FoonLudum Dare ExplorerUsers → Jace239

Jace239

Games

YearLDThemeGameDivisionRankOvFuInThGrMoCo
201534Two Button Controls / GrowingHopejam5003.343.143.373.713.313.4665

Performance over time

overall score (left axis) percentile (right axis)

Scatterplots

Fun vs Overall

Innovation vs Overall

Theme vs Overall

Graphics vs Overall

Mood vs Overall

Comments by Jace239

LD34 — Two Button Controls / Growing

grow or burn by Silvio 2015-12-19T22:01:00

I like the game, I just can't stand the menu system. This is one of those cases where earning points in the theme cost you more points everywhere else. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I could have just clicked some options easily. Still would've given it full stars for the Growing theme and more stars for Fun and Overall. Nonetheless, I can appreciate the creativity that went into designing the game and overcoming both themes simultaneously. Good job!

Growing Madness by WebFreak001 2015-12-20T03:32:00

I like the variety of games and that the buttons are randomized. It would be better though if it gave you more time to test out the buttons (or didn't start until you'd pushed both buttons once) and if the game order was randomized. Still, it was fun. Good job.

Two-Punch Man by canary40 2015-12-19T23:02:00

The concept's good, it fits the theme and it has good graphics and audio. Unfortunately, it's just not very fun with the switching stances mechanic. It's difficult to time pushing both buttons and often I'll just push one or the other, making this more a game of button-mashing and luck than skill. If you work on this further, maybe you could control stances via the mouse's position instead, where if the mouse is on the enemy's side it's offensive, and if it's on your side, it's defensive. Or something like that. Anyway, it's still a well-made game. Good job.

Pete and the Beanstalk by SeriousCreeper 2015-12-15T08:09:00

This game is much fun! The music's great too, upbeat and exciting, perfect for the way it plays. The graphics are beautiful and polished, the gameplay is smooth, my mind is blown by it all. I have no idea how you'd begin to program that, I still have a lot to learn...

Ah but anyway, this was fantastic. My only complaint is that as it gets faster, it becomes -almost- impossible to grab the flowers due to the delay between teleporting to a side and then jumping. You pretty much need to just be lucky enough to have a flower heading towards you on the same side of the plant (though this did happen).

Overall I love this game, and I see why Modoc73 recommended it. Great job!

THE GARDENER by echa 2015-12-20T03:49:00

Love the game mechanic but the level design needs a bit of work. At later levels it's no longer about any kind of strategy but just lucking out with how the plants grow and whether you jump at the right time. I'm extremely impressed with the way you get the plants to grow and it's a gorgeous effect, but it's hard to enjoy it while trapped by your own creations. The lack of music also takes away from what could be an immersive mood. Nonetheless, excellent work!

Sanctuary Station by Joror 2016-01-02T20:31:00

Thanks for leaving a rating and commenting on my game! I included your game in an episode of my Let's Play Ludum Dare 34 series to show my gratitude! :D

Below is a link to the post with details, and you can find out my opinion of your game in the video as I play!
http://ludumdare.com/compo/2016/01/02/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-5/

Zyx's Adventure by Husky 2015-12-19T23:23:00

That was amazing. I love how you managed to get so many different mechanics from just two buttons. I admit I got a little frustrated at the part with the wall-jumping puzzle, but I kept at it because it was still fun. I do feel the controls could be a bit tighter as the speed seems inconsistent even when I do the same things. Anyway, great job!

Magical Girl Cannon by dark_hunter 2015-12-26T18:53:00

Thanks for leaving a rating and commenting on my game! I included your game in an episode of my Let's Play Ludum Dare 34 series to show my gratitude! :D

Below is a link to the post with details, and you can find out my opinion of your game in the video as I play!
http://ludumdare.com/compo/2015/12/26/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-03/

Parascythe X by Neonlare 2015-12-21T15:16:00

Thanks for leaving a rating and commenting on my game! I included your game in the second episode of my Let's Play Ludum Dare 34 series to show my gratitude! :D

Below is a link to the post with details, and you can find out my opinion of your game in the video as I play!
http://ludumdare.com/compo/2015/12/21/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-02/

Rolla Grolla Arena by Xanjos 2015-12-29T07:37:00

Thanks for leaving a rating and commenting on my game! I included your game in an episode of my Let's Play Ludum Dare 34 series to show my gratitude! :D

Below is a link to the post with details, and you can find out my opinion of your game in the video as I play!
http://ludumdare.com/compo/2015/12/29/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-04/

Unknown by Eshford 2015-12-15T04:38:00

I love this game! You did an amazing job with this. Where to begin...

