rogual

Super Pong 2000 by Wuppos 2026-10-25T13:36:06Z ♥ 0

This is excellent! I love a good LD highscore competition.

The thing that always messed me up is that, after picking a downgrade, the action starts right away. This is always where I'd drop balls, just from switching from controlling the UI to controlling the bat, and being taken out of the flow. I think perhaps it would be an improvement if the game ramped up to normal speed slowly after resuming, or something like that. Even just a pause. Or if you want to be kinder, reset the balls? Or set their velocities all to up? Just something to stop an immediate loss after the choice screen.

Screenshot 2026-10-25 at 22.33.35.png

MiniRPG by Zathnic 2026-10-23T11:45:33Z ♥ 1

I've never seen ASCII done quite like this, with the 2x2 tiles. Everyone seems to just do one glyph per thing. But this is great! I like how you drew the little trees and things with it.

At first I was confused because I thought combat would be turn-based, because ASCII, but again, why should it be? This ain't Rogue.

I enjoyed the music, too.

Didn't find an ending, and since you said "for the lategame when you run out of enemies" I kinda took that to mean there wasn't an ending, so I just closed the game when I'd had my fill. Hope I didn't miss anything.

It's fun to make your own editor but maybe if you wanted to have more time to add loot and stuff, you could use a premade editor like Tiled? Even if you're doing something unusual like ASCII, you can write some code to generate a tileset that looks like your ASCII tiles, then build the map with those. Of course, if you like making editors, there's nothing wrong with that either. Just mentioning it since you said you ran out of time.

Anyway, I had fun! Thanks for making this.

Antiquus Labyrinthus by Trusty 2026-10-23T10:32:55Z ♥ 2

Nice atmosphere, especially the audio. The character models are also excellent, really incredibly well done. I found the lever but I didn't get much further than that. I think having a map available would have been nice, and I might have been able to find the end. But I did enjoy what I saw.

Ancient Technology by kumber 2026-10-23T09:29:17Z ♥ 0

I like this!

Short and sweet, charming art, and as others have said, great ending. Many other devs, perhaps including myself, would have put up a "Do the thing to fill the duck pond!!!" screen at the start, totally ruining it. I applaud your restraint! It's so much better this way.

The whole game is kind of naive and unassuming and I dig it.

OLD-CABLE by marks 2026-10-23T08:30:18Z ♥ 1

Excellent!

From a fellow ZX Spectrum fan: I love the visual style.

The puzzle design is great, too. You took a couple of simple mechanics and explored lots of ways to use them. This makes the game feel thought-through and high quality. I had a few "Huh? ... Oh!" moments, which are always fun.

Short and sweet, but that's OK, I think it's a fine length for a jam game.

I don't really have any complaints at all. If I really try to think of something, I guess the screen transitions are a little slow?

Anyway, solid entry. High ratings from me.

Nimkip and the Quest to Build an Airship by T C 2026-10-23T07:10:22Z ♥ 2

Once I got the hang of the UI, I ended up enjoying this! I discovered the old tech, levelled up my city, and:

Screenshot 2026-10-23 at 16.02.39.png

The game was a nice length, long enough to get into the flow of things, but not outstaying its welcome.

I liked the art, especially the characters and the ships. I also liked how it was easy to see who still had an action remaining.

I actually didn't mind that there weren't any opponents. A lot of the recent LD games I've played have been difficult, so a more relaxed experience was more than welcome!

Because you can't lose, the only real measure of how well you did is how quickly you won. Might have been nice to put number of turns taken on the victory screen.

Also, as a trackpad user, it might have been nice to be able to pan around with the trackpad rather than using the arrow keys.

Anyway, nice entry!

Fotoshu: Caught on Film by Aviv Levy 2026-10-23T06:29:08Z ♥ 3

This is amazing!

OK, first of all, your level design is top tier. Because LD is so short, you don't have time to implement a lot of different mechanics, so you gotta do your best with two or three simple ones, but still make compelling levels, and you totally did. When I got past the first couple key levels I thought, heh, you could do two keys, and boom, you did. Then after that you did a level where you can't put the key in the door but you can just not put the door... you really thought through all the combinations of the mechanics you had, to get maximum level design potential. That's a real mark of quality.

Then, you packaged it up with great art, good audio, little animations (different ones!), a story, a nice UI... and then you spent time on playability, making sure it was easy to delete a photo, you can't get stuck on tiny bits of land, the camera movement is subtly quantized to avoid jank... it's all just so GOOD.

I'm giving you a lot of fives for this. Well done!

Janitorial duties by duudel 2026-10-23T04:17:51Z ♥ 0

Finished it, I think! I liked the puzzle designs. Like others, I think more content would have been nice. Your drawings are nice.

What tech did you use? I noticed the Emscripten loading screen, which usually means someone did something interesting.

Ghost Train by Koolruz 2026-10-23T02:29:48Z ♥ 1

Easy 5/5 for graphics. Charming, readable, nice palette, nice subtle CRT.

The first time a red guy started on a corner piece, that was a nice piece of game design, because you can't jump over him, so it teaches you that you don't need to jump them as I had been doing up until then.

The pitch rising on the coin-collect sound was a nice touch of polish.

At first I thought the red guys would pathfind towards me, but they don't, they just follow the same path I took. When I realized this, the game became a lot easier.

I almost cheatyfaced at the second-to-last level. I don't have the dexterity! But I eventually figured out a strategy and managed it.

Original, simple, fun... this is classic LD, well done. I really don't have any complaints except perhaps no music? Anyway, great entry.

Screenshot 2026-10-23 at 11.24.55.png

Don't Run by Local Minimum 2026-10-23T01:59:29Z ♥ 0

I love the audio. I really enjoy a well-done ambient piece. Sometimes I try it for my own LD games, but I can never quite get the hang of making something that isn't annoying and repetitive but that also falls into the background to let you focus on the game. You nailed it. It's also nice and long, which is great. I didn't notice it looping. The vocal samples on various events were a nice touch, too.

The writing was decent. A bit purple here and there, but I enjoyed it and I could easily picture the locations in my head. Also, "it'd be way too awkward to waltz into this meeting with their own posters as loot under one arm" made me laugh.

You did a great job hooking me in from the start. Sometimes, playing LD games, I feel bad because someone has gone to all this effort to build a world and I just can't get into it. But I didn't have this problem with yours. As soon as I read the letter and stepped into the building I wanted to know how it ended.

When I used the coffee machine and an actual coffee appeared I was like, wait, what? OK, this just got even more interesting, haha.

As an LD oldtimer, I enjoyed the appearance of S. Man. When I got to the typewriter and it said I was ready to hit the L, I thought I was supposed to click on what would be the "L" key, so I was counting the keys from the left, A, S, D, F, ... and then it was just game over. Would have been a neat puzzle to make you type something that way.

Even though the end was a bit abrupt, I was super impressed how you managed to create an atmosphere and a mystery and a sense of place, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the game. I just wish there were a bit more!

Now, sorry, but I'm gonna nitpick, because you hit a pet peeve of mine. When the text types onto the screen, if a word is going to hit the right margin and wrap, it will start typing at the cursor position near the right margin, and only when enough letters are typed to wrap it, the whole word moves mid-type to the left margin.

Of course, this *is* how things work when you're typing into a word processor because the computer can't know what you're going to type until you type it.

But for a game, where the whole text is known ahead of time, you can start the word over at the left so it doesn't have to move when it hits the margin.

This is much less "flickery" and easier to look at, and is what games with typing text tend to do.

Sorry... it's super minor. I think it's just something I'm sensitive to for whatever reason.

Anyway, great entry. Thanks for making it!

Up a Tree by zevwax 2026-10-22T12:16:01Z ♥ 1

I started this and I thought, this is nice, good atmosphere, good game feel, I think I'll go—oh, it's finished. I wanted more!

Old Man Playing Old Game by NTMalichi 2026-10-22T11:48:07Z ♥ 1

Great concept, very funny. But also kind of sad with the totally bare room you can see in the background. Interesting touch.

I didn't get very far because jumping left is just really hard; I press jump then quickly press left and he goes right then left. I guess the man is moving his finger over the right button first, and clicking means press wherever the finger is? I'm sorry, I couldn't get my head around it.

But I did appreciate the game, even if I didn't get to the end. It's a great take on the theme.

Iconworld Doctor by cassowary 2026-10-22T09:45:27Z ♥ 1

This is really well done. Polished, original, charming... what more do you want? I really enjoy it when devs like you put in the extra effort with little touches here and there, like your photo backgrounds, or how you can actually click on the checkboxes.

