Foon → Ludum Dare Explorer → Users → ilo
| Year | LD | Theme | Game | Division | Rank | Ov | Fu | In | Th | Gr | Au | Hu | Mo | Co | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 29 | Beneath the Surface | Agent Thursday | compo | 221 | 3.56 | 2.92 | 3.07 | 3.13 | 4.14 | 3.00 | 3.13 | 3.78 | 100 | ||
| 2013 | 26 | Minimalism | Guiding Light | compo | 216 | 3.54 | 3.23 | 3.13 | 4.04 | 3.48 | 3.10 | 1.67 | 3.82 | 92 | ||
| 2012 | 25 | You are the Villain | Ludum Dare: The Musical | compo | 101 | 3.53 | 2.96 | 4.14 | 3.82 | 3.62 | 3.79 | 3.75 | 3.54 | 100 | ||
| 2012 | 23 | Tiny World | To What a Mountain? | compo | 377 | 3.07 | 3.23 | 2.37 | 2.88 | 3.10 | 1.93 | 4.10 | 2.88 | 100 |
| Year | MiniLD | Theme | Game | Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 40 | The Real World | Title Unknown | |||
| 2012 | 34 | Aspect | Ludum Golf |
ilo leaves an average of 92.0 feedback comments each event.
Certainly looks a lot less stressful than it plays! :) That's my main criticism really, that the difficulty and presentation don't seem to fit. But the visuals are charming, and it could easily have a great atmosphere with some music and sound effects.
Cool concept and interesting puzzles. The lights and stark visuals are visually interesting. My interpretation was that I was a robot, alone, possibly in space... so the music felt a little upbeat perhaps.
Also, the cylinder might look better if you set the model import settings to calculate the normals and then adjust the smoothing angle to keep the main cylinder smooth but the obstacles more defined.
An innovative idea - procedural music and adaptive difficulty adjustment should equal a win. That said, I found it difficult to make anything harmonious, and the allegorical layer (game as an interpretation of life) seemed a little forced; I think it would be perfectly fine as a purely abstract experience.
Some really good ideas here. Like belickim, I found it a bit easy to constantly rotate the flashlight in the early levels. The best (panic-inducing) moments are when you get chased and run straight into more enemies. :p
Brilliant game! Only downsides were the not allowing WASD movement and one occasion where my bazookas went through the enemy without hitting.
It required a little patience waiting for the guys to find the exit, but the music, aesthetic and cleverness of the idea kept me going till the end. I wonder how it would play out instead of a total score, but with a limited number of moves for each level, or scoring per level and being able to replay individual levels to beat your score.
Certainly nails the theme in terms of its presentation and gameplay. Having the timer go immediately works on the first try - you have to judge how long to memorize the map while leaving yourself enough time to get to the exit - but since the levels aren't random the player could conceivably wait until the clock runs out, then move immediately on the retry.
It looks great and there's a good amount of content. Having to freeze and then jump on enemies is interesting, and you could easily add more depth if you worked on it further (like say, enemies who cannot be frozen and enemies who are dangerous to jump on in certain states). Also, it might be the lack of sound, but it does feel a bit flat to play. It does get better as it goes on - I thought the last level was the best.
Didn't know where to go/what to do after a point, which is a shame, but major thumbs up on a) the amount of content, b) the polish, c) the level design. Only gripe is that I found moving and jumping with the left hand a little awkward.
Love the insane speed that builds up. Three black blocks in a row feels unfair (I got to a point with three rows each with three black blocks very close together which finished me off).
You should have made the multiplier effect more noticeable too, because that's a really cool idea.
I know there isn't anything which challenges your progress yet, but the mechanic and presentation is charming in its elegance. I think you have something that would really shine with a bit more iteration. ;)
My head is permanently stuck at a 60 degree angle - I hope it was worth it, rogueNoodle! :p
Seriously though, there are some really good ideas here but, as slick as the presentation style is, I'm not sure it justifies the confounding control scheme.
So glad I had the chance to play (and complete) this game. It really is one of the best entries and gets so much out of the theme!
Best so far is 42m. Very simple design but variety of blocks and wall jumping add a pleasing layer of depth. The visuals and sound fit together nicely, and the high score takes it to another level. Good job!
An interesting concept and executed well. I managed to complete it on the first go with one building left.
Also, insane music! I'm leaving this on in the background. :D
Some very unfair shots! :) It seems like they shoot faster the closer the ship is to the player too. I really like the music, and the perspective is neat.
Very cool (and coherent) aesthetic and mood to this elegant game. I felt like my progress was more down to luck (i.e. when the goal was far from the dark thoughts). It could use a little more feedback on getting close to the goal, as well as communicating that the edges of the map are dangerous. But I think the gameplay nicely mirrors the psychological themes, inducing panic and confusion, so well done!
Oh man, I can't beat the second level. Still, nice humour and mechanic. Adding a speed-run on the post-compo version is a great idea too. :)
Very clever. The subtlety and delivery of hints were spot on I thought.
This is a good first entry!
I really liked the setting and storytelling, and it was presented in a way - by showing, rather than telling - which piqued my curiosity to explore.
We have made similar games. :)
The lighting effects are really good, and I liked how I never felt too safe despite having the light.
It can't be easy to balance a game like this for Ludum Dare, but only the last level caused me any problems. That aside, the amount of content produced was impressive and the controls were satisfying. I especially liked how the size of the jump brought an additional layer of subtlety to an already elegant mechanic and enjoyed it from start to finish.
Masterful design. I got up to the second set of half-circles before I had to stop playing (it's TOO fun), but I'll be back for another go.
Outstanding. Much like the need to keep everyone alive in the game, this is a game I feel compelled to keep playing. :)
Oh man, who started chopping onions? ;_;
Seriously, I like this a lot. I prefer it when the narration is more restrained and not chock full of overwrought metaphors (see Dear Esther), and it worked well here, making it easier to relate to the narrator.
I'd echo kyyninen's criticism. Maybe most objects would fade away like kyyninen suggested, but the objects with important bits of narration associated (toothbrush, pillow, etc.) could be manually removed. Or just grouping the objects together so there is more of a focus on listening and less on clicking away.
I also thought the sound effect for removing objects felt a bit too 'beepy'; I wanted the object to slip out of existence with a sigh, but oh well. A minor nitpick.
But really, superb - technically, aurally, and emotionally; and an experience I will continue to think about even though I have stopped playing.
It's actually a nice control system (though I didn't figure it out immediately) and I enjoyed playing. I got to level 8 after a few tries. I wish I could keep going for longer, maybe with a more lenient time limit, or a way of adding time on the clock if you do a level below the par time.
It looks superb and the design is strong. For the most part I thought the controls were fine, I just found those green bits on walls tricky to navigate and got stuck when missiles were added to the mix. Good job though, reminds me of NightSky.
An interesting experience, for sure, and it worked as you suggested: I found the jetpack first, then flew to find the blue square, got past some water and found the red square's brother.
I can't think of anything terribly original you could add, just obvious things like tunnels filled with soft rock walls you could only dig through after acquiring a pickaxe (or a square that represents one); learning to climb vertical walls before upgrading to the jetpack; riding various one-directional liquid flows to get to new discrete cavern areas. That sort of thing.
This is a good minimalist representation of RTS games. I found it fiddly to keep producing shapes will moving units around though; perhaps turn-based would have worked better. Being able to select more than one unit was a nice touch, as were the choke points that the player could try to control.
RTS games also usually use the RPS model on another layer too, between production, defence and offence. If these elements - and units too - have an unequal importance and cost to produce you can thereby introduce risk vs. reward decisions between short-term and long-term strategies.
The pheromone idea is inspired. Isn't that what ants do?
I agree with others about balancing and also that it's hard to know how blue squares differ from purple squares when starting out, but I like its simplicity, and it feels satisfying to play.
Although it feels like you have to learn the dungeons through trial and error in order to know which order to pick the characters, the simplicity of the game and the depth that emerges from it is really delightful. It looks fantastic too!
I managed 8590 on the web version. It's very hypnotising and flow-inducing; I haven't played any other LD game that has managed that as well as this. The difficulty is too easy though - I was waiting to make a mistake. A shorter game cycle but speeding up much quicker would be fantastic, I think.
Also, the best moments were seeing shapes for the first time; there was a real sense of panic, but one which went away as I familiarised myself with the shapes. I think looking into procedurally generating unique shapes on the fly would really add immensely to the fun and replayability of the game. ;)
Strange, on my second playthrough I escaped without really encountering anything or having to go into the attic. Is that right or did I break it?
Still, I'm impressed with the atmosphere you managed create. There were some effective moments for sure, like when you open the basement door, and seeing the red glow in the living room when I came back up. :)
As others have said, the visual style is really effective - very otherworldly and haunting - but the combat is unpolished. The attack animation isn't satisfying, and there is a lack of feedback to indicate when you are hitting, missing, being hit, etc.