Innovation:
- I think the way you implemented the mechanics of Two Button Controls was brilliant. Sure, it's not hard to think of doing a rhythm game, but you did it right. Further, you tied in the mechanic to the spaceship's health. That was creative, and I loved the effect!

Fun:
- I am slightly biased as I love rhythm games, but nonetheless I believe that this game's fun rating is off the charts! I was addicted, and if I didn't need to look at other games, I'd still be playing. I personally think this is the most important category, and you aced it. Now to answer why it was fun, well, part of it is that I was constantly engaged. The other part is I got pretty immediate feedback from succeeding or screwing up. The words denoting how well or poorly I did, the ship slowly bursting into flames and smoking from the rear, it all contributed to the fun experience.

Theme:
- See Innovation. You aced this too.

Graphics:
- Amazing graphics! The art is cute and retro, the style is consistent and the animations are smooth and beautiful. Had I found this game somewhere on the internet and not known it was from the Ludum Dare, I'd think it was a professionally developed (albeit small) retro game. Great work!

Audio & Mood:
- In a rhythm game I consider these two to be one and the same, and I think you succeeded on both fronts. The music goes well with the art, it feels very space-ish, and it doesn't clash with the beat. Since the music fits the game, the mood is set and maintained well. It might've been nice to have had some music on the title screen, but then again the silence at the start helps you better appreciate the music when you start playing.

Conclusion:
- There were a few subtle things I noticed that I feel deserve mentioning, and a few things that could've been improved.
- First, the subtle. I like that the score goes up gradually instead of instantly. I also like the stars that spread out after you hit a beat. They may not be a big things, but visually they have a nice effect and add to the overall experience.
- Second, what could be improved. I felt Hard mode had far too steep of a difficulty curve. There's too much difference in the rhythm and pace. As for Easy mode, it would've been nice if there were periods of calm during which there were no beats so I could get a chance to take my eyes off the top and admire the spaceship a little more. None of this was game-breaking though.
- Finally, my overall opinion? As I said earlier, I love this game. I will be playing it more in the future, and I look forward to any updates you make to it. I also freely admit that I gave it full stars in everything. Great work, RhythmRider is an EXCELLENT game!

Unknown by Eshford 2015-12-19T06:40:00

Thanks for leaving rating and commenting on my game! I included your game in the first episode of my Let's Play Ludum Dare series as thanks!

Here's a link to the post with details: http://ludumdare.com/compo/2015/12/19/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-01-is-now-uploaded/

Zen Roots by nopogo 2015-12-15T07:10:00

Three words come to mind when I reflect on this game. Soothing, engaging and beautiful.

I heard about Zen Roots in the IRC chat from Lindar and told him I'd check it out. Well I'm happy I did. As I told him in IRC, I love the Zen Roots song, and it's extremely fitting for this game's mood.

The simple yet elegant graphics are nice, and I like all the little touches you put in like the off-shoot roots and the details on the rocks. Even the credits screen has the nifty feature of growing trees as you wait. The whole game exudes the feeling of "zen".

The gameplay is engaging too. I found it a lot of fun. My main complaint (a small one) is that I died early on due to mistaking a tiny rock for one of the white pickups (I hadn't yet found a legitimate one yet). The other is that I feel the white pickups are too rare. I got to 361 which I felt was decently far and had only seen a single white pickup.

That aside, this was a lovely game and I enjoyed it thoroughly. It's just what I needed to relax after all the stress I've had today. Thank you, and excellent work!

Zen Roots by nopogo 2015-12-19T06:50:00

I included your game in my Let's Play Ludum Dare series as thanks for commenting on my game!

You can check out the details here: http://ludumdare.com/compo/2015/12/19/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-01-is-now-uploaded/

ZORC by Andrew Deem 2015-12-15T20:01:00

Genius concept. I love the idea of swapping out what your buttons do. I originally had a similar idea (for a completely different kind of game) but ultimately scrapped it, so it's nice to see the concept in a working game.

I think the music, sound-effects and narration all set the mood and that mood in turn really makes the game enjoyable to play. I plan on completing the game fully when I have more time. Good job!