Really no complaints... I had to hand out a lot of 5s here.

Cass's Cogs by tetrapteryx 2026-10-20T13:14:07Z ♥ 1

At first I was like, okay, but how is this different from just playing the game in realtime? But as the levels got harder I appreciated the challenge of having to visualize what would happen. It felt a bit like trying to think ahead in chess, which I suck at, but I still enjoyed your game. It's also satisfying watching your solution play out.

I stared at level four for a while before twigging what I had to do. But then I saw it. Well done!

Level design and difficulty progression is top-notch. Graphics are great, and fitting. This is a good example of a simple idea, easy to grasp, but with a lot of design potential. I could see the levels getting even more complex after these, with more stuff, but I'm actually glad they didn't because my brain is still recovering from LD.

Absolutely solid entry.

Zwillenschuss by thejackimonster 2026-10-20T02:51:48Z ♥ 1

Nice work! I thought you did a great job with the art. Bouncing the projectiles felt good. Agreed that some audio would have been nice, and maybe a score target? Still, it was a pleasant experience :)

(By the way, are you aware that your source code is loginwalled? I was curious to see it, so I signed up for GitLab. Then I needed to go through account verification. First I needed to solve three puzzles. Then I had to confirm my email address. Then I was asked for a phone number. At this point I gave up.)

Use the Shovel by Ilari 2026-10-20T02:35:21Z ♥ 1

Yes, sound would have been great! Still, nice idea and good effort. I liked how the fire's light radius expanded when I added the coal, nice touch. You opted out of theme but I thought shovelling coal onto fires to heat a bath was a perfectly good take on "old tech". Also, respect for SDL/GL.

SIGBLAST by marks 2026-04-25T17:55:23Z ♥ 1

I really like the chunky-pixel-art-on-cubes style. Just a really stylish entry. I got stuck for a while at the two pillars next to each other, but I don't mind a hard puzzle and it was satisfying when I figured out what I had to do.

The game is short, but that's not necessarily a bad thing for a jam game.

Nice work!

Signal Machine by skeyven 2026-04-25T16:08:01Z ♥ 2

This is great! Reminds me of the inventive things people used to do with Flash back in the day. The art style fits really well, too. I was enjoying it but I couldn't get past the hill. I could get most of the way up by repeatedly jumping on the button for the big wheel, but that doesn't get me over the steepest part, and I don't have time to switch to the propeller before I'm rolling back down again. I'll probably give it another go later because I want to see the rest!

Smoke Diss by Andreas Roschal 2026-04-23T17:10:11Z ♥ 3

This is such a great take on the theme. It's hilarious.

The face reacting to everything is just perfect, it makes this game. You guys get my first 5 for humour this jam.

The art is great too.

A bit more variety between the rounds might have been nice.

Laser Beat by Gotlib 2026-04-23T13:06:28Z ♥ 2

Excellent, excellent, excellent!

Lovely to look at, killer audio, and a great, original puzzle concept which I've never seen before. Each level was a satisfying solve.

I was sad there were only a few levels. I was looking forward to some harder ones, then it ended. You could make a full game of this.

The only complaint I have is that it took a minute or two for me to understand what I was supposed to do, but once I got it, wow!

Great entry.

Wi-Fix It by DaniSerranu 2026-04-23T08:36:41Z ♥ 3

Super solid entry here. I love love love the PC theming. Art is great and BGM is pleasant without being distracting.

I found some of the levels to be cheesable; I think you can jump a bit higher than maybe you guys thought. But I'm glad, because the intended route on some of those levels was a bit much for me, haha.

I didn't love Shift to dash; if your hands are on WASD and space, Shift is an awkward reach and you can only really use a weak finger. I missed a lot of dashes.

Sometimes when you're standing near the edge of a platform you can just slip off later without touching any keys. Most deaths felt like my fault, but these were a bit frustrating.

I liked what you did with the theme. It added something and elevated your game above being just another platformer. I liked how when you enabled the extra wifi, it stayed on even if you died. Smart decision there I think.

The ending made me laugh.

Did you guys play Deltarune? The whole vibe kinda reminded me of that one computer bit from that.

Signal Slasher by Tkap1 2026-04-22T18:06:12Z ♥ 1

At first I did not understand this at all. There's a lot to understand and you have to understand it all pretty quick because the game is pushing you forward into death.

I kept at it, though, and got into the rhythm of the signal, and really the turning point was when I realized you could swing your weapon to make the spinning saws move.

Once you get a feel for it, this opens up and becomes a good game with a high skill ceiling, which makes the leaderboard a great addition. It's great fun to slowly get better at something and climb the rankings, and you designed it really well so there's always something you could improve, if you just do one more run...

I think if you improved some of the initial experience to make it easier to get to the point where you "get it", that would really help. For instance:

1. At first I found it hard to look away from the action to the signal, and wished the signal was visible "everywhere"; like, maybe if it bathed the level in green or red light, or at least lit up your character red or green, or was attached to your character. As I got better, I stopped caring about this because I learned to just keep the signal in my peripheral vision, but as a noob it was rough.

2. It's hard to see the grid and judge exactly where you are, which leads to missed jumps and walking into stuff. The player floating slightly above the floor adds to this effect.

3. Perhaps some UI indication of your health and how many "free moves" you have. Though I guess keeping these hidden makes it require more skill, especially the free moves.

4. I'm not sure about the auto-move. It seems to function mostly as a time limit, where if you don't pick a move in time it fucks you up by pushing you forwards, often hurting you. Was this intended, or was it supposed to be helpful?

The level design I thought was great. There was just one part I didn't understand, with three portals in a row against a wall. It just seems to kill you? The only way I found to pass it was to touch the leftmost portal then quickly move right twice. You take damage but get through. I have no idea if this is intended or how you're supposed to approach this part.

Anyway, despite some rough edges early on, there is a good game in here, and it would just take a couple tweaks to bring it out.

(Also, programmer fist bump for writing this in C++ with no engine.)

While You Were Here by jpat 2026-04-20T19:15:18Z ♥ 3

I like this! Your character art is great, and full of personality. Did you ever play Abe's Oddysee/Exoddus? The atmosphere and gameplay (and the whistling) remind me a bit of those games, which is never a bad thing.

The puzzles are rather good, doing a lot with only a few kinds of items. The last one stumped me for a while until I realized that the golem can walk through the wall, and that signalling while riding on him has its own effect.

There's a bit of glitchiness: you can get stuck in certain places, and in fullscreen I couldn't manage to restart the level without leaving fullscreen first. But nothing major.

I never did quite figure out the rule for when the golem comes when you call and when he ignores you. But it didn't get in the way too much.

Would have been nice if you'd had time to make the environment art as nice as the character art.

Really nice atmospheric game.

Moon Moth by kanity 2026-04-20T17:45:05Z ♥ 2

I loved this!

Ludum Dare is full of programmers so it's a nice change to see an art-heavy game.

And for this game, I'm using "art" literally, because it has so much character and really feels like visiting the author's mind for a few minutes.

I feel like I got the same dream from two different yellow thingies on the first screen; or does it depend what things you catch? But if it does, then what's the difference between the yellow thingies? See, I didn't quite understand it mechanically. But then, of course I didn't, it's a dream!

I dunno, I just love art, and I love seeing people express themselves.

This feels like a kind of 'outsider art', and I absolutely don't mean that negatively. It's just so free of crates and guns and gamey stuff. It just felt like I dozed off between playing entries and had this dream, haha.

Thank you for making it!

Pawn Patron by deformhead 2026-04-20T17:10:44Z ♥ 1

The art is really good, but I'm afraid I just can't get started.

The game starts, it shows me a chessboard and some diagrams on pieces of paper, and while I'm trying to read them, something explodes and it all disappears. I have no idea what to do or what the controls are.

The game LOOKS great, so if you want to edit in some instructions I'd love to give it another go. Gonna hold off rating until I can play it.

Speed Signal by pkenney 2026-04-20T16:52:32Z ♥ 1

The first time I hit the other character I thought I was gonna die and have to restart, but you did something much more interesting and, frankly, better: you just get your banana thrown around. It's great when the author is paying attention and doesn't just automatically reach for a tired mechanic like "lose a life" or "start again". Throw the banana! It's perfect.

I really loved the sound. @nikiroz took the words outta my mouth — that's exactly how it feels! It's really nice. Don't get me wrong, I love sfxr, but the human touch of little self-recorded sounds is really refreshing, and you used them so well.

