Get to the bottom by jk5000 2025-04-12T07:15:45Z
Cute game, remind me of peggle. Music is nice
I'm not sure how precise aiming is needed, since the ball can't go out of bounds - I was able to spam S and get to the win block
Well done game overral
Foon → Ludum Dare Explorer → Users → atsh
| Year | LD | Theme | Game | Division | Rank | Ov | Fu | In | Th | Gr | Au | Hu | Mo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 58 | Collector | Death or Taxes | compo | 73 | 3.55 | 3.56 | 3.51 | 4.19 | 3.24 | 2.92 | 3.22 | 3.17 | |
| 2025 | 57 | Depths | The Trench | compo | 159 | 3.41 | 2.86 | 3.06 | 4.11 | 3.56 | 2.92 | 3.72 |
Cute game, remind me of peggle. Music is nice
I'm not sure how precise aiming is needed, since the ball can't go out of bounds - I was able to spam S and get to the win block
Well done game overral
Like other said, the fact that it runs on C++ is bonkers. I really liked to see strategy game in a jam - remind me very much of dungeon keeper. I also liked the sound design
I felt the control and design was not necessarily balanced as I would like - miners dig through non gold dirt when they shouldn't, and it's also very easy to have total party kill without realizing - maybe missing some indication you're attacked
Overral, very ambious project, well done
Wow very impressive and very unique idea for mechanic! I really liked the visuals, the mood was great, and it felt very complete.
I also think it was a very wise decision to not let the player die. The controls didn't felt very responsive to me. It actually bother me less on the section were you control the other guy, because the whole idea is that there's a delay because you interact with walkie talkie, and the platforming was quite forgiving. I also felt the dialog system was a little awkward, because I'm so used the the top text being before. I also would have tried to avoid the "jump cuts" as they threw me out of the experience
But again, the idea here is brillient - it felt like some coop levels on it takes two or portal 2, were one player help the other, but in a single player. Would love to see this being developed
#complexout
Not sure I can add more to what others said - great mood and seem to have tons of content, a little eneven gameplay - I would make it more forgiving or at least explainable at first. e.g make the sonar last a little longer on the walls, explain you can't just shoot anyone at sight, etc
I liked the space background, the ship, and the idea for the game is tried and true
I think it's currently too stingy with resources - the fuel runs out way to fast, and you don't always have gems in your vicinty, and also it's takes a long time to get 1 gem (which most astroids have), and the first upgrade cost 10. (BTW, the arrow confused me, I would show it only if the station is not visible)
I did like the fact that shooting astroid cluster damage all of them, cool touch
Nice work conveying complex emotions with minimal graphics - the skewd texts and doctor were especially effective
This game left me torn.. initially I really loved it. The graphics is very moody, the voices are really incridable, and the writing was sometimes top notch - I was really touched by the blue guy who want to go to hell just to see his son, and I was really torn about what the right thing to do about some people - where the choice between heaven and hell both seem wrong
But I think that's exactly were the lost opportunity was here - the fact the the game consider some choices wrong, mean I can't really express the what I think is right. And it's not like papers please where it's obvious what the rules are, and you can choose to oppose them for your own values..
I also think the text was a little hard to read, and was sometimes obstructed by the cabine or people. Frankly there was too much of it with nothing to do in between, and when I got fired I choose not to continue
BTW the only reason that I sound a little harsh maybe it that this game idea and characters really worked for me on an emotional level, which is something that almost didn't happen on other games I tried on the jam. It doesn't take away the fantastic writing, sound and mood - very well done!
The lightining system is great, the little audio really give it a nice mood, the procedural generation is solid, and the sprite work is cute, and impressive for the intro
Puzzle games, espcially sliding puzzles, are not for me, so I didn't progress far. I wonderif the procedural generation hurt here a bit, as the fact the orb may affect different room felt really obtuse to me, and the slow movement without diagonal didn't help
Still, very impressive, especcially with C++
Very original idea! The graphics and music was cute
The game is currently a bit too easy, even on hard, and the ball takes too much time to go across the screen
I think this can be a good base for something really good!
Nice animations with such simple graphics!
I thought I understood it at first - as it seem like you can't just place a firewall just before a hacker, but sometimes the hacker still got through even if I didn't. I couldn't really figure this one out :(
Great potential for this one, the graphics are nice, and swinging on logs feel very good when it worked I did expect to be able to grab logs when I didn't - it looks like the game think they are too far I did get better which is nice - with more polish this can be addictive
The graphics were clean and nice, and I like the static camera positioning and interactive elements
I'm not sure the game is for me, as I lost twice - probably due to water filling the submarine, not sure. It was too much for me to handle everything
But the game is well done and seem to succeed in what you aimed for
Loved the dreamlike sprites, very special - I'm very bad at this game though :)
Like someone said - it feels like a mix between minecraft and overcooked. The graphics are really good, especially the models of the dwarves client, nicely animated too.
I'm less connected to the idea of trying out recepies - and was a little frustrated when I made an expensive gem based sword, only to discover it's something else because the models are so similar. I think there's not enough feedback when you're doing somethinig wrong, like giving a customer the wrong item. The controls were also a little weird - I'm wondering if left click can replace E to make it more intuitive
I think you did succeed in what you wanted to make, which is the important thing - I think just a little more direction can make it more accessible for someone like me :)
Very complete game - great graphics, animations and varied environments, very good music and audio, fluid controls, and overral solid tried and true gameplay
I wanted to finish the game, but it wasn't clear to me how far I was from home (I saw 00 on the top right after a while), and the game became a little repetitive. Also I wasn't sure what the mushrooms and bottle do.