Loved the attention to detail, the humour and surreality of the experience.
Also, not only were there potato easter eggs, but one referencing your first LD game which I remember playing. :D
Some nice puzzle ideas expressed here. I got stuck on a level where I felt I was using the correct method (using the shield so zombies would push me left) but it didn't work reliably. Those archers were very annoying too. :)
This is a crazy accomplishment for 48 hours.
Until this day I had not known the pleasure of watching a cow endlessly bouncing back and forth off the backs of two elephants. :)
Oh Jesus, those guys sure do creep up on you. Even though I knew it would happen it kept making me jump when it did. :D Awesome reveal at the beginning too. Good job!
To make an observation on the Brave New World theme, the game itself could be construed as a kind of soma pill for us players! :O
Looks and feels great. It looks like everything is made with primitives. I'm impressed!
Lovely art style! As others have said the difficulty doesn't increase fast enough.
Bloomin' marvellous.
This was a trip in more ways than one. :)
This game is beautiful, and it felt intuitive to play. :)
Some of the puzzles felt like they could be solved in more than one way, but over all they were fun to play. Also, a lot of content for such a limited time, well done.
Nice presentation, but there wasn't a huge incentive not to blow up general citizens in order to kill an enemy. There also wasn't a lot to do when no enemies were on screen.
This is brilliant, but I got stuck in the maze. I thought I followed the right path but there was a massive block in the way. Anyway, the visuals are great, the town eerie, and the puzzles clever (up to the point where I got stuck).
I rather enjoyed this. I thought the control system worked well, though the stealth levels were a highlight (partly because the falling was so slow on the platforming levels).
Surprisingly fun and effective.
Yep, that's minimalism alright. Very impressive. :)
Simple, but with lots of charm.
Lovely presentation and Zen-like experience. Hits all the right notes. :)
Brilliant! Loved the humour and the setups for the jokes, and how Steve answer to everything was to fight it. :D
Played this with a massive grin on my face. Thank you to everyone involved - you are all wizards. :D
A bit confusing how the jumping worked at first. It also seemed liked the planets furthest away had the strongest pull on the player. But the presentation was nice, and it was pleasing when I managed to thread a jump through a densely packed pack of space spuds. :)
Awesome particles! :D
The mechanic is novel, and there's certainly scope to add more depth, but maybe it is a bit too easy currently. A way to rack up insane combos, gaining momentum and getting into a state of flow would be sweet.
Great effort! I'd by lying if I said I was good at the game, but the design is good, with decisions to weigh up between being aggressive (but I might push too far and lose) and being cautious but getting overwhelmed by enemies.
The mechanic is interesting, but I didn't find it intuitive to know which colours blocks would be converted to, or how locking worked. A bit more useful feedback (at the top maybe) to show which colour is currently locked, and maybe some simpler levels to warm the player up would be a good idea.
The visuals and audio create a strong sense of presence. It's a space I'd like to explore further if there was more to see or do (whether in a traditional game sense, or like Proteus, as you said).
Wow. :D
Amazing art, and solid, fun mechanics. I enjoyed it a lot. Thank you!
An inspired effort! The shooting/jumping/swinging/climbing mechanics combine so well that it's a pleasure traversing the levels, while the theme and visuals conspired to create an evocative experience.
My only complaint is that getting sent back to the same place after falling did get slightly irritating after the umpteenth time.
I couldn't beat the sixth round, but the main mechanic is very compelling, and I kept coming coming back for more. Good job! :)
Very elegant design, and fits the theme perfectly (in presentation, mechanics and controls). Well done!
I found it easier to win only using two buttons.
The kung fu theme works well, and I could imagine it working well with more enemies.
Such a clever idea. I wonder how deep the game could get playing against human opponents. That I'd like to see!
Simple but clever design.
Cool and cryptic. But what does it all mean? :D
"I'm getting a strong Proteus vibe..." I mumbled, as a glowing sphere merrily passed me by.
Slick presentation! It seems perfectly suited for phones or tablets too. I didn't find the highscore tracking especially compelling though, but that might just be me.
Technically, I suppose it's a toy, but I like it. It's play for play's sake, rather than playing to achieve a goal or win-state, and that's quite minimalist itself. :)
You've achieved a lot of depth given the time, and the concept has potential to be developed further.
I would have liked there to be sliders or something so you could set the rate of workers gathering wood/stone/food instead of having to frequently change what everyone was gathering. There would be less micromanagement that way.
I got stuck on a level which ran out of fuel. In particular, I liked the presentation and the idea of evading higher level enemies while pursuing lower level ones. I had no problem attacking unlike others too.
The movement felt a little off though, as the speed seemed to be based on the distance you were traveling.
That's not how a rabbit sounds, he he he! :)
Lovely cartoon style, the music supports the fast paced action, and I laughed when the troll fell off the bridge. Good job!
Love the controls - simple and satisfying. :)
Thank you for this, zenmumbler! The vomiting mechanic is very gratifying because we've all played games with annoying, cutesy characters and saccharine worlds. :)
The attention to detail was really nice to see, and the way gameplay mechanics were tied in to the theme, like the darkness of the sky standing in for a progress bar.
As others have said, it would have been nice if it was easier to hit the corners, and I don't know whether the bile really needed a cooldown; as a player I just wanted to be able to vomit constantly. But still, a really nice job. Well done!
Looks and sounds great! I found the difficulty a little unforgiving though.
Absolutely love the endings! Great presentation and humour. Well done! :)
The goat head is nicely drawn.
As more heads spawn it becomes easier and the rate of scoring increases. You could make them move if the player doesn't get to them in time, and/or give them an increasing chance of spawning as something the player ought to avoid instead of collect.
Your games always demonstrate a clear aptitude for design. :)
I don't think an explicit tutorial would add much; the mechanics should become clear through the process of playing. Each puzzle could reveal a truth about the game's mechanics, which prepares the player for the puzzles ahead. The player is then required to bring this knowledge together in various ways as the puzzles become more complex.
I wonder what effect having fewer steps between no colour and shining (is it about 9 currently?) would make.
Don't be discouraged! Ludum Dare is a challenge, and you might not always feel it was a success, but you will learn from it and you will get better. ;)
My missiles always seemed to hit (regardless of the locations chance to hit) which is a shame because the visual style - being able to see everything happening on the map - was quite appealing.
Well that really got my moustache in a twist! :)
The furthest I managed to get was around level twelve. It's fun and didn't feel unfair despite being tough.
The biggest frustration I had was not being able to strafe in any way, given the nature of the dodging/shooting gameplay.
The game looks gorgeous, and the squeeze/release mechanic is quite ingenious!
I must admit I had to persevere with the controls though - I almost had a revelatory moment where I was not dragging along the bottom of the ocean or slowly sinking but actually moving gracefully through the water, and it felt really good! But then... down I went again. :)
If in doubt, you may want to underestimate the skill of your audience at the beginning of games. The faster learners might not be challenged as much and will breeze through the early stages quickly, but the alternative is that players who struggle might stop playing.
I like the premise behind the game. :)
An alternative way of introducing challenge into the game might be to make the star grow as it consumes other stars, so the player has to plan their route through the maze and avoid getting stuck.
The mechanic is cool, and the game has some good art. It could be improved by teaching the player through unlocking new spells, or by making spells easier to figure out intuitively (could start off with few orbs, but increase after the player survives a number of rounds).
This is a good start, Jedi! You were faithful to the original Lemmings and even included details like changing the spawn rate, which was nice to see. :)
Love the way the sheriff's smile while dueling, he he he. :)
It was great to see a novel mechanic, with lots of potential humour too. As a puzzle game, it might be better if the duels didn't take as long... Perhaps you could customise the appearance of the sheriffs too to give the player a clue about how to counter them!
Absolutely brilliant! :)
The AI could be better in situations where you are close and you run past them they don't turn around, and maybe they shouldn't willingly follow you into the shadows to be stabbed so easily (they have guns after all).
The mechanics felt good though - I particularly liked the way you could lure a guard over an edge while you waited up against the wall - and I kept playing even after completing it. :)
If you continue to work on this, maybe make the guards a little smarter, the level layouts less linear, the environment more dynamic (guards with flashlights, searchlights if you get spotted, lights that go on and off) and perhaps teach the player a new new mechanic or two along the way. I think it would be an excellent flash game then. :)
I agree with StoneMonkeyStudios - the idea that the villain's role is to let the player win is very clever!
Like others, relatively quickly I discovered a dominant strategy that removed the challenge from each level, but it was still satisfying waiting for the AI to be snared by my trap, he he he. >:)
I think the gameplay mechanic is simple but brilliant. :)
It would be nice to be able to look around without turning.