ZORC by Andrew Deem 2015-12-19T06:49:00

I included your game in my Let's Play Ludum Dare series as thanks for commenting on my game!

You can check out the details here: http://ludumdare.com/compo/2015/12/19/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-01-is-now-uploaded/

Cultivate by kmakai 2015-12-29T07:25:00

Thanks for leaving a rating and commenting on my game! I included your game in an episode of my Let's Play Ludum Dare 34 series to show my gratitude! :D

Below is a link to the post with details, and you can find out my opinion of your game in the video as I play!
http://ludumdare.com/compo/2015/12/29/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-04/

Wellspring Wanderer by Justin Mullin 2015-12-21T15:18:00

Thanks for leaving a rating and commenting on my game! I included your game in the second episode of my Let's Play Ludum Dare 34 series to show my gratitude! :D

Below is a link to the post with details, and you can find out my opinion of your game in the video as I play!
http://ludumdare.com/compo/2015/12/21/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-02/

Growth of the Hive by Wir 2016-01-02T18:53:00

I tried playing this but unfortunately it just hangs at the part where it says "Launching (this may take a while)" for me. I waited a few minutes and nothing happened. I'm on Windows 7: Home Premium edition if that helps, and I was trying to play it in 1024x768.

grow by shaulor 2015-12-16T02:42:00

It has potential but it takes a bit too long to get anywhere, so I couldn't afford the time to keep playing.

I also thought the instructions were too small, difficult to read and not well organized. I ended up spending my resources in a way that I couldn't proceed any further due to running out. This could have been prevented if the bulldoze option gave you resources back.

Nonetheless, if I fully understood the way to play it and I had more time, I think I'd enjoy the game. I do like games like these. If you continue work on it and would like me to look at it again, feel free to let me know and I will when I have a chance.

It's apparent you put a lot of work into it, so good job and good luck with future projects. ^^

Deflext by Adam Gould 2015-12-19T22:38:00

I love the concept and wish I could enjoy it more, as I'm a big fan of sword-wielding games like these. Unfortunately, as others have said, the poor depth-perception makes it difficult to effectively block the shots, even with the lines to help. What's worse though is when the balls shoot off-screen so you can't even see where they'll end up hitting your sword, you just have to guess. It's also a bit annoying that the wizards will barely give you any usable shots when they're alone (water mage shooting water, volatile, water, volatile, water, volatile, unblockable normal, etc.) I do hope you keep working on this, as I'd love to play a better version of this game. Good work, keep it up!

Xtreme Crop Duster Simulator '82 by rjhelms 2015-12-26T18:49:00

Thanks for leaving a rating and commenting on my game! I included your game in an episode of my Let's Play Ludum Dare 34 series to show my gratitude! :D

Below is a link to the post with details, and you can find out my opinion of your game in the video as I play!
http://ludumdare.com/compo/2015/12/26/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-03/

Bellows by TaylorAnderson 2015-12-15T05:51:00

You guys did an amazing job with this! The sprites, the sound-effects and the music all fit the mood perfectly! I think the mechanic of using bellows to launch yourself upward is incredibly creative and naturally you fit the two button theme. I also find the situation, the character and the death by enemies to be funny and enjoyable.

My main gripe with the game is the spacing of the bubbles. They feel too random and near the start, too sparse. It's fine to be challenging, but death due to lack of bubbles feels unfair. By contrast, I enjoyed it when I lost due to a crow collision. Another problem is it's too difficult to control your turns, but this might be more forgivable if the bubbles were more common.

Nonetheless, I found it entertaining. Well done!

Pixies Flowers by puppetmaster 2015-12-20T01:11:00

Cute game. I'm sure kids would enjoy it, and I found the mechanics interesting. Personally I'd prefer tighter controls so that the water stops when I click, but perhaps you intentionally have it work that way to force you to plan ahead? Anyway, nice to see something the kiddies can enjoy, good job.

Eda by alpha_rats 2015-12-19T21:41:00

It's a bit hard to control growing the branches in a way I'd like. Aside from that, I like the concept, the graphics look nice and the music sounds good and fits the mood. If it were easier to influence how the branches split and in what direction, I'd enjoy it a lot more. Still, good work. I love that you did a bonzai growing game. I hope you'll continue to work on it!

