceu durante o jogo amam aquela pedra, ou acham algum uso pra ela, ou de algum jeito a envolvem nas suas vidas, enquanto o seu personagem, realmente, não tem motivação NENHUMA pra quebrar a pedra, e não é pra ter. Se vc não tinha motivo pra quebrar a pedra, pq não foi embora? Especialmente se vc sentia q aquela era a decisão errada. Obviamente eu não queria q o jogador realmente só saísse sem ver o final, mas eu queria despertar esse pensamento no jogador depois q ele visse q fez a coisa errada. Eu não queria que ele fizesse uma decisão certa e obtivesse um final bom pra se sentir satisfeito, eu queria justamente q ele jogasse, percebesse q talvez quebrar a pedra não fosse a escolha boa, decidisse quebrar mesmo assim pq literalmente tudo no jogo te afunila pra eventualmente quebrar a pedra e não parece ter outra opção, e no fim ele se sentisse culpado. Será q é um pouco cruel? Eu n sei mas é interessante de assistir JKDKJDS. Se vc gosta desse tipo de história q tenta mexer com o senso de culpa do jogador, aí é preferencia. Tenho certeza que uma história desse tipo poderia ter sido feita de um jeito muito melhor, mas pessoalmente acho que deixar mais claro que quebrar a pedra era uma escolha importante e final teria tirado um pouco do impacto e do sentimento de "pqq eu fiz isso" q te deixa, pq aí o jogador ficaria procurando um final melhor e, ao não achar, se sentiria forçado a quebrar a pedra, ao invés de fazer isso porque ele abaixou a guarda. Não pareceria mais uma escolha e vc não teria o sentimento de culpa depois. Até como vc mesmo falou, depois q vc joga é óbvio q aquela era a decisão ruim, mas enquanto vc tá jogando vc só segue o fluxo do jogo sem perceber.

Inclusive uma das coisas mais interessantes q eu vi foi quando eu vi um dos meus amigos jogando. Ele coletou todos os itens e percebeu q no fim ele não queria quebrar a pedra. Então ele pegou a canoa e saiu, voltou pro menu e simplesmente NÃO QUIS terminar o jogo! Pra ele, aquele foi um final satisfatório. Naquele momento eu me senti muito orgulhoso pq eu consegui criar nele aquele sentimento de culpa que eu queria.

fupi 2023-10-04 13:03

@masterproject

Mesmo discordando sobre o rumo da história, eu acho q vc ainda fez um ponto muito bom: Muitas discussões sobre a pedra eram sobre como ela diminuiu com o tempo. Eu já tinha pensado nessa lenda do heroi cavando a pedra e criei a escola pra ser um contraponto para o villager, a ideia de q lenda e realidade podem sair de uma mesma origem material, no caso o fato de q a pedra costumava ser maior. cada um tinha uma explicação pra isso e eu queria deixar claro como a pedra era integral pra cultura da cidade. Porém no meio disso acabei deixando a entender q quebrar a pedra era uma coisa boa KDAKJADS. Oversight bem importante da minha parte. Outros jogadores não mencionaram isso, mas vejo 100% como vc teria chegado nessa conclusão e acho que criar outra backstory pra pedra seria bem melhor pro jogador não criar essa correlação entre ele e o herói da lenda.

Em geral esse foi o melhor feedback q eu ja recebi! Muito obrigado mesmo, eu costumo mandar meus jogos da ludum dare pra streamers porque aprecio mto ver as reações em tempo real das pessoas, acho q é o melhor jeito de saber como elas realmente se sentem sobre o seu jogo. Não pretendo expandir esse jogo ou essa história, mas os teus insight vão me ajudar muuuuuito no futuro! Valeu e parabéns pelo seu jogo na jam tb!! ^^

jahwffrey 2023-10-04 16:42

Wow!! I loved it. The guys were so cute, it felt like there was a truly surprising amount of things to do, what a great adventure! You don't have to apologize for running out of time, there was well enough here that I wouldn't even think about it if you hadn't.