Only negative I can really say is that the theme feels like a bit of a stretch.

You clearly spent a lot of time on the character dynamics and general game-feel, and it really pays off. It just makes the whole game feel like a thing of quality; the character has real weight to it and is a joy to control. Because you got this so right, the game is just fun to be in, whatever's happening.

I kinda wanted it to be longer, but I'm just being greedy. It's plenty long for a jam game.

This is the first entry I've played whose author declared use of a coding agent. It's allowed, I know, and it won't affect my rating. I won't lie, I feel a certain sadness, like I'm still jogging along in what is now a motorbike race. But it's the future, and we're never going back. It is what it is.

Anyway, really nice entry. Graphics, audio, gamefeel, all here in spades. Nice one!

Signal by mgear 2026-04-20T16:33:31Z ♥ 1

Nice idea for a puzzle game! It's too bad you didn't have time to do the rest, because it really works. Elegant and simple, and fits the theme like a glove.

Misplaced by manabreak 2026-04-20T15:45:11Z ♥ 1

I love a game with good music! Well done on the soundtrack.

I never leave an item behind if I don't have to, and it was great that Shiny McShinebottom commented on it.

He was the highlight of the game for me. I enjoyed his rather world-weary, genre-savvy attitude. His little comments when you do something dumb are a nice touch; there's something about a game predicting what you might do that makes it feel put-together, like you (the creator) know what you're doing and I'm in safe hands.

Graphics are nice too, I enjoyed the moody lighting. Though I kept thinking the beacons were Jesus crosses, haha.

Anyway, yeah. Nice work!

Signal search by notime4games 2026-04-20T13:15:39Z ♥ 1

I didn't realize at first that you have to tune in enough that the game recognizes it and then wait for the little pie chart to fill in. I was so confused at first because I was tuning to where I could read the text, but not enough for the pie chart to appear, so I thought that was all there was to see. But with the bottom guys, if you tune in properly there's extra text and you can press Z, and get the radio upgrade!

Your tune-in mechanic is a genuinely great idea. I think it's my favourite use of the theme I've seen yet. It feels like something they might put in an Animal Crossing game or something in that genre; perhaps not as the whole idea of the game, but just like for one or two quests. I've never seen anything like it. It's really nice.

Too bad there isn't more!

Signal Dungeon by rhewid 2026-04-20T12:32:34Z ♥ 1

I liked this one!

Good use of the theme. The "signal to make stuff appear" mechanic is simple, interesting enough, and works great.

Wall-jumping is very forgiving but I think that's fine. It makes the game feel casual and chill, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Challenge level towards the end was just right. Died a few times but it was always my own fault. The bit near the end where you gotta climb the rope was neat.

I was a bit apprehensive about the limited lives; I always think it's a bit harsh to make people start again. But I didn't run out of lives, so it wasn't a problem.

Anyway, nice little game. Well done!

Notgate by Umaiit 2026-04-20T09:32:08Z ♥ 0

Screenshot 2026-04-20 at 18.24.11.png This was my limit. Level 14, I think.

I think I need to get the repeater to where the rightmost box is, but I just can't find a way to do it.

Anyway, this is a good game. The puzzles are well-designed, which is like, the most important thing. The signal mechanic is a really nice implementation of the theme, and then you build on it with the repeaters, which is excellent. Maybe there are more mechanics for smart people on the later levels, I don't know :'( I don't really want to cheat and peek. Maybe I can do it if I come back to it.

Graphics are basic but clear, no complaints. Oh, one thing, the undo is very welcome but it would be nice to have a key to just restart the level in one keypress.

Why are you an F?

Holoduck by zep 2026-04-20T05:05:03Z ♥ 0

Screenshot 2026-04-20 at 13.35.52.png Hey, wait a minute! This exit is is totally fake!

Great puzzle. Some of the levels were really hard, but I persisted and got to the end. The atmosphere created by the audio, art and lighting is really nice and helps you keep going through the more difficult puzzles. That first wide open one with the cat and a couple of blocks... if this was a silent programmer-art game I might not have kept at it, but I'm glad I did, because solving difficult puzzles is satisfying!

Theme usage is super good with an original signal mechanic, well-implemented and nicely presented with the beams of light. Lighting on the background based on line of sight is a nice touch too.

I did sometimes have difficulty predicting the cat's movement, which I guess makes it like a real cat. But because this is the kind of puzzle where you're often, like, counting how many squares you need to move and judging how far the enemy will go, I sometimes found the uncertainty diminished the puzzliness somewhat. The cloaked figure I think worked well, though; I was able to figure out how he moved and give him the runaround in the end.

On the topic of puzzliness, I wonder what it would be like if you just couldn't leave the beam, rather than dying when you do? There were many times when I misjudged what would be safe and had to start the level again.

Anyway, great work, great atmosphere, great puzzles, absolutely solid entry. Really enjoyed it.

Burning Ravager by sinclairstrange 2021-10-08T11:39:09Z ♥ 1

Amazing work, well done for creating this on your own in three days. I saw it on your blog post and had to come try it -- and I wasn't disappointed!

I love explorey games like this, it's my favourite genre. Controls were tight, everything feels right and satisfying, and I never saw it drop a frame. Really nice art and music, too. And there are even several tracks!

I'd be interested to know what you used to create it -- what language, what libraries, which DAW or tracker, which art program? I liked reading the post about your process making this, but would be interested in the technical/tools side too. Of course, if these are trade secrets of yours, no worries ^^

Shifty Showers by tetrapteryx 2021-10-05T12:46:34Z ♥ 2

This is really nice.

I liked the art and the music, and I appreciated the happy vibe. There's enough sadness in the world.

I also liked that the game was very forgiving. If I didn't get all the coins, it wasn't all like "you FAILED, do it AGAIN", it just went to the next level, like it was saying, good job. It feels like you just want people to have fun. And it counts your score so people who do want the challenge can have it too. Great decision, especially for LD where the sheer number of games to play can feel overwhelming.

One thing I would say is that I feel the mouse controls weren't a good fit. You can only move in 4 directions, so it would have been nice if it had keyboard controls so I could use my gamepad. Not a big deal at all, though.

Great game, thanks for making it.

Infiniraft by LDJQ 2021-10-05T11:29:46Z ♥ 1

I won! 2:41.

Nice game. Short and sweet, which is probably the way to go for LD. I like retro stuff like this, when it's well-implemented, which this is.

It felt like the game spawned health packs more often when I was low on health, which is a nice little friendly touch, unless I was imagining it.

Good audio and theme usage too. Super solid.

Crumble by foxtrot-roger 2021-10-05T11:25:09Z ♥ 0

I won! 2:41.

Nice little game. Short and sweet, which is probably the way to go for LD. I felt like it spawned health packs more often when I was low on health, which was a nice friendly little touch, unless I was imagining it.

I like simple retro stuff like this, when it's well-implemented, which this is. Good theme use and audio too.

Super solid.

Steady Grounds by jsloth 2021-10-05T09:10:35Z ♥ 1

I like how this game embraces the floaty, silly feel that physics engines have. The motion these engines produce is inherently funny, and it leads to ridiculous results when games use it while attempting to be realistic.

Using a physics engine in a game like this, which embraces the ridiculous and, indeed, unstable feel, is a great move.

Really nice graphics, too, and you even did a logo!

Some super minor criticisms, which didn't affect my rating, and just because I have no real complaints: - I would prefer not having to press or do anything to restart the level when I die or move on to the next level when I win, but it's not a big deal. - Humans with animal heads creep me out, but that's a me problem and does not reflect badly on your game.

Great entry.

Raiders of the lost gems by Domantas 2021-10-04T20:52:49Z ♥ 0

Oh yeah! Crunchy pixel art, tight controls, good puzzle design... this is my jam.

I got to level 20 but couldn't do that one. Maybe my brain is fried from LD, or perhaps I'm just dumb. It's late... I'll try it again tomorrow.

This is a really solid entry, though. If I had one criticism it might be that the player sprite has no outline but everything else does, so he gets lost a bit. Also a lighter background would make the blocks' outlines show up better. But that's super minor, and I'm only mentioning it because there's nothing more substantial to criticize. The graphics are already really nice and legible.

And I like that rotated not-quite-isometric projection you're using. You don't see it a lot and it looks great.

Oh, also, the effect when changing levels is really nice. I like it when LD games have little bits of polish like that.

The Vortex by Liam 2021-10-04T20:33:52Z ♥ 1

Loved the creepy whispers of the ghosts.