Row Row Row Your Goat by A-Flat Miner Studios 2015-12-15T05:30:00

The graphics and music fit the humor of the game perfectly. Naturally, the mood is also perfect. I find the rowing mechanic to be hilarious and fitting for the two buttons theme, and it's quite innovative too. The game itself is fun to play and I like that despite the implied threat, the goat does not seem to ever eat your last oar, letting me play at my own pace.

Overall, an incredible and well-polished game. It looks like it was developed professionally, and you even have a website to download it from! I'm impressed (and envious), great work!

A Striangle Journey by Bobsleigh 2015-12-16T00:56:00

When I try to run the .exe, I get the following error message:

A Striangle Journey.exe - Entry Point Not Found

The procedure entry point ucrtbase.terminate could not be located in the dynamic link library api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll.

A Striangle Journey by Bobsleigh 2015-12-16T00:57:00

I realized I could provide a bit more information, sorry. I'm using Windows 7: Home Premium edition.

The Tie Game by Dejvo 2016-01-02T20:30:00

Thanks for leaving a rating and commenting on my game! I included your game in an episode of my Let's Play Ludum Dare 34 series to show my gratitude! :D

Below is a link to the post with details, and you can find out my opinion of your game in the video as I play!
http://ludumdare.com/compo/2016/01/02/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-5/

spin-circle by Modoc73 2015-12-15T06:55:00

Nice take on both the two button controls and growing themes. The graphics, while simple, look nice and polished, and the style is consistent. I like the introduction of more instruments as you progress, and the music's good too.

As for the gameplay, it's fun and engaging. I enjoyed the challenge of trying to minimize my movement so I could stay small and dodging at the last second.

If there's one thing that bothered me about this game it was the menu at the start. You mention nothing about using the mouse in this entry or in the game, so I was stumped for a while trying to figure out how to progress. It didn't take long for me to try clicking, but it would've been nice if that were more obvious or the main controls were used somehow.

Nonetheless, great concept, great game, great job!

spin-circle by Modoc73 2015-12-19T06:49:00

I included your game in my Let's Play Ludum Dare series as thanks for commenting on my game!

You can check out the details here: http://ludumdare.com/compo/2015/12/19/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-01-is-now-uploaded/

SHRiNK by qkerguelen 2016-01-02T20:32:00

Thanks for leaving a rating and commenting on my game! I included your game in an episode of my Let's Play Ludum Dare 34 series to show my gratitude! :D

Below is a link to the post with details, and you can find out my opinion of your game in the video as I play!
http://ludumdare.com/compo/2016/01/02/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-5/

Gjallarhorn by NoWandStudios 2015-12-29T07:20:00

Thanks for leaving a rating and commenting on my game! I included your game in an episode of my Let's Play Ludum Dare 34 series to show my gratitude!

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to play much due to technical difficulties, but I at least captured them on video for you. If you do manage to fix the issues and want me to give it another try, please let me know and I will.

I am on Windows 7 Home Premium, I use Firefox 43.0.2 and if you need any other technical details, let me know.

Below is a link to the post with details:
http://ludumdare.com/compo/2015/12/29/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-04/

Gjallarhorn by NoWandStudios 2016-01-02T20:29:00

Thanks for leaving a rating and commenting on my game! I included your game in an episode of my Let's Play Ludum Dare 34 series to show my gratitude! :D

Below is a link to the post with details, and you can find out my opinion of your game in the video as I play!
http://ludumdare.com/compo/2016/01/02/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-5/

Garbage Run by Dege 2015-12-29T07:16:00

Thanks for leaving a rating and commenting on my game! I included your game in an episode of my Let's Play Ludum Dare 34 series to show my gratitude! :D

Below is a link to the post with details, and you can find out my opinion of your game in the video as I play!
http://ludumdare.com/compo/2015/12/29/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-04/

Mecha Planeta by Zeriver 2015-12-26T18:52:00

Thanks for leaving a rating and commenting on my game! I included your game in an episode of my Let's Play Ludum Dare 34 series to show my gratitude! :D

Below is a link to the post with details, and you can find out my opinion of your game in the video as I play!
http://ludumdare.com/compo/2015/12/26/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-03/

Super Kawaii Timeshift Desu by chaomoon 2015-12-15T06:00:00

I love this! Everything about it! The cute cat! The deadly spikes! The doublejump! The timewarp mechanic! The puzzles! I haven't beaten the game yet, but believe me, I intend to. I'll do a Let's Play of it later, I think this game will be perfect for that. Rage-inducing goodness.

