Darwinian Monsters by uprightpath 2013-05-02T08:07:00
Very cool idea! I love the puzzles, though I feel they might be a bit too clever for me :P
Foon → Ludum Dare Explorer → Users → jyrkface
| Year | LD | Theme | Game | Division | Rank | Ov | Fu | In | Th | Gr | Au | Hu | Mo | Co | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 46 | Keep it alive | 👥 | Plants To Grow | jam | 1842 | 3.22 | 2.55 | 2.77 | 2.66 | 3.88 | 3.72 | 3.88 | ||
| 2019 | 44 | Your life is currency | 👥 | Our Dear Friend | jam | 345 | 3.63 | 3.36 | 3.23 | 2.98 | 4.05 | 3.92 | 2.70 | 3.98 | |
| 2018 | 43 | Sacrifices must be made | 👥 | REACHER | jam | 3.33 | 3.00 | 3.16 | 2.50 | 3.66 | 3.50 | 2.66 | 3.50 | ||
| 2018 | 42 | Running out of space | 👥 | Go Pack Yourself! | jam | 837 | 3.15 | 2.94 | 3.02 | 3.84 | 3.26 | 3.02 | 3.02 | 3.00 | |
| 2018 | 41 | Combine 2 Incompatible Genres | 👥 | Piloteer | jam | 690 | 3.35 | 3.17 | 3.57 | 3.89 | 3.42 | 3.05 | 1.97 | 3.11 | |
| 2017 | 38 | A Small World | 👥 | To The Stars | jam | ||||||||||
| 2016 | 37 | One room | Furiouser | jam | 676 | 3.00 | 3.07 | 2.13 | 3.47 | 3.13 | 3.40 | 2.67 | 28 | ||
| 2015 | 32 | An Unconventional Weapon | The Colonist | jam | 121 | 3.78 | 3.70 | 3.52 | 3.81 | 3.82 | 4.00 | 3.33 | 3.63 | 47 | |
| 2014 | 31 | Entire Game on One Screen | The Swarm is All | jam | 289 | 3.46 | 3.19 | 3.69 | 3.61 | 3.50 | 3.54 | 2.89 | 3.32 | 61 | |
| 2014 | 30 | Connected Worlds | CtrlShift | jam | 17 | ||||||||||
| 2014 | 29 | Beneath the Surface | Operation Blind October | jam | 258 | 3.38 | 3.03 | 3.83 | 3.74 | 3.57 | 3.21 | 1.86 | 3.10 | 53 | |
| 2013 | 28 | You Only Get One | One Strike | jam | |||||||||||
| 2013 | 27 | 10 Seconds | Parallel Panic | jam | 377 | 2.92 | 2.75 | 2.50 | 2.69 | 3.28 | 3.00 | 2.89 | 66 | ||
| 2013 | 26 | Minimalism | Gawdamn Aliens! | jam | 367 | 2.88 | 3.17 | 2.22 | 2.33 | 3.14 | 2.10 | 3.19 | 2.84 | 73 |
Very cool idea! I love the puzzles, though I feel they might be a bit too clever for me :P
Outstanding game. The graphics somehow felt original but sent me on a total nostalgia trip. The gameplay is kindof like that too, reminds me of Oregon Trail combined with Space Quest and Walden.
I felt like the grabby terrain was the true enemy at times, but the game maintained tension and losing items throughout rather than gaining made for an interesting play experience. Might have been nice to have a level with all items before you start discarding stuff. Also very nice tiles!
Fantastic use of theme! Only suggestion is to maybe use video if you go for a larger release?
Interesting idea. The user interface gets a bit painful is all.
This game made tears in my eyes. My only critique is that while the general tone of the voiceover was quite good, especially considering the constraints of the Dare, it lacked gravity in some pivotal moments. Nonetheless, the writing came through brilliantly in the design and mechanics, like interactive poetry. Not to mention this was one of the best uses of theme I've seen. So yeah, all of that.
I really like the perspective/angle thing you did with this, seems like it would be good for creating suspense. If you expanded it a bit this game could be really cool!
Neat game. Interesting concept, and I liked the narrative. The puzzles miiiight have been a little too smart for me, but that's not a bad thing. As others have mentioned, some other gameplay concepts introduced alongside the puzzles might liven things up if you decide to take this project forward from here.
Cool project! The platforming controls could use a little tightening up but it definitely has the feel of a great game in the making! I really hope it doesn't lose its sense of humor in the finishing process, I'd love to see this character's reaction to losing all his stuffs :)
Has to be my favorite potato reference so far! Really nice backgrounds too!