Radioactive Horse Escape! by Butterkatt 2021-10-04T20:28:25Z ♥ 0

I enjoyed your art and music, and I also liked how different the two levels were from each other. The mechanics were standard but well-implemented; even when I missed a jump or got crushed it never felt unfair. This game would have been a good fit for LD#14 "Advancing Wall Of Doom", but it fits this theme well too.

Nice job.

SCANLINE by pdotjpg 2021-10-04T18:00:35Z ♥ 1

Very stylish entry. I like the black-and-white graphics and hacker aesthetic. Is that the old IBM font?

The sokoban block-pushing puzzles were well-implemented and made me think (though the ability to move continuously while holding down a key would have been quite nice). Once the "twist" happened things got a lot harder. Couldn't always figure out why the doors were closing on me and killing me.

"Players frustrated," lol.

Dream Dog Dilemma by potatolain 2021-10-04T17:08:07Z ♥ 1

You beautiful bastard, you actually made a NES game for LD.

Works great on OpenEmu (Nestopia). I played with the CRT filter for that genuine 1989 feel.

Screenshot 2021-10-04 at 17.51.18.png

Random observations: - Good music, and nice trick messing with it to get more mileage out of the one track - Good layer system. Was originally confused when I thought there were just 2, and I also wasn't sure what each radio would do, or if their colours had a system or meant anything. - Game crashed when I walked off the right side of the island after the 3-key door; not sure if that's the end or not. You can never tell with a theme like this! - The "tiny bushes" blocking my path early in the game made me think other similarly tiny things later on were solid, but they weren't. Not a big deal though, I figured it out easy enough.

Great entry.

Demolition Mouse by lonewookie 2021-10-04T16:45:32Z ♥ 3

I love retro stuff like this.

I was having a hard time with the slippery controls so I laughed when level 2 started and it was literally made out of ice. I was expecting to ragequit but it wasn't that much more slippery than level 1. Even though I prefer a tighter control style, I still liked the game enough to finish both levels.

Great theme usage, and I enjoyed the variety and general vibe.

Dogs++ by Jezzamon 2021-10-04T16:30:36Z ♥ 0

Okay, this one is good.

You've come up with a fun mechanic that fits the theme and feels original, and then it feels like you've thought about the little edge cases and corners that arise from that mechanic -- what if X, what if Y, and built challenges around them.

I also appreciated the little quality-of-life things. The instructions are presented along the way instead of a page of text at the beginning. And when you finish a level, it's quick, bam, you're straight on to the next one.

There's also lovely chiptune music, which is a joy to listen to and fulfils what I think is the purpose of music in a game like this, which is to keep you playing even when something frustrating happens. And I got to the end despite constantly falling into the single-dog-plus-food-equals-failure trap, so it worked.

Really great entry. I had to give out a lot of 5s for this one, and I am jealous of your game design skills.

Kattonauten by Elastic 2021-10-04T15:52:52Z ♥ 1

I agree with everyone saying it's very hard!

The movement is unique and interesting. I find you have to do little "S-shaped" movements, where you launch vertically, then turn and turn back in the air so you're vertical again before landing. So I'd do that in a few little hops, and when there was a big jump to be made, just blast off full speed in that direction, and probably hit a wall, lol. It would have been nice if the hover was more generous, or if the game was a bit more forgiving overall, but at least it didn't feel unfair. Like, whenever I died, it was because I legitimately failed -- the game is just hard, and that's okay.

I appreciated the retro sound effects and pixel art, and the little touches of polish like the weepy cat when you die.

Unstable Caves by notime4games 2021-10-04T14:37:21Z ♥ 1

Nice! I like this kind of thing, grid-based puzzle games.

Might be nice if you could use the same button to pickup/drop things, rather than having one button per object type.

And I wasn't quite sure what the rules were about when exactly rocks would fall. I guess that does fit the theme, but for some reason when a game is on a strict grid I expect it to have really rigid, legible mechanics. But I suppose there's no reason it should.

Speaking of the theme, this is a really nice interpretation of it.

Although I did have some criticisms, I found they didn't really affect my experience of the game that much and ended up rating it highly.

Compo game "Flappy Crow"!! by HIKO_game 2021-10-04T14:26:23Z ♥ 2

I love when LD games are clones. I dunno why, something about the familiarity mixing with whatever twist the dev puts on it within the constraints of the theme. It's just totally my jam.

I really liked the retro art here, and the music was a nice touch. I found the game itself excruciatingly difficult, though. Like, you can't stop? God, that's hard. I ended up trying to stop by alternating left/right quickly, which you can sometimes sorta do. I feel like if you can sort of stop by doing that, the game should just let you stop. I didn't make it very far, but would have liked to see the rest of the game.

Warhead Stroll by cagibi 2021-10-04T14:20:01Z ♥ 1

This game has it all: - Writing that made me laugh - Good art - Original gameplay - Original and apposite theme usage - Not just one, but two great music tracks

The only criticisms I had is on the last outside part with the cars, I thought I was still going right, and it kills you if you go right, so I kept thinking I was hitting cars, when really I just needed to go down; and the boss is too hard for me. But it's awesome that there's a boss fight, I love it when LD entries go the extra mile.

Probably my fave game so far.

Jampoblock by IndieMoose 2021-10-04T13:59:46Z ♥ 2

I'm pleasantly surprised how many good interpretations of the theme I'm seeing. I wasn't a fan of "unstable" when it was announced, but I'm having to eat my words. This is yet another good one.

I appreciated that you included a tutorial. (At first, in the tutorial, I didn't realize I had collected the key. I kept pressing E and saying "Why aren't I collecting it"? But reader, I had collected it.)

Speaking of which, I would prefer not to have to press a button to pick up the key. The challenge is to find the key. Once you've found it, you'll always want to pick it up, so you don't need to let the player choose not to. It's just something to forget to do, which I did a couple of times. "Oh sweet, I found the key... oh crap, I forgot to press E and I didn't actually get it".

I liked the variety, new things being introduced on new levels, the weird two-key double-high door, and the trampolines.

There were a couple of polish things, like cracks between tiles showing up during scrolling, HUD covering the text in the tutorial, having to wait for the key to catch up to you before entering the door... each of these is really minor, but fixing all of them would I think make a big difference.

All in all, I liked the puzzle of having to leave a path for yourself. I felt like you used the idea of a destructible environment very well. I quite like games where you sometimes have to restart a level, because it allows for more different puzzle designs than you could do if you made a point to never let the player trap themselves.

Don't drop it! by Srynetix 2021-10-04T13:41:46Z ♥ 2

I appreciated the reminders about what the different blocks do. Lots of LD games just tell you everything at the start and expect you to remember, which I often find difficult. So, nice touch there.

I also like when LD games have level design, always feels more interesting to me. Getting to see the next level is more of a reward than a "you win" or a score number going up, for me. So that was cool too.

Graphics other than squares for the different objects would be nice, and would also help people remember what does what. Grey square doesn't exactly scream "danger", for instance. But it's not a big deal, since the reminders are there.

The core mechanic of dragging the bomb around was original and mostly felt good, though I feel I should have been allowed to throw it fast if I wanted to. Might have been nice to penalize going too fast through the level design rather than by failing you if your speed goes too high.

The theme was also perfectly integrated.

Overall, I liked this one. Good job!

Horse-d'oeuvre by drtizzle 2021-10-04T13:33:50Z ♥ 1

Game where you play as a horse... okay, I have to play this one, don't I? Even if it's bad it'll be good.

And it's not even bad. You know, I hated this theme when it was announced, but I'm seeing loads of great interpretations of it, and this is one of them. This game totally embodies the theme. Also, I love how the horses' legs just spin round. Great little detail.

The two-button controls (that's been a past theme, right?) totally work and are a good way to keep it nice 'n simple.

Oh, wait, horses, unSTABLE, I just got it XD

Tectonicalypse by alec 2021-10-04T13:21:26Z ♥ 1

I love the smooth, slick feel of this one, and the art is great. It's clear you put a lot of effort into polish, which is something I really appreciate when playing. It's one of those games that it's just fun to play with, never mind winning.

Speaking of winning, though, I never managed it. Couldn't seem to figure out why some buildings just stay as little stubs and never totally explode.

Gun King (HTML) by Daniel Seeberg 2021-10-04T12:41:11Z ♥ 1

Nice use of the theme, which I usually find to be the hardest part of LD, so well done there.

The first big jump took me embarrassingly long to figure out. I thought I probably had to boost myself with the gun knockback, so I tried firing down, and when that didn't boost me, I gave up on the idea. In hindsight, it was probably pretty obvious that I had to boost sideways instead. I blame lack of sleep.

