Shell Pirate

Tax Rebel by LeReveur 2017-08-17T15:26:32Z

Pathfinding is definitely challenging stuff as I discovered back in my first Ludum Dare some years ago, so congratulations on implementing it! It's obviously not perfect and sometimes the player and enemies don't quite move as intended but for the most part, it worked well enough. The graphics were nothing to write home about, but I understand not everyone is an artist. Sound would have helped giving the game some much needed character. A lot can be done on making things more clear as well (such as for example giving the enemies an FoV cone). The main objective is also pretty simple and not very engaging. I did like the opening screen, though. While I didn't love the experience as a whole, as a pathfinding exercise it worked well enough, so I commend you on that front!

Geralt's secret powersource by Sublustris 2017-08-01T13:45:09Z

A solid entry! The graphics are good for a compo game and the gameplay is simple and to the point. The music is a nice edition. I do think the game's controls are a little stiff which hindered my enjoyment of it. It gave me a nice chuckle when the censored graphic appeared, though. Overall, good work!

Unlit by xdegtyarev 2017-08-08T10:08:01Z

A solid entry! I liked the graphics they were nice and ambient, and it's not as often that we see a 3D LD game. The sound design was okay as well - some very minimalistic but fitting music and a nice punch to the sounds. The gameplay wasn't anything special, to be honset, but it worked well for the most part. I encountered a few glitches you've already probably been alerted of such as spike hitbox issues, checkpoints positioned directly in the path of spike traps as well as the ability to sometimes jump in the air and stay afloat there if you hold down the jump button (particularly after respawning). The theme could have also been integrated better as I found I never had to keep in mind the power meter and thus it became rather arbitrary. In a game about waiting and timing your advances from safe zone to safe zone perhaps a timer isn't the best fitting feature anyway. All in all though, I can't knock your effort, plus this entry was fairly solid despite my critiques.

[Web] Apocalyptic Gamer by Linver 2017-08-09T12:03:20Z

One of the better entries I've played this LD! The graphics within the console game were very good and stylized but where it lacked is with the outside graphics - the hands looked out of place with the much more simplistic art for the console itself which wasn't helped by the blurry edges they had. I'd just suggest sticking to one consistent visual aesthetic for the outside world. The music was nice but I do wish that it wasn't cut off so frequently by adjusting power usage. I understand why you did it, but it'd be nice if you found a way around that. The core gameplay is where it really shined - this is probably one of the most original and fleshed out takes on the theme I've seen so far. Everything worked well, it was challenging and with enough variety to not get boring. The only suggestion I can make is to just keep adding content on top of what's already here and is great. All in all, very very good entry!

INVISIBRO by FisherGoodwin 2017-08-02T11:09:58Z

This was a nice classic platformer. I liked the art quite a bit, but I'd say a slightly lighter color on the tiles would help them pop out against the background quite a bit more. The sounds were simple but functional and an ominous dungeon like music score would have added a lot to the atmosphere. The main mechanic isn't super original, but it is dynamic and quite a bit of fun. The controls are nice but there's definitely some work to be done until they feel just right. For example, the character is a bit too fast for the environment. The jumps are quite precise in places but he goes from 0 to 100 real quick so it makes them trickier than needed. I'd say either slow him down, or make it so he has a bit of acceleration when starting to move from a stand-still. The other main issue is that while the camera was nice and smooth I think it moves a little bit too slowly thus hindering the visibility of the player. Overall though, it's quite fun, functional and pretty so good work on that front!

FRIEND-1 by everythingWasBees 2017-08-01T09:36:00Z

This was a pretty good entry. I really liked the feel of the aesthetic and the overall mood. The graphics were very minimal but they worked surprisingly well. As far as I'm aware there was only one sound - that being the beep of Sputink. While this was a nice touch to the atmosphere, it did get a little grating after a while. The gameplay was nicely done and a fair share of fun, despite me finding it pretty difficult. I liked certain touches a lot, such as the fields the satellites emit which help you to locate them if they are off screen. However I do feel like the game could have stood to be a bit more forgiving as I found the asteroids pretty hard to avoid, especially with these very floaty controls. Overall, for a first LD, this was a good entry - loved the mood of it, but it could stand to be a little touched up in other areas such as the sounds and overall game feel. Good work!

Lightrunner by dalbinblue 2017-08-01T10:29:31Z

I'm blown away by this entry. First of all I really liked the aesthetic of it. The graphics, while simplistic in style were obviously made with a good amount of polish and care and the simplicity felt like a stylistic choice rather than a necessity. The music was awesome as well, and while not being the most memorable piece composed, it was very atmospheric and fit perfectly with the mood of the game. The gameplay is what really impressed me most, as this is one of the rare times when a LD entry feels on the edge of being a full-fledged experience rather than a proof of concept or a simple prototype for a future game. The mechanics were easy to grasp but I really enjoyed the Super Meat Boy type of design which involved me failing a lot, but being able to super quickly get back in and try again. The game felt difficult, but without ever feeling unfair. The scope of it is also amazing for a 48 hour entry. My one critique has to do with the controls. Two things: while I very much appreciate the ability to use a controller, I would definitely allow the user to use the analog for movement as well, as for example, the players using an Xbox 360 pad (such as myself) might not enjoy using its frankly terrible D-Pad for a precision platformer. The other thing is, the game generally had a pretty stiff feel to it, so perhaps adding a bit more momentum and weight to the movement and fixing up the clunky feeling collision detection with the walls would be a good thing. Then again it could be a choice rather than a flaw. Overall, really impressed with this one, fantastic job!

VoltRush by Reiv 2017-08-07T18:33:50Z

This was a good effort! I liked the graphics style and especially the warm and muted color scheme. That said, quite a few things blended into the background and you could have definitely made them stand out more (for example the pipes which really looked like background objects at first as well as the spikes when the backround got lighter in certain areas). The soundtrack was pretty good, although it overlapped itself when restarting (can't put too much blame on you for that as I had much the same issue). The gameplay wasn't too innovative but it was a solid platforming experience. I only wished the camera didn't keep the player so close to the bottom of the screen; it makes it unnecessarily difficult to see what's below you. Other than that, solid entry!

Recapitate by superpokeunicorn 2017-08-04T14:16:35Z

I liked the graphics of it. It had a nice charming NES style to it, although I will say some of the colors kinda blended into the background - in particular the eye turret bullets in the section with the white tiles. The music was alright, but a bit too repetitive. This, of course, is understandable for a Game Jam entry so I can't be too harsh. The main gameplay mechanic was fun and nice spin on more mundane shooting mechanics. The only issues I had was that the character accelerated a bit too slowly for my liking, resulting in a stiff feel. Having to pick up your head from the ground was annoying at times as well but that felt more like a design choice rather than an issue. That said, overall you did a very good job, especially for the compo and this was a fun ride!

Take my charge by josehzz 2017-08-01T22:33:49Z

I liked this entry! The graphics were simplistic, but they had a very clean look that reminded me of an interface for an application. The sounds had much the same aesthetic and both were fitting due to the AI undertones. The main mechanic was pretty clever and I thought that while it was simple, you explored enough different scenarios with it that you gave it depth. If I had to critique, I'd say that the controls could stand to be a touch more responsive as some of the jumps were a little difficult and a soundtrack would be a great addition. Overall though, very good effort!

Robo Power by jahndis 2017-08-08T10:25:18Z

Good entry! The graphics were simplistic but I especially enjoyed the color choices. The music was suitible and the little screens in between with the mayor talking added a little bit of character (I will say an option to skip them would be nice though so a player can get right into the meat of the game without as much padding). The puzzle mechanic was easy to understand but it definitely got me thinking. The levels you designed all seemed pretty good and I'd definitely like to see an expanded version with more mechanics because this has potential. Overall, good entry!

BATTER-E by Peredom 2017-08-01T13:21:22Z

This one was pretty impressive for a 48 hour game. It's more than obvious that this is essentially 'Totally Not Nuclear Throne: The Entry', but that's not really a bad thing. Nuclear Throne is a ton of fun, thus, this game is fun as well. The weapons feel good, and it's a joy mindlessly blasting enemies to hell and back. The music is swell and while the graphical assets are nice I will say that I have some slight issues with them. They mainly have to do with the color palette, as enemies and even the player sometimes easily blend with the environment (such is the case on the second level where you have a red background with red enemies on it). A better use of complimentary colors would have made the game look a lot better. A thing I liked a lot though is the decreasing of the player's firepower with the decrease of their energy - it made energy more than just health and it also added another subtle layer of player feedback when it comes to informing them how their energy levels are doing. Overall - very good work!

Plagued Station by Mr_Field 2017-08-17T16:28:05Z

Fantastic entry! The visual style was quite Cave Story-esque and I loved the color palette in particular. I enjoyed the music quite a bit as well, and the sound effects contributed to the atmosphere, too. Gameplay wise everything appeared to be working as intended and the only issues I have are mostly polish related. I will have to agree with some of the previous feedback about the gun jump being a bit tricky to pull off, although I managed to mostly get used to it. I'd say it's probably downright impossible on a controller especially because of the requirement to push two directions at once. I wouldn't know because I didn't bother with using my Xbox 360 pad due to the B button being used for jumping which threw me off completely. Another issue I had was the fact that when backtracking though certain areas it felt as if the enemies were positioned in such a way that they could immediately attack you as soon as you enter the room. Other than that, I was very impressed with it! I liked the power mechanic (even though it felt like at certain points I was cutting it way too close), I liked the rescue objective and I really enjoyed it as a whole! Fantastic work!