In the time I played it for, I couldn't find any real faults with this game. You already mentioned and opted out of the music, so that's covered. Although I will say I don't think you necessarily should've opted out of Audio, because the sound-effects were still great!

Anyway, good work! I look forward to playing this some more later! :D

Neo Oxygene by Jwatt 2015-12-29T07:36:00

Thanks for leaving a rating and commenting on my game! I included your game in an episode of my Let's Play Ludum Dare 34 series to show my gratitude! :D

Below is a link to the post with details, and you can find out my opinion of your game in the video as I play!
http://ludumdare.com/compo/2015/12/29/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-04/

Nunsaram by jangdan 2015-12-16T08:59:00

Cute graphics and gameplay. I thought the concept was interesting, but there were a few things that hampered my enjoyment. First, the music was painful for me to listen due, though that may be my person taste. Second, the behavior of the children was confusing. I expected them to be a threat once the exclamation mark showed up, but they take a long time to turn red and actually start chasing you. I also may or may not have found a bug because at one point (before dying to children) I died when (it looked like) I just ran into one of the dead snowmen. I assumed (incorrectly) that they caused my death.

That aside, it's still a well-made game, I just have a few issues with it. Good job both of you!

Mount FuJ by roaringcatgames 2015-12-20T04:50:00

The art is beautiful and the music is fitting, but the gameplay was somewhat lacking. Once I figured out the range and timing I could just spam fireballs at a certain distance and guarantee victory. Finally, it'd be nice if there was a quantifiable measure of success as you clear waves. Maybe the village could slowly grow? Something like that. Anyway, good game and good job. :)

NanoBit by Weeping Rupee 2015-12-19T06:49:00

I included your game in my Let's Play Ludum Dare series as thanks for commenting on my game!

You can check out the details here: http://ludumdare.com/compo/2015/12/19/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-01-is-now-uploaded/

NanoBit by Weeping Rupee 2015-12-19T22:06:00

Realized I forgot to rate this, so posting again so I can submit my vote. My opinions are reflected in the Let's Play video as mentioned in my post above ;)

Star Reach by alexfoo 2015-12-15T05:40:00

I liked the soothing music and the look of the water, the island and the child. I also found the growing mechanic interesting, and I liked that you can choose how to play.

Unfortunately, it got laggy and downright unplayable once I neared the star. I'm not sure if something was supposed to happen when I reached it, but I never saw a win screen. It got to the point where there were yellow and green branches on-screen despite my having clicked Ok to the growing. Might be because I clicked too quickly while it was lagging.

Maybe you can fix that, if so I'd be willing to try it again. Good luck :)

Cube Wars by Chubb1337 2015-12-26T18:55:00

Thanks for leaving a rating and commenting on my game! I included your game in an episode of my Let's Play Ludum Dare 34 series to show my gratitude! :D

Below is a link to the post with details, and you can find out my opinion of your game in the video as I play!
http://ludumdare.com/compo/2015/12/26/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-03/

Homeworld by Bumblepie 2015-12-26T18:50:00

Thanks for leaving a rating and commenting on my game! I included your game in an episode of my Let's Play Ludum Dare 34 series to show my gratitude! :D

Below is a link to the post with details, and you can find out my opinion of your game in the video as I play!
http://ludumdare.com/compo/2015/12/26/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-03/

Repulsion by DieBackStudios 2015-12-15T16:22:00

I liked the graphic style and the music. It's a creative take on the two buttons theme. As others have said, it's quite challenging. At times I felt like it was impossible, but I think that's probably just due to not mastering the switching mechanic. Overall it was still a fun and interesting game, good job!

Crack Space by HJP 2015-12-15T03:43:00

Okay, I played it and here's what I thought.

First Impression:
- Parts of it were in a different language (I assume Spanish?) and that really confused me. I feel like I missed part of what I'm supposed to know about the game, either story or extra information.
- There wasn't nearly enough time for me to read the instructions and get myself ready to play. I think you should have displayed instructions on a separate screen where I could click to confirm (like the screen with all that text) so I wouldn't need to restart repeatedly to read it all.