I found the controls a little slippery, and got knocked down the tower many times, which felt frustrating. I find it hard to do precision platforming with my left hand while aiming with the mouse in the other hand, but that might just be a me thing.

Oh, I see the description now. "Rage platformer". Okay, fair enough XD

Unstable Mines by AppoxGames 2021-10-04T10:37:46Z ♥ 3

High Score: 899

This game has unusual mechanics, so my first reaction was, "oh god, what's going on, I've just spent 48 hours in a mad rush to make a game, I want to sleep, I can't brain this".

But then I re-read the instructions, started again a couple of times, and then I started having fun.

The mechanics work together to create tension and interesting situations. You can't really stop and rest because you're always dropping mines, so you think, maybe I can go rest in a corner and not touch any of them, but then something else will touch one and they'll chain-explode, so you have to keep moving.

Also, you want things to explode, because it's how you score and also how you stop the world being full of walls, so the game makes you cause explosions yourself by nudging your own mines, but then they set off some other ones, and some homing ones spawn, and aargh oh god you're in danger again.

The game makes you think, too, because, like, aren't we always dropping mines in our own lives, and walking in to our own explosions? But we can't hide away and just do nothing.

This kind of game is what LD is all about. It's one thing to try and bash out a polished genre title like a platformer or shmup or etc., but being brave and experimenting with novel mechanics is really where it's at, IMHO.

Unstable Roads by Slowpoke 2021-10-04T08:34:29Z ♥ 1

Maybe I had bad luck, but I often seemed to get cracks appearing right next to my roads, meaning I had no way to save myself with a blocker. Since there are only a couple of exposed mountain tiles on the first level, if cracks start appearing around there, it feels like there's not much I can do to avoid a loss.

I did enjoy the pixel art, and the concept is definitely good and original. Great use of the theme. I didn't make it past level one, which felt like it was because of unfair crack placement, but maybe I just suck, lol.

I'M IN A BIT OF A PICKLE by j_peeba 2016-12-18T20:49:00

Graphics were very good. Music was amazing. I wanted to have arms, and for the tomatoes to be a bit more sinister. Good entry.

levelone by dietzribi 2016-12-17T17:30:00

Fantastic entry. I laughed out loud several times. I'm really impressed how much you managed to pack in in 48 hours.

(I didn't like jumping on W but I suppose that's a personal preference, and a very minor nitpick)

You get my first 5 for humor ^^

Actually, a lot of 5s...

Unbreakable Sally by Lesbroufe 2016-12-14T17:00:00

Really nice game mechanic. Found it a bit hard, but that's probably just me. It's a mix of polished and rough, which is kind of a shame. Audio and graphics are both good, and the story and setting are refreshingly original!

keturi by mitkus 2016-12-14T13:01:00

Great game. It feels really well-designed, focused and cohesive. Great choice with the zugzwang making you think things through a bit. I wasn't sure what difference the blue enemies made.

The weapon system -- I'm not sure how it works. Sometimes it seems the weapon didn't use a charge when it should, or that I'd automatically get another weapon after exhausting one. Maybe I'm imagining things.

My record is room 11, but I will be revisiting because I want to see the rest of the game. I've only found the sword and the laser pickaxe so far.

After Party by saucygames 2016-12-13T22:29:00

Awesome art in the intro. Also really well balanced for difficulty. I particularly like how you used the same sprite for everybody and then lampshaded it by emphasizing how interchangeable the girls were in the intro.

You win, you psycho!

Studio Castle by sgadrat 2016-12-13T22:12:00

I like this one! It's got a real personality to it. The 'ding' sounds calmed my nerves. The black 'n' white graphics work. It's a little unpolished, but hey, it's LD. Smart and quirky. Great entry.

Robot Disco by wwwhizz 2016-12-13T21:57:00

Neat idea! The gameplay is rather good, but it's let down by the programmer art.

Issues:
- There were some periods where no drinks showed up for a while and I had to wait.
- The game had scrollbars on my computer (Safari/Mac) so I couldn't see the whole play area at once

Pico Factory by caranha 2016-12-13T21:48:00

This is really nice! Satisfying and addictive. The sprites are great too. It was very clear how it worked and what to do.

Obviously you didn't have time to do much balancing (you can afford all the good stuff pretty quickly) and the controls could use some work. But I had a lot of fun anyway.

The graph at the end is a nice touch!

One Room Dungeon by Trasevol_Dog 2016-12-12T23:58:00

Really nice feel, very smooth. And top-notch art. I will admit I wasn't quite sure what was happening when I pressed X + a direction at the end of each room. At first I thought I was moving around a larger "map" but then I noticed if I moved back again I'd get a different room. So, not sure on that one.

I didn't mind too much though, I was having a lot of fun!

Moving In by impbox 2016-12-12T23:39:00

This is wonderful! It's a good, original, fun game!

+ Cute graphics
+ Clear UI
+ Love how the homeowner stands there telling you how you're doing.
+ Great idea how some big items block the window, books need to be showing, etc. Really nice attention to detail
- No sound!

Alchemist Slave by Unentokku 2016-12-12T23:28:00

Great concept, hurt by difficult UI.

It would really have helped to have the objective remain on the screen instead of disappearing and making me remember it. When you explain stuff at the start of the game, players haven't played the game yet so the concepts you refer to (such as "magic" & "poison") don't really have anything to attach to yet in the player's head, which makes it hard to remember, even though as the developer it might seem obvious to you what's what.

Also it would have been nice to be able to control the game using only the mouse, without typing anything in.

It's got lots of potential, though. There's a great game in there trying to get out.

ROOM by spacedoubt 2016-12-12T23:22:00

Hehe, I liked the logo, and your drawings. I liked the weird dreamy atmosphere too, though I found it very easy to get lost. Never did find that poster!

(Nice soundtrack too)

Portal Hotel by ezolotko 2016-12-12T23:05:00

I liked this. You created a real sense of place, even with the simple graphics. It's got a great lo-fi creepy vibe to it. It wasn't clear to me how the theme fits in though.

Oh, also, great sound. I'm a sucker for a good ambient soundtrack.

Simulated by Sheep 2016-12-12T22:56:00

This was really clever. It had that same satisfying, twist-in-the-tail feeling as a good short story. I love how there's more to it than meets the eye.

Being unable to turn in the air was mildly frustrating, but that's a minor point. Excellent game (and a great take on the theme).

Rocambolli by eri0o 2016-12-12T22:35:00

Didn't work in Safari for me, had to get Chrome out, but then it worked fine!

Nice take on the theme with the levels being visible in the background. It felt like a lot of effort went into this entry, and I enjoyed it. One thing I would suggest is that it doesn't need to be THAT difficult. One hit and you go all the way back to the beginning! Sort of discouraging. It has a good feel to it though, and it doesn't feel unfair when you die.

The music is very nice too. Solid entry.

Tangent by rxi 2016-12-12T21:28:00

I had a lot of fun with this one. Really polished, and I love the music. There was one bit I couldn't get past where you have to run through a few rooms in succession before the door closes, and I could never be quite fast enough. But I liked what I saw. The little fish and flying things were great touches.

PacTwist by Prospero 2016-12-12T21:16:00

Love the music.

Automatous Room Builders by Zee 2016-12-12T21:14:00

Neat idea. Would have been nice to start from the beginning of the level, instead of playing the levels I'd already done, again.

KILLOBIT by bitslap_ 2016-12-12T20:39:00

Love this. Stupidly hard, but never feels unfair. And I like how it changes every time.

Neat idea, making a tiny game and spending basically all your time on polish.

Walkie Talkie by managore 2016-12-12T20:26:00

Bloody amazing. Really creative. I think we have a winner.

Bathroom Break Manager by tigerfinch 2016-12-12T20:22:00

Best interpretation of the theme I've seen so far!

Doom Tomb of the True Room by Flatgub 2016-12-12T20:04:00

I may be alone here but I find it a bit distasteful when people ask for money on the download page for their LD games.

It's a decent game though. I like the music.

OH GOD EYES EVERYWHERE by ThaRemo 2016-12-12T19:53:00

I like the eye graphics. There seemed to be a glitch where they player would become invisible when attacking, which threw me off a bit.

Starlight by savethejets1 2016-12-12T19:50:00

Really liked the atmosphere and visuals. The terminal stuff wasn't that fun for me though. I think the lesson of the story is, don't run Linux on your spaceship :)

Vines by Stfan 2015-12-16T21:40:00

Nice. The vines are really well done. I did find it hard to line things up mentally to predict where the light would go, so I think the difficulty could use some work, at least in the beginning.