Spoilers: I feel like I understood that I wasn't supposed to destroy it in the end, and I was pretty sure when I went to destroy it then the final decision would come up, but then it just got destroyed and I failed everyone and the witch was mad at me. Maybe the right answer is to collect everything and then just leave? I'll come back later and see if I can find the good ending.

fupi 2023-10-04 16:47

@jahwffrey Thank you very much for playing! ^^ SPOILERS --- I'll save you the trip: there is no good ending. x) If you leave, you literally just go back to menu. You either destroy the rock and get the ending, or you leave the town alone and get no ending. I'd say technically that *is* an ending, but there is no screen or reward, other than the clear conscience of having done the right thing!

aweskybear 2023-10-04 17:10

Wow wow wow :D ! Beautiful little but *totally complete* and fun/funny game! I LOVED the artwork... those doodles made me crack several times in the beginning. They are *absurd* and absolutely lovely put in this context.

The story is GOOD, great job on it! Lots of funny moments. It felt like a *small village*, isolated from the rest of the world with its own folklore.. traditions, beliefs, superstitions. All was good! I liked how gameplay was simple (clean) and *non-linear*.

Stitching together everything into a cohesive piece is a heroic act on its own! Bravo. :))

Overall, awesome work!

fupi 2023-10-04 17:20

@aweskybear Thank you very much!! <3 I'm glad the story resonated with you! Tried very hard to make the town feel lived in

frogravity 2023-10-04 18:50

*Spoilers ahead!*

The moment I saw that there was an option to simply leave the town doing nothing, I did that for fun. Little did I know that was actually the "good ending"!

Anyway, amazing game! This was actually a super cool artstyle - I loved it! The writing was awesome as well - I laughed at a lot of the jokes, and the characters were great! It was very obvious that destroying The Rock was wrong - especially after the 4th-wall-breaking conversation with the witch - but since I already knew what leaving the island does, I went on with it anyway. It was also very evident how much effort went into the dialogue system - from the smooth transitions, to the little pauses during punctuation, the different voices for every character, multiple expressions, a skip button - really great job on that front!

I honestly don't really have much feedback to offer. Going back to the town hall to check the inventory every time was slightly annoying, but it also had a lot of charm and definitely didn't matter for a game of this scale. The lack of any reaction or special event after leaving the island - which I know you said wasn't supposed to be the good ending, but it was still heavily implied to be the correct choice in the story - felt a bit weird, but again, I understand that it was a conscious choice.

So yeah, overall, awesome entry!

fupi 2023-10-04 19:51

@frogman Thanks a lot for your insight! Happy to see my work on the dialogue system being appreciated x)

While not having a good ending was a deliberate choice, I think it's totally fine to not be into it. Personally, I find ambiguous endings, where the outcome is neither completely good or bad, much more interesting, because they make me think about what I played way after finishing the game. But, unsurprisingly, deliberately unsatisfying endings tend to make players unsatisfied lol. The idea is that you're leaving the town alone. Your character is not getting paid, and you're not getting an ending, nothing's changed. All that you win is the clear conscience of having done the right thing. If you find that leaving the island is a good enough ending for you, as one of my friends has, then that's great! But if you want more, if curiosity gets over you, you'll get an actual ending and conclusion, the canon, bittersweet ending.

It's a bold choice, and not for everyone, but I think it's neat

2023-10-04 21:51

Wow, this game was really touching! I loved discovering this small island and the life that animates it. Every character was endearing (apart from the mayor... seriously, he should be ashamed lmao). I really felt emotionally invested in the game, especially when I had to make the final choice! I felt deep down that destroying the rock was not the right solution, but since I couldn't figure out how to reach another ending, I decided to do it to see what it felt like.. but I ended up disappointed in my own actions. On the other hand, this game really brings about a reflection on our humanity, which is also carried by the drawings. The “scribble” side give a really cute dimension and really make you want to love all these little characters. As for the plot, it is really well constructed and carries a real life lesson. In short, I had a great time and I don't regret being curious enough to play a game about a rock! My only regret would be that there is no possible positive ending, other than leaving the island. I understand the approach but it leaves a little bitter note of unfinished, even if the whole game is great and beautiful in his own way. But anyway, it was a really good experience so congrats for your work !

fupi 2023-10-04 22:14

@pianissim0ts Thank you very much for playing!! I'm so happy the story and the characters resonated with you, and that you liked my silly drawings <3 I still stand that not having a good ending is an integral part to the experience I was shooting for, but I understand the frustration! Maybe there's a foundation for a sequel in a future jam that actually resolves the story by having the townies overthrow the mayor, idk. x)

farouchelark 2023-10-04 23:05

this was utterly charming and honestly the graphics were perfect. I love the fourth wall breaking as well, it's super fun.