Game mechanic is super original and awesome, and keeps the game interesting even though the combat can get a bit repetitive. Art is fantastic, especially considering the time limitations. Very polished entry!
Loved the little one-up comments! Simple and well executed, perfect for the theme!
I hope you go further with this! The vision occlusion in the hallway and the simple interface helped create a lot of tension!
I was surprised by how much I got into this, honestly. I think the steep difficulty at the beginning actually helped the game: it was kinda scary trying to hunt out the first few victims, but extremely gratifying seeing more and more of your former tormentors fleeing in tears. Is this a game or a psychological diagnostic?
Nice game! I agree scaling difficulty would be a worthwhile addition, but overall it's very cool! I love the way the gameover and menu are integrated right into the scene so smoothly!
Thanks for the comments!
Middle of the last day of the jam a bunch of bugs started cropping up in Alien Behaviors, it basically became completely random how long it would take for enemies to build up a critical mass. For this reason we set the spawn scale to the max from the beginning, so that this version would be "fair" at least in terms of endgame scores. Might do more with the game later though, and that will def include a better fix for this.
dsoft20 - Shoot incoming missiles! They bounce back and even hurt the aliens! Another little trick is that you can use your truck as cover as long as you can still defend your trailer!
Definitely though, if I finish this project I'll make the difficulty scale up instead of just starting at ridiculously hard, but it will get even ridiculously harder if I add in the enemies that got cut for time :P
Honestly, making wonky titted Satan was my favorite part of this whole Jam :P
@kreishweide - Don't I know it! Unfortunately Ryan had a stupid root canal he forgot about during the Jam and consequently the music we got done on time sounded like cats in a blender, so it was back to the old SFXR for sound support :P
Other features cut for time were a slower scaling of the invasion, several random characters to spawn as (explaining why the trailer is the spawn point, sort of) and two additional enemies (who are jerks.) I'm very much thinking about throwing next weekend on the altar and finishing this thing :)
Thanks for all the great feedback! It will be taken into consideration while finishing the game! Some things we're working on adding include 30+ unlockable characters to randomly spawn as (no differences in abilities, just visually different for some color) 5 additional enemies and 4 additional levels to unlock as well as fabulous new power-ups.
Hoped to have a web version uploaded here by now, but the Ludum Dare version of the game without the new features had some graphics corruption, so that's going to take a couple days..
@Tsuki_Usagi: can I ask which version you were playing?
Also, definitely agreed about the mouse. This game is not trackpad friendly at all :P
Clever game concept! Could see a lot of possibilities for this!
Fun game, only real problem being the aforementioned bug. I hope you plan on finishing it :)
Fantastic concept, and very nicely executed. I love the visual feel of the whole experience.
Wow. Just outstanding. Excellent take on the theme, my favorite "Mondrian" so far, by far. Top marks in every category, it all fit perfect
Wow, this is pretty fantastic. I feel like playing it a lot could actually help with rhythm/coordination for playing actual instruments :)
Too funny, and surprisingly entertaining, actually. Excellent use of theme ;)
Gorgeous graphics and concept! I would love to play this on my iPad!
Super interesting project! Surprisingly fun, but really the fact that you created this twine extension in the timeframe of the jam alone is impressive. I hope it catches on!
Can't wait to see what you make with this! Seems like a strong start!
I think you are. Also, did you excerpt that readme out of House of Leaves?
Is there a 32Bit windows version?
Absolutely wowed. Graphics and music both lent to a very charming atmosphere. Only gripe is getting stuck bumping into stuff on the stairs.
Only suggestion would be to have the timers not stop when the stairs come down. Gives players a chance to completely clear each floor before moving on.
Wow! Very cool that you were able to put together multiplayer so fast!
I found myself playing this for far longer than I expected. The music was oddly entrancing, made me picture a casio playing alone in a peaceful meadow
Really enjoyed the random generation, but occasionally ran into visual glitches that made it near impossible to win. Hope to see a finished version after compo!
Can't wait to see this on my iPad!
Nice concept, probably a little big to tackle for the Dare tho!
I really enjoyed the game, would be a great inclusion for any mini-game game
I really love the aesthetic of this game! The lo-fi 3d look is pulled off excellently, and matches well with the music and sound effects as well!
Nice job! With the control issues polished and a little more content I could see this being an addictive little game!
Thanks so much! We ran into like a hundred million AI bugs toward the end, so a lot of features/levels got dropped and menus weren't finished as we wanted them :)
Also because of a recurring glitch with the ESC key we had to use the "Q" button as an exit. Another fix added in the last 20 min :P
Gorgeous, immensely atmospheric game. Thanks for sharing :)
I would rather be a true gentleman.