However, it's really an impressive for a game jam - great in all departments really
Cute game - at first I thought I should just eat the enemies, and it was their blood not mine (I'm a shark :) Really like the logo as well even if it hurt my eye
Need some sound effect I think, and also maybe gameplay that is more developed - it's generic top down shooter at the end of the day
But I did enjoy the shooting and the blood
Harpoon felt very powerful, loved it that you can hit multiple enemies at once
Not sure what else I can add, really a perfect experience :)
10/10 art like everybody else said. I looked on github and every animation seem to be hand drawn. This is really tremendous achievment and boggles my mind
Graphics and effects are very good! And the idea of dual worlds is nice, and is really carried by the excellent presntation
The lack of audio, not great controls, and little repetitive gameplay make it maybe not a great as it could have been
This could really be something good if those issues are ironed out - for example, this beg to have some purpose for the chips, as you have 2 goals - going down and collecting them, and it's not clear what to prioritize
I'm too old for this, reached 1000m and realized I don't have it in me. Appricate the checkpoint though!
The graphics was simple but very nice, and the game had a relaxing vibe. The idea that the drilling make the enemies appear is cute
I think the gameplay was a little familar, and also a tad slow - enemies are similar and pose no threat, I got all the upgrades really fast, and I didn't feel like it would be worth it to stay to the end as it felt the same
(BTW, personally I prefer in game tutorials, needed the site to figure out shift for scanning)
I think this can be a nice idea to expand upon - bring unexpected enemies and challenges while digging deeper
Minimalist game elevated by the gorgeous pixel art, animation and music
Just wish there were more fish, and that I understand how to position my fish height wise, but very relaxing game
Very cool classic game. I really liked the pixel art, mood, the weapons and the enemies, and that they develop as you progress (e.g start shooting and have more hp)
I wanted to continue playing, but I encountered some nasty bug where one of the robots got stuck on the spikes, so I couldn't kill him wihout taking damage - and I died (the jumping is a little clunky and didn't help). Honestly the game felt a little repetitive before, so maybe few more levels / enemies, or little faster progression (the game is stingy with coins)
All in all, very nice game, with a little more polish it can be very addictive!
Great game, and I'm very appriciative of the difficulty progression - really draws you in
What a hidden gem, one of my favorite games so far - dare I say my favorite
On the technical front it's really an impressive achivement - the sprites and backgrounds are gorgeous. The shaders are really well done and used appropriatly - I liked how everything feels dreamlike, and the memories are really fuzzy. The audio was just incredible - every sound well in place, and the music touching (shame it doesn't repeat). The text system with all the effect is not original but really well done and added to the chart. I don't play tons of rougelikes so I'm not sure if it's your original idea, but I really liked tieing the upgrades to the story. I didn't really mind it was a memory game, and I really appricated the difficulty curve here - many games I tried are either too easy or too hard, but this one felt good.
I guess I can say that some animations and variety in the lelvels can make this even better, but it's really incredible whay you were able to make in 2 days. I really feel like with some development this can be a full game - I felt I barely knew the character the game is about, and she does sound important to the player character
Superbe atmosphere, Very well done introduction, and I loved the graphics even though it was minimal, or maybe even because of it!
I went into the 3rd floor, and it became a little repetitive, and than the game hanged up so I couldn't progressed :(
Still, fantastic achievement, very well done
What a classic idle game, with a great touch of humor. Starting with a small thumb thing, needing to buy the hands, the uncle throwing things into the water..
I liked the tutorial, and that you can explore this wonderful lake why you're waiting for the pumps to do their thing. Really appriciated the wheels, as without them you move too slowly
Like all idle games, this one one can be beat by just putting the game running, which is what I did some of the time, but very fun nontheless
I'm not sure I can add much to the many comments above.
The highlight for me was the sprites (espcially the dwarf) and the control method. The gameplay is probably not for me. I wonder if it would have worked better for me if there was time pressure, and you wouldn't move - meaning you just need to hit the correct key for the next block. This would remove the timing element and make it almost a typing game
But I totally understand this isn't what you aimed for, and for a simple game it really worked well
The interparation of theme have a lot of potential (inception is one of my favorite movies). The sprite were created by you? They look really good. I also liked the sound effects
I think engaging with the enemy is too risky to be worth it, and I didn't figure out why do you need the coins. It was also a little daunting the find the way down, as many "dreams" look the same. I think I would like the game more if it a little less brutal, and a little more exploration focused
Very nice work
Very fun and cute game! I liked the pixel art and enemy variety, and hated the red piranas! (in a good way :). Also the sound was funy and added to the atmosphere
The movement felt fluid, but the shooting a little less so. I wasn't sure what is the rate of fire, and it was hard to aim, so hitting something felt lucky sometimes
Still, very cool complete little game!
What a fun little game, really felt incridble to play. Gave me untitled goose game vibes, great graphics
I guess trying to melee guys with shootgun is not the smartest idea, but I did finish this :) Well done!
One of my favorite games so far! I loved everything - the pixel art, the animations, the music, the really original interpartation fo the theme, and the sequence of events was funny
Initially I was confused on we can't just take out the other sniper - in hindsight I guess it's so to not scare the other guy. On my first playthrough I had to randomally click on stuff sometimes to make the game progress. It's always tough to setup the context of point and click games, and not make them too easy or too difficult.
