kroltan 2024-04-16 00:25
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Foon → Ludum Dare Explorer → LD55 → Amareica
By marin-davys
| Category | Rank | Score | Count | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 428 | 3.70 | 26 | |
| Fun | 933 | 3.08 | 26 | |
| Innovation | 156 | 3.89 | 26 | |
| Theme | 1081 | 2.87 | 26 | |
| Graphics | 4.34 | 15 | ||
| Audio | 165 | 3.91 | 26 | |
| Mood | 3 | 4.62 | 26 |
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Nice game, the version embedded on ludum dare didn't work, but it worked on itch.io. First race I more than doubled my money, so I'm looking into the closed horse race in my area in real life. Hopefully, I have the same luck!
Seriously, it was pretty fun. The graphics and sound are hilarious. I could not figure out what the eyes and lips do. They have a hover effect, but I concluded they are just for mood. Great job.
Thanks for playing! I have some ideas for what to do with the eyes/lips in the future but, for now, it's just for the look.
I'm a little horrified and freaked out but mostly impressed. The vibe was super unsettling and strange which feels like what it was going for. Not sure if I grasped what the purpose of the game was or if there's a strategy to winning (it is horse racing after all) but I was very impressed nonetheless
I love the art direction and mood of the game. Very surreal. It was a bit unclear what was happening on the horse choice menu in general. Upfront, the summoning theme didn't appear to me but I may not have stuck around long enough.
Unsettling and very weird, i lost all my money and watched the most strange horse race i ever seen, Graphics Audio and Atmosphere are great
This is one of the most unique game jam entries I think I've ever played. The art direction is incredible, combined with the audio leaving you with a constant sense of unease. Progressing further through the races and witnessing each strange twist was a delight (if not a little terrifying). I was actually disappointed when I reached the end. Really amazing job.
...I made a profit, but in the end I'm not sure whether that mattered
@adam-konig thanks for playing! I'm glad the vibe you perceived was as you stated it. The winning strategy is in the statistics, although this would make a bit more sense if the game was longer and involved more than just three races.
@mark-swinimer I'm glad you enjoyed the game. The 'summoning' element of the game is maybe a bit too subtle, and I don't fault you for missing it; my team had initially planned on a narrative that used that theme a bit more, but time ran out before we were able to implement said narrative.
@ironax Thanks for playing! I'm glad the presentation struck your fancy.
@blaster391 That's high praise! Thank you so much for playing and for your detailed review. We're planning on expanding the game in the future (in a manner that gives the ending a bit more oomph, and gives a meaning to the player's bets).
I feel like I've transcended onto another dimension where all I perceive are betting and mystifying horse races. I'm scared and alone, and the garbled voices are speaking sweet nothings into my ear as I watch the world warp around me. But hey, I won some dollars. And that's alright.
10/10, a very strange and very cool experience.
The vibe of this game is so cool and artsy! It has a really interesting old timey ambience. I was trying to figure out the buttons and accidentally bet all I had and lost immediately haha. Great work!
@bittripbrit this is the highest praise I’ve ever gotten for anything I’ve ever made. Thank you so freaking much!
@sodagummy Glad the game gave you an old-timey vibe - we wanted the presentation to reflect the 50s setting while also using some overtly digital effects (like the ending of the black-and-white sequence). Thanks for playing!
Nice game! I love the dramatic visuals especially, great fit for the theme.
This game made me feel something, which is more than I could say about most games. Keep it up!
My friends. What the hell. This is easily the most mystified I've been by a LD Jam gam. And I mean that in the best way possible. It feels like if the Cruelty Squad devs did a crossover DLC with Sportsbet. And I'm totally here for it.
I have *NO IDEA* what is going on here, but I loved the whole thing. Or what I saw of it. One of the few things I've seen on here that I'm inspired to return to to try and figure out more about.
The racing sequences were so wonderfully weird, both audio/visuals, and the interface was eerily opaque (the lips and eyes?? what???)
I'm a fan. Go make more games please, I'll buy them and concern my friends and family by playing them.
Seriously though, mates, you're doing awesomely; the art style is totally up my alley. Plus, the gameplay is super engaging. You guys are killing it!
this should win. how do you even make something like this?
@lachlan-james Thank you so much! I have no intentions of stopping my game-development spree yet - one of the projects in the works is an expansion of this game that is a bit more, uh, game-y, probably a bit disturbing, and certainly unlike both this game and also any other game you’ve ever played before.
@drgcandle Glad this struck your fancy!
@fhgaha Thank you! I’ve played a couple games so far from this jam that I think are better, but I hope the game places high. I’m going to release a post-mortem about this on my blog soon - the development of this game was BONKERS; see ripping a piano apart for sound effects, disassembling and reassembling a desktop 6 different times, getting maybe 12 hours of sleep during the jam and churning out a game that only includes about half of the visual and audio assets we produced. But I’m glad it’s finished and glad that it’s (I guess) found an audience.