All I'm seeing is a black screen with $0 at the top?
Great game! Would love to see a finished version with some more gameplay options :)
Well done sir!
I have to admit this confused the shit out of me :P But it did give me points, and that was delightful :)
really fun, reminded me of the older Metal Gear games a little bit. Adding some offensive capabilities would be awesome! My only gripe is that I got spotted by an enemy through a wall while invisible :P
I actually really enjoyed this entry. The audio and graphics work well together to create a nice ambiance. It matches well with the slow urgency of the game :)
Ten Stars!
Great game! Lovely pixel art :)
Great game, music matched the vibe perfectly :)
Really enjoyed the first level's mechanic, very interesting. The steep difficulty change on the third level was a little frustrating. Overall a very nice and varied entry :)
Fantastic art but I wasn't able to make it past the first monster :(
Wow, really loved the graphics. Was half convinced the gameplay was generating the music for a while :P
Hilarious and very true to the original game :)
Fun silly little game. The success screen is brilliant :)
Super fun! Surpisingly addictive dig mechanic :P
Wow, really love the cerebral approach to the theme. Graphics are minimalistic awesome, as always ;)
I agree with johnbrynte on everything. Great example of how aesthetics and feel can make a game much more than its mechanics :)
Glad to hear you'll continue work on this project. Clearly lemmings-like, but you've already started to make it your own quite effectively :)
Great concept and use of theme!
Wow, a lot of polish on this for such a short timeframe. Really enjoyable game, every aesthetic touch suited it perfectly and there wasn't a single one too many. If you're continuing to work on it multiplayer might be fun to play around with ;)
Wow! Online multi in LD is a tough feat to pull off, that it was your first is just amazing :)
Very fun game! Challenging, works well within its limitations. The controls made for a lot of close-calls with the "competitors" which was nice, although there seems to be a point where the game is easier because of all the obstuctions (although at another point it seemed like I couldn't get any stars because of them :P) Overall one of the more enjoyable gameplay experiences I've had this LD
Just so you know, the .rar link took me to a password request? Anyways, great game, very polished presentation! As noted by Windmill, the "feel" of the game is great :)
Great game! Incredibly polished for such a short timeframe!
I'm getting a server not found error when I click your download link?
Love the GFX!
Great game concept! Fewer rings/colors might make it a little easier to play/allow for increased difficulty in other places. Frequently lost lives because I clicked in the wrong place.
Fantastic game! Very polished given the amount of time, hope you plan on continued development :)
Wow, this looks great, really wish it would run on my PC :P Any chance of getting a video up?
Not sure I understood what was going on, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching it :)
Fantastic art! Really loved how the tablet follows you around too- great touch, it really enhances the surrealism of the scene. As does the snowman, somehow...
Great entry! Could see this being very fun with multiplayer!
Can't wait to see a post-compo version :)
Brilliant use of the theme, very innovative mechanic as well. I wonder what else you could do with it, given more time?
Difficult but surprisingly fun for its simplicity. I love how you put all four levels on one screen in the beginnging, gave it a nice sectional feeling :)
PS: Made it to 3rd room twice, can't get any further ;)
I like the mechanic of leading the jellyfishes around. Good visual aesthetics too :)
Cute game! Not too long, not too short, has a really oddly uplifting vibe for me.
I think the fractal isn't working properly on my computer :P
Game plays pretty well although I would do something to make combat favor the player more.
Great platforming controls! Really loved the player character's design :)
Really great game! I wonder if you could combine these games into some kind of larger, jokey director career simulator?
Wow so many characters! Awesome entry, love the wire-fu and the voice work is excellent!
Wow, so much GFX! Very well put-together "message game" genuinely jarring at some points!
Excellent idea, perfect for the theme! With a tiny bit of polish this seems like it would make a great spelling/vocabulary game for kids.
love the "shake" control mechanic! Very appropriate and fun, really ties the theme into the gameplay too.
Very cute/well-execute game!
"not research, just cute" <- best line of LD32 :)
Great game! One of the best LD entries I've ever seen, honestly. Perfect execution on the gfx, reminded me so much of old-school silent hill.
Great game! some of the visual effects could kick in sooner I think, as well as generally ramping up the enemies faster. If you decide to continue development I would also add some more visual feedback for the player as it is occasionally hard to figure out what's going on.
Great job getting a multiplayer game done under such constraints! Any plans to continue developing it?
Great idea and execution! Very original and super thematic!
Love the mechanics of the game and the execution/thematic are very enjoyable too. One of my favorite titles of an LD game ever for definitely.