On my second playthrough everything was much more logical - at this point I mainly want more of this stuff - very original idea and very well done
Very unique take on the depth theme, and very unique game overral - really mind bending puzzle
I'm not that into puzzle game, but I can say I wish the controls were a little more responsive
I think this one can be developed to something really cool
The spiders animation and AI was out of this world, really really well done! The rope implementation and controls are very good
I didn't find much reason to move left and right honestly, and I think more variety would help - but I assume the spiders require so much work that it was not in the cards
Fun game with really unique and amazing animation system
Fun game, very cute demon, although he sound like a dog :) I really liked the gameplay develops over time, keeps things fresh. I died due to a fireball I didn't see, and I wish I can just continue from the same step and lose some score or something - because I did weant to see the end, but it's too nerve wrecking to try again until I succeed
Very solid icy tower like game
I'm amazed you were able to create this game in 2 days. Did you make all the assets yourself? Really fantastic work, and frankly the most complete resources style of the many I seen on the gem
I did feel that some of the resources were hidden in places that felt out of bounds - it's only thanks to the fact they you can practically go anywhere while jumping that I was able to find them
I actually appricate the fact you can't die in the game. Fantastic atmosphere and amazing work
Fun little game, I liked the assets, and the game felt complete which is nice
I think if the ocean flooor felt a little sloped, it will make the PSI make more sense, and also if it would continue in all directions somehow
Good job!
I don't see the itch.io link
Very fun game, I really liked the animation for such simple sprites, both for attacking and dashing
The hardest enemy in the game is the cannon that shoots everywhere, it felt a bit random sometimes. The health pool was generous, but it was a little disheartning to lose dash if you're dead
Great entry overall
Very cute game - liked the food assets a lot!
I got a hard crash pretty soon after playing. I'm not sure how to get/create a crash dump, but if you want to explain how I can try and post it
@eugenik it was a hard crash without any message
I really liked the virtua fighter style character design and animations, and it's really impressive that you made it all happen in 2 days. The metal gear solid style gameplay was a little janky but worked for me, and the black hole part was surprising and cool
I'm not sure if the game glitched, but after I got out from the black hole, I pushed one of the boxes and then the character lied down and I was moved to the start of the game. Also the sounds were a little too loud, and enemy inconsistent on when they can see you or not
I think a little more polish could really help this one - some of the jank is actually charming, like in one level I was able to walk around the guard without really pushing anything, but I would avoid the furstrating stuff like I described above. Great job
Incredible idea, really funny animation and graphics, and overral great execution
I suck at the game badly so couldn't progress much, but the the nice thing is that it's still entertaining. Begging to see a master of this game play it
The animation of the gem mine was very cute, the music was fantastic, and I really liked the forest was endless
I'm less into idle games, but didn't found much at fault with this game - I guess more animation and variety wouldn't hurt, but the content for 3 days is very good
Short and sweet experience - the audio was particularly well done
I liked some details - like how the ship stop to shoot, and the particle work is really well done using simple sprites
I think this game is currently too easy, as I needed to read in the comments how to lose :) Also I'm not sure there is a benefit to shoot towers, maybe if they will be more punishing. And also I think it's hard to see what's in front of you
Still, this is a working and fun game. Well done
I really liked the game! The idea of underwater farming in the depth of the ocean without diving suit is really genius. I think the upgrade system is a little unutilized at the moment - I'm not sure if there's a reason to buy the oxygen and speed power ups, as it's very easy to just plant near your home. I bought the 2k profit upgrade and it's seem not to be worth it as you just need to get to 2.5k
Also I prefer in game tutorials so I skipped the one here, and actually it covered everything other than where the oxygen refill. I tried to swim up
But again, the graphics, sounds, interface - very well done!
What a fantastic game! I played lots of games on ludum dare, but none hooked (no pun intended) me like this one. At first I thought the web was too powerful, and it probably is, but the game is challenging enough that you really need the tools you're given, and it's really fun to abuse the enemies which can so easily kill you
Some nitpicks - when you walk against the door the sprite jitters. Also falling into enemies feel a little unfair sometimes
All criticisms are off course null and void compared to the amazing sign animation, and you choosing the same game name as me :) Really well done!
I liked that this is a complete game, with level, cute animations, dialog etc I finished it but I'm not sure what I did, I didn't understand the fight But could be nice idea to make a game out of public domain book
The dark souls like gameplay is not for me, I barely hit the first enemy. The graphics is really special though :)
Really loved the charming art and audio, remind me of old games which is fun
I played before seeing the comments and felt bad because I barely managed to progress, but I see many found the mini games a little too hard. I would consider starting way easier, and make them progressivly harder for the korean starcraft players later :)
Fantastic art, especially the blob family and the amazing ligting system
The game is not for me probably - I would prefer it would just be a platformer so I can explore the cave and have fun
Still, very very pretty game
Cute game, sort of reverse missle command where you can move. The voice clip added to the charm
The controls are not the best, and initially I didn't see much reason to aim. The submarines can be really relentless, and trap you on the side where you can't really move
Keep it up!
Funniest game on the jam so far. Some invicibility frames would be nice though :)
Really liked the game! The weapons and movement felt very good, and the music rocked I almost wished if there were more weapons instead of enemy variations, as I couldn't pick them apart. The game felt a bit too easy But again, like the graphics, the particles, the sound - very well done
Like the boat sprite and the pixel art and music in general, very cute
I suck badly at this game, so couldn't progress much.. even on the easy path :0
Some of the sprites are really fantastic. I wish hitting enemies will carry more impact though
The atmosphere in this one is great, and the graphics are really nice. Also the dialog system worked great, and dual wielding is cool
I think the game is not for me, as it give me dark souls vibe, which I guess can be a compliment. I think the black textures that can't be lit, the short life of the torch, and the unforgiving platforming really prevented me to proceed as much as I would like
But again, it might be the intended experience - just wish it was a little more forgiving because it looks really interesting
Superb presentation and mood - really loverd the head moving animation for the diver (remind me of doom), and the bubbles particles were amazing. The audio design is top notch too. I also appriacate the tutorial, the arrow pointing towards the treasure.