Limited Light (Tech Demo) by SiegfriedCroes 2017-08-01T21:26:45Z

I hesitate to critique this entry, since it's basically just a proof of concept, but here goes nothing. I really liked the atmosphere of it. The graphics had a very solid GameBoy-esque feel that I see quite a few entries go for but you've definitely put in the effort into designing the assets despite their simplicity and it shows; the game looks great. Outside of the graphics, I dig the flashlight mechanic and it definitely reminded me of Luigi's Mansion. You've got something there and with enough content added and some work on improving game feel (adding sound, maybe some subtle screen shake etc.) this can be a solid game in the future and for that I congratulate you!

Shekateka by dietzribi 2017-08-08T20:46:53Z

Pretty fun entry! I liked the graphical style - very Binding of Isaac-esque, although I will say that a more Nuclear Throne type of lighting rather than the smooth one you have now would have looked better in my opinion. The sound design was decent, although more punchy sound effects would be appreciated and the music was low key enough to not get annoying but good enough to set a nice ominous mood. The gameplay was pretty good fun, and I especially liked the idea of having to move from socket to socket in order to keep firing. It definitely made the game more dynamic and unique and it was a good take on the theme. My usual critiques with most LD entries apply here as well and they have to do with game feel. Adding screen shake, a split second freeze when hitting enemies, explosions, enemy flash, etc. would just make your already good foundation much more fun and satisfying (I'd suggest watching Vlabeer Games' video on the subject of game feel for more info). Other than that though, a fun entry with a nice mechanic. Good work!

Probe Abuse by minibobbo 2017-08-02T18:06:11Z

Very solid entry! The main gameplay mechanic was quite interesting and fun and I think there are a lot of possibilities that you can explore with it if you decide to continue work on this. Obviously there are a lot of things you can polish up, but as this is a Jam title lack of polish is understandable. I'd say that even though the art wasn't bad I think that there are quite a few assets that still look like programmer art and clash with the style of the game (such as the power bar for example). I will also say that the probes felt a little floaty. I don't mean this in a bad way, since it didn't really hinder my experience, but perhaps some more careful work on the animation speed in relation to the speed of movement will fix up this issue (they felt like they were animating too slowly for how fast they were moving). Also some pacing issues could be addressed, such as perhaps speeding up the time it takes to upload upgrades. I might just be nitpicking at this point. Regardless, very solid entry!

THUNDER RUNNER by NOFUEL 2017-08-04T17:07:39Z

This was a fantasic entry! The graphics were stylized but still very enjoyable to look at and I definitely appreciate the little touches that elevated them above most others. Mainly the smoothness of the animation, the lightning and rain effects and the bounce of the clouds. I also liked the music and sound a fair bit because they contributed a lot to the mood. The gameplay wasn't anything super imaginative or new, but it was so polished that I didn't really care because I was having too much fun. My only suggestions have to do minor details, such as darkening the thunder clouds a little bit more so they stand out better, and resetting the double jump after destroying an enemy. Still, fantastic work! Here's my best run: score.png

Solar Miner by mrboxbox 2017-08-07T08:16:29Z

Very solid entry! The graphics were quite simple, but they had that NES charm to them and worked well. The music was much the same, although I will say the audio mixing could be improved as I found the music was too loud and overpowered the other sounds. The gameplay was fun and seemed pretty polished. It could stand to be a little more forgiving on how much ore you lose upon death, though, but that's of course just my opinion. Overall, very solid presentation and polished gameplay. Good work!

Pain That Binds Us by Jungle 2017-08-01T18:19:10Z

I really liked this one! The art was nice and polished and served it's purpose very well. The music was good, but while I liked the super hero-esque score at the beginning I found it just a touch unfitting towards the middle of the game. I am definitely glad that once things started getting darker the music switched up. The gameplay isn't too much to write home about since this is mostly a storytelling exercise, but I do like that the QTEs were forgiving, since it's annoying when story-based games throw in needlessly long and drawn out ones. The story was nicely done and quite touching so good job on that front. Overall, really good entry!

Mothership by Almax 2017-08-06T13:10:13Z

Solid entry! The graphics were nice and crisp and when coupled with the atmospheric soundtrack they made for a good space-y mood. The gameplay was simple, but it worked well for the most part. I'll say that at times it felt a little unclear exactly which enemy the units were attacking and how much free will they had (whether ot not I had to manuallly select each enemy to attack or they had a certain amount of autonomy). Other than that, very solid entry!

Artax by Flaterectomy 2017-08-02T18:41:26Z

Fantastic entry! I absolutely loved the art and sound. So much care was given to them and it most definitely shows. There are so many little details, from the adorable whistle sound to the fact your robot emotes and hungrily opens its mouth when you come near it with a battery, to the smooth animation. It's all really simple sounding stuff on the surface but it creates a wonderful and caring relationship with the robot almost immediately without having to say a word. The sound while simple sets the perfect mood for the game from the aforementioned whistle to the soundtrack itself which is playful but still gives off a bass-y underground cave sounding vibe. The main mechanic was very well executed and I liked the puzzles. They weren't super hard, but they were satisfying. One of the only critiques I have is that the pacing could have stood to be a bit better. I realize the robot is supposed to be slow but dying via a bottomless bit due to a slip of your finger only to have to slowly make up your lost progress isn't super enjoyable. Still, I could just be bad at the game lol. Perhaps a larger amount of checkpoints could fix this issue. Addressing the lag spikes and allowing the player to use a dedicated jump button rather than W would be fantastic as well. Regardless, absolutely superb entry!

Runic Forest by tjakka5 2017-08-08T20:11:16Z

Solid entry! I quite liked the artstyle, although some animation on the wizard would have been good. The music is top notch and fit the atmosphere perfectly. The voice acting was a great unexpected touch as well. Gameplay wise, I liked the variety of spells you had and shooting bad guys was pretty fun. Although, this being a game jam title, you could of course work on polish quite a bit more. I'll say the wizard felt a little too slippery for starters and the attacks felt quite limp. I'd make the sounds stand out more, then add some screen shake or freeze the game when hitting an enemy for a split second so the atacks have more punch. My biggest issue, however, is that there seemed to be no audiovisual feedback for getting hit and for an action game that is of upmost importance, at least in my opinion. Of course these little bits of polish are things that even some fully released games don't get right, let alone game jam entries so take this as just a bit of constructive criticism for the future. Good work and good entry regardless!

ZapDune by diptoman 2017-08-02T18:12:18Z

I enjoyed this entry! The game looked very nice and the animations were all fluid, but it did get a little busy to look at at times, so perhaps some more work on making the characters and enemies pop would be good. The music was nice, but a little too loud and bombastic for my own personal tastes. The mechanic was simple but it was quite fun running around hectically and fixing up your turrets. For the future I'd say giving the player some more mobility outside of the hook (maybe a double jump) as well as the ability to fend off enemies themselves would be nice. Just my two cents, of course. You did well!

Full Metal Combat by Ranner198 2017-08-02T10:53:46Z

The graphics served their purpose (the player gave off some very obvious Master Chief vibes at least to me), but I would have liked a slightly higher resolution background. The music and sound was nice and added quite a bit to the mood. The gameplay was functional but I'd definitely say it lacked the punch it needed to be super fun. Adding things like screen shake, more meaty sounds and the like would have helped a ton. I especially had an issue with the audio-visual feedback for the player getting hit as there literally didn't seem to have any. When you couple that with the fact the aliens seemed to have way too large of an attack range it didn't feel satisfying facing them. I definitely think that if you address these issues as well as add more enemies and upgrades you could have a solid foundation for a wave-based shooter on your hands.

Spacy adventure by egordorichev 2017-08-01T13:38:04Z

A solid entry! I liked the art style of it: simple, yet charming. I will say while the particles are great looking, they do kinda get in the way of the gameplay. Due to the small screen size they take up so much of it that it gets difficult to keep track of the important stuff (the enemies, their bullets, item drops etc.) Some music would have been nice as well, but the lack of it is understandable. Overall a good and polished entry.

Ministry of Synthesis by impbox 2017-08-07T19:13:20Z

Fantastic entry! The graphics were simple but it's clear that care and time went into them, plus, they convey the needed information very well. The soundtrack was nice and ominous and the sound effects were servicable. I will say, while I think the sounds being emitted through the blocks is a great idea and it eases the puzzle-solving experience, it does get a little annoying after a while; perhaps only play them when the player has pressed the C key. I also would have liked a bit more time spent on being taught the mechanics, but the lack of that is 100% understandable given the time limit. Other than those two relatively minor complaints this was a great entry with a fun and creative mechanic that had a lot of polish behind it. Good work!

Devil's Curse by herniewise 2017-08-08T09:21:02Z

Very good entry! The artstyle was retro but it didn't lack a good amount of polish. I particularly enjoyed the white characters and tiles set against the dark backdrop; it really made them pop. The music was nicely done and had much the same charming retro feel. The sounds were great and crunchy and they really added to that NES audiovisual aesthetic. The gameplay was simple, yet a good deal of fun and there really isn't much to critique outside of adding more content in the future. The main mechanic was a nice spin on the theme, but adding more abilities for the player to lose would give it more variety is what I mean. Another thing it could possibly benefit from is some screen shake and freeze to really give it that extra punch. All in all though, very good work!

Squanchy Squids by pjnovas 2017-08-02T10:30:06Z

A good effort! The visuals were pretty cute on the character sprites, but I'd say perhaps a more cartoony background would fit them better. The atmosphere was good as well, but some sound would have definitely added even if it was just some ambience. The gameplay concept is a decent idea but I'd say it needs some work. I think that the controls are what brought it down for me. Perhaps rather than the control scheme you have now, you could consider implementing tank controls: W moves you forward, S moves you backwards and the direction of movement is the direction you're facing. I say this because I found myself pressing W and expecting to go in the direction I was facing, but I ended up going upwards which wasn't very intuitive. All in all though, good work!