Second Play-through:
- I realized that there was a language option at the bottom. I feel kind of silly for missing it, but I'm not sure why I needed to select English given that the main menu is IN English. You'd think the rest of the game would be English too and only change to Portuguese if I selected that language choice.
- I think there's a bug with the asteroid as getting hit by it destroys two of my ships instead of just one, unless that's intentional?
- The graphics don't mesh very well. The ships match in style, but the asteroid and the upgrade box don't. Also the instruction text doesn't match the font of the rest of the game. I understand it's a Ludum Dare so getting quality graphics is difficult, but making the graphics fit the same style is actually more important than individual graphical quality.
- The above aside, I thought the control system was fairly innovative and completely in line with the Two Button Controls theme. I also found the gameplay itself relatively fun. Good variety of threats. While I raged a bit at the asteroids, they added a good challenge.

Overall, a decent game. Well done, and I hope you learned as much from the Ludum Dare as I did. :)

Hope by Jace239 2015-12-15T03:45:00

@Eshford: Thank you! I'm incredibly happy that the first comment on my game was a positive one. Oh, I remember you. I was looking forward to playing your game. I'll be checking it out in a moment! :D

Hope by Jace239 2015-12-15T06:37:00

@Andrew Deem: Thanks! I'm glad you like the delay, I discovered that organic feel as a happy accident while messing with different control possibilities.

As for things getting fuzzier or darker as despair grew, I really wanted to do that! Sadly, I was running short on time and there were game-breaking issues I had to deal with first. I will definitely add that feature as I continue to work on this game though.

I'm especially pleased you took note of the message behind the game. Thanks again for the comment! :D

Hope by Jace239 2015-12-15T06:38:00

@Weeping Rupee: Thanks!

Hope by Jace239 2015-12-15T07:42:00

@Modoc73: Happy to see the art style and controls are being so well received by everyone. I'm glad it was good despite the challenge. It was difficult hard to balance between keeping it challenging yet entertaining. Thanks for the feedback!

Hope by Jace239 2015-12-15T17:59:00

@nopogo: Thank you! I'm glad you liked the concept and metaphor, it has a lot of personal value to me. I'm also happy you found the difficulty enjoyable.

As for your suggestion, I've changed it accordingly, as well as made a several tweaks and bug fixes. Thanks!

Hope by Jace239 2015-12-15T21:27:00

@ThreeLivesGames: Thank you!

Hope by Jace239 2015-12-16T16:19:00

@Neonlare: You're most welcome! I'm thrilled with your feedback, it's comments like these that make it all worthwhile. Thank you!

Hope by Jace239 2015-12-17T07:19:00

@SuperPokeunicorn: I find that it's more satisfying to successfully defend others than to just protect yourself or kill everything. I'm glad the balance was tricky, I struggled for a long while to make the game a challenge. Thank you for the wonderful feedback!

Hope by Jace239 2015-12-17T07:20:00

@Justin Mullin: I'm pleased to hear you loved the animations! I initially drew them as a single image in photoshop and was just playing around with variations, making a quick and easy animation from it. I discovered by accident that with just 3 frames of animation I could make it look good if I took advantage of the fact it seemed messed up (because you'd expect something so evil to look like that). It took a lot of tweaking to actually make it work, so I'm happy it paid off.

As for the gameplay, I originally intended it to be more complicated but I just ran out of time. Still, shooting constantly can potentially hurt you if you get caught by the waves of freed souls (black souls spit out by the enemy). If you were shooting that much, I'm sure you freed a bunch, rescuing them involves getting the black souls up to the light so they become white souls and add to your Hope score. I'll try to make that more clear in the instructions when I update the game.

I'm so glad you enjoyed the experience. Thank you for the awesome comment! :D

Hope by Jace239 2015-12-17T10:34:00

@rjhelms: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the gameplay along with the challenge!

Hope by Jace239 2015-12-17T16:30:00

@Bumlepie: I'm happy you enjoyed it, though I honestly don't think I handled the scope well, haha XD. I had too large of a scope starting out and had to salvage things mid-way through. I did focus heavily on the core mechanic after that though.

Boss fight was definitely what I was going for, so I'm pleased you drew the connection. As for the shooting mechanic... yes I know. I originally did have it so you couldn't shoot while repelling, but there were... issues with making that work. I couldn't fix them in time so I just had to do without it, but I'll definitely try again as I continue developing Hope.

I see that clarity is a recurring issue. I think I get it now, I've been correcting the entry's information but not the game's instructions. I'll need to work on that soon. As for audiovisual feedback, I'll definitely put that in as I continue development.

Thank you for the detailed and constructive feedback, I really appreciate it!