GameClock by ReiLa 2015-12-16T21:37:00

Can't play, no Xbox controller.

From the Deep by scorched 2015-12-14T19:36:00

Love love love the growing island concept. It's a neat way to gradually reveal the level and it's on-theme.

The two-button controls I'm not too sure about... they don't seem to add much to the gameplay, like they were just added on to fulfil the theme requirement.

Managed to get to the double pink projectile shooters before calling it quits, but I did enjoy what I saw.

Big Dick Super Marathon by eskivor 2015-12-14T17:45:00

Tasteless.

Left-leaning by tayl1r 2015-12-14T17:43:00

You get my first 5 for humor, just fort the idea of a car where the two buttons 'are turn left' and 'toot horn'.

Game was a bit laggy for me (firefox/win) but very playable.

Another Dragon by GeorgeBroussard 2015-12-14T17:35:00

Beautiful. Couldn't get past the boulders/eat-you bugs screen, but I would have loved to see the rest of it.

Was expecting a similar control style to AW, but not really a bad thing that you diverged from it. controls work great as they are.

Famous Bus Movie Game by BuffaloPhil 2015-12-14T17:25:00

Brilliant. Love the handling, the way you present controls & goals on screen as part of the bus, and the fuck-you color palette. Soundtrack is good too.

Squishy the Turtle by cppchriscpp 2015-12-14T17:14:00

If Coolness was a votable category, you'd get full Coolness for writing a Gameboy game.

..and the mooncats by aarkipel 2015-12-14T17:01:00

You're asking for money for the privilege of rating your LD entry which, although you can bypass it, I don't want to encourage. But, this is a fantastic entry which really deserves to be seen so I don't want to give you a bad rating either.

The mechanics are really well implemented, just totally solid. Love the Castlevania feel to the jumps, works better than standard abuse-a-physics-engine fare.

Audio & art are simple but super effective. Can't fault it. Great entry.

My Dino by Reggianito 2015-12-14T16:53:00

Cool concept, I could see this really working if it were fleshed out a bit.

Little Big Dash by Evannex 2015-12-14T16:49:00

I'm having a ton of fun with this
- Brutally hard
- Smooth physics, so it feels fair despite difficulty
- Has that one-more-go factor
- No art to speak of, shame
- Didn't hear any music? Firefox, Windows.

The Cube of Zanigriv by anarbitrarymustache 2015-12-14T16:42:00

Beautiful art. I never did quite get the hang of it, and maybe it could have been clearer what to do & what causes game-over.

Super 2 Button Growdown by ViKing Games 2015-12-14T16:36:00

I enjoyed the Surf Ace cameo, it's always great to see some LD continuity.

Necromorph by Supernaught 2015-08-27T14:10:00

Loved this one. Really hard but I beat it in the end. Your interpretation of the theme was excellent, in a "why didn't I think of that" way.

Really nice entry.

Primary objective by Aurel Bílý 2015-08-24T15:57:00

This game has a real sense of place, which isn't easy to do. It felt like a little segment of a larger game, after you trek through the forest and before you scoot off to wherever that bike takes you. I would totally play that game, by the way.

Anyway, great work. Found all three endings. Loved the audio too.

Ro-langs by CogComp 2015-08-24T15:19:00

Big respect for your tech choices, and I enjoyed the Tibetan flavour. The graphical style is simple but it works well. The gameplay was a little slow for my taste, though.

The Truth by HolyBlackCat 2015-08-24T14:47:00

Ice cold, man.

This has everything you could want in a game. Betrayal. Deception. Redefinable keys.

The levels were satisfyingly long and really well put together. The story was compelling enough to keep me going even through the frustrating parts.

You made me feel bad at the reveal, too. It started off feeling like an obvious interpetation of the theme, but then you put that novel twist on it.

Great job.

Daddy, Don't Explode Me by FiSilva 2015-08-24T14:23:00

I had fun with this one. It's similar to Lemmings, but it's different enough to be interesting. Art is great.

That level where you have to pile up your own bodies to get down made me laugh.

Rock solid game.

Sewer Monster City by bitslap_ 2015-08-24T14:12:00

The sprites are darling, the controls are tight. One time I played and all the enemies were rats. Not sure if easter egg or bug.

I like how you made it challenging, but I don't like how a lot of the challenge came from the slippery floors.

Some music would really make this stand out.

Sefydlogiad by chameco 2015-08-24T14:06:00

So am I like, a mentally ill person?

Frankenstein's Monsters, Inc. by AtkinsSJ 2015-08-24T13:33:00

Really good mechanics. I started by putting all my monsters into digging, then realized it was really all about finding your bottlenecks, so started to spread them more evenly. I lost when I ran out of money, because the instructions didn't mention that would make me lose! They just say you win if you retire and lose if public outrage hits 100%.

Old English money was a nice touch, and I liked the various PR options.

I think in a game like this UI is really important, and could have benefited from some more time spent choosing colors that stand out for the text, and aligning the various figures so it's easier to see at a glance what your situation is.

You're It! by cambrian_era 2015-08-24T13:14:00

Genius idea, having four different monsters and changing which one you play as each round. Monsters weren't very monstrous. Levels were decent.

I love the "big pixels and bright colours" look.

Bunny's burrowing would have been better without the randomness IMO as it took away from the skill a bit.

Nice work.

Bloodworm by Jonathan Whiting 2015-08-24T13:06:00

This is bloody wonderful. There aren't many LD games that focus on a novel mechanic and do it well, but this is one of them. And you still had time for decent music and art.

I mean, it feels a bit glitchy sometimes? But honestly, it hardly matters. Great game.

Nimble by Lynx 2015-08-24T13:01:00

I like this one! It's very original, and the art and sound are great.

Good thinking with the level select, I think that works well for LD.

At first I thought I had to go when the policeman-looking dudes weren't looking, so I was getting scored badly for speed. But then I figured out they can't do anything to me. I AM ABOVE THE LAW.

Great job.

A Duel with the Devil by Resonious 2015-08-24T12:50:00

This program can't run because VCRUNTIME140.dll is missing from your computer.

Collateral Choice by avultima 2015-08-24T12:48:00

I got to the part with the trapdoor that you can cause the drone or the pointy block thing to fall into.

It kept glitching out and would let the block fall straight through the closed trapdoor, which got too frustrating in the end.

I wasn't entirely sure what to do in that room, anyway. I couldn't seem to get the blocks to work as teleporters.

I couldn't quite figure out the role of the drones either. Was the YES/NO room trying to tell me something?

I think this game could be good with a bit of polish, but as it stands it was too glitchy and confusing for me.

My Little Death Machine by Zed 2015-08-24T12:36:00

I didn't buy anything at the end of level 1 because I wanted to save up for the shield upgrade. But when level 2 started, I had 0 dosh! Where did all my dosh go?

Love love love the art and sounds. Zelda shop music was a nice touch. Didn't like the ad at the start but that's the world we live in I guess.

Solid entry.

Become a Boss by BrankoDeLima 2015-08-24T12:25:00

Beautiful art. Great retro feel. Dialogue felt a bit gauche. What was the ladder for?

Pirate Snail by Sir Spiderlot 2015-08-24T11:45:00

One interstitial ad, two popups, one pop-under, all for sleazy crapware. Next.

Cute Cubes Massacre by vikpek 2015-08-24T11:42:00

Neat take on the TD genre. Graphics are simple but stylish. I don't tend to enjoy games that make me feel like an asshole, but I guess that's not to be avoided this LD!

MISHMASH by bodsey 2015-08-24T11:39:00

The game was absolutely not self-explanatory! So, thankyou for including those instructions :)

I liked your hand-drawn art. Really nice.

You are the Nightmare by petmonkey 2015-08-24T11:35:00

Amazing graphics. I love the warped perspective effect. Fog, trees & fences are also all awsesome. Too bad there aren't any animations!

The levels did all feel very similar; there wasn't much to distinguish one from the last.

An usual Day In a Troll's life by ajopart 2015-08-24T11:26:00

Data folder not found.

Ferris by Koba0100 2015-08-24T11:24:00

What a fun bit of weirdness. Loved the circus music. I like these physics-based games.

7 Days A Monster King by JayWoody 2015-08-24T11:16:00

Welcome to LD! This is really nice. I liked the mages. Graphics are great. Felt a bit odd that I got hurt for not answering the door to a treasure chest. Music was good.