Stray Impulse by tyranosaw 2017-08-08T12:42:13Z

Very solid entry! I liked how you kept things minimal with the art at least stylistically, yet you added some nice polish to things such as with the smooth turning animations and the flame graphics (Though I will say the smoke trail particles did feel a bit out of place with the pixel style you have going on for the rest of the game). The lack of music is a little disappointing but not too big of a deal and the sound effects were crisp, punchy and satisfying. The gameplay was fun but it did take me a while to get used to the controls, especially if I was using the mouse to fire as I kept expecting the ship to turn towards it rather than having to manually turn myself using WASD. After I got used to it though, it was a fair bit of fun. Good work!

POWER BEAT RACER by Hels 2017-08-02T10:42:20Z

This is an alright entry. I quite liked the simple but effective artstyle and I especially enjoyed the little racer portrait in the bottom left. The music was nice and rhythmic which is what one should expect from this type of game. What hindered my experience was the lack of labels on the orbs and the fact that the timing felt off. Perhaps a more forgiving time window would fix this, as I found I had to press the button ever so slightly before the beats hit which threw me off completely. If you address these issues, I think this could be a quite fun arcade-y experience.

Robot Is Powerless by Swynfel 2017-08-08T16:12:02Z

Solid work! The artstyle was serviceable, although I will say a bit more shading would have given it some much needed depth. Speaking of depth, I experienced a few issues with it - at certain times enemies appeared below objects they should have been on top of which messed with the perspective. The soundtrack was probably my favorite part of the experience as I think the trap-flavored and EDM inspired songs aren't seen too often in Ludum Dare entries, which usually go for something more old school. I was particularly impressed with how the tracks evolved with different little elements being added and that kept me from getting bored with them. The mechanic was fairly simple, although it did take me a bit to understand exactly how it worked. Once I did, it was all a matter of timing rather than really figuring out any meaningful puzzles, which I suppose is an amusing challenge in its own right. I did like how you mixed a puzzle game with some Roguelike mechanics and managed to fit it within the theme, though. That said, after what I assume to be the last level, the game simply went to a black screen and didn't even bother to stop the music. I'm not sure if this is a bug and there's supposed to be more, or it's just your idea of an ending. Regardless, this was a solid entry without many major issues to speak of, so good work on that front!

Greenville Deliveries by Fred Aberg 2017-08-09T11:47:40Z

Good effort! I liked the graphics for the most part and I particularly enjoyed having both day and night stages - it was a good touch. The soundtrack was nice and jolly as well. The gameplay was surprisingly fun once I got the hang of it. I will say that some of the obstacles made no sense as they were clearly below you and it felt stupid to have to worry about dodging them. The timer at the beginning took a little too long and slowed the pace down and the random generation often just placed the house right near the start, making the level essentially pointless. I'd work on that, the game feel as well as explaining the mechanics better to the player and then you'd have a very solid game. All in all, good effort!

Powerwatch by Gurbx 2017-08-04T14:34:01Z

Very solid entry! I liked the graphics quite a bit. It's nice to see some pixel art that doesn't fit the usual 8-bit or GameBoy aesthetic most go for. The sounds were servicable but some music would have done a lot for the mood. That said for a compo entry the lack of it is understandable. The mechanics weren't very original but they worked just fine and it was pretty fun shooting zombies. I will say the player moves a little too fast and the zombies spawn a little to close to him so I ended up running into them quite a bit. That said, good work!

Gradient Descent by Zelos 2017-08-05T11:29:52Z

Very good entry! The graphics were simple, but colorful and I enjoyed them probably because I have a soft spot for games that convey human emotion and drama through very abstract things such as geometric shapes and the like. The music was fantastic - very relaxed and emotional and I was particularly impressed with how picking up orbs played a musical note which fit majority of the time. Obviously this isn't the trickiest effect in the book - just make the notes within the scale and hope the player picks them up in accordance to the tempo. That said, even if it's simple, it still impressed me and added a lot of charm and made the soundtrack feel organic. The encounters were pretty well done and added to the desolate atmosphere of the game as running into all these orbs that have run out of power and are dealing with emotional situations really set a grim and fitting mood. I will say that the gameplay was definitely the weakest aspect, even though I didn't hate it. It was refreshing to play an easy and chilled out entry in the sea of very hard old school ones. That said, adding more challenge would give the choices more weight as the player would have to take into consideration whether or not it's worth saving someone only to have to go through more orb collecting. As it stands it's more of a minor annoyance than really a challenge you have to take into consideration. Some more impact for the individual choices would be nice as well, because as it stands it doesn't really matter who you decide is worth saving but it's rather an all or nothing situation which eliminates the value of the individual choices and drama of these characters. All in all, however, I really enjoyed this one. Great work!

No Sorcerer's Sky by TheFlyingKeyboard 2017-08-05T11:03:57Z

The graphics weren't spectacular, but they served their purpose well enough. I liked the little story panels as well as the space cows the most - they really added some character. The music was nice and ambient and it set a good mood for the game. The gameplay was pretty expansive for a LD entry and for the most part it worked pretty well. I'd say working on the clarity of the different mechanics would be nice in the future. For example, coveying and explaining some of the things better to the player (such as having to click to pick up scrap, when they got hit and which things are a threat to them, as well as a better indication of what the power usage is of the different modules). The lack of all these things is understandable though for a Jam title. Overall, solid work!

Last Shine by Fran Segura 2017-08-21T21:02:19Z

This was a solid entry! From a visual aspect it had a great deal of charm and it looked way above average for a Game Jam title. I also enjoyed the humor and the take on the theme and while the music you had was good, I don't understand why you didn't have any playing during the main chunk of the game. Perhaps it was a bug (I played the web version). The gameplay was quite standard and worked okay, but I believe some things can be done to improve it. Firstly, I found that it wasn't as satisfying as it could have been. Perhaps some screen shake or enemy flash or something along those lines would make it feel even better to battle enemies. Speaking of the enemies I found myself often times getting ganged up on and it didn't feel very good as I didn't seem to find a way of getting out without brute forcing my way through it by dying multiple times. I eventually figured out that perhaps I was meant to use the blocking but I found it very unintuative that it was a toggle. I'd much rather be holding down the button to block and releasing it to stop. Overall, this was a solid entry with lots of charm and a cool take on the theme, but also with a couple of things left to iron out. Good work, regardless!

Snow Train by stupidpawn 2017-08-02T10:19:55Z

I liked this one! The graphics were nice and simple, but they served their purpose well and the noises of the locomotive added a nice touch of atmosphere. The general concept and mechanics were pretty fun and quite original. I haven't really seen a train survival game before. They worked alright but they lacked polish, at least in my opinion. I encountered a few bugs (such as the fact stray bullets could hit me even if I was inside the locomotive and the fact I was able to carry the water and wood at the same time). These problems are understandable though for a Jam game. If I had to improve the experience in any area I'd say focus on the combat mechanics as they didn't feel very weighty and the enemies moved a bit too fast for my liking. Overall though, fun game and a unique concept worth expanding upon in the future!

Mars 9 by PUARSLIBURF 2017-08-01T12:28:37Z

Nice work! I liked the artstyle and the music. I think they complemented each other well and contributed to the nice oldschool feel. The gameplay was easy to understand and get the hang of. However, I found that the game had a very methodical and slow pace to it. I believe this mainly due to the fact you have to be very conservative with your power usage and also because the enemies have a pretty long period invincibility frames. I believe this slows the game down unnecessarily, so perhaps you can address it in the future. Regardless, good work on your entry!

e Negative by jhandsy 2017-08-02T11:27:11Z

Fantastic entry! I loved the artstyle - you kept everything to a unified palette much like oldschool GameBoy and NES games did, but you made the things that needed to stand out do so via good usage of lighter shades and outlining. The music was nice, but I will say that I liked the second half of the song when the drums kick in significantly more than the first one which sounded just a bit too messy and detuned for my liking. The gameplay mechanics were great! They very much reminded me of Dark Souls in terms of the combat and the platforming was satisfying as well. You had a good variety of enemies that all functioned differently in terms of the ways you had to defeat them. I also loved how you implemented the power meter which incentivized the player to keep moving and perfect their timing in the combat and plafroming as to not become too slow and clunky. If I had to nitpick I will say some of the level design was a bit unforgiving, and the jumping felt off at first as I expected it to work in a similar way to, for example, the Mario 2 crouch jump where you charge it up and release the button to launch yourself. Having the robot jump on its own regardless of whether you held down the button threw me off a bit, but I got used to it fairly quickly. Overall, definitely one of the rare 5-star entries that I come across. Fantastic work!

Escape! by Damoy 2017-08-04T16:41:31Z

Solid entry! The graphics and sound were very minimalistic but it didn't bother me much. The gameplay was fun and challenging. That said, a couple of things you could do to improve is perhaps implement grid based movement, similar to the old Pokemon games so the character feels easier to control. Also some kind of visible grid in the background would have been nice (some floor tiles or something as to be able to more easily keep in mind the bullet trajectories). Overall though, good job!

Plugzzz by mamoniem 2017-08-01T17:12:09Z

I found this entry pretty neat. The art style was really nice and the ominous atmospheric soundtrack did wonders for your presentation. I agree with the above people that the physics were very wacky, almost to the point of hindering gameplay in some of the later levels as I had some trouble keeping up with which plug belonged to which machine as it became a jumbled mess of cables. In that sense I guess it works just like it does in real life :D I joke, I kid. Good entry, nonetheless.

Plug Me by hav24 2017-08-05T21:01:46Z

Fantastic entry! The graphics were simple, yet very charming. The style reminded me of some of Vlambeer Games' work. The music was nice and energetic, although I wish it didn't get interupped so much (although I guess that's a natural side effect of having fast-ending levels). The mechanic is probably the most imaginative take on the theme I've seen so far. The controls are tight and while the game is challenging it feels very rewarding. Overall fantastic work!