Also, I wonder how it would play with more than one assassin! :)
All around, an excellent game! I especially liked the room sprites, the sound effects when spawning new rooms, and the humourous details on the knights.
Fantastic visual style. Some sound and elaborated mechanics (like good children who you must avoid whipping?) and this would be very fun. :)
The premise is interesting. You could elaborate on it by having the player able leave a trail of destruction that she/he would also have to avoid (I could survive forever by circling and shooting rapidly).
The shots could bounce back in random directions, and maybe it should check for a collision much closer to the screen than it currently does. I assumed I was the camera rather than the moving square, which may cause some confusion when players lose.
I actually thought the pacing of the story was fine. I enjoyed the humour as well as little touches like the passwords which made sense after the ending. :)
The things I like best about this entry are:
1) the art. It's simple and yet goes a really long way, imbuing abstract shapes with character (e.g. on the evil boss, is *that* a wicked grin? Are *those* devilish horns?).
2) the story. Most entries portray the nature of villainy in a straightforward manner. This was more ambiguous, and the ending (a consequence of the paradox of killing yourself?) made me wonder about the villain's motivation if he chose to engage the older version of his self (was he always evil?). And if not - if it was just an elaborate way of killing the villain - both actions (kill or be killed) had the same consequence, so why prefer one over the other? Was there a moral argument for it, or just the thrill of battle?
Anyway, I don't know how much you intended the audience to read into it. I just though it would be interesting to explore further, how the player might have to act if he/she encountered the evil boss's enemies, or other beings of a more complicated alignment like grudgingly respectful adversaries...
...with diagonal movement. :)
Shame about the theme, but the concept is marvellous and you have something that potentially could be very good.
I could see it working well with customizable players adopting different roles to complement each other, and levels with multiple objectives to be dealt with simultaneously.
An elegant premise, jfroco, and aesthetics to match. Since the player does a lot of waiting for the minotaur to move to squares with a known outcome, perhaps a greater variety of elements with chance outcomes would be fun, like portals that lead to random square, chests or magical scrolls.
The presentation is exceptional and the game is very intuitive and appealing! It would have been nice if the gameplay grew - either in complication or difficulty - as you play, but nonetheless a fantastic effort. :)
Really nice presentation, but I think more colour would help the player to breakdown the visual elements more easily.
A more defined difficulty curve would also help, but the gameplay was solid.
I like the presentation style, but like others I found the hit detection frustrating.
Also, having to use the mouse to change weapons feels wrong.
Very promising effort, bigbadwofl. Unfortunately, The lag got a bit too much in the end, but I enjoyed it nonetheless! :)
Some nice ideas with the sandbox gameplay and variety of spells to cast, but there wasn't a lot of challenge - I wiped everything off the map - and it still said there were 64 villagers alive.
It looks great and the spells complement each other really well! There could have been more puzzles but being short is better than being too long.
Outstanding! The difficulty could be frustrating - like I don't know how to survive once I got the attention of the police and worse - but it didn't matter because the pace of the game is quick and its fun even when you're dying.
Currently, the dragon is too cumbersome to control for it be very fun, but the scale and scope of the game is impressive.
Terrific idea! Playing as the ref was very funny. Found it tricky to shoot on the normal game though.
Nice idea and mood, but the text was a bit messy in its presentation. It seemed to go too fast in places and was occasionally obscured by the health bar or went off the edge of the screen.
Really funny and terrific interpretation of the theme. :)
This is a really good effort, Serilyn, and the way the player indirectly affects what is happening is a great concept.
My only criticism is that the cards/spells seems too random, which may penalise or help the player too much (in my second playthrough, I had six full heal spells in my deck).
The core gameplay loop works very well. I like the customised loadouts idea too, though I beat every level by simply spamming un-upgraded psychos.
Also, there might be a small bug where the yellow ship is on the right edge of the screen and psychos hit it from behind but don't do any damage.
Hitting riders with barrels from really far away and watching the ragdolls fall after a flying kick were satisfying. :)
A very accomplished entry. The interpretation of the theme is pretty standard, but the implementation and level of polish for 48 hours is amazing.
Looks brilliant! Rather tricky but I started to get the hang of it.
The AI needs a bit of work but the core idea is implemented well.
Bouncing off the walls doesn't make a whole lot of sense but it could work as a puzzle game.
Simple but fun. Also amusing to see a rather ineffectual black knight chasing and poking people (who don't even need to use the bridge), he he he. :)
Dominant strategies aside, it's a polished entry and the core idea of fighting over territory is very appealing. As others have said, adding a few more mechanics - e.g. buildings could have different effects - would make this a very good game.
Lovely humour and aesthetic. :)
Although there's little challenge, the humour makes up for it - the normally defenceless rabbits being the only things to attack you, solving 'puzzles' through shooting, etc. :)
I also liked the use of physics and the inclusion of a story. The sprinting felt good too (though I only found out near the end!).
Nice concept and the core mechanic of sneaking around was surprisingly fun!
The take on the theme is very funny and well executed, although the mechanics need a little something to make it more fun to play.
Well done on making your first game, ParaPup! You've made a good start. I hope you either continue to develop it - adding a timer and enemies to evade - or take what you've learned and build upon it for your next game. :)
I agree with BipolarMike, it takes too long to get around.
Very funny premise, but I found it tricky to jump.
Frustrating transitions aside, this was brilliant. :)
The physics effects and variety of weapons and enemies really made this enjoyable to play. Good effort!
A very interesting mechanic that is both simple to understand and enjoyable to see in action!
Spiffing! Great take on the theme. Only issue was not knowing why some loops worked while others didn't, but I was going so quickly it didn't matter too much.
It looks great and the design is really quite elegant!
Very nice! Missed a few details on the first playthrough but everything fell into place after I played it again.
Very nice mechanic.
Knowing that the hunters had to get the treasure was the thing that stumped me.
Evading the jellycops was the most enjoyable part. You could add a sound effect for when they land and perhaps a screen shake effect, just to let the player know how close they are.
Very challenging and fun!
This is a really well designed and polished entry. Most importantly, it's fun and challenging to play. Well done!
Very creative controls and cool implementation of the theme!
A very villainous toy. :)
It's great that it rewards players who experiment with the gestures and allows for different strategies. I couldn't attack reliably, but I discovered I could just turn everyone into trees and then turn those trees into more mana. :)
Clever concept, zaratustra. I don't think it would work as well with more realistic people.
Nice and simple.
I agree with Ashkin. Maybe a minion could occasionally arrive to pick up dropped gold and return it to the back of your cave? He would be immune to being eaten, but as cookable as the others. :)
I was clicking rapidly instead of holding at first, and then wondering why I could only get to the second room, he he he.
I think the mechanic works really well, creating tension between running out of time versus getting caught.
Also, I can't decide whether it would be better if there was a split second bit of feedback before the security guard turns around. Part of the fun is not knowing. :)
Just how incomplete is this? :)
Yep, I'm afraid it's not working for me (Opera), either. :/
Same problem with the scrolling as others have mentioned so I can't rate, but it looks and sounds... wowtastic. :p
Some neat things going on here, like the fireball aiming and its effect, and the burning planes. Nice to see feet on an first-person character too, he he he. :)
Great idea and execution! I really like the art and the added features. Could have been a little harder and the ball got stuck on the fourth (last?) level - it hit the bottom corner of a building and the floor and wouldn't move - but overall really good! :)
A very cool toy, Follett. Well done. :)
A shame you didn't get more done, but I liked the humour, both in the story and in the core idea of avoiding being smothered by really, really, nice people. :)
I really liked the scale of the enemy forces and the buildings crashing around you.
I survived for ages just going back and forth on the bottom button-mashing at the floor. Oh, and I could still punch after I'd died. :)
When spawning on the right side of screen, Pacman went up and down the grey border before escaping the game altogether. He's probably on his way to rehab. :D
Shame you didn't get further, uuav. I liked the visual effects and art style though.
Obviously the narration stands out - having played so many games with text, it's a special touch that adds a lot in humour and atmosphere.
My best effort was about six waves in story mode - I would have played on but for the inability to restart at the wave I died on.
I thought the land destruction/building mechanic worked well, and I liked that you had to choose whether to risk walking over a perilous bit of terrain to reach a starshine, or play it safe in the middle with the enemies.
Maybe there could be more things to pick up - whether it be power-ups to temporarily slow/freeze the enemies or make the starshines attracted to you, or rocks you could use to add terrain during the waves.
I love the simulation aspect and the way the game is presented. I imagined it might work well with short rounds of tense combat where the player only has one life, as there isn't a strong incentive to stay alive currently; then when you win a round the enemy base would lose a tower. Either way, I'll be interested to see how your post-compo version develops. ;)
I think this game has a lot of potential as people have already suggested - a lot of classics - Rubik's cube, Pacman, or Qbert, could be adapted and combined for deeper gameplay.