I didn't figure out how to fight the swordfish. The diver moved really slowly, and I wasn't sure if I hit it with the harpoon as it was very dark
Very cool game!
*Failing to get over the stairs part at the start"
Ctrl+F "getting over it" - 6 results
Ctrl+F4
Best game in the jam :)
The duck is adorable! And generally the assets were great, I liked the music, sound effects and animations
Frankly there were too many controls and objects for me to progress much, something with my depth precaption didn't work with this game for some reason
At least you here the cool *boink* with rag doll animation when you lose :)
The best game I played so far, and I'm not even into puzzle games! The graphics was gorgeous, the music that built up was very good, and the mood was very good too.
Personally I think the static sound was not really needed, it was very jarring compared to the beautiful singing voice, and to the overral relaxed nature of the game (at the start I thought it had horror undertones) I also think the controls were a little too slow for a puzzle game that relies on speed for some of the puzzles
It's very though to design puzzles, as it's very easy to make them too easy or too hard. I think in this case I did felt sometimes that the game was playing itself, especially in the begining, but I did felt more challenged at the end. I don't usually finish puzzle games but this one was very cool. Really fantastic achievement
Loved the music and the graphics! The gameplay was familiar but solid, and fit the theme well
I encountered weird differences between web and windows version - in web I couldn't move on full screen and had no sound effect, on windows I had no music. I'm not sure, but the game also felt more difficult on windows
Very nice game
Nice water tiles and animation!
I really like the depth illusion of the background, for such simple graphics. The intro, music, difficulty curve, all were spot on
The only thing I can say is that I saw many games like this on the jam, which make sense because the theme lends itself to such games. It would be nice if there is some kind of twist
Having said that, this is really a solid implementation of infinite fall game, well done!
Good for first effort I would actually not include the music. Also I didn't understand the small fishes are background - maybe make it more clear they are in the background Keep learning and I'm sure you'll improve
BTW, I needed to run it with a command line - not sure if there's a different way
Not much too add, really impressive procedural generation!
The soundscape in this was amazing! Really liked how it built up as you built more stuff and drive the mine cart. The graphics was nice and moody, and the idea of getting deeper into a mine is cool
I encountered a very nasty bug twice were I was stuck on the right side.. I think I spammed the E button to collect gems (BTW I think it was better to collect with the right hand). Eventually I figured out I can just put 3 drills on one gem spot, put some bees next to it, and let the game run for a while and collect the gems.. really wanted to see how it ended. I also experienced invisible bee hive. It was a bit annoying I couldn't activate what I wanted specifically - the default was to collect gems, and I had plenty
But all in all, one of the better games I played so far - without the bugs and maybe some more progression, could be the best!
Wow, the art design is really top notch, probably the best I've seen from the all games I played. The animations, the sprites, the color pallete - it really brings this alpine village to life. I also really liked the music, and the dialog system was really fantastic. I was intrugied about the story, and it's a real nice interpatation of the depth theme - without really showing you what's down there, which can be effective (although it would be really cool to see your underwater pixel art)
The game just ends I think? after your ring the bell. I guess I can nitpick about this and a few other things - like the night being too dark, and maybe the dialogue gets a little repetitive. But mainly, I just wanted more of the story to unfold - I didn't mind there was no gameplay beyond dialog actually
Really impressive work, graphics and otherwise
I got to the giant jellyfish and couldn't figure out how to progress. I was using the web build which seem to be problematic, so maybe I'll try the windows build later
Really impressive you create this mini world in 3 days. The environments, mood and audio are really good, and the sea creature are impressive. I also liked the text effect where it delete itself, and that there wasn't too much of it. I also liked the brisk walking pace, and honestly I wanted to jump few times, probably FPS habit die hard
I would really want to see where this goes - I think for this type of experience it's ok for it to be linear and obvious how to progess - the 2nd stairs for example were a little hidden
All in all, really impressive work
I really like the tutorial, and the dialog system was really good - the different fonts, animation, sound. I also like the card and battle UI, well done.
It's probably not for me as I really tried to like undertale but couldn't, which is an obvious inspiration. I would maybe make the battles less quick, and try less dialog at first
Overall, nice complete game, well done!