frydev 2023-10-05 02:22

Great little game! The graphics, while simple and rough, are charming in their own childlike-fun way. The story itself has some nice humor, and the ending actually surprised me with its tonal whiplash (in a good way). If I had to name an "issue," I suppose the puzzles were a little simple, but that's excusable for a 72 hour jam game. Not much else to add, just a fun condensed point-and-click experience!

fupi 2023-10-05 02:31

Wow I have no idea where all these people are coming from, I haven't even rated that many games yet. I'll get to all your games as soon as I can! Busy week.

fupi 2023-10-05 02:33

@frydev I wanted to have an actual inventory and item combination system for more complex puzzles, it's my favorite part of actual point and click adventures. But alas my time was already impossibly short. x) Thanks for playing!

frydev 2023-10-05 02:39

@fupi Personally, I came from the Danger tab and your game just looked interesting to play.

mmayans 2023-10-05 03:44

I thought the art was super cute! it was cool to see a more story-based game for this jam, I hadn't even considered that. It had simple little puzzles, but understandable given the timeframe. I didn't like how many different fonts there were, between the menu, map, dialogue and other buttons, but overall, cute game!

narudgi 2023-10-05 04:58

rock rock rock rock.png

very based game

I'm not someone that reads usually, but I was hooked by rock isle.

Sorry for the damage I have done :pensive:

fupi 2023-10-05 09:32

@mmayans There were just 2 fonts, one for prose and one for buttons, but that's ok. I think I used the wrong font for the choice selector too

fupi 2023-10-05 09:33

@narudgi Wow! You replicated the style of the game perfectly that's insaaaane

jvdwijk 2023-10-05 15:00

Very cute game, I liked the story and the decision to take! Maybe a speed for the text would be nice

furano 2023-10-05 18:19

That art style was really cute and made me laught !! I'm just disapointed most of your art was blurry, I would have love the same thing with little bit clearer picture :confused:

The story was funny and not too short nor too long ! The perfect format for a jam. The voice sound were sometime annoying however, which isn't too much of an issue since you provided a voice volume slider !

I had fun hearing about your cute little story, thanks for that tale !

fupi 2023-10-05 18:29

@furano Thank you very much for playing! Unfortunately the "voice slider" is actually a mistake left in from my template, and it doesn't do anything in the game x)) The sound slider is what actually affects the voice volume, sorry for that. The drawings are blurry because they were always meant to be placeholders, I just took a picture with my phone and blew up the contrast to be able to see them lol. I had no time to even take another picture of better quality, or scan the drawings in. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed the story, thanks a lot for playing! ^^

camden-obertop 2023-10-06 00:47

This is incredible, such a charming game!

diego-teran 2023-10-06 03:45

Pretty cool game! I liked the dialog system and how smooth the transitions felt.

I really liked the art too, and the story and decision was interesting.

nirlandec 2023-10-06 14:04

The art-style is actually art omg XDD I love it . Could use some speed for text , but such a cool thing in overall <3

fupi 2023-10-06 14:39

@nirlandec A speed option for the text would be a nice addition, but you can just click to skip the effect. Thanks for playing!

juicybrucey 2023-10-06 16:13

The crusty jpegs were cute and gave me a good chuckle, really charming art and enjoyable experience, just the right length I think too (though i did wish i could've not gotten on the bad side of the witch), really nice job with this :)

eroxxie 2023-10-06 16:46

Charming and the art is so cute! I like it!

minjutin 2023-10-06 18:03

Totally in love with this more experimental art style, also with the little village and all of its people. I really enjoyed the ending and it being more in the scale of grey. Even though the art is childish, the decisions you make are very adult. Also the fact that there won't be any great rewards if you decide not to blow up the rock: very philosophical

fupi 2023-10-06 18:27

@minjutin "Experimental" is an interesting word choice x) I'm glad you enjoy the idea of not having a good ending, through having friends play the game, I found that this resonated *very* heavily with some of them, and others just wanted to get a more satisfying end. I guess it's a matter of taste. Ambiguous endings really get my brain going, I love em. Thank you for playing! ^^

lincolnsalles 2023-10-06 19:28

As a non-speaker of the language I can read something, so reading is not good for me, unfortunately I wouldn't be able to enjoy the game well. In this case, from what I saw, just read it. I liked sketch art, I like drawn art. But I just wanted to play, walk around the island, and not just read. Visual novels are complicated for me. But I didn't understand the topic either, maybe a small island, I don't know, I didn't see where space would be limited here. But it seems like you did a good job with the narratives from the comments I read.