I really like the melding of different styles here, and the possibility of evolving gameplay.
Perhaps it would work better with more varied level design (larger platforms, ramps, etc.), rather than tiny floating islands? Then players could run and jump around, attack and defend each other's towns, while maybe fighting for resources and with neutral enemies on the map? It might add more flow to the gameplay. Admittedly, the Joust element might be diminished with less places to fall off the map, but you could always make up for that with JETPACKS.
I can't praise the art, audio and humour enough. I won after many tries, mostly by standing with my back to a crate and throwing people who came close. It feels like you can keep using the lifts to avoid being hit too.
It is quite confusing to play, and while that's kind of the point, perhaps it could do with some more visual indications when people are attacking, and when I can use my abilities. Aside from that, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Very clever, although having to press each time to move rather than holding down made exploring the space outside the first room slightly tedious.
Very polished entry with good humour and sound. Some of the columns seemed a little unforgiving - you've really got to stay in the middle - but it was fun and I played until I beat it. ;)
Very interesting! I liked how you jumped from one perspective to the other; if you think of each mini-game mode as a turn, and have more game modes each with different objectives, it could be fun to plan each turn with all of the objectives in mind, with the ultimate aim of making a city which is completely harmonious. :)
What with the music being so peaceful, I'm not sure a losing condition is actually necessary. And the pacing didn't bother me too much because I imagined that it would be the kind of game you check on occasionally to see how your city was getting on. It just needs more depth and more choices so you can give your city some personality, and maybe have it evolve over generations.
I managed 12.80, but I think it's more down to the luck of the level layout. It is quite addictive though, and the luck probably plays a part in that.
Are bombs the only danger while prone? Maybe enemy soldiers could chase you with bayonets if you get a little too close (the first time I played I just crawled past everything with ease and wondered whether it was meant to be that way).
Really enjoyed it though - in only 20 hours too! Well done!
My favourite part of this game was simply exploring and seeing what was over the next ledge.
I kind of agree with EricTheCoolDude about the wind being time-dependent, because the flow of movement is important and at certain times I was just waiting for the wind to blow me upward. You could consider having the 'wind' a constant thing that the player can use whenever he wishes. It could still blow slightly stronger in one direction so that the player gets a bonus if they time it right. Having other ways of moving (e.g. downhill skiing) would be cool too.
Brilliant idea and execution. I quite liked the casual pace, but it would be great if you added more depth to the game.
What I liked most about this was how organically it flowed from one power-up to the next, without having to tell me what, why, how, etc. And by the end, I knew exactly what I had to do to complete the game. Also cool was how a new perspective of the environment opens up after you gain the first jump power-up.
As others have said, disturbing but in a good way! I wish more horror games would focus on paranoia and the psychological state of the player instead of combat and big scares that only work once.
There is always an appeal to games which give the player a way of expressing themselves - in this case, in how to design your defences. As much as I was trying to beat the waves of enemies, I was also trying to protect the structure I was building (a kind of bunker). It was fun, and I think it has a lot of potential to be developed further.
Thought I already rated this one, but apparently not. Anyway, I really enjoyed this. The ending was the perfect punchline, and yet it's also quite deep. If I had to sum up the ending in five words it would probably be: "Wha? Haha haha! Oh! Ahhhh!" and you can quote me on that. :D
Started out with trial-and-error, but then it clicked. Funny ending too. :)
I lost track of some of the reactions I had already tried, and it got a bit grindy, but nothing a checklist and a greater variety of levels wouldn't solve. :)
Overall, it's a great effort though, and I thought the way you make progress in the game was very clever.
Really nice game. I liked the DoF effect and the environmental obstacles. Maybe there could have been more obstacles, as some sections were just about moving to the right. Some audio would make it really come to life too.
Very elegant design. And quite fun too!
I laughed when I saw the boss. :D
The shooting mechanic is a great idea. Also, I think the game would work really well as an educational game for children learning the planets of the solar system, providing the planets were in the right order from the sun - you could have an asteroid belt level before Jupiter, and maybe you'd have to fight the planets' moons before reaching each boss, who could have different attacks etc. to make them easier to remember.
I'm terrible at these types of games. Terrific art and music though.
Scored 492. Love the music and intro art.
It's a start. Robots ought to have ridiculously powerful weapons though... And jetpacks! :P
City planning - the future of mankind depends on it!
I must say, the idea of limited turns and descendants is really interesting, and the art and sound is very polished.
However, the theme or message of the game is a little confusing to me. The lack of any middle-ground seems to imply that spirituality and science are ultimately incompatible, that mankind can choose one and reject the other, but not survive happily in which which nurtures both.
Really impressive! I especially liked the use of sound on the ship.
Fiendishly clever, and a great take on the theme!
Love the art, the humourous characters and their unique weapons, and the feel of this game.
The destructible environment, while it adds some 'replayability' and strategy, it did occasionally mean I'd get stuck or find it difficult to approach some enemies; given the theme, I thought I'd be the one-man army taking down waves of enemies, but sometimes it was the opposite! :D
The idea is really clever, and it was a pleasing experience to see the music grow.
Some of the platforming was a little fiddly (I'm mainly thinking of the tiny blue platforms on level 3 and level 5), which created a feeling of dissonance between my character and the flow of the music. I wonder whether having the character always running (like Canabalt or Bit.Trip Runner) might work better?
Loved the bathetic ending, and the humour throughout. :D
I had a few *lightbulb* moments while playing, which was nice.
I hope you develop this further - it's a really promising start. I've managed 4750 so far, and I have a feeling I'll be coming back to try and beat it. :)
Quite a challenging game. I enjoyed it, although I can understand why others got frustrated.
Also, because you could shoot the enemies bullets, once I got upgraded weapons the difficulty dropped.
The enemies definitely had that low budget B-movie feel, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. If they felt a bit more sentient, who knows, maybe they could be quite creepy?
Most LD games don't provide the player with options, so it's nice that you thought of that. There were some nice touches like the footsteps, and I liked the platforming element. Good job!
Very interesting game with amusing characters (both in the art and what they said). As I played it I wondered why you didn't choose to structure it more traditionally (i.e. you give an item to someone, who in turn gives you a new item which you can give to someone else) but in the end it worked quite nicely as I never got too stuck on one thing... although admittedly I solved some of it by accident.
Quite tough, I thought, but very fun. Took me several tries just to get the hang of the gliding and planting bombs.
My kind of game! I really liked the premise of switching between the characters, setting their behaviour, and using their abilities wisely.
This shone through in the game whether I was sending the priest and wizard ahead to attack things from range, tanking with the warrior, or keeping the priest back to heal the others. With more abilities, and more useful AI/choices of behaviour (e.g. aggressive/defensive) you could have the basis for a good, old, dungeon-crawler on your hands.
Alas, a few things weren't communicated such as the limited mana, or even what the special abilities actually did. And the map was a bit maze-like because it didn't have much in the way of monuments or markers for me to orientate myself. I could get enemies from range without them closing me down and my party also got in my way from time to time, but these things aside, I enjoyed what was on show.
The randomness of the asteroids made for a varying difficulty (other people seemed to have the path cut off, whereas I felt there could have been more asteroids), but the overall experience - evading the asteroids as a vulnerable human, rushing for cover, and striking back - and the way the gameplay modes were blended together, was very enjoyable. Well done!
Nice humour. It seemed to take a while to get going, but I enjoyed the levels with both zombies and people best.
Also, the cursor appears to go behind the 'again' and 'exit' buttons.
Scored 4015 on my best run. BUT, it ended because I was accidentally picked up a passenger while stomping on a rampage. It's definitely fun, and has that 'Oh, just one more go' feel. Oh, and the voices and music are inspired.
Anyway, it starts off quite hard (if you don't get lucky with the passenger's choice of destination at the start) but seems to get easier after you've successfully made a few runs.
The sensitivity of controls also makes it very difficult to navigate the town. Making the main streets a little wider, and as olkeencole suggested, having town's prosperity follow the dinosaur's - so as he makes money there would be a financial boom and the town begins to expand - might help to scale the difficulty.
Also, it's occasionally difficult to interpret where the arrow is pointing, and I managed to get out over the perimeter fence.
But all criticisms aside, I really enjoyed it. :)
Very nice game. Really liked how the opening cutscene was communicated without words, the humour, and the way you blended mechanics from different genres together.
Though the pacing was a little slow it felt appropriate and made for a fitting mood. The mechanics too, like establishing checkpoints each time you venture a little farther into unknown territory, and the loneliness meter, all reinforced the theme too, which was really pleasing to see.
Admittedly, I was a little confused at first. I didn't know you could emote in buildings, and thought I either had to go all the way back to the beginning, or keep going right in the hope of meeting another astronaut. This should probably be made clearer in the instructions.
Going back and forth between the same areas could be made more interesting. Maybe the occasional detour, area off the beaten path, or secret that only appears once a certain amount of progress has made would be an idea?