The game started really well - I liked the instructions on the wall, the atmosphere and the idea to keep finding fuel and descend further I think it would be better to remove the many features in the game, for maybe better polish - I didn't understand the enemies at all, and the game eventually glitched and just stopped
But again, the first couple of levels were moody and the game as very ambitious for a game jam
Lots of comments so I'm not sure I'm repeating myself
Very nice art and especially music. It took me sometime to realize it's a mix of dance dance revolution and start stop gameplay. I liked the interprtation of the theme, and it felt chaotic as it should be for Alice in wonderland inspired game, but sadly I'm not fast enough to progress much, so I enjoyed much of the graphics thanks to your screenshots
Maybe difficulty modes or more progressive difficulty can be cool for someone like me, but not game should be for everyone :)
Very innovative idea, using the light as sort of time stop It took me some time to get used to it, and the fact that some platform were sloped so I think they only work once was a little confusing. I wonder if starting with horizontal platform was a better way to teach the idea BTW I think the graphics was kinda cute, especially the background and platforms
Really cute graphics, you were able to create a great mood with the lighting over the dark ocean. I also liked that the character is bright and the music and the vibe are happy to contrast that
As a software developer with 20+ years of experience, I think it's totally fair to use AI to assist in coding. One of the nicer aspect of it is the ability to phrase a question with a piece of code, and get to answer faster then looking up online or reading books, which are still useful tools regardless. I also think your game, while simple, feel really nice to play, and with my experience it's something that can't be achieved by AI alone
Very nice work
The mood is really good at this one - the controls are immersive, and I liked the graphics and the effect of running out of oxygen
I didn't really understand what do do, and I was eventually stuck in the other room with boxes blocking the way and no way to progress - the risk of using physics in tight spaces
Maybe a little more hints on what to do, and less relience on boxes blocking the way can help
Cute game, with lovley graphics. At first I didn't understand you can scroll down - maybe some indication for this would be nice :) (I'm the sort of person who skip the text, so maybe it's my fault lol)
I think there can be a nice idea here - sort of a solitare game where you have to eat opponent cards
Right now it's a bit too simplistic in the presentation, and seem a little too simple (the text was a little small for me BTW, so I had a hard time reading)
Overall the game flows well, just need to elaboare on this idea
The dragon was so adorable, really liked the ship movement, and the fact the he used the handles while moving. Also the music was cute
The game itself is very standard, so it's hard to find a reason to play this one too much
But again, really like the details - in fact it would be nice if the dragon would move one stick forwards or backwards for up/down movement, and the other for left/right - currently he some to move the sticks only for one axis
@p1x3lc0w @ali-yagmur @coatline @helagos
Thanks for all the feedback! The whole audio thing was new to me, and can be improved for sure. Will give it a shot post jam
@grid96 at the time I didn't think humor was relevant, but I guess the ending can be amusing :)
@betovf @phlip45 @boboneoone Thanks a lot for the kind words, especially about the graphics which are not my main skill as a programmer.
I followed a lot of tutorials, especially by [slynyrd](https://www.slynyrd.com/blog) and [mirru](https://x.com/mirrutatep)
Again I'm not really an artist, and I agree that it's not super clear that the final sprite is an eye, especially in the dark. Maybe I'll give it more work post jam
@benski Toda :)
Yes I agree the navigation in the game could be more challenging. I even thought about making you lose health if you hit the sea floor, and tried to think about ways to block you in the middle of the ocean, like other submarines.. I didn't do it eventually due to lack of time. I also thought about the sonar interacting with the fish, but again, it was hard fitting everything.. Maybe in the post jam :)
Thanks for the feedback!
@dzejpi @yossarian @conradoclark @xpoho @follusior Glad you liked the ending, and for the feedback in general!
I was actually inspired by this [image](https://sciencebasedlife.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/rxko0l.jpg) I saw many years ago, and I incorparted many elements into the game, including the "ending", if an image can have one :)
@swooty
Wow thanks for the detailed feedback! The tip about lowering the volume of generated audio, and comparing it to other audio is very good one. Honestly I think I was just so used to it after hearing it again and again that I probably needed to show the game to more people. My family saw it, but I think they got used to it as well, and again it was on my computer im which I lowered to volume to reasonable level
BTW, The original James Cameron dive took 2.5 hours or so, so I tried to make the dive 2.5 minutes to keep it reasonable for a jam game :)
@thomas-bringer @bad-fetus @smilewood Your comments really highlight my dellima of should I just keep it realstic and immersive but gameplay thin, or introduce some gameplay element and challenges, but lose some of the focus of the story. I guess both approaches can be valid :)
@mhorth
Great idea about the sonar effect. Wish I knew how to do that. Will try and research it for the post jam version
@gargantuan-janitor that's actually the case in real life :) but I agree more fish would be nice
@chuckiee great idea about the aspect ratio! I planned to add mobile support post jam, so I'll give it a shot
@knarf @aynu @jeremyfa
I agree it was a little shallow (no pun intended :)) in the gameplay department. Thank you so much for your kind words and constructive criticism!
@gsoutz Actually in real life this trench was explored without anything lurking about, so maybe I should have a more realstic ending :)
@the3rdhunter @bridgeonastick
Thanks for playing and the feedback! I'm thinking about doing 2 changes in post jam to make the visibility a little better - pull the camera forward so you can see more before you, and start the sonar ping a little in front of you, so if your're moving forward again you'll see more
@fusionnist Thanks for the kind words! I actually wanted to have music in this, but I don't really know how to make music and wanted to be on the combpo. Maybe I'll add some after it's over :)
@binaryprinciple I thought about introducing a PSI system as well, but couldn't really think on a good idea. I just played your game and it's implemented very nicely there. Thanks for the feedback!
@holysparks @eyedromeda @kiv Thanks for your feedback!
@someone Agree with all your criticism.
I considered having sort of a mini game where you need to take photos of the various sea life, which might have encouraged more exploration, but scrapped this idea to keep focus.
I also wanted to have some sort of deep ocean sound, but I'm at a loss of how to achieve this effect, and will need to research this
As for the submarine, I suspect what's bothering you is the fact that it has a top half with periscope, and you're totally right. In real life the submarine was indeed pointing down. In hindsight maybe I could've consider at least retracting the periscope when diving
challenger-deepsea-750x422.jpg
@lllarso @agraffs
Thanks for playing the game, and for your feedback!
@pkenney 2 very good points..