HE BEAT HER. by Angela He 2017-08-06T11:32:14Z

I liked it! The art was phenomenal especially for the compo and the music was pretty good as well. The gameplay was nice and I liked in particular how you could find out information on one run then use said information in the next one. If I had to critique I'd say making the whole thing more forgiving or maybe limiting the player's freedom would be good, since when presented with a blank box to write anything in it gets a bit overwhelming. [SPOILERS] I say this because, for example, I found out that you could distract his ex by talking about sad things but none of the keywords you'd think to type in the 'What do you distract her with?' box seemed to work (talk, sad, speak, etc.) I might just be being dumb, of course. [SPOILERS] Overall though, this was a really impressive entry with a lot of depth so good work!

uRUNium by yopox 2017-08-05T11:43:32Z

Nice work! The graphical assets were good and I particularly enjoyed the smoothness of the animation. That said, there are some things still left you can work on. For starters the pixels seemed blurry and not crisp, which is probably due to interpolation. If possible in your engine, I'd turn it off. The other issue is the color palette. I understand the power plant is meant to be a dark place but these colors are a bit too muddy and I believe giving some more vibrancy and light to the player and tiles would not only look better but fit better with the quite jolly soundtrack. Speaking of which, the music was decent, if a touch repetitive. The gameplay is largely without major issues and it's pretty good fun even if not super original. My only complaints would have to do with the fact you get booted to the map after dying which slows the pace down unnecessarily. I'd just restart the level and let the player quit if they want to. Some more indication of which tiles will fall down and hurt the player would be good too. That said, this was still a fun and very solid entry so I congratulate you on that front!

Danger Forever by BLK Dragon 2017-08-09T12:16:52Z

Solid entry! The graphics were serviceable and I liked the look of them. The music was nice, although it could have stood to be a bit more bombastic to add to the energy. Much the same can be said about the sound design. The gameplay was rather fun for a while. My only issues have to do with balancing. It felt like the enemies just shot at you no matter how far away you were from them and thus it became a cluster of enemy bullets with very little chance to avoid them. I'd suggest making them slower, bigger and only making the enemies shoot when they can realistically be shot at by the player as well just so it feels more fair and the player has a chance to swerve around them. Other than that, solid entry!

B1NMAN_ROFP by davideperozzi 2017-08-06T13:19:25Z

Solid entry! The graphics were nice and I especially liked the monochrome aesthetic of the sprites and tiles, which made the red in the enemies and the beam stand out. Some sound would have definitely added a lot, but I can't be too harsh; I ran out of time to do proper sound on my first LD, too. The gameplay was simple, but I liked the enemies that only move when you move. They added a nice bit of strategy and definitely surprised me as I expected a fast-paced shooter when looking at the screenshots. I'd say one of the things that brought it down is the camera shift when moving which felt unnecessary as it didn't really give me more visibility but rather just made me feel dizzy. The other thing is that I felt the beam knocked me back a bit too fast and a bit too much which made me feel like I wasn't in total control. Overall though, very very solid effort, especially for your first LD!

Long Distance Runner by easy82 2017-08-17T13:17:42Z

This was a solid entry! Firstly, the graphics were simple but sweet and I particularly liked the color palette. Although the music was enjoyable, it did seem a bit too techno-esque for the general look and feel of the game. That said, it doesn't mean it's bad by any stretch of the imagination. The gameplay worked as intended and I'd be lying if I said I didn't have fun. However, I had some issue distinguishing between the lanes at first and the cars, while realistic in scope, did feel impossible to avoid at certain points. The feeling of getting hit due to no perceivable fault of your own is never something you should intentionally have the player experience, although I don't see much of a way to avoid it, I suppose. The take on the theme was also a bit surface level, as it was essentially a health bar with no real connection to the theme outside of the cute willpower thing. I guess that's fine though, as the theme is meant to be loose and more of a guideline. On the whole, I enjoyed it! Solid entry!

The Light City of Karola by davidcollado 2017-08-06T11:58:59Z

Definitely liked this one a lot! The graphics were good and I especially enjoyed the particle effects and the squishiness of the character. The music was nice and fitting and so were the sound effects. The gameplay wasn't super original but it made up for it by being a very solid and polished fun platforming experience. My only two critiques would be that it was a bit short (totally understandable for a LD entry) and the fact that the zoom out effect when you entered the little recharge stations was a bit too sudden and jarring for my personal tastes. All in all though, very very solid entry!

Rats will kiss the gunner's daughter by Mr.Houdini 2017-08-01T22:16:21Z

Fantastic entry! I really liked the art style; I thought it worked very well for setting a pirate-esque atmosphere (I promise I'm not biased :D) and the music was very soothing and didn't get in my way when I was thinking about my decisions which is all I can ask of it in a game like this. The gameplay was quite simple, but surprisingly engaging as it had me put quite a bit of thought into my interactions with the sailors. At the end of the day I executed the wrong man, but still it was a very fun ride while it lasted. Overall, a rather fun and impressive entry!

daemon by bombjack 2017-08-01T12:43:37Z

A decent effort. I liked the artstyle of this one quite a bit and the same goes for the music. Both contributed to the dark and ominous atmosphere. The controls are a bit clunky and a touch too floaty for my liking. The mechanic of the souls could be interesting, but I believe the player should receive more visual and audio feedback when they get hit (knockback, screenshake, more sound etc.) The game is also just a bit too difficult and think that is partly due to the fact the camera lags way too much behind the player which forces them to wait for it to catch up and also doesn't allow for good visibility of the obstacles ahead. Overall though, nice work!

Little Light by Qu4k 2017-08-01T13:58:19Z

This is a very solid entry! I loved the mood which was set by the dark and ominous looking world and the ambient soundtrack. The gampeplay was solid as well. My main issues have to do with the fact the player accelerates a bit too fast for my liking. When you combine that with how dark the levels are the game becomes difficult to play because you move very quickly and your visibility is limited so you can't see things coming. I'd also make it so when you're next to a fire you don't have to sit around and wait for it to recharge you. Making it happen instantly will speed up the flow significantly. I only say this because it's obvious you're going for a fast-paced game. Overall, good work!

Wayside : A world awaits you by TheCodeFactory 2017-08-05T20:54:50Z

Very good entry! The graphics were simple, but I think they worked for the most part because of the muted color scheme which fits well for a puzzle game. The soundtrack was nice but a bit too repetative and the looping sounded a little off (noticed that especially with the first piece of music). The edition of multiple tracks was nice, however. The mechanic was simple and similar things have been done before in multiple mobile games but it was still very fun and well executed. I will say i expected to have some more momentum to the launches at first but I got used to it. Overall, very good entry!

Light It Up by yawoada 2017-08-17T13:30:06Z

As this is your first LD entry, I can't be too harsh. I will say that not everyone is an artist so the programmer art is understandable to a degree. The sounds were alright, although some music would have helped tremendously. Despite the fact that the gameplay does have potential, it's currently plagued by a variety of issues you can work on. Firstly, the slow acceleration makes your jumps unnecessarily tricky to land at times and the collision detection bugs out occasionally as well. Not only were the enemies way too many, but they also moved very quickly which made the best strategy to just sit in one spot and jump. As you'd imagine this isn't very fun to do, so more incentive to move around would be nice. I suppose that's what the light out mechanic is for as well as the points but making both of them have a stronger impact would help. Overall, I apologize if I ended up sounded overly critical. This is a solid foundation for your first time, I'd just love to see improvement in your future LD work.

LED Adventure -- Running out of Power by ledez 2017-08-05T11:59:55Z

The graphics were decent. I will say that the background and foreground were a bit too similar both in color and look so it made the game unnecessarily busy to look at. I'd make everything from the player to the tiles stand out a lot more. Also some of the parallax was messed up in the first level. The soundtrack was good and fit well enough and the sound effects were alright. The gameplay has potential but there is a lot of polish still left to be added. Firstly the jumping has a huge amount of momentum, which makes it very difficult to control yourself in mid-air. It reminded me of Castlevania jumping, but unlike that game this one didn't feel designed around it. Secondly the shooting could feel a lot more satisfying. For starters, I'd make the bullets bigger and quite a bit faster and then I'd add some screen shake, or freeze to make it feel good when hitting the enemies. Some other minor things you could fix up is giving the falling platforms a different sprite so the player doesn't have to guess if the platform they're jumping on will crumble beneath their feet. That said, I can definitely see a good amount of effort being put in to this, it just has a way to go before it's a polished experience. Good effort, nonetheless!

Space Power Defender by EdwinGameDev 2017-08-17T15:50:57Z

I dug the graphics. They were nice and colorful and worked pretty well for a game jam entry. The music wasn't bad, but also it wasn't particularly interesting either. The sound effects were quite charming, however. The gameplay was pretty fun and for the most part worked perfectly well. I particularly enjoyed that you had different types of enemies. I'd say the only major thing I'd work on is game feel (I suggest watching the Vlabeer Games video on this subject). I also didn't quite enjoy how your bullets could collide with your power cores. I feel like if you want to have it like that you should make the power cores solid so you can't just pass through them (it doesn't make much sense for your bullets to be stopped by them, but not you yourself). I might just be nitpicking of course. Overall, solid work!