Take that, Jupiter!
Lovely take on the theme, I must say.
Nice visual style and humour. A shame that, whilst the puzzles were pretty easy, I struggled to communicate what I wanted to do through the parser. A simple help command with a list of the commands used in the game would have helped a lot.
Superlative effort.
At first it was a toy - as I wondered how it would react to my input, then it was a puzzle to reliably place the tiles in the right order to get things to evolve, and then there was the strategy of sharing a relatively small area between each of the various resources you need, and finally there was the pleasure to be had from designing your small spot of land in an aesthetically pleasing way (mine cradled a river with two castles by the bank on one side, as if they sat on a frontier, overlooking a yet to be tamed wilderness of deep forests and in the distance, a smouldering volcano).
I didn't mind the grid. The only problem I encountered was occasionally getting stuck when learning the game, as it took me a while to work out how to plan the order of placing tiles to get them to evolve fully, and without ending up with lots of wasted space.
I really liked the card swapping mechanism. It felt a little like lemmings, as I tried to keep the player indirectly out of harm's way, and level 4, in particular was satisfying to beat. Only a shame there weren't more levels.
It worked fine on Windows 7. Did encounter too small bugs - on level 4, one of the enemies got stuck in between cards (I swapped the blank card in the top-right with the card next to an enemy just as it was in-between cards). And on level 5 the player seemed to be walking through the platforms (the player must have started to go down a ladder, just as I swapped the card beneath it with another card).
Very surreal and moody experience.
On my first try I managed it in around 15, but from that I figured out how to beat it in 7.
I can't really rate this one, but I really liked the concept, how you effectively get to paint your own ecosystem and how the instructions are all done in-character. It was very interesting when it wasn't crashing.
(First and fourth time it crashed just after the bears were created. The second time it didn't crash, but I missed the info about the placing the hunter's camp on a shore. The third time it crashed at 4/5 culture points.)
A solid game with excellent music. I really liked the recursion mechanic, which contributed to the feeling of heightening danger as you get smaller and smaller, and feel more vulnerable.
Some minor nitpicks: it could have done with the ability to strafe, or mapping the shooting left to one button and shooting right to another. Personally, I would have preferred the bosses health to replenish when the player dies, as it's not very satisfying when you know it doesn't matter if you die - though I wouldn't have been able to beat the bosses if this were the case, it made me wonder how well balanced it was. Also, some of the enemies that close you down could be killed out of range.
The idea behind the game is a good one, certainly, and it's fun to play. It needs a little extra polish (like the red lines could actually be integrated into the theme as barriers held up by supports or hanging from winches) and some work on the mechanics, but it's a promising start.
As jlauener and Summaky suggest, the difficulty curve can be hard to manage in this kind of game - it's a puzzle with multiple solutions, but solving it seems contingent on how the volcano randomly spews its lava. Sometimes you can just watch as the resource meter fills up faster than damage is being done to the town without doing anything, while other times one ball of lava will bobble on a line causing it disappear very quickly (maybe this could be solved by taking the velocity of the lava into account when it collides with a line). I also found the level with underground town a little confusing - it's nothing a visual cue wouldn't solve, but I didn't understand why the lava went through the ground when it hadn't on previous levels.
Quite the curio you have here. Some LD games of a similar style are very straightforward to make progress in, so I liked how you have to constantly deal with the weather and asteroids here.
Argh! Not the dreaded restart before a cutscene/dialogue! :)
Interesting way of animating the character. With more joints and attention it could work quite well. I liked the gun light + particle effects, and the dialogue was enjoyable too.
As john_conder9 said, some transitions between levels would make it feel less disjointed. I also got confused when the mouse was behind the character so the gun would point up instead of the character turning to look in that direction.
But a good effort, definitely.
Loved how I assumed the moon was just an aesthetic part of the game, and then turned out to be part of the mechanics.
It did seem rather linear though. I don't know how other people fared, but after a certain stage I didn't have to worry about food and materials. Maybe it would be worth exploring real-world problems like running out of finite resources, food shortages and overpopulation, once the player has developed his/her planet far enough?
And by the time I thought I was getting the hang of it, it was over... Ah, well. You know what they say - give them just enough to keep them wanting more - and that, you did - rather well, I must say!
Personally, I'd suggest that you ease the player in to the game more gradually. Warm them up with some easy obstacles which are spaced out. Some checkpoints would be good as I was slightly disappointed to not restart on the blue level after making it there.
Also, some kind of visual feedback as to what position the player is in would be useful, and you could consider adding keyboard controls where the player is fixed into, say, a left, central or right position depending on whether s/he presses left, nothing, or right. The mouse has an interesting feel to it, but there was some doubt over my position, e.g. I knew I had to move up, but had I moved up enough? Moving in more of a step than a curve should be possible with the mouse, it's just an idea to remove some of the confusion.
Anyway, good job!
I thought the levels were rather well-designed. Good game!
Very charming game.
I thought the AI for the red Demons worked well - it was fun using the dragon's agility to outmanoeuvre them, as was making the transition from the hunted to the hunter. I also thought that - at least up until Charon appears - the difficulty is well balanced. At first, I thought the bombs were too strong but each time things got a bit too hectic I was grateful for that ability to reset, catch your breath and snack freely on a few Plutonian cows without any Demons about.
I thought the fire seemed a little unreliable though, and the fact that the demons tend to go straight for you makes its use limited. Charon also killed me very quickly whenever I got strong enough - I didn't know whether he was going to breathe fire, being a dragon like myself, or just try to collide with me like a Demon.
The art style (which reminded me a little of Braid) was very accomplished. In particular, the charming rocket-shaped avatar and layers of clouds I liked a lot.
The jumping mechanic is intuitive, pleasing when you manage to successfully thread the character between two spiked planets, and you can keep adding new elements to the game to keep levels fresh.
However, I felt that, while the difference in the planet size or mass affecting how far you have to run to get into orbit added depth to the gameplay, it was frustrating to have to run a little bit, then stop, then run a bit more, then stop, until you get into a position to start a run up. This becomes most apparent when you're being chased by the monster. If the player controlled when they jumped, it would be easier, but then you'd need to change how the planet size affects the player.
If you were to develop this idea further, the gameplay could be more focused. I liked the challenge of accuracy in the early levels, but I'm not sure the monster chase complemented it. The monster could always be reconfigured as an area that the player must avoid falling into, like the spiky planets, rather than an a moving adversary, and more emphasis could be placed on the accuracy/puzzle/exploration part of levels. Or you could instead focus on the monster pursuing the player through hazards, but give the player more control over their jumping. Just a thought.
Also, since you restart a lot, it would be good to find a way of restarting without having the music restart, as it got a little irritating.
I enjoyed playing this. Turn-based games seem effective at building tension, and this was no exception.
A few ideas: you could add more of a puzzle element to it by allowing the crew to interact with parts of the ship (e.g. computers, machines, robots) to open/close access routes, pump oxygen levels around (rather than at fixed points), lure and slow down the aliens. Crew members could also have different jobs and abilities to help them. You could also develop the story and have it play out over several levels, maybe taking inspiration from films like Alien, Event Horizon, Solyaris, and so forth.
Anyway, good job! :)
Fantastic job! The dashing mechanic, the level design, the graphics and music - all really good. I can't rate it highly enough!
Very intriguing concept. It clearly has a lot of depth, and I like the idea of being able to develop strategies to fight your friends with, but it was slow to get into. Maybe a tutorial to teach the player how to play would be good.
Done with 11 seconds to spare. At first I was thinking, what makes it a 'tiny world'? And then it hit me, of course - the comets! :D
Mix of 2D and 3D is cool, and the music set the mood really well. I wasn't overly keen on the mouse-clicking to build up will, but the idea certainly has potential.
Think I managed 4525. Very tense and fun. Procedurally-generated levels would make this great... greater, even!
I derived a little too much enjoyment from making my ant dance to the music...
*ahem*
And the game was pretty good too!
Tiny world, huge potential!
I could only get to the second stage - how long is it?
The animations for pushing and pulling the trolley worked well. I also really liked the idea of building up momentum with the trolley, but the camera seemed to jump around a little, and a few times I seemed to die when I jumped on the enemy.
I really like games like this, and although my Populous technique of drowning enemies wasn't going to work, I did manage to make some award-winning fjords.
You could really flesh this concept out further, maybe with a more complex victory condition. Water could yield more food through fishing to increase the number of followers, for example.
Hilarious! Though the sound effects may haunt my dreams...
All my men away from one enemy and hid in the corner. Cowards! Fun simulation though. A few more links in the chain would be great. You could bring it full circle so that things higher up the chain like men start taking grass away (e.g. for houses), so you have to find the best balance.