phillip-scott 2023-10-06 19:34

such a cute little game, loved the story, loved all of the characters well done <3

fupi 2023-10-06 19:38

@lincolnsalles Well, I'm sorry but a visual novel does require reading. :/ If you can't do that then this just isn't the game for you. You can't judge a game you can't play. Thank you for liking the art though

hagamosvideojuegos 2023-10-06 20:36

Cute graphics! It's difficult to do a visual novel for a jam but the result was great!

Well done! Take a candy! :candy:

fupi 2023-10-06 20:48

@hagamosvideojuegos yum

mar-zockmeister 2023-10-07 04:08

Nice little story you tell here :smiley: As many others said, the art style works very well - I would not have it expected from the rather simple style. The game would feel a little bit more interactive if there were more dialogue choices but I guess this was due to the lack of time.

kanity 2023-10-10 20:07

The art is beautiful, I love it so much! Especially that Fisherman from the fishing spot ^^ This style of minimalistic doodle is super cute, and honestly elevates the experiences, and also fits your story :) Of course, it would be nice to clear up the visuals a bit, when you have time after the Jam: if characters did not appear in boxes, that would be great, and if when items/characters disappear, they would not leave an awkward splosh in their place. Choosing a more unique font would be a great asset for your game as well.

I really appreciate many things you did for the convenience of the player: like the volume toggle in the menu (would be fantastic to be able to access the options while already in game, but not sure how hard it would be to make!), the way to track the items we got, and the "skip scene" option. The latter especially came in handy when I decided to replay the game.

At first I didn't realise I can potentially make other decisions. I just simply went and destroyed the rock, partly because I was curious to see if there is anything special inside. After getting reprimanded, I rushed to replay and try to do different things in the end, like leave w/o touching the rock.

Out of curiousity, I tried getting the money stash on my 2nd playthrough, and I did get it - w/o asking the mayor first! That felt like stealing ^^' Then I went to the shop and got the dialogue with "see, it wasn't that hard" even though we didn't have our 1st dialogue yet, so to say ^^' So maybe locking the option to find money stash behind some line of "if" code would be a good idea?

In the end of my 2nd playthrough, I didn't really discover new options ("Not yet" doesn't do anything, that's to be expected), Witch was not active anymore, and simply leaving the island just ended the game. I wonder if I missed something? I was hoping to see a "good ending" ^^''

The gameplay reminded me of 2D adventure games (quests), my favourite genre. I liked the moments when I had to find a money stash, or gather moss - tasks that motivated me to interact with the environment.

About the writing: I did enjoy humour in this game, especially in the Fishing Spot dialogue. Sure, I would fix a few things here and there (technical stuff), but overall I enjoyed reading the dialogues. They are very simple for the most part, but it works for the game. I think you successfully made every character sound unique, and have their own voice. I liked the "Pebbles" nickname I got, it was really fun and cute.

Finally, the music you chose was very nice, I enjoyed it and it was quite chill :)

cute.jpg

fupi 2023-10-10 20:49

@kanity Wow, thank you very much for the detailed feedback! I really appreciate opinions from actual story writers for this one.

You can already access the settings during the game btw, you can just press ESC and a pause menu with the options comes up. Works a bit dodgy on the web, since ESC is also the shortcut for getting out of fullscreen, but it's there.

I actually didn't want to block the player from completing quests if they had already played the game specifically because I expected them to replay at least once, so I think a better solution for the money quest would just be to change the dialogue if the player already has the money when they interact with the shopkeeper. When I was programming I just thought the chances of a new player finding the money without speaking to the mayor first and being confused were small enough that I didn't want to spend the little time I had on fixing it lol

About the good ending, there isn't one. Everything in the game flows you through to breaking the rock because that's the character's only objective. You can choose to leave the island and leave the rock alone, but the character doesn't get paid and you don't get an ending, just the clear conscience of having done the right thing. Not having a good ending was a deliberate decision. Though, notice that the rock was already cracked when you got there? Maybe this was not the first time the mayor has tried to get rid of it, and it won't be the last. Leaving the island may just be delaying the inevitable, oooo. No good endings in sight how evil.