Do You Understand ? by qkerguelen 2015-08-24T11:04:00

Nice music, tight controls, cool idea. Took me a while to understand because I am le dumb.

Lil' Drake by bombjack 2015-08-24T03:49:00

Was going to complain about there being no screen telling me the controls, but then I figured it out. Nice.

Great game mechanic, by the way. I've never seen it anywhere else.

Levels were well designed, challenging but not too frustrating. I completed it.

The theme was present in appearance only, but it's well done.

I'm a big fan of the art style. You even added little touches like the corpses bouncing when the blades hit them.

Solid entry.

Dive Demon Dive by MrSun 2015-08-24T03:28:00

Nice idea, good mechanics. Good feel too, the impacts felt very forceful!

Completed it, but not too easily. I did forget I could walk normally at some points, but I can't blame you for my being a spaz.

Nice touch having the enemies that can do the same things you can. It got challenging when the green and red guys showed up. The solution to the last screen felt unintuitive to me, but I got there in the end.

Well made game.

Collateral by mklee 2015-08-24T03:16:00

I love how you've managed to create a really creepy vibe with such simple graphics and audio. The background ambient sound is really well done.

It's also a nice touch that you can lose segments of your body in the blasts.

I did find the targeting reticules started to blend together with the blood pools, making it hard to tell them apart, but maybe that was the idea.

Also, technically, the game ran really smoothly, and difficulty curve was just right.

Great entry.

Dragon's Life by aceluck 2015-08-24T03:05:00

I couldn't always tell what was going on in this. I was stuck on tutorial 2 for a while after the red farmhouse disappeared, and fields and sheep just kept appearing and disappearing, and I just kept eating sheep.

Second time round, I burnt the farm and that let me past the tutorial.

On the level after, I burnt the farm and didn't get any money, then later I died from "wounds" — but I didn't know I'd been sustaining any wounds?

I liked the audio — good job with the voiceover and sheep noises! Music was lovely too. The UI could use some work, to make it clearer what's happening!

Monster Jailbreak by voxel 2015-08-24T03:04:00

This has the best audio I've heard so far. I'm not sure if the baby noises were intentional but they totally work.

I Am the Baby <3 by euske 2015-08-24T02:46:00

I only got as far as the seemingly-invincible plant pot, and I couldn't figure out how to rub things, but I had fun regardless. Cute setting, and I really love the graphics.

Dino Dash by GreenyUk 2015-08-24T02:40:00

Do those little people even want to live?

I decided I should be avoiding the cars because they were rarer so hitting them felt like more of a big deal. But at the end I was still a MONSTER. Is it possible to not be a MONSTER? There's no way I could have avoided those people.

Cute little game. I liked your peaceful guitar music.

You are the GM by GAFBlizzard 2015-08-24T02:27:00

Ha ha! I liked this, played it to the end.

It's a really fun idea. I mean, it's LD, so it's very small as it is, but you can see there's a lot of things you could add to a game like this. I'd like it if players could keep their items and use them later, for instance. And there seemed to be no penalty for just throwing a massive healing party when the players got low on health.

But I found the simple rules didn't really matter as I found myself making up little scenarios on each turn. Like, the party enters a blobcave, or the party enters the spiders' treasury. Three players get spiders, one gets the treasure!

Really nice work man.

Garganoyd! for LD#33 by Hairein 2015-08-24T01:37:00

You did a Mac build! Props!

OK, so, good job with the 3D models. I never know how anyone manages to get a 3D game done for LD. Dude is even animated! I did find the floor textures ugly though.

All in all, a nice little shooter. Title screen is good too.

Tale of Two Monsters by luckypanda 2015-08-24T01:30:00

I'm sorry, but this game is madness.

I killed the enemies on the first level (frag enemies? How do I do that? Oh, I walk into them.) Then at some point I realized the little star people on the second level were invincible, so I went after the other guys, which wasn't easy because they were teleporting everywhere! Also you've got fake walls and such, which is a bit tricksy.

Then just when I thought I had a handle on things the whole game morphs into a friggin' platform game! Government agents! Which ones are the government agents? Aargh!

Yeah, I didn't pass the government agents level. Had fun though. Mental.

(By the way, just so you know for next time, stock assets aren't allowed).

Fuga by Colapsydo 2014-08-25T17:17:00

Really nice concept. I didn't visit all ten planets because it was starting to get a bit samey, so I hope I saw everything.

I reckon with a bit more variety this could become e really good game.


Great sound design too.

Betwixter by buckslice 2014-08-25T12:11:00

Loved it! But I couldn't get past "The Good Level" — solving those two saw puzzles at once while remembering what's going on in the other world is just beyond my abilities I think. Really neat game though.

I wonder what it would be like if you could somehow see what was going on in the other world before moving — it'd make it easier, but I don't think the game would necessarily lose any appeal for it.

Oathkeeper by MrCakehat 2014-08-25T11:54:00

It took me a while to figure out you started with the double jump, though I can put that down to me being dumb. It also wasn't obvious you can shoot the barrier things, but I think it's okay for not everything to be obvious.

Avoiding the flying enemies was a neat challenge. Is there a difference between the eye things and the mouth things?

When I got to the stone with the heart above it, I thought there was a bug since I couldn't collect it. The second time I went there it turned purple and the boss appeared, but when I beat the boss nothing happened. Is that the end?

The boss's hotbox was a bit big; felt unfair when it hit me sometimes without touching me.

Greener Grass by CogentInvalid 2014-08-25T04:25:00

Christ, this was a stressful experience. I gave you a 4 for fun but with the understanding that "fun" in this case means "panic and hysteria". Everything's so precarious! There's nowhere safe to stand! AAAARGH

The first level of this game has that feel to it that you might (in lesser games) only encounter when you're about to face the last boss, you've played for hours and gathered the necessary skills, and the game's throwing everything it's got at you.

But here, WHAM, you get hit with all this stuff right off the bat. Platforms appear and disappear all over the place! Fish make you shoot into the air for some reason! Nothing stays still!

This isn't really a complaint. I did enjoy it. One criticism I do have is that it was hard to tell if I was making any progress — I didn't notice any appreciable difference between one level and the next. And when I died, I was taken back to what looked suspiciously like level 1, though I couldn't be sure. Some more differentiation between levels might help.

Neat game though.

Interplanetary Messengers by DragonMaster21 2014-08-25T04:12:00

I gave this a few tries, because I really like the idea, but I found it too unforgiving. I got to planet 2 once but the job to that planet doesn't pay you enough to buy anything. I then set off for planet 4 and died about 1cm away from it.

I think it's a problem that your bullets stop at the edge of planets, because it means you can't shoot obstacles that are coming at you through a planet.

I also found the distance between planets a little far — after dying right at the edge of planet 4, the idea of starting that journey again was a little off-putting.

With a couple of tweaks this would be really cool, but as it is I found it quite frustrating.

FACED by Sheep 2014-08-25T03:23:00

This is a cool concept. I didn't get all the way through but I played maybe four or five of the harder non-tutorial levels. It doesn't tell you what level you're on so I can't be sure.

It's well thought out — good call with the dimmed out blocks showing you what's on the other side without having to look and compare.

I did feel the game would benefit from having more features to introduce as you progress through the levels. I think that would be a nice little incentive and would help break up the onslaught of difficult levels which are quite similar to each other.

Also, I love the faces! They're adorable AND useful to the gameplay, so good job!

Radio Silence by Terry

Oh wow. I like this; very original. I'm impressed how atmospheric it is for having such simple graphics. It comes off as unfinished, but I certainly like where you were going with it.

Nuclear Test by sf17k

Had to read the comments to work out what you meant by "setting themes". Anyway...

I loved it. Very original. Any harder to control and it would have been frustrating, but you pitched it just right. Loved the 60s vibe.

Isles of Color by Jonathan Whiting

Oh wow, that's big. Congrats for finding the time to make so many screens. I feel bad that I didn't explore all of them... I do like these big, adventure-y games, but I also want to play as many other entries as possible.

Love the idea of having 3 (I found 3 -- are there 4? 5?) areas each with its own mechanic, each of which is annoying in its own way :)

So, I think a slightly smaller world may have worked better, with the time spent fleshing out each colour area bit more. The one-type-of-item per area thing does mean less variety between screens.

Overall though, I enjoyed this one. (And, I'm sorry, but that music is infuriating!)

Turtle Ferry by dock

This is beautiful. Needs audio, and needs finishing, but I enjoyed it regardless.