Very hypnotic experience. In the end I felt kind of sorry for the slime molds - I mean, they seemed lonely and just wanted to be together, right? - so I left them to it... And left the music playing in the background. :)
Brilliant art style and music, and a great take on the theme.
Splendid little game. I especially liked the attention to detail, like the body inside the giant slime and suits of armour alternating in front and behind you in the palace.
Adding weapons with different mechanics could add more variety to levels - shoot down flying enemies with bow and arrow, deflect projectiles back at enemies with a shield, or even charge through enemies with a lance?
The lights coming on were a nice touch. Perhaps the jet pack could have been a bit smoother - it's kind of either 'on' or 'off' at the moment - but then that might have been harder to control in practice.
NB. We need a jet pack category. :)
Wasn't overly keen on the way items switched, but the concept is very cool!
Thought-provoking. Fun N/A.
I could only find half of the achievements. Cool take on the theme, I thought.
Yay! Fun game. Nice clean aesthetic. Tiny bug - you can squish people after defeating all the enemies without the game counting it.
Firstly, I enjoyed playing this through to the end. The puzzles were definitely on the easy side but I thought probably suited the story which would be best enjoyed by a younger audience. The magus character was also quite humourous.
A few things: I got a bit confused with directions around the chasm/cliff area; also, it took me a while to realise that you have to look at things to interact with them; it would have been nice to be able to use less specific words when combining objects (e.g. "pen" instead of "quill pen"); and finally, I think you meant "dais", rather than "dias".
My eyes hurt, but it was totally worth it!
Could do with more things to upgrade - for quite a few weeks I had no use for wood - but apart from that I really liked it!
Very tense when lots of enemies are on screen. Good job!
LD29 — Beneath the Surface (109)
They Beep by etherframegames 2014-05-13T16:57:00
Hilarious intro! :D
I really like the concept, but couldn't figure out what to do. After talking to everyone I got a game over screen. I thought I'd be able to go back and talk to re-question people but you can't talk to people more than once.
Also, following the same dialogue structure gives a clearer structure to the puzzle solving, but it did make it harder to remember who said what.
Sub Rosa by popogames 2014-05-13T16:35:00
I got the vampire on the first try. Hurrah!
This could work well with the hidden vampire and some villagers muddying the waters to make the puzzle-solving a bit deeper, but it was solvable without guessing (something that might not be true about my game).
Also, that fog was cheap but effective - I thought it was a fancy particle effect at first, and I only realised it was just a plane when I stopped to observe it. :D
Tsunami Cruiser by bvanschooten 2014-05-13T16:15:00
Simple but clever. It's slow to get going, but is very fun once the difficulty ramps up.
Beneath The Surface: A detective story of video game conspiracies. by taocayo 2014-05-13T15:44:00
I enjoyed the presentation and humour, particularly in the Dwarf Fortress one.
On the one hand, the game is a little easy, but if it was hard it might be tedious to restart because of all the dialogue to click through. I think the idea is appealing though, and it could work if you can solve those issues.
Read Between the Tropes by Crowbeak 2014-05-12T21:36:00
A genuinely interesting idea! I did find spotting the tropes more interesting than the stories themselves, and I think emphasising that aspect would be one way of focusing the player's experience. Perhaps you could make it into a mechanic, and have the player try to complete sets of tropes (say, belonging to a specific genre) or fulfill a well traveled plot by ticking off the tropes it uses.
Unfortunately, I now have TV Tropes open in another tab and may not be back for some time. I have known people to disappear and never to return. Wish me luck! :)
The Sadness of Rocky Barbato by PaperBlurt 2014-05-12T19:50:00
I always find myself underestimating and then being super impressed by the ingenious stuff people can do in Twine. I really ought to try it some day...
This was, in turns, bizarre, darkly comic, disturbing, surreal, pathos-inducing, and probably more adjectives that I haven't learned yet. :D I agree with the person who saw similarities with this and Chuck Palahniuk's work, and I sensed a bit of Hunter S. Thompson in there too in the way the story itself seemed to go off-road and make a dash for the border (probably to bat country). I'm just glad I'm came along for the ride! :)
Captain P by Ryan up in here 2014-05-12T19:01:00
You've got a solid foundation to build upon, and the game shows a lot of promise. I think the mechanics fit together nicely here; I especially liked having to swim past the shark to collect resources.
Only being able to carry one resources means the player has to choose between resources. If the resources were less generic, like getting a propeller for the boat, then this could be a really interesting mechanic.
You could also add upgrades which allow the player to dive deeper (e.g. an aqualung) and additional dangers to avoid in order to get rarer resources. This would tighten the core gameplay loop in my opinion.
Also, one tip for jams is to avoid spending time doing menus instead of working on the core game. Overall though, good job! I hope you keep working on it. ;)
Walking on thin ice... by Jacqueslelezard 2014-05-11T09:39:00
Really nice use of audio. The concept is simple but works well. I think generating the ice randomly would improve the replayability a lot.
Helevenium by alvivar 2014-05-10T23:39:00
The combat is tough, tense and tactical. I couldn't get very far, but enjoyed what I experienced.
A boy and his Hellworm by orangepascal 2014-05-10T23:25:00
Now that's an interesting mechanic! The visual style and the controls are really polished too. Great work!
Descent| by HernanZh 2014-05-10T23:15:00
Like others, I couldn't get past the stage where you're chased by the enemy. Maybe the delay between restarting could be slightly lower, but the controls and animations felt polished.
The Sun And Moon by managore 2014-05-09T20:40:00
Super impressive. The excellent level design stands out even more so because of how many there are.
Also, it was a good idea to not make it compulsory to beat a level to play the next one as there were seven I couldn't complete. :)
Damned Scouts! by Lama 2014-05-09T13:58:00
Very cute and funny.
Perhaps the gameplay could be developed further, if you so choose, by allowing the player to switch between scouts. You could then set up puzzles which require more than one scout to be in a certain place or performing an action at the same time.
ECHO THE DOGEFIN RESCUES FLIGHT MH371 by matt_j 2014-05-08T20:16:00
Didn't know how to shoot, but the premise is funny and the dogefin controls well.
FoxyTank by matthias_zarzecki 2014-05-08T15:23:00
The tank's controls felt smooth, and the tire tracks were a nice touch. I got a bit lost after finding the replacement parts, and sometimes bullets would go through the terrain.
Focus Shift by ForeignGuyMike 2014-05-08T15:13:00
Oh wow, this game had my brain in knots. The slipperiness made it a wee bit too frustrating for my tastes, but the design is really good.
Food's above & Danger Beneath the Surface! by DavidErosa 2014-05-08T14:59:00
Interesting mechanics, especially listening to things outside the exit. My only complaints are that it was too easy, and I wasn't sure what to do at first.
Dwarven Kingdoms by kristof 2014-05-08T09:57:00
There are a lot of things I like about this entry: the aesthetics, the elegant design, the randomly generated map, functional AI, dwarves. :)
There was a bit of lag running it on Windows. And the game is quite slow paced (especially at the start). Maybe starting with an extra soldier would speed things up.
In its current state I feel like it's missing something - you can simply block the enemy and not enter an tile adjacent to them. It feels like draughts but without enough pieces.
I also ended up with mines producing more gold than I could collect. Having caravans to carry extra gold to the king would be interesting, as they could be intercepted and captured by the enemy.
Beneath your feet by Druid 2014-05-08T09:04:00
Kinda confusing in places, more than scary, but I liked the audio. My futile attempts to try all the lights added to the tense atmosphere.
Dig Hard by petey123567 2014-05-08T08:51:00
Well, this was a lot of fun! Its humour, over the top weaponry, and destructible terrain, reminds me of Broforce (which also started life as a Ludum Dare jam entry). Awesome work!
No Eyes Willy by blockbot 2014-05-08T08:06:00
This is a really solid entry. It's focused, fun to play, and looks charming.
Super Plumber Brothers by arrogant.gamer 2014-05-08T07:50:00
I managed 11 flowers before getting stuck in a floor. That was unintentionally funny, but there was a lot of humour in the concept and game that I really liked!
It would be interesting to see just how far you take this idea, although I guess there would be legal issues.
Reggid by bombjack 2014-05-07T12:09:00
Makes a change from games with bfxr sounds. :)
It's pretty easy, but fun nonetheless.
Trufflehunt by ruerob 2014-05-07T11:59:00
The presentation is charming. As others have said, the mechanic feels like it's based on luck rather than skill, so I didn't feel responsible for my success or failure.
StrataGEM by ActionRemix 2014-05-07T11:43:00
I really like the concept behind the game, it's engaging to play, and has the quality of feeling like a toy.
That said, I'm not a fan of the fail-state. Maybe it just needs the ability to rotate counter-clockwise, but I feel it might be more intuitive if removing any hexes lowered the pentagon layers. I didn't know for a long time whether the pentagon layers represented a shared meter or individual ones too.