The Color of Days To Come. by TheOneThatNeverWas 2017-08-08T19:52:24Z

Very intriguing entry! I found the graphics style you chose pretty unique and the surreal representations of faces coupled with the cardboard cutout aesthetic fit perfectly within the mood you were going for. The music was also very good at setting the tone. There isn't much in terms of gameplay I can critique since it's a storytelling experience mostly, but what was there worked well enough. I only have a couple issues. Firstly, some of the scenes dragged on a little too long without much happening both in general and in terms of interactivity for the player (particularly the space scenes). Secondly, and this is very minor, it did probably take me longer than needed to figure out how to brush my teeth (the most challenging the game got in terms of gameplay lol). Anyways, symbolism wise there's most likely a lot to discuss since it seemed pretty heavy in that area. I'm not the one that usually formulates grand theories about these sorts of experiences but it did get me thinking about what you intended by a lot of the things. I particularly found the space scenes fascinating. Could the two moons symbolize him and his girlfriend and how she now seems unreachable almost as if they are literally a world apart? Could the giant planet that makes one of your moons fade away be depression, or is it just the reason your girlfriend left; perhaps another man? This would make sense because after the smaller moon leaves you it and the other one start orbiting in unison rather than never being able to reach each other like they were previously (obviously symbolizing that your partner has moved on with someone else and they're happier). Does the following scene symbolize literally feeling like the weight of the world is on your shoulders without your girl there to support you? And does the clock that appears just imply that under depression time becomes meaningless as you have no control over it (notice that no matter if you spin clockwise or you spin counterclockwise everything plays out the same, indicating that you can't bring things back to how they were, nor can you move on). Does the scene with the soldier training simply show how time withers your outlook on life? (notice how the chief of training is literally time itself, which could indicate that time under depression simply cements your decision to end it all). All these questions are fascinating and what's even better is I don't know if I'm completely on the mark or totally missing the point. Great entry nonetheless, and apologies for turning this into an English essay :D

Sparkling by aaforcebox 2017-08-01T09:48:04Z

This was a solid entry. The controls and mechanics took a little getting used to at first, but once I got the hang of them, it became pretty fun. Initially I wasn't quite sure what to make of the floaty movement and the slow shooting speed, but then I realized it was done on purpose and I started timing my shots and being very satisfied when I managed to pierce a bunch of enemies at once. The graphics weren't anything super special, but they did their job well enough. The music was quite nice and the sounds were once again serviceable. I will say that maybe you should consider adding a little bit more feedback to the player getting hit (some screen shake, or maybe a more distinct sound). Overall, good work, especially for someone who doesn't have years of gamedev experience behind them!

Torch Boy by FloBar 2017-08-01T18:31:53Z

I would really like to see the main shooting mechanic expanded on in a bigger game, because I think it's pretty creative and could be very fun. As it stands though, I can't say that I loved the game. The room is a little too tight and the amount of enemies is way too big for the player to have a feasible chance at getting to the key (or at least I felt like I didn't). Without being able to reach the key, the game starts to feel pointless as you can just sit in a corner and never die. That said, I still think the mechanic is a great idea and the artstyle was pretty well done. I suppose I can just say work on it more and it could become a really great game. I guess that is also one of the forms success can take when it comes to Ludum Dare entries, so good work on that front!

Low Energy by alejandrodlsp 2017-08-01T14:11:55Z

I liked the graphics and the music. Both were simple, but fit together well. The take on the theme wasn't anything super special, but not every game has to reinvent the wheel. The controls were alright and the game was pretty fun. Some of the collision detection feels a little wonky and I will say that the fact that the horizontal moving platforms don't move you along with them threw me off a lot. Overall though, a good effort!

Deep Space Nine Volts by Boxfort 2017-08-01T10:01:01Z

Nice work on this one! The graphics had an amateur-ish feel to them, but it felt done on purpose and they had a lot of charm, especially the little drawing when you die. The soundtrack was simple, but effective, and I enjoyed the gibberish when then captain was speaking (both because I found it charming, and because it was a nice audible indication that some information is being given to the player). The controls worked as intended and the game was pretty fast-paced and hectic. If I had to critique, I'd say that a more straight forward layout would be nice, or at the very least a bit more time to familiarize yourself with the existing one. Some more time to read the tutorial text would have been swell also. Overall, great work! It was pretty impressive what you were able to achieve given the time limit.

Hungry Harry's Climb by PBG 2017-08-01T13:04:40Z

Very good entry! I really liked the old-school 8-bit aesthetic both graphically and in the sound effects. It reminded me of Ice Climbers on the NES for whatever reason. I found the controls very responsive and the climbing satisfying. The random level generation is a (n)ice touch as well :D I do think more indication should be given to where exactly the exit is as I reached the top but wasn't able to find it before accidentally falling back down. I also think the energy mechanic was a little surface level as well, but it's a good game regardless. Great work!

Powerless: Trump Teaches Typing by RootPew 2017-08-01T12:52:32Z

As the token Trump game of this LD this one was quite alright. I like the graphical style and music. They both give off a crude and hard to take seriously vibe which I think is quite fitting for Trump. Gameplay-wise I thought it was a fairly standard typing game but I do think more leeway would have been nice. Then again, I'm not the fastest typer ever so it could be a fault of my own (English not being my native language and all). Overall, good work!

Night Driver by nbitsstudio 2017-08-01T18:01:04Z

This is a great entry! I loved the overall aesthetic of it. The graphics reminded me of 80s virtual reality movies and the soundtrack was very 80s sounding as well. The rain effects and ambient sound effects definitely added to the fantastic mood as well. The driving was very standard and nothing really out of the ordinary but it was still a great deal of fun. Nothing really to critique here other than the suggestion of adding more features and mechanics and polishing up general game feel. Overall, great entry!

Monster Girl Chaos: Hollow Apple by FireSlash 2018-08-14T13:32:22Z

A well executed game! I like the presentation because it quite reminds me of old PC RPG games and the chracter designs on the main trio are well made (personalities included *wink, wink*). The music is nice and fitting and the writing gave me a chuckle at times. As far as the gameplay goes, it's a fairly standard turn based combat system similar to the Heroes series but I think you executed it well. The differences between the three are a good idea, but I feel like Felina was clearly the best character and she ended up doing most of the work in my playthrough. The other two had interesting abilities such as the divebomb and web shooting but I feel like they needed to be just a bit more useful to compensate for the raw power of Felina. A bit more polish could have been given to the impacts outside of the great punchy sound effects you chose (for example making the enemies flash) and there were a few bugs (such as the enemies continuing to attack a girl that has been defeated which allowed me to cheese certain levels). All of those are completely understandable considering the time limit though, I am just giving my two cents as to how to improve an already solid entry with quite a bit of length and polish. Good work!

Birdbird can't fly! by Togimaro 2018-08-16T05:40:18Z

A good entry! I liked the Game & Watch styled graphics and the silly music and over the top sound effects and dialogue really made it quite charming. The gameplay was simple, yet engaging and the only thing I might tweak is the controls which felt just a touch too floaty for the rather small game space. That and as people have previously mentioned restarting feels sluggish due to waiting quite a bit, although I can't really see a way to avoid this other than maybe skipping the dialogue once you respawn or adding some sort of checkpoint system. Good work overall!

Reasonable Claustrophobia by SkullPixel 2018-08-17T09:21:37Z

Good entry! The graphics were nice and pleasant looking and the music was upbeat and energetic. I think your take on the theme was well executed and simple to grasp, yet with some potential behind it. My main issue is the slightly slow pace of certain things such as movement speed and especially respawning. I thought having to press R on every death was unnecessary and slowed things down needlessly. Absolutely keep the option to restart, just make it so dying automatically resets the level. Additionally, maybe speed up the respawn time because I feel the little letterbox transition was a tad too sluggish, if nice looking. Overall, good work!

Keys, Please! by Ellian 2018-08-23T18:21:22Z

Very polished entry! I really liked the visual style and the bounce of the animations. The music was great and despite the minimal dialogue you managed to give me a laugh with the valet's name. The gameplay was solid and worked. I will say I felt the steering was a little delayed, but other than that I can't really say I found much else wrong with this entry, although I usually don't enjoy top down driving games. Great work!

Hydrogenic by Gabe 2018-08-16T05:51:02Z

This was a good entry. I think the simple graphics and sound worked and gave the game a clean, slick look and feel which is fitting for the genre. Some music would really add, of course, but it's a gamejam entry so what can you do. The core mechanic has potential and I think for the most part you executed it well. The only issue is the confusing directions when moving. I feel you could either make player movement consistent rather than based on stage rotation, or if you keep the stage rotation make it so the stage visually rotates around the player so that it's clear and easy to grasp which direction you will end up moving in. Overall though, good work!

TrackBlasters by paulloz 2018-08-14T08:38:56Z

I'm both really impressed and also a little critical towards this entry. Firstly, everything screams polish from the fantastic graphics to the soundtrack to the menus. It all feels like it came straight out of a SNES game and for a Jam entry that is something truly impressive. The controls and mechanics were generally well made and easy to understand so I had no issues there. My criticism comes in two aspects both of which might be a bit biased. I honestly don't enjoy the way topdown racing games work so I had a hard time truly having fun with this. Of course this is no fault of your own, I just wanted to make that clear. My other gripe comes with the core concept. Even though the racing while bombing mechanic is great on paper, I think your implementation could have been a bit better. I didn't really see a clear way to "beat" the tracks (does it have to do with doing a certain amount of laps?) and due to only having one route through the stage it becomes a total mess the moment you screw up more than once even leading to you possibly getting locked out of completing a stage. To negate this I think a better approach would be to have multiple routes through a track and using the bomb mechanic as a way to make the player choose to take different paths on the different laps or always go through the one that is fastest (but also most risky due to bomb damage). I am still very impressed with this but I just feel with a clearer goal, some polish to the main idea and more content it would make for an even better game. Fantastic work regardless!

