Stay Cool by TwistedHawk 2022-04-14T15:35:20Z ♥ 0
Great minds think alike! My team also ended up with a snowman in the game. ;)
Without just rehashing what everyone has already said, I think with some tuning on the jump, some polish on the visuals, and some additional mechanics/items to encourage replay you could have a sneakily successful little indie game here. The tight core loop and simple controls make it very easy to get into.
Jam games can be hard to finish at all; producing something that's actually fun even moreso. While platformers aren't the most original idea ever I think you did a great job here!
LD54 — Limited Space (11)
AIR NOVA by alex1820 2023-10-10T21:48:35Z ♥ 2
While I am also experiencing some noticeable input lag, missed clicks, or something, I can still tell what the game is *trying* to do, and really, if I just keep clicking enough it seems to work. The art is that classic straight-out-of-a-flash-game style from the early 2000's that I have a nostalgic soft-spot for, and the character design is cute. I love the animation for the main character, the gentle swaying really make it feel like they're out there, floating in zero-G. Cute game, great concept, even if the execution leaves a little something to be desired I think this is great entry! Good job.
Tiny Planet by MushBoOM 2023-10-09T23:30:15Z ♥ 1
This game broke my screen, but anyone reading this should play it anyway. I don't know if it was intended or not, but to me, this game serves as a joke (in a good way) that fulfills the requirements for a game jam FLAWLESSLY. Not only does it nail the theme, but it cuts right to the heart of what a game jam game SHOULD BE; easy to understand, fun to play, and successfully limits its scope... Well done team - you made me laugh, I'm still smiling, and you should be proud of yourselves. Great work!
HOLY by mmatt_ugh 2023-10-09T23:17:19Z ♥ 1
It took me a couple of runs to figure out what my strategy should be with this game - especially since it wasn't clear what the items I was picking up did. But honestly, I was so intrigued by what could happen I just kept playing until I figured it out. AND THEN an upgrade screen popped up with even more mysteries. Some of the iconography wasn't too hard to figure out, but some upgrades left me scratching my head. If this were a fully released game it would probably annoy me, but in the context of the jam it was actually kind of fun being a bit confused - it just made me want to continue my investigation. AND THEN Endless Mode unlocked. What fun little surprises! AND THEN once I finally understood the mechanic better I became an unstoppable holy force, defeating dark creatures at a pace The Lord God himself would envy. I realize polish is (and rightly so) the last thing to get attention in game jams, but this game could've used some extra time for it in all areas, but that being said, I obviously had fun playing it. As far as the jam goes it's a great game, and that's not even considering the fact that it was a one-person operation. Incredible. Wonderful job!
EVENT HORIZON by JakubBala 2023-10-09T22:55:09Z ♥ 3
An 80's arcade fever dream. If the concept of the game Asteroids were made flesh, became sentient, and got absolutely thrashed on acid it would be this game. "Is that a good thing..?" I hear you asking. Some people would say "yes," and you can consider me one of those people. Ultra-tight concept, which is great BUT in this case I would say doesn't really allow for full player agency - there are some points on a run when you can see a problem, but there's really nothing you can do about it. That being said, I still played the game over and over again. With a functionally zero seconds restart time, such simple mechanics, and absolutely wild presentation it's hard to STOP playing. My eyes are bleeding, but I think... I think I'm okay with that. Beautifully realized in such a short timeframe. This team did an incredible job of getting something out there for us to play, and (possibly the most impressive part) didn't let scope creep ruin a great idea with a bunch of other unnecessary junk. Great job, team!
Hardpoint by kankje 2023-10-09T22:31:30Z ♥ 4
I love mechs. I love isometric games. I love simple, easy-to-read design aesthetics. And I love this game. While I had some initial issues understanding how to equip the dropped weapons, once I figured out I had to click on them in the list on the right, I was all set to go. The tried-and-true Tetris-like mechanic of having to physically fit weapons and other system upgrades into a bounded space generally makes inventory management a lot more fun and it's no exception in this game. Coupled with the larger game loop, getting these little moments of puzzling out what I wanted to equip and then figuring out HOW to make it work was pure joy. Not only that, but the mechanic feels very at home with the narrative explanation of configuring the gear on a mechanized war machine. Other than the obvious audio stuff which I'm sure the team is aware of, this is a great, ironically small-scale game, with big ideas, and even bigger robots kicking the crap out of each other. The team did a great job here; you should all be VERY proud of what you accomplished with the time given!