Space Driller by Mr. Jif 2014-05-07T11:05:00
I thought the player sprite looked like you had a little bit more range than you actually did. That aside, the enemies and player sprites looked great, and the controls were tight (don't recall missing a jump), and most importantly, it was well designed and fun to play.
I only got as far as the room beyond the corridor of purple ghosts. Thought I might have missed an upgrade, but apparently not.
Necro by Kara Jayde 2014-05-07T10:39:00
I liked the transition between breaking the skin and floating around beneath the surface. You could give it a strategic purpose, and let the player choose where to enter.
Dissolving was fun, as was trying to avoid the bad cells, although collision didn't seem perfect. Also, I couldn't really tell what the toxin was doing.
Under Google by mustaine 2014-05-07T09:30:00
Love the presentation and humour! The audio adds a lot in the post compo version too.
New Dawn by Penguincat 2014-05-06T10:29:00
First time round I encountered a bug while running to the elevator - I got caught but couldn't click the text option to restart the level. The fact that I got caught by lots of guards might have something to do with it.
Anyway, I really enjoyed the lo-fi charm, the attention to detail, and the fact that you can complete the game without going to places or talking to people. The pathfinding was frustrating and the world was possibly a bit too large. I think significant places, objects, and people in the world could be highlighted better in some way so you know it's not background stuff. Overall though, great job!
Wormhunter by Thorig 2014-05-06T09:53:00
I love the design of the character and the small details you added, like when you get eaten. The controls are tight too.
My only criticism is that it was a bit on the easy side, even without using the beacons.
It has a lot of potential for expansion though - you could give the worm more attacks, add different monsters, more player abilities, etc. if you wanted. Heck, I could even see it working with multiplayer where you have to use teamwork to bring it down.
The Valley Rule by Raiyumi 2014-05-06T09:34:00
Undoubtedly one of the best designed and crafted games I've played this Ludum Dare. As for the climbing segment, I had a friend who was obsessed with making fiendishly hard Knytt levels full of overhangs, so I felt right at home. :)
Six Clouds Above by Eniimal 2014-05-04T14:38:00
Clever mechanic and interpretation of the theme. Would be nice if there was an explosion or something for when you die.
Carnival Warfare by pinkmonkeyhead 2014-05-03T20:18:00
Although the connection to the theme feels tenuous (shouldn't it be a minimum sales line rather than surface?), the presentation is slick and the characters are adorable. The gameplay loop is well thought out, and maybe just needs a little tweaking (making the rounds shorter and easier, and the player a bit quicker).
Digging up Daisy by Cake&Code 2014-05-03T19:58:00
Really charming art style. The gameplay felt a little luck-based though, maybe just me.
Sim Aunt by RobotLovesKitty 2014-05-03T19:44:00
The bad aunties were in the last place I looked. It was certainly odd, but not in a bad way. :)
Wireside by Solifuge 2014-05-03T19:37:00
The controls could have used a little tweaking, i.e. no need for the 'walk' option, not putting the end turn next to a scrolling screen, not switching to wireside when you spawn an avatar as the character's turn has ended.
Minor issues aside, the core gameplay is really solid and is ripe for expanding further, the music is awesome, and the story and characters were engaging. Credit also for presenting the theme in an original way. Good job!
Topsail by Devon 2014-05-03T10:11:00
Cool water. I think you could still use this to make something neat.
Please Come Back by PapyPilgrim 2014-05-03T10:04:00
The controls were well thought out, and really conveyed the feeling of struggling to keep afloat (and least for me), although I did get odd looks from my family while playing. :)
Where Gods Sleep by Lissar 2014-05-03T09:31:00
The way sound is used is interesting, although needs to be less abrupt when you're switching between rooms. The surreal aesthetic style complements the gameplay too. Overall, some pretty cool ideas here. Good job!
Evolve by Overkill 2014-05-03T09:21:00
Looks outstanding and feels very polished.
Revenge of the Kraken by malmazuke 2014-05-03T07:56:00
Really like the retro look and concept behind the game. I found it a little tricky to control the tentacles, but the boost was a lot of fun. :)
Thought Police by GrooveMan 2014-05-03T07:46:00
You've managed to tie the theme in to the game in quite a few ways, both in the setting and the mechanics. I don't normally play visual novels, but I found this to be well written and entertaining. Well done!
Sub Bomber by Rahazan 2014-05-02T21:48:00
Love the twist. It feels so good to make the high jumps. Best I got was 7, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll be coming back to have one more go... then another... and another... :)
The Monastery by petrih 2014-05-02T10:11:00
Yay! This was awesome! Definitely one of my favourite entries so far. I managed to get to the normal ending with only the ninja and priest left alive. I dread to think what the super hard ending was. :)
Side B, Track 1 by Taugeshtu 2014-05-02T09:14:00
I found the bike really hard to control - it felt very floaty and flipped easily.
It looks fantastic though, and I could see the flipping mechanic working well across different arenas with varying layouts/obstacles.
It Came from Beneath the Surface of the Sea! by JavadocMD 2014-05-02T09:07:00
Simple, fun, and funny. I liked having to time the jumps when fighting helicopters - just wish I could reach a little further. :)
A Day in the Life by iambored2006 2014-05-02T06:51:00
It felt like a puzzle, and at first I thought 'oh, maybe I can solve it...', but I couldn't; that was the 'aha!' moment when it clicked in my head. That's not an easy thing to accomplish as a game designer, so well done!
An old man and space by BuKaneerz 2014-05-02T06:32:00
The art is lovely, and I liked the fishing mechanic. Did the shooting do anything?
The Westport Independent by Double Zero One Zero 2014-05-01T20:43:00
Dear Double Zero One Zero,
#### #### ## ### ## ### #### ##### #### # #### ###### #### ##### ####. ## ## # #### ######## ## #### ### ###### ##### bloody ######. ## #### ## ## ## ### ## ###### #### ## ## # ###########, ### #### ####### ### brilliant!
May I help you? by flavio 2014-05-01T19:52:00
The kill text options made this. Hilarious!
A Glorious Escape for A Lich King by Benjamin 2014-05-01T18:53:00
There's a lot to appreciate here: the animations, the pathfinding, switching to and from the underground view, the visual polish, the audio which never became irritating, the hexes, oh, the hexes...
Only negative point was that it was too easy on normal difficulty, but it's not realistic to expect perfect balance from 48 hours.
Drowning in Problems by Notch 2014-05-01T18:00:00
Clever. Others may have found it depressing, but I laughed at the end. :D
Diver by MechanicalLife 2014-05-01T17:42:00
I couldn't even get past the first jump (where it tells you about building up speed). It's a shame because the mechanic is original and I would have liked to have got further.
BreakDown by Snorry 2014-05-01T17:31:00
It felt a bit awkward to control, and wasn't always clear where you were going to land.
I like the idea with the trail of bonus pick ups between rounds, and having lava beneath tiles after they disappear was clever. Perhaps starting with less tiles would be one way to make each round harder than the last.
City Beneath the Surface by SmilingCat 2014-05-01T17:13:00
Firstly, I really like the concept - having a straightforward task with the potential to be sidetracked by mysterious artifacts - and the various mechanics - the oxygen, powers, the shark, etc. have the potential to make for interesting gameplay.
In regards to the controls, turning with A/D instead of the mouse was awkward. Sometimes you'd want to strafe at the same time, so you might be pressing A + E + Space (to avoid sinking) and using the mouse as well to get through a narrow window - all while being chased by a shark!
It actually added to the tension, but made it harder to explore the area.
Also, I picked up an item and didn't know how to use it, which then stopped me from getting other items.
Btw, your post compo link is giving a 404 error, so I couldn't compare the updated controls.
Colony 31 by Crazi456 2014-04-30T22:02:00
Had a bug where I could press Q and jump to mech even though I wasn't close to it.
Putting that minor point aside, I enjoyed the puzzle design and narration. The mech was nicely animated too.
Descent by camlang 2014-04-30T21:52:00
The graphics are superb. The best part I felt was the intro, which did a great job establishing the atmosphere for the game. The combat itself was a bit of a let down - the hit detection seemed inconsistent, and there was no indication when you were close to death.
The Underkeep by DaanVanYperen 2014-04-30T21:38:00
Once I learned not to start off building walls it was fun, and ended up getting quite frantic.
The 'hocus pocus' sound effect made me laugh way more than it should have. :D
Crystal Myth by TeamInCharge 2014-04-30T21:18:00
Looks unbelievable! The music was so serene, then when it changes as you solve the puzzle, that was really clever. Thank you!
Rolly-Polly-29 by benmcnelly 2014-04-30T21:09:00
Wow, those are some psychedelic visuals. Is that what happens if I eat the cookie... nom! O.o
Tic-Tac-BOOM by ttfreire 2014-04-30T13:55:00
Honestly, I found the game confusing to play. Sometimes the numbers would change upon pressing the same key twice (e.g. 'd' to change perspective, then 'd' again). Other times I won without realising why.