Growing Out by superpokeunicorn 2018-08-16T20:53:47Z

Everything about this game screamed NES to me and I liked that. You really nailed that style of game both in the gameplay and aesthetically with the graphics and audio (the music could have been a bit better but the fact you even have music to begin with in a Compo entry is impressive enough). I really liked the smaller touches that were nods to that era of gaming as well. For example, the moment I started I knew I couldn't go right and I had to go left just like the original Metroid on the NES. The shooting had that arch similar to Mario's fireflower and the game was rightfully rather difficult (at least for me) just like old NES titles. I focus on this mostly because it's really what gives the game charm and it's good to see someone make an 'oldschool' game in which the word 'oldchool' isn't just a substitute for 'lackluster pixel graphics and sound'. I can't say much other than impressive work done in just 48H!

.S by torcado 2018-08-16T06:17:29Z

Good entry. I like clean minimalistic visuals for these sorts of games, but some audio would have added a lot. The concept behind it is so simple, yet pretty clever - somehow snake works as a platforming game rather nicely. I will agree with others that the physics gameplay does feel a little clunky at times, but I think that is only a real issue because when you get stuck in yourself it's pretty defeating to have to restart the whole level over again. You seem to have found a good solution for this in a time reqind mechanic though, so I'm glad. Also please make it so falling down actually kills you because it feels unprofessional to have to restart manually once you fall into a bottomless pit. Overall though, a good creative entry!

Summer Breakdown by pixelstuff 2018-08-14T12:57:56Z

A charming entry! I really liked the whole mood of it from the warm colors of the graphics to the beach music and the hustle and bustle sounds of the people. It really worked well, plus, the voice over gave me a nice smile. The gameplay was really simple as it is with most entries but it worked and was quite fun because it kept me on my toes and aware of the people appearing and disappering around me. I can't really say anything other than just expand it with more content and mechanics if you feel like it. Overall, very solid entry!

Detox by FiloGC 2018-08-14T08:08:51Z

Well executed entry! I think the idea was very simple but the randomness of both the falling and the physics interactions made me want to continue to play it despite the simplicity. It was polished in almost all aspects from graphics to the menus and especially the inclusion of an online leaderboard. I think with a soundtrack and some more mechanics and balance tweaking this could work even as a commercial game on mobile. Good work!

EVOLUTION by Noa Calice 2018-08-18T13:37:50Z

A simple but effective narritive game. I loved the Binding of Isaac styled art and the music was a little offputting at first (sounded a bit too detuned and jerky for a cheery tune), but maybe that was the point to suggest from the start that things will end badly. The sound effects were great, especially the cries of pain coming from the planet which gradually became louder and louder. It kept me intrigued to see it through to the end despite the minimal gameplay. I also love the idea of the title as what appears on the surface to be the evolution of your society is actually causing horrible effects to the planet without any of the people realizing. I would only suggest making the planet's death gorier or maybe a bit more disturbing to make it just the more impactful when it finally happens. Other than that, great narrative entry!

Zachary's Memory by namnam 2018-08-16T20:21:00Z

This game was the artistic (if that is even the proper label for it) entry of Ludum Dare for me. The graphics and music work so well to create this cozy yet sad atmosphere it left me feeling bittersweet almost immediately. The writing is really good and I would say its strongest feature is found in the main mechanic. It's rare to see a game work the writing and story into the gameplay as they're usually treated as two separate entities but having to piece together this person's life not only works on a mechanical level (keeping you intrigued thoughout and trying to group the memories) but also in a narritive sense because it really manages to put you into the protagonist's shoes. It's really quite a simple but clever way to tie story and gameplay together and you did it really well. I can't say much other than maybe make it easier to figure out the criteria for grouping each set of memories, or perhaps make messing up more forgiving. I might just be dumb or it's too late at night to be playing a game this thought-involving lol. Overall, I congratulate you on crafting an engaging narritive experience in a LD entry, that is no small accomplishment!

Loot Keeper by outstar 2018-08-18T11:34:25Z

I like the aesthetic of the items, although the pixel art on the dungeon view felt out of place. I liked the idea as a concept, but I feel the execution needs a bit of polish. Firstly, using WASD to move items feels like a pointless hassle and just being able to drag and drop the items would have worked better (of course with some difficulty adjustment for the change in controls). Secondly, if you insist on keeping WASD you need to make it a bit more responsive because it felt like there was input lag which often lead to me moving the items more than one space without intending to. I don't mean to come off harsh, of course, I can tell you've put in a lot of good work, these are just my thoughts about how to improve it going further.

Dear Leader's Diet Plan by Historymaker118 2018-08-18T18:25:05Z

You had the audio-visual aesthetic pretty much down for a Jam game (I especially liked the propaganda font and voice sound effects). The gameplay was alright, but I feel this would have worked better as a pinball game or something a bit more dynamic becuase I ended up beating most of the levels by just slamming myself against a single wall repeatedly. Some more unpredictable and wild bouncing around would have made it more fun and challenging. Still good work on the token political entry of the Jam!

A Bunny's Tale by undefinist 2018-08-18T18:14:29Z

ANEWMAN.png

The only 5/5 experience for me this LD. I feel like a new man upon completion. My muscles have grown twice in size, I've grown a beard which has proceeded to also grow a beard, I can now cut a log with my jaw line and the only fluid I intake is beer pumped directly into my veins via IV. Truly this game has transformed the boy into the man so please accept my sincerest gratitude.

Crystalmancer by Crowno 2018-08-15T13:25:04Z

I liked the gameboy inspired graphics and the ability to swap your palette is a really cool aesthetic addition. The music was some nice bouncey 8-bit goodness. The game itself was well made if a bit too difficult for my tastes (mainly due to how slow you move and how big you are on the screen). I also feel like you could have taken it in a slightly different direction to fit the theme better. Initially, I thought the hammer wasn't a thing and went "Oh, okay, so the game is about timing where you kill an enemy so you don't block your path forward. That's a pretty awesome idea." I feel like if you took it more in that direction it could have been something more thematically fitting and smarter. As it stands, it is by no means bad, just a bit too hard for my tastes, but I suppose that is the nature of original Zelda-styled games. Good work!

LETTERBOX by Shell Pirate 2018-08-18T13:07:49Z

@pyrodaes I will definitely look into making the game more forgiving or at least with a smoother difficulty curve if I decide to take it further.

I am a single person. I did all the art, programming and music myself, just chose to enter the Jam rather than the Compo.

Overflow by antoined73 2018-08-18T18:53:07Z

I really like the visuals they reminded me of The Wind Waker and usually the lack of music is a minus in my book but here it kinda worked with the serene waves of the sea and the pleasant sound effects. The idea was solid, but I feel it just needs a bit of polish. The controls could be a bit tighter (maybe make the boat stop easier) and the range at which you can pick up people could be a bit more forgiving. Additionally, the third level felt impossible to me and a little badly designed considering it wasn't clear from the start where the people were leading to an almost guaranteed failure the first time due to no real fault of the player. Just my thoughts on how to improve the game in the future, solid work still!

The Subway: horror within by Bibilega 2018-08-16T06:02:45Z

I liked this one. The graphics are really well made and as both a pixel and non-pixel artist I can tell just how much time and effort has gone into them and it's really quite impressive for a gamejam entry. The music and sound was also good. I think the gameplay has potential. The idea of timing your moves so they are most effective against the different types of people incoming is a good one and I liked your execution. I can't really suggest much other than adding more depth and content to it. I also feel like this would work better as an arcade game where the goal is to survive as long as possible rather than as a game with a set goal. Other than that, good work!

Pre Alpha Build by PlusMinus 2018-08-16T19:56:02Z

An interesting take on the tower defense genre. I liked the tetris-like mechanic and I thought you implemented it well. The graphics were nice (save for the green field in the middle of nowhere as your setting, I feel like the surface of Mars or something would have been a far better choice for the menacing mood). The music was some great stuff and for the most part I can't really add much other than work on explaining the mechanics more clearly as the 'nope' on the help button is a funny joke sure, but it still doesn't actually help a player in case they can't fully grasp everything that is happening. Good work on this!

Falling Ecosystem by sprvrn 2018-08-15T07:41:34Z

I liked the minimalistic pixel graphics, especially the palette. The sound wasn't anything special and I think some music would have helped a lot, but considering this is a Compo entry, it is completely understandable. The gameplay has potential. I liked some of your ideas quite a lot, in particular, the way you mined dirt. The decision making of whether to wait and see which blocks will fall and then quickly mine those so they don't go to waste, or mine some other blocks to save yourself the wait was quite a neat mechanic. Unfortunately, it's a bit of a double edged sword as it lead to a lot of downtime where the player does nothing. Another issue I had was the fact that not everything was indicated quite clearly (such as which things you build provide which resources and when exactly in relation to the timer those resources are collected). All of these are excusable for a Ludum Dare game, of course, I'm just pitching in as to how to improve it if you decide to move forward. Good entry!

CRUMBLE by whycardboard 2018-08-14T14:28:11Z

I quite liked the graphics because of the color palette you chose, my only issue is the fact the main character looks a little flat. The music is great and it really helped the mood. Gameplay-wise it's a neat idea that kept me tense throughout while keeping everything that's happening under my control because of the turn-based mechanics. I'm split on the randomness, as on one hand it helps with the tension by not letting the player know which crumbling block will fall next, but on the other hand it feels a little frustrating at times. Overall, a solid entry!

The Best Internet Experience by Hugo kieffer 2018-08-18T11:14:46Z

I think visually you nailed the aesthetic of 90s computer interfaces. Audio-wise I believe a few of the sound effects were out of place (mainly the Skype and Discord sounds) as they are from applications that were not in use during that era. In terms of gameplay, you managed to turn what is usually the major annoyance of getting rid of ads into a pretty fun experience and a creative take on the theme. I would suggest adding a bar or some sort of visual indication as to how many more adds you can let come on the screen before the game ends.