I'm so happy you liked my writing and the different personalities I gave to all the characters. ^^' As not-a-writer I obsessed over it a lot to get it sounding close to how I wanted. I still have a long way to go, especially on vocabulary, but I'm happy with my results. Thank you for enjoying the graphics too jksdkj

kanity 2023-10-11 00:24

@fupi sure, I got really curious about this game after seeing the adorable screenshot from the fishing spot and I did enjoy it, was also writing my thoughts down as I played so it turned out more detailed :) would love to see the updated version too if you ever make it ^^ My bad about not realizing I can change the settings in-game, I kinda set it too low at first and just had to turn my laptop sound way up ^^'' I think I understand your position on the good ending, though maybe there could still be a few lines like "You left the island, deciding not to break the rock. During your time here, you learned how important it is to the villagers, and just couldn't bring yourself to destroy it. THE END" or something ^^ just a general idea so it's not just straight to main menu %) And you know, the main thing is that your writing is easy to read and doesn't drag. In a game like this especially, you don't want to see a lifeless wall of text, and you didn't do that. I read a lot of books in English, for reviews, and it's so much nicer when authors don't fall into a trap of making their texts overly descriptive and fancy, but keep them clean and easy to read :)

fupi 2023-10-11 02:20

@kanity Having a few lines was an idea at some point, but I think any kind of message upon leaving the island would defy what I was trying to do, I don't want players to just leave the island and be rewarded for not playing the game, feeling they made the correct choice, I want to funnel them through the story and slap them with the ending to make them feel guilty, am I a bad person for that? NDNDJD

I don't know if you've ever played OneShot but it deals with a similar idea. I think there are definitely ways I could have done the story better, but the sheer variety of reactions I've seen people have to the ending was the most interesting part of making this game, I think it's what makes it unique! Also a message would give away the game if someone just decided to leave without realizing that's the "correct" choice.

Thank you for the feedback regardless! I realize it's not a perfect idea, and neither is it perfectly executed, so every different perspective helps. I'm still thinking about how the concept of instigating guilt on a player could be better done, it has a lot of underutilized potential.

And ahhh I relate so much to your last few paragraphs, there's nothing I dislike more than a book that drags on piling raw world building on top of world building, describing every little insignificant detail. I usually prefer to follow stories from the POV of characters, and that's what I think makes visual novels so appealing

kanity 2023-10-11 02:41

@fupi yes, I did play OneShot and enjoyed it a lot ^^ I think I did feel guilt when I did break the Rock, but when I simply left the island w/o breaking it I didn't really feel anything, maybe a bit of a disappointment as, as a player, my expectation was to see a different outcome play out. I didn't feel guilty for not doing the job at all :') I'd say that guilt after breaking the rock is what motivates you to replay the game, and after that a player usually expects some kind of reward for doing stuff all over again. I see your perspective, but maybe if you want to invoke the guilt while leaving as well (if I understood you correctly?) some line reminding you that you left w/o doing your job would do the trick somewhat, I think. Again, that is all just my opinion, you do what you feel is best for your vision, of course :)

And I love visual novels too ^^ With books, I usually read children's literature, at most - young adult, and a lot of children's literature is written from the main character POV, and they usually do less fancy language as well - these might be parts of why I prefer it to adult literature :')

fupi 2023-10-11 02:53

@kanity Nn, I only wanted the player to feel guilty after breaking the rock, not after leaving. Leaving is not supposed to make you feel anything, it's always gonna be unsatisfying unless you never decide to break the rock in the first place and accept that as an ending. :p The guilt of breaking the rock never leaves.

You are right that the guilt absolutely makes you want to replay, and perhaps I could have banked more on that to either give the player a better ending, or to hammer in the point of the story. Right now it's more likely for the player to just feel confused. The second playthrough is very pointless.

I wanna revisit this idea again some day with what I learned

kanity 2023-10-11 02:57

@fupi all right then :) well I don't regret playing for the 2nd time, it's always better to try out the possibility instead of wondering what could be there and not trying at all. Good luck with future projects as well ^^

pen-island-games 2023-10-15 00:35

This game rules! It's no wonder so many people left such detailed comments here.