RatTrap by JCMonkey 2023-10-09T22:00:54Z ♥ 2
A fun idea, and perfect for the pixel art style! I think the simplicity of the mechanic is where this game really shines (that, and wherever you have a torch!). While the ambient drones in the music don't exactly loop very well and aren't super catchy or anything they fit the mood of the darker-than-dark dungeon VERY well, and really help foster a sense of limited space. The fake keys cause a lot of backtracking through the side areas and end up feeling a bit unnecessary - though it DOES make unlocking a door pretty satisfying. The only other thing I'll say about the fake keys is it would be nice to have a single place to stash the ones you've tried on all the doors and don't work; the hub room gets pretty messy with all the useless keys laying around. ;) Generally, this is a cool idea that I think could be a super fun adventure game with some polish and more time to devise level layouts that don't depend on the fake keys/back tracking to pad out play time. All-in-all though for a one person team and the game jam time constraints, you should be very happy. Great work!
Unlimited space by akitl 2023-10-09T20:27:15Z ♥ 2
Remarkably deep-feeling world-building through references in the dialogue - as a player, I have no way of knowing what some of the stuff characters are talking about even means, but it makes the world *feel* alive - like there's all this other stuff going on out in The Void. The game is mechanically on-point, I really like the idea of the cargo being hauled on these exposed tethers, it makes piloting the ship feel different than all the other top-down space sims out there. The crate collision sound effects got a little distracting at times, but nothing that killed the fun space-trucker mood. Though my goals in the game felt a little opaque at first (even with the description), I learned very quickly through playing and failing on my first run. The UI design is very clean, and I was able to pick up on what was important and when. Well done!
Bound Balance by imwonderr 2023-10-09T20:08:43Z ♥ 3
Beautifully minimalist aesthetic - I LOVE low-poly art like this and it's perfect for this kind of tile-based game (I also LOVE hex tiles!). Easily readable progression for the different tile-types without having to resort to progress bars or numbers, which helps maintain the dreamy diorama-like presentation of the play area. The bubbly and muted clicks of the UI sound effects are pleasant as well; not only do they fit the visual style, but audibly reinforce the it. Some chill music or ambient weather sound effects (or both!) would have bolstered the vibe quite a bit, but that stuff is hard to get to given game-jam timelines. All stuff that could be added with some polishing passes post-game jam. Overall, great work!
BLOCKIES by Ayxs 2023-10-09T18:43:27Z ♥ 2
Excellent puzzle game! I liked the look of the thumbnail so I thought I'd give it a shot and I'm so glad I did. Of the games I've played for this jam, this one REALLY nailed replayability - AND it's easy to understand the rules from just looking at it. Had a hard time moving on to play other games. While the controls were a little wonky, I'm not sure anyone could do much better given the context and time constraints. Art is clean and very readable, which is paramount in a puzzle game (especially a 3d puzzle game). Music is super pretty and very chill - perfect vibe for relaxing and making Blockies. Amazing achievement for a tiny team of two. Great work!
KAAMOS by PabloAbraham 2023-10-09T17:30:37Z ♥ 2
Feels as bleak and desolate as Luna Lake is frigid. Controls feel a bit unreliable, but I'm pretty sure this is due to my ignorance about what can/does effect responsiveness of the vehicle. The art and audio are INCREDIBLE - great use of this team's size. Just really killed it on the character portraits and overall visual aesthetic. Hats off to the team members who designed and implemented the suite of art assets.
FELL OUT by daveranan 2023-10-09T17:13:48Z ♥ 2
Graphics are wonderful! While I wish the character moved a bit faster, it's not an awful pace. The boat controls feel a bit spongy or floaty BUT I love that about them - it really feels like steering a small boat through choppy waters. Some cute humor is peppered throughout (mostly in the dialogue), which was a treat especially in a game that had to be turned around with jam-time constraints! Tight little story that isn't weighed down but a lot of extra cruft. I was also very impressed by the internal game loops - talking to NPC's, getting a straight forward goal, finding a new island, exploring a bit, etc. Great pacing on that front. Nice work!