@marin-davys Listen up, buddy, you've done such a bang-up job that you've earned yourself this review from me. I can spot that "indie spirit" in you, if you catch my drift. If you've got a moment to spare, I'd be grateful if you could check out my friends' game[Squiggle Sorcery](https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/55/squiggle-sorcery) (not mine). They really helped us out during our jam, and now it's payback time for us to return the favor. After all, ain't we all in this creative hustle together? We creators gotta stick together, right?
@drgcandle Sure! I'll play it en uno momento.
@drgcandle Just played the game. It was pretty good!
@marin-davys I'm eternally grateful, friend! You've been a total lifesaver, and my thanks come from the bottom of my heart!
I have no idea what happened. The rot wins.
Extremely interesting avant garde vibe - I kind of liked that I had no idea what I was getting into as I was going through it. I played a couple times and both times the second race was this black and white moving horse meshes. I wasn't sure if it was a bug or intended, haha. I lost all my money, though, so I quit :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: I expect this will be the most *interesting* game I will play in this LD, lol, good job!
@maimai Thank you so much for playin!. The money doesn't really matter, and you can progress to the end with no money (and without making bets), so perhaps you could play to the end eventually? The second race is intentionally that way - I liked the idea of mixing super digital effects with a more old-timey aesthetic scheme. Whatever the case, I'm glad it struck you as 'interesting' - my team intends to expand on this concept soon.
arts is genious <3
Well, this was something. I'm not entirely sure what to think about it but it is for sure something new and memorizing. Thank you :)
@tapehead No - thank you! It’s pleasing to hear that this has appeared as something ‘new’ to you. Have a most excellent weekend!
This game for sure has a very unique atmosphere. I love the visual style, the sounds. I love the retro vibe and a little bit of creepiness.
Was a bit confusing where in the choice "Sure" was highlighted, however my character said "What's it to you", the other choice. I reloaded immediately and relied on the word being gray this time around. In my head it makes much more sense that the highlighted option is the one being chosen.
I wonder if eyes and lips in the menu do anything? Or they are here just for visual effect? I tried clicking on them a lot :)
To be quite honest, I know nothing about betting on horses, so options "Place" and "Show" were confusing to me. I dunno, I supposed "places" means like, top 5 or something? What is show then, she showed up to the race? :D Sorry, I just have no idea. I bet people who are into it would have a blast though. I lost all money first run and then just kept looking at the races money-free xD
That said, I enjoyed the overall experience and I am happy I decided to try this game. I was rewarded with crazy cutscenes of races that kept getting crazier, in a good way, and a fantastic creepy CG in the end, with music that SLAPS.
beautiful.jpg
This is a small horror-like experience that I really enjoy. There is something unsettling about it, mysterious and so - scary, but without jumpscares or whatnot, and without losing sleep over it. Just a satisfying game that I got to play during my work break.
Thank you <3
@kanity thank you so much for this detailed review! Off of your input, I will make an updated version game right after the voting period ends that switched the highlighted color for the dialogue and includes a screen that explains the different betting options. It’s music to my ears that the game struck you as unsettling and satisfying while also not being the type of thing to deprive one of sleep - this is precisely the kind of horror that I’m wanting to continue make in the future. My team intends to drop a feature-length version of this title in the summer, so hopefully we’re able to sustain the same flavor of eeriness.
@marin-davys that sounds great! I was thinking part of it reminded me of the way horror elements were presented in The Path. Tale of Tales had some fantastic games that weren't really what's called "conventional" but were an artistic experience. And I really see similar energy here, and it honestly makes me excited to see your next projects as well ^^
Wow this was insane. What a vibe! Truly felt cursed. Super short but still one of my favorite I played so far this LD. I think a long version of this that you mentioned could do really well actually haha.
Definitely a very artistic and trippy game lol. The aesthetic is very interesting, and I wasn't expecting to actually summon something at the end xD. For the horse race itself it would be nice to be able to tell which horse is yours, because it's hard to tell right now, even if you remember the name (I didn't). Thanks for submitting on stream! here's the VOD: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2133052642
This was some kind of fever dream!! I loved the unique experience. The art design was very unique and compelling. You definitely nailed the mood you were going for.
In the races, I would recommend some indication of which horse(s) I bet on, because I think the feeling of "cheering them on" would be fun.
I think the text design could overall be improved. The organization of information wasn't the clearest (you can use frames to separate blocks of related info), and the justification and kerning of characters made it hard to read.
Also, the betting interface could be iterated on. I don't think I found a way to remove bets once placed (for example, if I accidently clicked one too many times. Or four too many times. Don't judge me!!)
@hawkin Thank you so much for these detailed and astute observations! I'd never even considered your points about the betting screen before but I think you're spot on - there's too much information and it seems that it's presented in a way that makes it less legible and 'meaningful' than it should be. Same goes for the races - I feel like people are watching the effects and camerawork more than the horses due to the indistinguishability of the horse models. I plan to make a 2.0/expansion in a little bit and will include many of your suggested revisions in this future draft. Once again, thanks for playing, and good luck (having played your game, I hope it places well!).