The writing here is obviously its greatest strength. It's soooo charming, and manages to convey themes without being overly formal at all. It has a sort of undertale or adventure time quality to it, where larger themes are being conveyed through casual nonsense. All the characters were super memorable, even though they only have typically one or two scenes.

As a lot of people have already said, the graphics are also weirdly super charming? They really match the tone of the writing, managing to be super cute and effective while retaining that informal, nonsense vibe the writing conveys. Great job creating a unique style with what you had, in limited time.

Regarding the theme, while the rock was technically "limited space" in that the major couldn't build there, I felt the narrative themes of the game had much more to do with tradition and nostalgia versus progress and development. And mechanically, there was really no limited space element to be had here. It would have been nice to see some gameplay quirk regarding limited space.

I also wish that there was an alternate ending for doing the "right thing", or even an alternate set of consequences! The end feels a little heavy handed to me. Maybe you see how the island changes in the end, whether you destroyed the rock or not. There are probably some pros and cons to both paths. Destroy the rock, the island grows and becomes more prosperous, but less unique. Leave, and the island retains its charm, but kids slowly move away, looking for greater opportunities. Obviously this has a larger scope, but I don't love when games really only give you one viable pathway and then scold you for taking it.

Overall though, this game is held up by its absolutely INCREDIBLE writing. You should make narrative adventures, I have no doubt they'd super successful. You have an authorial voice that's undeniable, and I'll definitely be following you on itch.

Loved the game! :)

fupi 2023-10-15 02:46

@pen-island-games Aww thank you so much, I'm flattered dmjdd <3 So glad you enjoyed my writing and the characters.

You are spot on about the theme btw, I wrote a story about tradition because this is the game I had in mind for the theme Folklore! When the theme that won was limited space, I decided to just ignore it and make the game I wanted anyway kdjd. Cool to see how the theme I wrote the story around managed to come across even then.

And about the ending, this is the most controversial point in this game by far, but personally, I prefer having one, definite conclusive ending that leaves you feeling something strong, be it good or bad, rather than having two, interchangeably alright endings. That said, I think this game could benefit from having a *sequel*, or expanded version, with an oh-so-requested good ending after the jam ending. The townies got to rise up. No promises though. x)

I'm really grateful for the high praise here, never considered myself a writer so to see how much you liked it means a lot! Thank you for playing ^^

egormnc 2023-10-20 13:40

the game is quite interesting, it was fun to play, everything was done well, both the controls and the game design itself

aweskybear 2023-10-22 06:39

I honestly am surprised your game did not score *at least* >= 4s on *several* of the categories. You've deserved seriously higher rankings!

Maybe one of the things is it's unfortunate we are living in *hasty times*, and (probably) people often don't see stuff through, since they are, well, basically - lazy..

You have an absolutely **cohesive** entry, which is a very hard thing to do - and a pleasure to play. Like enjoying a Really good short story, interacticely. Shame.

fupi 2023-10-22 15:55

@aweskybear aww djdk damn, thank you! ^^'

I think above 4s is a bit ridiculous, I got about the ratings I expected. Truth is, people come here to play games, not read books, so unless your story is REALLY special, or you have stellar graphics and music, you aren't getting very high ratings.

I'm already happy with my ratings, especially an above 100 in humor! That was a pleasant surprise ^^ Thanks for liking the game!

aweskybear 2023-10-22 19:53

@fupi Heh, yep, congrats on in top 100 in humor : )

And yet, people here who play games also *create* games. I've done a bit of checking and tbh when I notice a single-screen single mouse button arcade game with a higher rating than a game with a *soul* - well, buddy that's trully telling of sth :D (actually several things but let me do another test next LD and then we talk further ;)

So that's how my comment appeared here, not much else :D . Then again, that's how things are, happy you happy there! Good luck and see ya ^^ :p

equalenergy 2023-10-26 12:45

@fupi You did really good, meant to play your game in the ratings but uh... bit late for that! I love the graphics (was it intentional) that doodle look gave it a nice feel!

fupi 2023-10-26 17:26

@equalenergy Thank you!! The doodled look was definitely not intentional lol but I'm glad you like it!