I can totally understand how repeating sounds can make things annoying. In the typing sound I added some pitch variation. I wonder if something similar will help with the sonar, in addition to making it more relaxed
Regarding the camera - I tried to move it a little bit forward when you're moving to help spot things on your way, but it did felt jarring when it got back. I'll give it more work to make it more smooth, because it make sense you'll want and stop from time to time
@texugo @toilari @kaba Thank you so much for playing and for you kind words and feed
@ammonit It's interesting you're not the first one that expected to see garbage at the bottom. I actually read that it was considered to dump nuclear waste on the trench since it's so deep, and I considered to include it in the game to explain the ending
@ntmalichi I appreciate you noticed the science influences, as I did tried to incorporate it, and (wrote)[https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/the-trench/my-first-ludum-dare-simulating-the-deepest-dive] about it
@kujoen Thank you so much for specific tips in reverb and delay. I'm totally clueless about sound so it's very helpful to be fed with a spoon sometimes:)
@vityusha @jtap @coda-highland
Thanks for your feedback. To be honest I was concerned about making a longer or more complicated entry on my first try. The main feedback I got is that gameplay and challenge is missing here, so I would definitely give it a shot next time!
I liked the player animation, it was neat! The graphics in general was cute. I didn't find the exit though I would try and make the gameplay a little more robust, rather than have multiple levels, items and difficulties (although that's cool too)
Very intriguing game, made me want to keep seeing the story as it unfold. The idea of seeing the story while playing a platform game is original - you can miss story tidbits if you miss platforms
I finished the right path, but couldn't bring myself to finish the left due to me falling out of the platforms.. In general the game needed a little more polish - animations, text not blending to objects, etc
But again, really liked the idea, the use of colors, the writing - well done
I both liked and hated the gravity of the planet :) maybe less density cam make this one feel more controlable
Really impressive that you did it in delphi. I liked the graphics, though mixing the 2 texture styles was a little jarring, but they were both good
The game felt a little slow and clunky (e.g, aiming was not smooth, but moved on a grid), and I didn't understand why Q is left and not A (and also why you need left/right when you can just steer with them mouse)
All in all, cool space shooter
Superb visuals and effect. I would consider mouse support for less jarring animation, and more smooth transition between the nice music scores
Really liked the writing! The art style was cute, and the simulation too close to home as it should be
I think this game needed more events and texts in general, like description of the game you're publishing. It became too repetitive at some point. Also and it's a tip I got for my game - the volume is way too loud - the best thing is to send the game to other people and they notice it right away
Still, probably the best writing I seen so far in the ludum jam, just wish there was more
What a fun little game, with nice graphics made of mainly black sprites. It took me sometime to figure out you can eat several fish, and then I felt really powerful
Maybe it's just me, but while I did like the tentacle a lot, I do have 2 criticisms * The tail end looks a little weird. I think a simple rounded tail would look better (although I understand you wanted to get something dynamic, it's hard look to get right) * The speed of the tentacle bothered me a bit - when there are no fish down, it move painfully slowly, and when I lifted my finger from W for a second without a fish it was already down. I would consider speeding up the tentacle a bit (maybe based on the amount of fish at the bottom, or give player some control), and maybe not get all the way down if you don't have fish, or make it based on the number of fish you catch
Still, I really enjoyed the game for it's simplicity and presentation - good job!
Like the graphics, was very charming. Also the death animation for the demons was sick
Wish the other hits carried more impact, and that the controls were a little more responsive
Can be a base for a reall fun game, well done!
Great mood, fitting music, creepy graphics and sounds, and nice effects and animations
I would try and improve the playabilty a bit, the controls and performance are not the best, and it's seem like the game is just going down, which is a bit basic
But really again, the athmosphere here is very well done!
@follusior I played it again now and noticed the music does develop, which is really nice!
However, other then that I didn't really feel I was progressing - the enemies stay the same, and so was the difficulty I think, and there were no new things to see, or even a simple depth meter with high score
You have a really unique art style and vibe for the game, and I would like to see more of it :)
I liked that you created a room that feel like a real place, with table, wall, and various people sitting in front of you. I'm not sure if I understand why I always see 2 dialogs by the other side, but can only click on the right option which is practically just next. I tried to follow through for 10 days, but I wasn't sure how long it would take
BTW I think the fact there was music is actually nice, even if the game disagrees :) And I would put the link to the game before the source code on the page
Not into erotic interactive fiction, but the mini games were hilarious. great job!
So many comments, so not sure if I'm repeating myself
The artstyle was incredible and unique - really beautiful sprites and animations. I loved it how chill the fish was :) I kept trying to go towards the shinly light of the angler fish The music and sound effects were also really well done
The gameplay was familiar. I really hoped for me fish sprites, although I can understand it's very difficult to do art this fine
Very nice job
The graphics here are really something else :) and together with the audio created really nice atmosphere. The game was classic and fun. I really liked the detail of climbing over the ledges
I think the parallex background move way to fast, and the enemies were not really that interesting. I also didn't realized that some coins are below me, because it looks like a pit
But again, very solid game, that is elevated with the quirky presentation
I liked LSD fish! The models, texture and animations are really well done (have you done them yourself in this jam?). The movement felt good
I think sound was really missing, and also some feedback for the shooting. The game is not difficult, other than the fact the fish can just catch you from behind
Overral, very impressive first entry
@ibandurist wow thanks for sharing! The drawing does look very similar to the one in the game, great job and amazing/scary what ai can do!
Really impressive technical achivement with this! The graphics and sound are really on another level, and they really homed in the atmosphere and feeling of dread.
Personally I prefer in game tutorials, and I couldn't figure out the controls. Honestly I didn't figure out the game - I understood the compass above tell me if I'm close or not, but the sumarine moved so slowly and the boost was so rate I got discouraged to explore
Maybe the gameplay is just not for me, the technical parts here are really something else!