Coconuts by easlern

Too bad about the required multiplayer, this looks like it could have been a lot of fun.

False Flag by Baiame

The concept sounds interesting, but I can't get into it. I read the instructions, but I'm confused. Use the mouse and WASD? What for? What are the circles and lines?

Also, my computer can't quite keep up.

Pleochorism by smn

Oh man, I've always been terrible at this kind of thing. I got up to "Entrenched" but that one beat me.

So: Art is nice, and I rather like the soundtrack too. As rik mentioned, the bug with the level names makes things really frustrating, especially since you have to move before they go away.

Also, I think you could have saved the rotated islands for later; it's hard enough coordinating three little men at once!

Savory Sea Hoss by SonnyBone

Love your style. I couldn't manage to score except by accident, but it really didn't matter.

Rocket Bike To Space by rik

I got to the end! Times I died: I don't know, the number was obscured by the trampoline. It looks like 96 though.

I had fun with this one. Especially liked the fast, fluid gameplay. Sure, it's trial-and-error at times, but the frequent restart points mean that's not a big deal. Still, I'd recommend letting the player see a smidgeon more of the obstacles in front of him.

Also, your art is gorgeous and I dig the music. Great entry.

Unknown by Zak_Spark

The character looks a bit like Link, so I assumed the flying thing was my helper fairy, until it murdered me.

After that, I had a lot of fun. Graphics and music are both great. In fact this is the best music in an entry I've heard so far. It might even have kept me playing when I would have given up on some of the harder levels :)

Harbinger by FourbitFriday

Good concept, good interpretation of the theme, but kinda annoying to play. The wall moves very slowly and it feels like you're tethered to it with some kind of elastic, because it actually pulls you backwards.

Also, the explanation at the start says X is to punch, but neglects to mention that X is also to pick up the rope, or indeed that you need to do that at all. Some more work on those instructions wouldn't go amiss.

A bit more work and this could turn into a nice game.

Unknown by X-0ut

I had fun with this one, at least until I got to the later levels. I didn't quite finish, but I saw most of it.

So, the controls were good, polish was good, overall it seemed well-put-together and bug-free. There wasn't much variety in the levels, though. The difficulty was high, but I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and put that down to me sucking :)

Room for improvement is mainly in the portal system -- the physics didn't feel quite right, especially with the velocity boost they give you, and I'm not convinced I was always pointing in the right direction when I came out.

The advancing walls of doom were ... present, but I feel they didn't add much to the game.

Flood of Air by sowbug

This has potential to be a decent puzzler, but it's way too easy. There would actually be some challenge to it if the player was required to switch between matching letters and matching colours, but you can ignore the letters and just match colours really fast. The wall never got anywhere near the bottom.

Finalized the wall by jhauberg

What a great take on the theme! Good to see a slower paced game once in a while. I enjoyed the strategy elements; it's a little like chess but not as mentally draining.

The UI could use some work -- for example, I would often skip turns by accident. And if you want to move a piece into another piece's space it's down to luck which piece you get to move first.

But anyway, I enjoyed this!

Peak by shaktool

Well, when I saw that I was the red dots and that the red dots were eating all the green stuff, I immediately assumed that I had to eat all the green stuff. Then I ate all the green stuff and went extinct.

This could be a lesson for us all.

Wall Of Corpses by scionkiller

It was a bit . . . short? More waves would have been nice, maybe a few different types of enemies too. To its credit there's nothing really "wrong" with it -- no bugs to speak of -- it just doesn't "do" much. Also your wall doesn't advance.

YOU GOT A DEMONWALL! by PsySal

This is delightfully odd. It's good fun to play, and your apoplectic seizure-graphics somehow manage not to be annoying. Audio worked, but could have been better. It is quite easy -- I wasn't sure if you could lose or not, and it's a little on the short side. But you did pack a lot in, and the concept and execution were great.

I enjoyed this one.

Bunny Press by Notch

This is nice! The theme is well integrated, the controls are good, and I didn't find any bugs, except perhaps the design-bug of the missing restart option. Also it felt a bit odd how the spiky wall didn't kill you if you touched it... but on second thoughts that isn't "wrong", it's just unusual. In fact, if anything it's more realistic. Good show!

The Glacier of DOOM by nilsf

This is lovely! Windows port worked fine, btw. Yay.

It's nice to see a story-driven game like this for a change. Also I liked how different the levels were from each other.

So, yeah. This is one of my favourites. No complaints from me, except for the graphics.

Die, you Stupid Hurdlers! by NiallM

I couldn't play this. It told me to drag stuff, but then my mouse pointer disappeared. :(

Sky Upon Us by Morre

I loved the concept of this game. It's really nice to play -- almost relaxing. Some more variety would have been good, in the enemies and perhaps the falling objects too. Graphics are great, I love your magnified pixel art.

Escape from LHC by mathias

Great use of the theme, and I liked the black hole effect. This was pretty good overall, but some animation would have been nice.

Evacuation by jsb

This is pretty awesome. The little people are great, in a dumb panicky way, the difficulty is spot on, and little touches like powerups make it feel very polished.

It's a little too long (I got about halfway before quitting) but that's really the only thing wrong with it. I didn't get any graphical bugs. Great work!

Fleedom Flies by HybridMind

Wow, there's a great deal of gameplay in this deceptively simple looking game. I played this one for quite a while, trying to climb up the scoreboard. Couldn't find any walls though.

Closing My Eyes by hamburger

I like how you approached the theme, but I couldn't seem to find any gameplay.

It was quite unsettling seeing his "mind" shrinking like that, even with these simple graphics. I wouldn't call it fun, though.

Non-Advancing Wall of Failure! by Frimkron

It's a shame you didn't finish, Frimkron. This looks like it would have been really fun.

Happy Blob is Unhappy! by Fiona

Ah, this is nice. A very complete and "game-y" game. (Gamefulness is one of the top qualities I look for in a game, you see.)

I did find it difficult. You don't have long to do each level, and I ended up giving up at the part with the bouncing saws -- there's just too little room for error, and it's hard to see where they're going to go next.

Your interpretation of the theme is very loose here, almost feels like a cop-out.

Despite all that, though, I enjoyed your game immensely. All the splattering and general chaos was great fun.

The Final Solution by fidaner

Eh, this game was depressing. I realise that games are an art form and they don't always have to be uplifting, but I can't play a game from the perspective of a holocaust victim and call it fun.

Also I understand you didn't create the music, and while it's very fitting, the contest did ask for all original content.

This game has something, but it isn't graphics, sound or gameplay so it's hard for me to justify a good rating.

It was intriguing, though. I hope you keep making games.

Doom Runner by Endurion

Nice!

This is a well-made game with lots of different items and hazards, good levels and a very fair difficulty level. I liked the retro 3D sprites, too.

Slight issue with having to look at the HUD to see where the wall of doom is, and the contrast isn't great so it's a little distracting. Having the camera position represent the wall's distance from the player might have worked better, but then again maybe not.

I especially liked how you wrote a little backstory and made me care a little more about my character's fate. Nice touch!

Advance 2 – Aftermath by DrPetter

Okay, so it took me a while to realise I was wiping up the red stuff, and then it took me a little longer to realise that made me go faster. Call me dumb if you like :P

I love the atmosphere in this game. It was a great choice to leave it up to the player's imagination what might be happening on the other side of the wall. I was kinda expecting some exposition at the end but I think it's cool that you left it open-ended.

There isn't that much to the gameplay, especially if you figure out the balls don't move if you're in the center when they spawn. But it doesn't matter that much because this game is a work of art.

Loved it!

Rock Bank; Rock your way through the working day! by Deepflame

Nice concept, but you really need to give your players time to read the instructions. By the time I had read and made sense of the text, I had already lost.

The instructions themselves are also a little confusing -- you really need to imagine you're playing this for the first time and have no idea what to do.

For example: "Press and hold A/F1 keys or green button or G/F5 or red button to select a document from the pile"

Also when you lose and restart, the instruction displayed will be the last one you saw, which may be irrelevant because the game has started again.

This tutorial trouble made the game really hard to play for me, which is a pity since it was a neat and fun idea.

DoomCake by Banni

Cakes, with teeth! The implied Soviet Russia joke is at once appealing and appalling. The game was fun, and the eating sound is hilarious. I also like your use of real-world photography.

I had to play it on easy, cause the cake kept eating me on hard. Might want to watch the random placement of the orange things -- it seemed unfair when they fell right near the cake.

You get 5 points for originality, because one sees very few games featuring battenberg these days.