Great game! If you need music for a fuller version hit me up on twitter :)
Retro mash-up brilliance plain and simple. Very enjoyable. For some reason the "tetris" facilities reminded me of NERV.
Standout work!
Holy jiminy shit I love your graphics! Such pretty pixels! Would play any number of games in your strange world :)
Great entry.
I'll admit that it seems you've worked around the theme more than work with it, but it's such a solid game it doesn't matter. This would be a solid project for someone with 5 month's experience if it took them 5 months to make it.
Graphics are great, music is great, sound effects are solid sounding and have character. As djfariel said, just make it more. please :)
LOL Why is she naked?!
Loved the foley work and music, one of the best title screens I've seen this Dare. Total mood game, but I also found the shooting mechanics surprisingly squishy and fun.
Awesome art! Great use of a few high quality assets to elevate above a typical jam-game. Super good use of mood and theme to make the game feel cohesive; instead of distracting, the little problems inherent in a game made so fast seem like a part of the aesthetic whole.
Also loved the music, perfect counterpart to the graphics.
Even the imperfect looping felt intentional :P
I played this for wayyyyyyy longer than I should have :P
Good work!
A bit laggy for me too :\
Beautiful graphics; minimal but well executed. Audio is a good compliment to the overall mood.
Brutally difficult, but you knew that ;)
always started lagging once 4 or so baddies had shown up, never made it long past that :P
Still, very good entry, and truly very pretty. Especially the title screen.
Highly recommend expanding the gameplay and reapproaching as a longer game. What else might he do with his house? Where might he take it? Rare that a dare game leaves me with questions like that! :)
TOO GREAT. I absolutely love this game. The battle mode is so so so creative and fun! Overall amazing aesthetic. Also whoever wrote that description is a gifted writer. +1 star for making me laugh with just your use of capslock!
Very polished and lovely. You may not have created the assets yourself but you showed great care and good taste in how they were used. Well executed game mechanic and one of the best takes on the theme I've seen for sure!
seems like the game suffered from only being playtested by the person who made it ;) (I too am guilty of this!) Despite being a bit difficult the game is very neat, it unearths a few original ideas and has a lot of content and incredible attention to ambiance for a jam game. Loved the use of the theme as well, it reads without being obtuse, and makes perfect sense in your setting. Overall a very strong, unique submission. Hope to see more from you!
Fantastic idea, and so well put together. Particularly love the visuals, which had to serve the double purpose of looking good and being extremely clear and legible and did a wonderful job of both
There is a lot to love about this game. Wow. Incredible art, and not just for the time crunch. I think what blows me away the most is the sound design. So So So good. Way too good for a jam game, but that seems to be the bar set all around here. 5 stars across the board. I wish I had more of them.
Holy shit this is incredible. The art is amazing on every front. Blown away.
This is an absolute trip. I will have to force my roommate to play this with me when he is here. Just fiddling around with a couple controllers was quite fun :)
Great entry! You did an impressive number of things very well in the space of the jam!
What an ambitious, crazy idea. And then, holy fuck that execution. Really great work, truly outstanding.
Solid platforming controls, really nice early-2000s newgrounds aesthetic, loved how the audio matched the visual elements in that way. The dash jump was a little unpredictable but also felt, powerful? It was fun and has a rewarding "feel" to it
Absolutely fantastic entry. I adored the graphics presentation, the UI was stunning. The sense of humor and general vibe throughout was incredible, and it all came off so polished. Not to mention it was just a really original and pleasant and fun game. You all really killed it.
Great Entry. You don't often have time to really iron out more than basic mechanics for a jam game so I honestly applaud you for focusing on your message and honing the artistic edge of your project.
"It's getting dark." "I'm scared." Did a jam game just make me cry? Beautiful work, as always.
This was just really fun and pretty and great. Incredible.
Good job getting a boss fight into a jam game! And multiple playable characters! I liked being able to push the cat around, was surprised (in a good way) when the box broke and made me live with my decisions up to that point :P
Really great game with an excellent use of the theme and lots of nicely varied content. I was impressed how often the random generated challenges wound up being memorably fun, and the well-picked thematic content pretty much ensures every failure is more funny than frustrating. My only big note would be that one failure taking you all the way back to the start is pretty harsh ;)
Really lovely game, outstanding art and mood :) My only note really is that I tried the stick on the balloon many times before it worked. Making that type of interaction clearer, like why it's failing (out of range vs. wrong object) would be nice
really great entry. Goddamn good gamn tbh, with a little fine tuning. Probably the best direct take on the theme I've seen, and really feature complete for a jam game. Checkpoints were such a relief!