I n e s c o by raulincze 2014-04-30T13:28:00
The mechanic is a novel one, but (pun alert) it seems you barely had time to scratch its surface.
Warpigs by sorceress 2014-04-30T11:36:00
A surprising amount of content here for 48 hours work. I wasn't very good at the game, but then I never was very good at Warcraft 3 either. :)
I found the controls a little awkward (having to scroll with the arrow keys), and the 'g' hotkey on the farmers didn't seem to work.
Beneath the City by deepnight 2014-04-30T11:15:00
I found it quite tough - once spotted you nearly always got caught - but the design and artistic quality shines through.
Bornard by TomBoogaart 2014-04-30T10:09:00
I may not have always known what was happening, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. :D
Lost Sheep by Boneloaf 2014-04-30T10:01:00
Love how the character looks, sounds and controls, but the fixed camera made it too hard to know where to go.
Diving Simulator 2015 by Phobos001 2014-04-30T09:56:00
I laughed from start to finish. :D
emilion by Helopol 2014-04-30T09:52:00
How surreal! The joy of this was not knowing quite what you were about to see when you opened a door. :)
our god lives underground by Andrew Shouldice 2014-04-30T09:44:00
Best audio I've seen so far. It looks oustanding too!
Beneath the Surface by FistBumpGames 2014-04-30T08:55:00
To echo others, it looks amazing! Because of the sound and animations it felt vibrant and alive.
But the combat just didn't work well for me (the best strategy seemed to be to simply run forward and attack). Having foreground elements that obscured gameplay also seemed like a bad design choice.
Triumph Of The Diver by teambrookvale 2014-04-30T08:37:00
It feels tense, even though the game itself is not that hard. I think because the dramatic music suits the stealthy gameplay perfectly. :)
Cuteopia by Mekuri 2014-04-30T07:42:00
There's a lot here for 48 hours! I liked the music and the AI buddies most. I did notice an animation glitch when you run and attack at the same time, but I know what Unity's animation system can be like. :)
the vole beneath by mcapraro 2014-04-30T07:28:00
Looks lovely. Only suggestion I'd make is to be able to start and restart levels with the keyboard.
Beneath Colossal by Liens 2014-04-29T18:07:00
Love the Sword&Sworcery inspired art. The weapons, also, were very fun to swing around once I got the hang of it.
Beneatha steal pie by howieV (binarygirl) 2014-04-29T16:40:00
The art and animation is super. I laughed at the end too. :)
Kontroise by edibletoaster 2014-04-29T09:59:00
The effects are really impressive, and the drift was a clever feature. I didn't find it comfortable to keep pressing shoot while holding drift though.
The Huntress by xhunterko 2014-04-29T09:27:00
I couldn't find the creature, unfortunately. It needs a radar, and either make the area smaller or put more things (like hazards, minor enemies) in it.
Undermined by NickMakesGames 2014-04-29T09:17:00
A very tough but compelling game! I couldn't get any out alive, and on one of the attempts I had 4 miners who disliked listening so a lot of points got wasted.
A few times I clicked the disliked action by mistake because the descriptions only differ in one word ("greatly"/"don't") - the line length/phrasing could vary to make it easier, but that's a minor nitpick.
The Deepest Darkest Trench by trueyomic 2014-04-29T08:37:00
As others have said, the collision made things frustrating (on the boss especially), but there was enough variety in the challenges to keep it interesting. Good job!
Yay, more squares! by lightsoda 2014-04-29T08:20:00
Loved it! It's fun, the music is great, and there are deft touches like the camera shake. Only issue was the bullets being instantly destroyed when you're next to a wall, but it's a minor really nitpick. Good job!
Mine Explorer by Joe Williamson 2014-04-28T19:00:00
Very pretty, I just wish there was more of it.
In the Lair of a Basilisk by Korwegian 2014-04-28T18:12:00
It felt very claustrophobic (in a good way). I only saw glimpses of the basilisk, but that and the sound was enough to send me running. :)
tower of atlas: reach for the surface by mouse25 2014-04-28T17:23:00
The design is solid, although by the time I got to a wall jump I'd forgotten the key. Some sound effects would go along way.
Also, the web link is taking me to a dropbox folder instead of the game. You want to copy a public link from the html file and use that instead (and change https:// to http://).
Dungeon Jelly by Detocroix 2014-04-28T17:10:00
Looks beautiful, but it's not always clear what's happening when you try to move into other jellies.
Underneath Our Faces by undefinist 2014-04-28T16:58:00
Emulates the Superhexagon feel quite accurately, although with four things to control instead of one it feels even harder! :)
Deep Maze by hexabeast 2014-04-28T16:42:00
It's an interesting idea, but I'm not a fan of trial and error gameplay too much.
DownDown by mrexcessive 2014-04-28T16:25:00
The core gameplay was pretty fun - I got to about level 9 and would have continued playing - but I don't like that the whole game restarts when you lose. (It's also hard to know how far you are away from losing.)
FedIt! by zedutchgandalf 2014-04-28T16:10:00
Interesting that you can shoot the food itself if you're not careful. It sure was tricky to push it around though. :)
Bathyscaphe11 by j_peeba 2014-04-28T15:03:00
Liked the variety of weapons and enemies. The reload feels slightly on the long side, but makes things more tense!
Beneath the Cave by feiss 2014-04-28T14:39:00
Dialogue font aside, the visuals are peerless. I love controlling non-human characters too. Shame it doesn't really go anywhere.
An Ode to Violence by Benn 2014-04-28T14:34:00
Haha - that slowmo! And the planes too. :D
WOOD BIRD EGG DIG by voxel 2014-04-28T14:29:00
I like the concept - it's very intuitive - and the woodpecker looks great. Shame there isn't more to it.
Lonely Boy by ApoorvaJ 2014-04-28T14:26:00
A different kind of experience to fun, but very satisfying nonetheless.
Wunderheilung by kbm 2014-04-28T14:07:00
It's weird in a good way. Has the potential to be taken further, for sure; I know I'd like to see more strange characters to help. :)
Water Temple by pLaw 2014-04-28T13:50:00
As you say, it's lacking something. The first thing I did was fill the entire area with totems - it seems wrong that the cost to create totems and the moves it gives you in return are the same.
Botch Bundle by Marcus_siactro 2014-04-28T13:27:00
Great interpretation of the theme. I thought the last puzzle was the best. :)
Mining Under The Surface by Jamcount 2014-04-28T13:18:00
Collapsing rock was a good mechanic - I liked that you could drop them on enemies. Took me a long time to die, is there an end?
Temple of Ra by Split82 2014-04-28T13:08:00
Wow. Amazing effort!
You are a metro car by fserb 2014-04-28T13:00:00
Simple, innovative, and addictive!
Under Soul by CastEclipse 2014-04-28T12:34:00
Clever concept, but a tad difficult for me. It was frustrating to carefully nudge things into place, then miss a jump, and have to start over.
Max Manus by SuperChihuahua 2014-04-28T12:23:00
I like the visual style and setting. Shooting/getting shot was fun, but it felt too easy to use the bayonet and attack from above/below.
ExploitedMiner by awanegenebayo 2014-04-28T12:15:00
Using "Q" to get left doesn't suit people using qwerty keyboards.
The concept is interesting, but it felt like there were limited ways to get back to the surface as platforming was difficult.
Wriggle Worm by gikdew 2014-04-28T12:00:00
Love the clean visuals and wiggly controls!
Hypnoctopus Beach Party ^__^ by meteo65536 2014-04-28T11:53:00
Adorable. The reaction of the little guys when they get tickled, hehe!
BTS-1337 by icereci 2014-04-28T11:47:00
The limited vision provided a twist on a familiar style of game.
I felt it was a bit slow, so ended up on the right side of screen a lot, and then hitting mines while going backwards.
Deep Calls To Deep by Romko Pidstryhach 2014-04-28T11:31:00
It looks and sounds great. The controls felt good too. My only issues were with the difficulty feeling very random, and the collision detection on the walls being a bit harsh.
Broken Heart by TsFreddie 2014-04-28T11:22:00
It has a nice contemplative mood, and an ambitious variety of mechanics.
Personally, I couldn't get past the bird. I also don't know I had to jump on the flower until I read it here.
Little Viking by pythong 2014-04-28T11:03:00
Finished it with 32 deaths. Most importantly, it was fun! The level where you have to keep jumping up was the best.
The difficulty curve was inconsistent though - some levels I only died once, others many times.
Gun Bat by madmaw 2014-04-28T10:40:00
Innovative and different.
It felt good to hit an enemy on the first try. I do wonder if the player can exploit the game by continually rotating a little bit, then shooting, though.