Crystalline by TheMeorch 2015-04-28T04:16:00
Great mechanic, really dig this interpretation. The level design is excellent too, script bits like "must not allow these shadows to lead me astray" especially. Tying gameplay and story together with a neat little puzzle, this is how tutorials should be done.
I also love the art; low-rez is hard, it's not just less is more. Tidbits like the star twinkling, the teleport animation and the character's head turning make a big difference when it all adds up visually.
LD33 — You are the Monster (27)
Tentacles by crafteverywhere 2015-09-06T07:00:00
The graphics are outstanding, especially the tentacle animation, that's gotta take some serious math! Whatever trigonometric voodoo Wu did paid off, the effect looks excellent!
Birthday Monster by justthestudio 2015-09-06T04:45:00
Very funny take on the theme! The art style is unique, and really fits the fanciful, kid's-story mood. The monster-to-dad/fantasy-to-reality parallels are especially creative! Glad to hear a post-jam's in the works, I love imaginative entries like this one!
Otherworldly Stars by Sam Twidale 2015-09-06T04:19:00
Visual style is fantastic, the vivid colors and fading gradients of the skies, scattering of stars and smooth camera panning past the silhouettes of landscape and architecture, all combines to stunning effect and works really well with the theme of the narrative. The text interface could certainly be improved as others have suggested, but the rest other visual aspects are so exceptional that it still gets a 5 in Graphics from me.
Even though the physics of the engine is superficial, the bouncing is a nice touch, showing off the effects of the trailing god-particles (which quite appropriately defy gravity).
If you decide to do a post-jam with dodgeables/catchables, I think you could definitely stick with bouncing movement (always on, sort of an "even-gods-must-follows-rules" thing), just a tad of acceleration from the up/down arrow keys for more motion control. Stick in some pixel-sized people subject to divine wrath (smite via squashing?), a bit of alternate dialogue if you can avoid squashing them (something about resisting the urge to punish one's subjects), maybe power-ups to increase/decrease size and an alternate ending for the skilled pacifist?
Bottom line: Despite your disclaimer, it seems to me this is just a few tweaks from being a complete game! Well done!
Collateral by mklee 2015-09-06T03:03:00
Even the most efficient monster could never cause as much damage as those that would destroy it by any means necessary.
Solid metaphor for a solid entry. Gameplay is fun, and the elegance of theme and design is mirrored by the art style which, despite the limited palette and contrasting colors, is quite cohesive. Subtle graphical effects like the sprite variation, shadows, particles, and the bobbing of the monster pieces really bring the whole thing together.
Forgoing any narrative details and letting the art tell the story was the right choice. The premise poses the questions: Where are we? Who are the people? The crosshairs arrive on the scene before the people do...Why are they hunting the creature before it has any confirmed meals? Who's the *real* monster?
I don't know whether the monster's hue was a thematic or artistic choice, but it's exactly what I would have picked, and here's why: The green shades of the background imply grass, and the semi-chaotic nature of the pattern suggest a wilderness setting, as opposed to a metropolitan one (say, a park).
The green monster seems more at home in this environment than the blue people...Who's doing the intruding? Indeed, the starkest contrast of all is in the bright reds and whites of the unrelenting barrage, shaking the earth, scorching the ground, and spilling the blood of man (and woman). The haunting drone punctuates the explosions and emphasizes the screams of the dying.
To sum up, you hit the nail on the head for Theme and Mood. Kudos.
Caring Creature by stupidmindlessf 2015-09-05T06:24:00
Great entry! Love the art and sound style, juxtaposes hilariously with the immersive ambient music and makes for a unique mood.
Ship-catching is tricky at first, but quite fun once you get the hang of the physics-just the way I like it. Munching that triple-threat ship was especially satisfying; to dodge all those harpoons and stick the landing is no easy feat!
Necromorph by Supernaught 2015-09-04T09:45:00
Great take on the theme, very innovative! Fun game, well designed, pixelart/animation is top-notch!
Outstanding work guys!
Inokan by gillenew 2015-09-04T09:33:00
Great entry! Outstanding pixelart with some very neat graphical effects, especially that title screen, that's incredible! Gameplay's a bit tricky at first but quite fun once you get the hang of using the Dodge boost (which looks fantastic)
The Supper by jrhee 2015-09-04T09:23:00
I really enjoy this one!
An apt homage to a book and board game both well known for their elegant design.
The art and mood are truly outstanding, each character whimsically unique in his or her several expressions, a perfect match for the pantomime-heavy silent-film style you guys have emulated
The visual effects from the lighting and overlays compliment the aesthetic even more, as do the camera control and text transitions; in fact, this is one of the most stylistically cohesive ludum dare games I've ever played! Props!
Free Hugs Kraken by crucknuk 2015-09-04T08:18:00
Groovy game! Comedic twist on a classic monster, well executed to boot!
Art and music are great, styles of both really fit the moods of the two game states; whimsical absurdity of the sea-spanning romance-hunt in overland mode matched with a retro pixel style, a kawaii kraken and a catchy, carefree tune...immediately replaced by the dramatic drum-driven battle song, detailed sprites and a more menacing (yet still lovable) sea monster, quite appropriate for the intensity of combat mode's cannonball-dodging (those submarines and their sine-wave torpedo trajectories can be mighty tricky).
Keep it up!
Skeleton Gardens by nka 2015-09-04T07:40:00
Great entry! Elegant design that's simple to learn but hectic and quite fun as the difficulty ramps up.