Deep Down by Nyunesu 2018-08-17T06:41:01Z

Good entry! I liked the graphics, especially the color palette and the music was awesome. The gameplay was fun and it kept me wanting to move forward despite the difficulty. I will say you could make the collision detection a little tighter as I found myself slipping from the edges of blocks (it was never truly a serious issue, just thought I would mention it). Also I am not a fan of the way the yellow sticky blocks worked. I think you should be able to let go of them without jumping vertically because it made one of the sections at the end of the second level more difficult than it should be. Other than that solid entry!

Sodaboi by Tony Redmer 2018-08-23T18:09:17Z

This was a solid entry! The graphics style was well done and the music was quite gnarly, if I do say so myself. The main concept was pretty good and I liked the multitasking aspect which kept it chaotic and engaging throughout. I would say the only thing that would need improvment is the game feel. I think the cannon should feel much more powerful (a stronger sound effect, screen shake etc. would help with this) and hitting an enemy should feel more impactful as well (make them flash and react much more than they do now for example). I also think on a pure visual level the arc at which the cannonballs travel doesn't quite look right. Other than that good entry!

Demonic Digestion by DodoIta 2018-08-18T12:51:22Z

I really liked the Asian aesthetic both visually and with the soundtrack which was definitely a highlight. The core gameplay was simple to understand and pretty fun. I feel like the only complaint I would have is the character movement feeling a bit floaty, but honestly that was probably a design decision so it's not really a bad thing. Perhaps just make it so the head rotates a bit smoother to match the direction of movement as at the moment it looks rather rigid. Other than that, good work!

Will Survive by foxserranu 2018-08-14T09:04:04Z

I really like the graphics on this they remind me of stuff like Nuclear Throne and Enter the Gungeon. The addition of the into animation also added a lot to the setup and atmosphere which is not something usual for a Jam game. The music while nice, doesn't quite fit the dark mood in my opinion. The gameplay is rather simple, but for a Jam game that is excusable. I would like a bit more polish (such as stopping trees from spawning on top of the campfire/tent) and some more content. Overall though, good work!

Storage Madness by rangoiv 2018-08-16T19:35:12Z

I liked your take on the theme with the obvious memory hog apps as enemies, I think that was a pretty creative aesthetic choice. Overall the aesthetic is nice but I feel that the floor tiles, while thematically relevant, were a bit too busy looking. The music was mostly just there but it was by no means bad and I suppose it fit the futuristic tech theme. Gameplay-wise I think you have the basics down pat and all that is needed is polish to make the game feel really good to play. I would start with the shop interaction. I feel it was clunky because of the inclusion of the exit shop button which just slows down the gameplay and leads to taking damage while fumbling to click it. A simple solution would be to entirely remove it and make it so when the player is close to the shop the shop menu appears and when they move away it disappears. Secondly, the shooting feels rather weak so I would adjust that to make it more satisfying. Faster bullets, a faster shooting rate, screen shake, a meatier sound effect, muzzle flashing, really anything you can think of can be added to make the shooting really pack the punch that is needed for this sort of game. I suggest watching Vlambeer Games' video on the subject of Game Feel (it's called "The Art of Screenshake" on YouTube). I will finish by saying I played the Game Jam version so perhaps my issues have been addressed in the update. I'm simply pitching in my two cents as to how to improve the game because you seem to have a strong desire to do so which is very commendable. Solid work overall!

Claustrophobia by deformhead 2018-08-14T07:58:52Z

Good entry! I liked the graphics because of the gameboy palette and the subtle flicker animation on the light. The gameplay was solid if a bit random (playing didn't feel a lot like I was solving a puzzle as much as just figuring out the correct order of moves, but maybe that in itself was the puzzle lol). A bit of sound and atmosperic music would really complete the mood you were setting. Overall, good first entry and props on not using an engine.

Block Caver by Bearmask Studios 2018-08-14T08:18:33Z

Good work! I think the graphics worked and the music reminded me of old miner-themed flash games for some reason. The gameplay was solid although some sound effects would make it more impactful. I also think the boxes themselves are a little jittery at times and it might be just me but they don't seem to be able to crush you - only the platforms do. I could be mistaken. Overall, solid entry!

Ink Flood by Ice Maker 2018-08-18T12:42:08Z

A solid platformer! The graphics were simple but worked and the music on the menus sounded good, although I am not sure why there wasn't any during the actual gameplay. The controls felt responsive but also just a bit floaty. The level design was alright and the difficulty curve wasn't too unforgiving. I am not a fan of having a game over system as I feel letting the player attempt as many times as they need to is a better option. Also a few bugs in the menus made the buttons unresponsive at times. Other than that solid work!

A Way Out by sdrrv 2018-08-18T19:17:29Z

Not bad for your first published game! You kept it simple yet it worked and it was a bit of fun. The graphics and audio did the job and the core gameplay loop was smooth and responsive. Really the only thing I kinda disliked was the fact your bullets could hit the red and blue balls as well. That could be an additional element of challenge, however, I just personally wasn't a huge fan. Still, solid work on your first published game!

Crumble by anstabo 2018-08-15T13:14:33Z

I really liked the cartoon-esque cel shaded style and the derpiness of the main character in particular. The music was a bit repetitive but worked okay, but perhaps a more oriental precussion and melody style would have fit the environment better. Gameplay-wise it reminded me a bit of Rock of Ages. It took me a while to get used to how the ball controlled and I feel like that was because of the big difference in acceleration and speed between the ground and air. I felt sluggish on the ground and a bit too fast in the air. Despite the faults, I enjoyed messing around in it and I commend your good work. Solid entry!

PROJECT R.O.O.S. by MalyTimi 2018-08-23T18:34:54Z

I liked the visuals and the animations you managed to pull off. Unfortunately, I couldn't hear any sound (could be an issue on my end) so I won't comment on that. It wasn't much of a game but a nice interactive experience with a twist. I think what's most charming and unique about it is the fact you made it in PowerPoint. So in a sense your programmer bailing may have been a good thing. Good work!

René in outer space by Sogeking 2018-08-14T13:53:01Z

Good work! I liked the art despite it not being mindblowing or anything. I think René in particular has a certain derpy charm that makes the whole thing work. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to hear any audio (could have been my browser or maybe my headphones), so I won't rate you on that. The gameplay was fairly well executed with the controls feeling floaty but on purpose so the player has to get the hang of them if they want to be good at the game. I feel like you had a few too many gameplay elements going on with the different powerups and the way they interacted with René's size, but I may just be being simpleminded lol. I had some fun, regardless. Overall, solid work!

Space Run by mitsu.artemius 2018-08-18T18:40:58Z

You have a solid foundation for a runner game here. I liked the aesthetic for the most part although I wished there was just a bit more variation in the tiles for each planet and there was some music. It's understandable, however, and the fact you managed to create something that feels like an actual game with progression and levels, as well as a clear beginning and ending point is a job well done in my book. I'd say work on game feel and ironing out other minor things (I could see the level being generated as I ran, I wished there was a meter for the jetpack so I knew how long I could fly for, I wished it was a bit faster and harder, things like that) Good work overall!

Zero Grace Megadrive by triplefox 2018-08-18T13:20:00Z

I would describe this as competative snake, because on the one hand you have snake mechanics of your own to deal with (worrying about hitting your own trail) but you're also using your trail to trap the worms who also have snake mechanics. It's a neat idea. The aesthetic was nice and clean and I could see this working if more content was added to it. Perhaps zoom out the view though, so it's easier to judge the worms' movements (if I recall the original snake was all on one screen and I think there's a reason for that). Overall, solid work!

Dodghell by ChicoDeLosMates 2018-08-19T12:28:49Z

A nice little game. I think the aesthetic was servicable and the core idea, while simple, could become a pretty fun and addicting game to play with some additional polish. My main issue is the fact it started feeling a little too hard as soon as more than two enemies came into play. Other than that, quite solid work!

SpaceOut by Lou Bagel 2018-08-18T13:03:17Z

I liked the graphics and the music was awesome, it reminded me of the original Doom's soundtrack. I especially appreciated the Atari-esque digitized speech. The gameplay was simple and fun to play for a little while. I would have liked a clearer explanation of the mechanics that wasn't done via text, but considering the time limit of the Jam it's excusable - just something to look into doing if you decide to take it further. Solid work!

Deepest Sword by Strega 2021-04-28T10:20:07Z

Good work! I found the graphics, sound, mood and overall aesthetic really charming and the take on the theme is fun as well (both in the sense of going deeper into the cave, but also driving the sword deeper into the dragon). So great work on that!

The main mechanic was also rather interesting and innovative in its design. However, this is also where I find my main issue. It is always hard to balance wacky physics based antics with controls that feel fun and responsive. And although you have gotten quite close, given the time frame, it's not 100% there yet. I found myself often feeling at the mercy of the game's physics with my character having an unnecessary amount of slipperiness to them, resulting in the feeling of kinda just getting knocked around uncontrollably. The reason why I think this is an issue is because the main mechanic has a lot of potential to be something really fun. Imagine a game about timing your sword swings just right so that you get more and more momentum by using your environment. As it is currently though, it feels more like awkwardly trying to wiggle your way around a cave that is not designed much with the mechanics in mind. Maybe that sort of slow paced experience is your intention, or maybe there was just way too little time to iterate on levels, but either way, to me personally it doesn't feel as fun as it could be. Perhaps with more pixel perfect movement, more momentum gain from the sword and level design made to facilitate that momentum, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.

Overall, though, I think that you have accomplished everything one could dream for with a Ludum Dare entry: polished, complete, technically well-executed and despite having flaws: really showing potential to take this idea and make something truly great out of it. Good work!

Through Dimensions by potatolain 2021-04-28T19:46:54Z

Really good work!