I really liked the sea weed graphics and the snake, really well done art here. I think if it was matched with more fleshed out audio the mood here could be really incredible. It's a shame the text was a little small. The controls for the dude were good, but I think moving the anchor was a little counter intuitive, and felt slow, but didn't really feel like it was water as it should be. I did like there is variety when you go down, with enemies and such. I think there's a seed of really interesting experience here, and it's interesting to investigate the dark deeps
I liked the art, and the fact the you see all the places you eventually climb to - very cool. It was also cool that each level had it's own challenge
I'm not sure the idea of placing blocks was really needed, as it make things more frustrating - for the life of me I couldn't figure out how to place block in the next level, other than placing my mouse at the bottom of the screen. Couldn't figure out how to use shift
I did finish the game and it was nice - with audio and gameplay tweaks this can be even better
Very interesting to learn about the creatures! And I think you did a good job making the circles that follow you feel somewhat dynamic. It was also nice that is was a complete game with levels, although the level select didn't work for me
The abstract shapes hurt the immeresion a bit, and I didn't understand at first those were obstacles. I wonder if the idea of long chain of organism could make a less furstrating game (navigating a long chain in narrow corners is though)
I think there's a good idea here, very interested to see this one explored
My favorite entry so far! I even played again to see the other upgrade paths
I encounter one possible bug where the sword seem to be fully visible, but I still didn't got it. Maybe some tiles are hidden
But it's really a nitpick - I loved everything - the graphics, the music, the sound, the upgrades.. Really fun and unique game, well done!
Screenshot 2025-10-08 211937.png
Wow, the game is intense!
I really like the audio design — all the sounds were great, and the music was good too, though the volume might be a bit low. The graphics were well done as well. It would be nice if the astronauts had animations — I think the eyes worked better as enemies because they didn't need an animation (although their shots look too similar to the crystals, which confused me a bit).
As someone who’s played strafe shooters before, I still had a hard time. I’m not sure if the enemy spawn rate is too fast, the player too slow, or the weapon too weak. Maybe there’s an upgrade system I missed because I didn’t get very far.
Overall, excellent presentation — well done!
I really liked the fact the the graphics felt hand made - they were simple but very well done
The audio was superb - the voice acting was clean, the song was beautiful, and the sound effects really well done. - the only thing is that maybe the birds repeat too much
I couldn't figure out how to maximize the window, which is a shame in a game like this. Also I tried to figure out if I can see the mushrooms I found and press escape - and it quit the game and I lost my progress
But no bigie, I think I found all 4. Very well done!
Very cute artwork. I wonder if the strategy is to just buy, sell and work, and keep the expensive rare cards as they come :)
I couldn't figure out the how to handle with the bats - shooting from the front seem to be a lost cause, and there spawn rate is really long. I understand this is a rouge lite and you improve as you go, but the drilling was so fun I wanted to focus on that :)
Nice job!
I couldn't test it with friends - but it was nice little game!
I would try to make the movement more fluid and less tile base when controllign the person, and also try to hide the seams between the snake parts
The music is really surreal lol, no wonder AI created it. Together with the unique graphics it really creates a nice mood. Well done!
I really liked the level design, and reusing the same environment with different contexts. Also loved the non liner story
2 (really) minor things that put me out of the experience a little - When the text is displayed on the screen letter by letter, a word may "jump" to the next line if enough letters are added to it so it goes out of the bounds of the text box. In Godot this can be avoided with visible characters: characters after shaping. I assume there's something similar in Unreal Second thing is that the crouch was immediate, while it would be less disorienting if it would take a small duration
I know, very small nitpicks for a really impressive work!
You deserve an award just for the pun!
There where minor things I would fix - mainly starting only after some key is pressed, and fixing the animation when you can't move forward. Otherwise very cute and fun game!
I really liked the art! Really well done
I'm not sure if there's better strategy then just saving all the cards, and sell the rest? Maybe sell the most expensive ones so you have money for more packs? I guess some more developed gameplay would be nice, unless I missed something
Still, it fit well with the theme, well done!
Really unique graphics and moody atmosphere!
I needed the hint from the comments to figure out how to start, and I was able to progress until the red crab, wook him up, and than I got stuck
I think there were some elements that made the game less accessible than it should. The hint about overfeeding seem obvious in hindsight, but maybe for the first puzzle you want to teach the basic gameplay - that you need to attract the crabs to all sort of places. Again, the sound was there, but me and others didn't seem to get it.
It was also annoying to feed the single crab, as many tried to eat at the same time. I would consider removing the number of crabs, and/or reducing the number of gelatin needed to become large.
Also I would make the hitbox of the crabs that same as the player, so they can move through the same spaces - many times crabs got stuck for me. I would also make them the same speed as the player so that leading them to places is more fluent (and make the lighting crab chase you less - thankfully dying is not a big deal, but I would make it even more forgving)
Giving a lot of feedback just because the game is really unique, and deserve more plays!
I'm really bad at this games, so I wish the difficulty curve was a little slower. Otherwise - cute game, well done
Very nice game! I was a bit overwhelmed at first, but it turned out to be more simple than it looked - the tooltip really helped. Would be nice for heat effect indicator, tutorial and on screen keys
Loved the hand made feeling for everything! The trees were the cutest. Amazing job!
Very accurate simulation of the real machine :) I caughe 1 fish and 2 shoes in two attempts lol. Nice artwork and cute game!
Loved the art of the 2 girls, and the idea was unique
I wonder if the "winning" strategy is to just be on the 2 corners of the screen, and all the way to the back, and only move when rocks are on the way? Although it got me once, but the damage is not too bad
It's a solid idea with lots of potential - well done!
I was a little overwhelmed at first - but I got the hang of that at the end. I really suck at chess, but ranged combat seem to worked well for me.
Wish the screen was a bit less busy, and for some audio, but the art is very good and the idea is unique. Well done!