Graphics are excellent! Seemingly sloppy and chaotic sprites are designed quite well in terms of overlapping foresight. Once the screen fills up you can really appreciate the variations of trees, distinct shapes but with strict compositional rules--evenly spaced "joints" to tie together the bone-branches, skull-fruit at every altitude--all really comes together when they fall down.
Seemingly minor graphical decisions like color choices and the subtle hilliness of the ground are demonstrated nicely with grouped units and number pop-ups; even on a crowded screen with only a dozen colors, everything is easy to parse.
What impresses me the most is the animation. Still images don't do justice to the gesture and fluidity achieved with just a few finely-crafted frames.
Bravo.
Werewolf Quest by Yrr 2015-09-04T06:43:00
Classic yet innovative take on the theme!
Low-rez art is great; I especially like the enemy poofs and the skull-bouncer's 2-frames, and minor touches like the dithering variations on the moon and background make a big difference for the overall visual mood.
Level design is great too. Platforming obstacles and enemy frequencies increase in difficulty at a good pace, and area links/platform recycling are effectively managed with the switch/blocks.
Hope to see you again next time!
Lying in Wait by whalebot 2015-09-04T06:12:00
I really dig this. Brilliant and hilarious take on the theme, and I have no problem with the repetitive nature of the gameplay. It complements the premise perfectly and gives you time to explore the environment and find the easter eggs, which I quite appreciate; art can be a very effective reward, especially in a game with such great character design, each frame of animation expressive. Soundtrack really grew on me too, but when I found the boombox, oh man. That'll keep those eyelids open. Great stuff.
Minotaur by MrSylar59 2015-09-04T05:19:00
Voice sound effects are great, especially the humans, Quite funny! Reminded me of the squeaky elves in Gex 3.
Hello Dear Friend by ruthiepee 2015-09-04T05:11:00
Great take on the theme, very funny! Art style and music really matches the hilarity of the premise, kudos!
Adam by elemel 2015-09-04T04:54:00
I really dig those fire particles, very cool effect for a low-rez game!
Monster Garten by omaha 2015-08-30T04:00:00
Very fun mechanic! Graphical elements like the particles and the tree and grass swaying bring a real cohesion to the goofy aesthetic, and smooth motion of your monster's dilating pupil juxtaposes nicely with amorphous eyes of those invading isosceles wannabes. Keep it up, I dig it.
Prowl by HThomson 2015-08-30T03:33:00
Really dig the tentacle animation, very creepy, and when teamed up with the visual filters, haunting tune and sounds..the sniffing of nostrils, beating of heart, and bleating of fleeing sheep...well it all makes for a mood of eerie surreal absurdity. Keep it the heck up.
INSIDIAE by FistBumpGames 2015-08-30T03:25:00
Mood is outstanding! Art's excellent; style matches the music and the composition is well thought out, very balanced and everything on the screen from the font choice to the multi-layer text-boxes complements the aesthetic. Kudos!
Grave by uheartbeast 2015-08-30T03:10:00
Outstanding entry! Visually superb, demonstration of pixel art in one of its purest forms-shape and gesture the utmost importance when animating with so few colors, shows how a very skilled artist can fool the eye and achieve fluidity with just a few finely crafted frames.
Cursed Hunter by DANGER 2015-08-30T01:34:00
Neat concept and nifty pixelart, some real nice sprites!
Dragon Tale: Acquisition by vivavolt 2015-08-30T01:24:00
This is brilliant! Movement's a bit tricky at first but very fun once you get the hang of it! Lorez pixelart is great, art and sound/music complement each other nicely; mood matches the delightfully absurd destruction and mayhem.
And the gameover screen art, man. Outstanding work!
Devil's Thoughts by ponk 2015-08-30T01:09:00
Very original idea! The engine feels really smooth and satisfying, art works too; style juxtaposition of the boids with the background art works too, really brings out the character of the people (and animals) without distracting from the engine. Quite glad you submitted this; wouldn't take much more to make it a complete game, and I really dig outside-the-box entries like this one.
Eat Ships and Thrive by frogcheese 2015-08-30T00:58:00
Nice take on the theme! Movement's a bit tricky at first, which makes it even more satisfying once you get the hang of the inertia and can pull off some great dodges. Fun stuff!
Kraken Rampage by randyyaj 2015-08-26T05:21:00
Outstanding art! The style is quite well defined, everything from the low-color-count palette to the sans serif font helps to unify the elements. And that Kraken sprite, man. Top notch.
Sucker Punch by Shaw 2015-08-26T03:43:00
Great stuff! I almost made a Kraken game myself; went with the Hydra instead, but I'm quite glad somebody else paid homage to the legendary mollusk.
Hard to believe such a simple mechanic could be so much fun, but this ship-smasher is a real blast once things get really hectic. Pulling off a quick combo of well-timed tentacle strikes amidst barrage of cannonballs and bombs can be very satisfying. The cracking of masts and crunching of timbers, flotsam scattered throughout tumultuous waves, the occasional Wilhelm scream...all really comes together.
Kudos!
To Buy a House by slarrimer 2015-08-26T03:11:00
Neat take on the theme, and a simple yet satisfying mechanic! I really like the background, style as well as composition; brush shapes, shades, and edges give it a paint/pastel vibe, and the sprites/motion (bridge-hopping especially) work well with the whimsical premise.
Drain by aeveis 2015-08-26T03:01:00
Neat mechanic! I quite like the art style and animation; those little birds are quite expressive. Well done!