Hope by Jace239 2015-12-17T16:31:00

@Bumblepie: Ah! Typo! I'm sorry I messed up your name! ^^;

Hope by Jace239 2015-12-18T01:53:00

@Zeriver: Thanks! Yes, the balance is important :)

Hope by Jace239 2015-12-19T15:14:00

@dark_hunter: I'm glad the controls work well and that the music fits. Thank you for the nice comment!

Hope by Jace239 2015-12-19T15:27:00

@Chubb1337: Hm, I'm sorry to hear that it made you feel unmotivated. The losing battle feeling was intended as you are supposed to be the source of Hope for everyone else. I think in this case it's just a matter of different taste. Nonetheless, thank you for rating and commenting. I'm glad the mood was good at least. Thanks for streaming and rating my game.

Hope by Jace239 2015-12-21T19:30:00

@NoWandStudios: Thanks!

@kmakai: Thank you! I'm happy you appreciated my take on the theme and had a great time with my game!

@Jwatt: I'm so glad you find the mouse pull intense. Yes! The feeling of needing to put your whole body into survival is exactly what I was going for! Someone gets it! Thank you!

Hope by Jace239 2015-12-27T12:34:00

@Jwatt: Thanks again!

@Xanjos: I've actually fixed this in the latest version of the game so you can only do one or the other. As soon as itch.io is back online I will upload the new version. Thanks for the feedback! :)

@alliel_a: Thanks!

@Devjo: Haha, I'm sorry your hand went numb! I'll work on tweaking the balance more in the future and possibly including different difficulties. Thanks for playing!

Hope by Jace239 2015-12-27T18:50:00

@Wir: Thanks for the awesome feedback! :D

I'll look into the -7 points thing, that shouldn't happen. I'm not sure what would cause that. Glad you like the "black dragons", haha. I call them tendrils or tentacles, but dragons works.

As for playing your game, I will definitely do that. Everyone that comments on my game gets added to my to-do list and takes priority. I look forward to playing it :)

Hope by Jace239 2015-12-28T03:49:00

@Joror: Thank you! Hm, I might make a slider or something to adjust the responsiveness of the cursor sprite. As for the harshness, I suppose I can understand that. The game still doesn't function how I'd like it to, but it'll take a total a big overhaul of the core mechanics to change that. Finally, regarding diversifying powers, I was originally going to do that but ran out of time. Something else to save for the remake I suppose!

Hope by Jace239 2015-12-29T12:19:00

@qkerguelen: Thank you!

Hope by Jace239 2016-01-06T03:03:00

@Guard13007: Thank you! I'm sorry you were confused by that. When the tendril of despair shows up, it ramps up the Despair, bringing you dangerously close to the edge. It's meant to be a climactic boss-appearance moment, but I may have overdone it. When I remake the game I will make sure to balance the difficulty better.

Pong Breaker by alliel_a 2016-01-02T14:39:00

I've been playing the games of everyone who commented on mine, but unfortunately as your game is only for Linux I can't play yours. I'm sorry :/

Destination: Gravity by ThreeLivesGames 2015-12-21T15:15:00

Thanks for leaving a rating and commenting on my game! I included your game in the second episode of my Let's Play Ludum Dare 34 series to show my gratitude! :D

Below is a link to the post with details, and you can find out my opinion of your game in the video as I play!
http://ludumdare.com/compo/2015/12/21/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-02/

Growing Circles by RoynLimb 2015-12-20T01:19:00

I was going to suggest some improvements but it seems anv covered that, so I'll just say congrats on your first LD game. Pushing yourself to actually completing a game and succeeding is a worthy milestone in its own right. Keep improving from here!

My Little Planet by Bjarnovikus 2015-12-19T22:22:00

I like the game's concept, though I would have enjoyed it more if the years passed slower or I could somehow control the speed. Also, I know you opted out of audio, but the sound that occurs when you click a menu item is -painful-, it'd be better not to have it at all in my opinion. My ears are sensitive though, so it's possible it's just me. Anyway, good job.

Riding on Cars! by SuperPokeunicorn 2015-12-21T15:17:00

Thanks for leaving a rating and commenting on my game! I included your game in the second episode of my Let's Play Ludum Dare 34 series to show my gratitude! :D

Below is a link to the post with details, and you can find out my opinion of your game in the video as I play!
http://ludumdare.com/compo/2015/12/21/lets-play-ludum-dare-34-episode-02/