Screenshot 2025-10-13 173157.png
Fun game! Very snappy controls
I got to a point where most orbs spawned on mines, maybe the white thingy should remove them? (was too afraid to check if I can dash collect them :) ) Also I confused the dash monster with something I need to collect
The sounds and music were really great! Did you make them yourself? I can never create anything beyond jsxr and not music at all
Screenshot 2025-10-07 205428.png
I really like digital board games, and it took me some time to figure this one out, but once I did - the idea here seem really good
The main issue I had was with the controls - The clicking felt not very responsive for me, sometimes I couldn't get the mill pop up to show. I also wasn't able to close menus if I wanted to do something else. I think that in general that clicking on the peasents is not needed as you need them for everything - just click on what you want to activate. Also text was a little small on my end
Having said that, the art is very nice, and with some work this can become very fun
Very cool brain burner. I was able to complete 5 shapes, before getting a triangle filled with "noise" I couldn't solve. It was very interesting to learn about the various shapes that can be created from arranging and rotating fractals. Good job!
Very fun game! I almost wish the upgrades where a little less powerful, so I could play it more
I would say it was a little hard to see the bottles against the background - but otherwise the graphics were really fantastic. Well done!
The moment everything turned 3d really surprised me, I don't know how I missed the screenshot above! Well done!
This is what game jams are for!
It was frustrating, but I Loved it - very funny and unique. Fantastic job!
Very creepy game, and chilling ending!
I have one tip for you - to get proper order of sprites, you should use y sorting like you did - but in this kind of games you should put the sprite origin at the bottom of the sprite, not the middle. I struggled with this as well in my game
I'm only saying it because the art here is really gorgeous - the close ups, the trees with the falling leaves, the animation - really top notch, and great game overall
I recognized the art style from the thumbnail! You posted the volcano game on our Facebook group. Avoda Tova!
Amazing laser effect, and loved the pixel perfect collisions - reminded me of worms :)
Like other said, the turning sensetivity is a bit much. If I had to pick one fix request for this ludum dare, you'll probably win, as I can see myself having a blast with this game
Game feels really nice to play. I'm not sure if the fact the the number of marbles in each stage is random an is better or worse than gradually increasing the number. It does feel different. Also I wasn't sure if the timer became faster? Something in the sound made it sound like something was escalating, but I couldn't figure it out
Nice job!
Ah! recursive ending!!
I thought I will never beat the platformer, and than I played the shooter and it was even tougher lol
I think there is friction with the platforms - which got me a few time. with platformer you only want friction from the bottom, and on top bottom games non at all. I also felt like I wanted to move diagonally
Still, very nice art and sound - well done!
@seven-z Thanks for the kind words!
@staticrose It's a good point about the people clustering. Thanks for the feedback!
@aleksey-salion agreed, it could've made the navigation more interesting
@klausklapper Thanks for the kinds words! I totally agree about the music - need to learn how to make it :)
@yuriscat
Thank you so much for your kind words! The workers keep the money for then next day :) I actually thought of an upgrade where you can increase the interest on the accumulated money.. I didn't implement it because 3 options is not too many for such a short game, but your suggestion makes a lot of sense in that regard and in hindsight I coul've expand the upgrade roster
@nekowei I was pretty happy with the fact that several strategies exists, so thank you for noticing it, and I'm glad you enjoyed the game
@liquid Thanks for the feedback! Agree about the upgrades - I tried to balance the economy under the hood, and it was difficult to give powerful upgrades like this. BTW I'm a sucker for good conversion as you can imagine, so loved you game!
@hulien22 Agree with both your feedbacks! I actually do have variation for the worker speed to keep them from walking on each other, but I could use some more for sure. Glad you enjoyed it! And I enjoyed your game too - nice to see we both tackled taxes from very different angles :)
@jose-bonilla Yes I planned for the economics factors to be more involved. Guilty as charged about over scoping :) thanks for playing!
@tesseract You are correct about everything:)
Workers always prefer to buy from the market if the taxes there are cheaper. Currently the market has infinite supply, which means that VAT should never be higher than tariffs.
Income tax is one of the "hidden" features of the game - when workers buy from the each other, the money goes to the building so to speak, and each day the worker pulls all the money from the building as income, and that's where the tax come in. So if you kill internal trade with high VAT, you also kill the income tax.
The market demand is indeed random. In hindsight it could be cool to change the demand to make things more dynamic.
It's actually cool that you noticed all of these things. Thanks for playing!
Really liked the effect of the ball!
I collected all 7 souls, and got a message to go north of where the grey soul was - although I couldn't remember where it was, and everything was maze like. I than got to a place where it said "oops", and then gave up cause I wasn't sure if there was more
Text wise - I think the 3rd wall break was maybe a bit out of place compared to the other things - the mood here was good and gave the idea of being trapped very well. Good job!
Superb animations!
Cute game - I missed the tutorial instruction with the "C" because it's not very visible. I wish collecting the coins would be possible by diving, and not by stopping. The flying felt so good it was a shame to stop every second :)
The graphics, sound and mood was really something else!
I'm not sure I got the game though.. maybe it's because English and Chinese are not my first language - I felt like I don't have time to read the texts, and I didn't always got what an answer was correct. I also didn't got the proce time at all :(
It's a shame because it's seem like it's a really nice game, and I would like to experience more of it
Screenshot 2025-10-06 082855.png
Cute game, I appriciated the fact that each genere had it's own rules for value changes. I would put the +/- value for all generes, and also show the discount on the sales
I'ts an interesting concept that could be developed more for sure. Good job!
Filling the board was satisfing - I do think the sonar should be automatic like other said - right now the balance between the zen like experience and franticly hitting space is a little jarring Otherwise good game, weel done!