I think the obvious first "wow" factor of this game is that it runs on actual NES hardware. You see a lot of LD entries that aim for an "old school style", but you really went the extra mile on making that happen, didn't ya? :D What's more, the game not only runs on the NES hardware, but also feels like something that could have easily come out in the NES era as well. The simple design, the choppy Megaman style screen scrolling, the repetitive chiptune music - it's all as if it came straight out of an NES game designer's rule book. Basically, it really shows that you love this hardware and are very keenly aware of it and how to make something that is not only _on_ the NES, but something that is _for_ the NES.

I enjoyed the game in general, but I do agree with some people here that said that discerning what is solid and what is not was rather difficult. I think this is an issue that also could have easily been in an actual title released back in the day, so in a way it is authentic to the era, however, that doesn't make it suddenly not a problem. It resulted in me quite often flipping a little mindlessly between worlds because I couldn't really easily commit the changes in layout to memory, due to those changes not being visually distinct enough.

Another point: although I like the music, I do feel it gets a bit repetitive and while it is a nice touch to have different music for the different versions, I would suggest to keep it the same tempo throughout, but simply change instrumentation or mood. This is hard, I know, especially with the limited sound waves and channels you can work with on the NES, but as it is, it's a little jarring to switch rapidly between worlds and get totally different tempos and energy levels in the music.

Finally, the death screen is a bit too slow for my liking, especially considering how quickly some of the enemies move sometimes. It is easy to die, so I'd like to be able to quickly get back into it to offset the speed at which my character denigrates out of existence sometimes. I think this balance is something we've picked up as good game design practice over the decades though, so if you want to be technical, this is probably how an 80's NES game would do things :D

Overall, I love your commitment to the NES on all levels. It has made for a great entry! Although this commitment has of course come with a few of the NES' less desirable aspects as well. However, it is easy to overlook them in an otherwise good game. Lovely work!

Bucket: A Space Odyssey by Carraka 2021-04-29T10:51:10Z

What a lovely game!

Your graphics, sound and especially writing were great and I had a lot of fun experiencing the story. It's genuinely impressive how fleshed out and polished the whole thing was. Great work!

I honestly don't have much criticism aside from some minor points. Perhaps a few more sound effects to reinforce the impact of the story? Increasing the text speed a little? Making it so players can scroll back in the text to reread in case it went too fast for them? Changing the font a little so it fits the space theme better? It all honestly feels like picking at straws though, considering how fantastic this entry is. Great work!

Autumn Hike by Brusi 2021-05-01T11:02:50Z

I liked this one! It reminded me a lot of Undertale. I liked the simple 1-bit graphics, they were charming and worked well for this mini-adventure RPG. All the musical tracks by themselves were really good, but I don't always feel they fit the mood of the silly lighthearted adventure you go on. Some of them sounded really somber (almost Silent Hill-esque) and some were unnecessarily tense (for example the one that plays during the labyrinth). I was kept on the edge of my seat for something sad or terrible to happen, because the mood felt inappropriate. Still, the tracks were great, if examined on their own, just maybe not the most fitting.

I enjoyed the gameplay as well. You had enough "going deeper" to keep me amused and interested as to what other crazy thing I will have to enter next. Furthermore, I loved the idea of going into your shell as a snail, that was really cute. Aside from that, I don't have much to say about the gameplay. It was simple, polished and quite enjoyable to experience. It even had me a little puzzled at times. I didn't know what to do with the nut, but had a small eureka moment when I realized my pet crab is named Cracker and he is what I need to solve the puzzle. I feel like for a future version you should definitely focus on these types of puzzle moments, because it's really where this simple gameplay shines, in my opinion.

Overall, this is a fantastic entry. I have nothing overtly negative to say about it, it's just a bit of a shame that the music felt so unfitting to me, because with the right mood I easily think this game would be a 4.5 to a 5 in all categories. You've done an amazing job and I hope to see this continued!

The Icarus by PowerAnze 2021-04-30T11:17:35Z

What a fantastic use of every aesthetic element you possibly have to set a mood! The visuals were amazingly simple yet 100% conveyed what I imagine a radar system would visualize. What's more, the fact everything lagged behind a bit (due to the view only refreshing at set intervals) played a role in the gameplay as well, making movement clunky and really fitting to someone with nothing but just some way points and whatever limited view they have of the world. The 3D effect was executed in a fantastic way as well! The soundscape was fittingly minimalist and the slow, low droning reverbs of the hits to your hull really made them impactful and reinforced the loneliness. Overall, this is the best use of aesthetic and mood I have seen so far in the jam!

As far as the gameplay goes, I enjoyed it, but I do feel like it is rather minimalist. Navigating is a fun challenge in and of itself, but after a while it does start to become a little draining. Basically, in the last third, I was kinda just waiting for something exciting to happen. I feel like you would need to implement some more mechanics and interactions to mitigate that. Maybe use the flare a bit more proactively for some light puzzle solving? Or maybe make the events that do happen a bit more interesting, because although the many question marks are a good way of indicating unknown horror the first time around, I would have loved to see a bit of that horror at least later on so the game has a build up to it. Imagine you go down minding your own business then suddenly some organic barely distinguishable creature parts pop up on your screen, but it's maybe too late to dodge them now due to your radar's delayed vision. It would be nightmare fuel for me and many others, I can imagine. Regardless, these are all things you can explore in a post-jam version and don't take away from your fantastically polished and unique game!

One last point I have has to do with the story. I wasn't really engaged, honestly. I think that's because there wasn't enough of it and also because it didn't appear consistently. I kept expecting a new chunk for every way point, but that wasn't the case. This made the amount of story there not enough to truly grip me and also the rate at which it appeared not consistent enough for me to care. Additionally, due to the latter, I also felt it was a bit intrusive. I didn't have a flow that I could get into, I had to constantly be on edge for a new story segment and then stop whatever I am doing currently just to read it, instead of knowing: "Okay, I am at a way point, I can take a breather now and read the story bit that I just got". All worthy of consideration for a post-jam version.

Overall, fantastic work! All my criticism is basically just that I want more of it, and that is the best criticism one could get. Great work!

Corona 69 by Elektroney 2021-04-28T20:05:43Z

Good work! The graphics were solid and the music was really nice and somehow reminded me of Sonic Mania in a way. It definitely made me immediately tense after infecting that first person, so great job on setting the mood.

The gameplay was solid as well, with a good amount of fun to be had. However, I do feel like some things could be tweaked to improve it. For one, the game has quite obvious invisible walls, which most of the time is not a problem in games, but with this one the collisions function in a way where your movement is pretty much halted fully when running into a wall. This resulted in me quite often wanting to avoid enemy fire, bumping into the invisible wall and then eating a rocket to the face because of it. I'd suggest either tweaking your collisions so that you can more smoothly slide along walls or simply placing something like houses, or heck, even literal brick walls where the invisible ones are currently.

Another issue I had was that the enemies could be quite a ways away off screen, but still hurl rockets at you. This didn't really feel fair to me, because I had no way to anticipate them, as I know nothing of the enemy's position if they are not on screen.

Finally, I feel the game was a bit too hard, so I didn't really get to see the "getting deeper and deeper into trouble" bit. But maybe that's just an issue of my skill level ha-ha. Regardless, you could maybe make the charge up time on the rockets a bit slower. Or if you want to keep it challenging, but fair: simply decrease the charging time over the course of the game, so the longer you play, the faster things go. I'm just spitballing some ideas.

With all that said, I feel like all these issues could easily be fixed and overall you have put a good effort forward this LD. Solid work!

Swan Forest by makkurataichou 2021-04-28T14:17:38Z

Very nice polished experience! The graphics and music were really cute and perfectly captured that NES / Gameboy aesthetic that I enjoy a lot. I also like how committed you were to it. For example, the game will never play two sounds at the same time, which I think is a lovely touch, as a lot of old hardware was unable to play multiple sound samples at the same time as well. The sound and music itself, although limited, was catchy and really authentic to 8-bit compositions as well. Even the controls felt genuine, because of their slight (I assume intentional) clunky-ness. Overall, fantastic job on setting a good mood and aesthetic!

Gameplay wise, I also had a good chunk of fun with it for what it was. The actual interactions were really limited (basically walk up to the right thing and press Z), but the good writing and solid narrative kept me hooked. What's more, I think you had just the right length for the limited mechanics, because just as I was about to get bored, you wrapped things up nicely with the ending sequence (I got the good ending and saved Swan Forest btw).

Really, the only issue I had was that the collision detection on the grass was quite awkward. I eventually had to look here in the comments on how to do it. Also, another track for the endings wouldn't go amiss either.

Overall, great job on a very charming entry!

I'm So Deep by liammasters 2021-04-28T13:58:23Z

Good work! I enjoyed the simple relaxing music and although the graphics are by no means "high-fidelity" they hold a certain old flash game charm that I can't help but enjoy. I also like that you made it humorous as well (rolling animation got me and the So Deep! is also pretty funny).

The core gameplay is quite interesting and innovative (also a bit ironic because our entry is also about poetry to impress a character lol). However, I don't really feel it is very well explained what earns you points. Maybe I'm too good at poetry but every time I tried I got a "So Deep!" by just providing something that rhymes and vaguely matches the context. I do like the idea though, it just needs more actual "game" to it, as now there is not really a win condition or any clearly communicated challenge (since I don't really know what makes the poems good or bad).

Overall, really fun idea and impressive execution on a technical level, just wish there was more to it, but that's for a potential post-jam version. Good work!

It's o-fish-al! by apaphy 2021-04-30T10:38:22Z

Very solid entry! Your graphics and sound were simple but worked rather well. I would have perhaps enjoyed a slightly less cheerful song (think something more ambient to match the depths you are going). Maybe not initially, of course, but as the game gets a bit darker a second more ambient track I think could be well suited. You can maybe even achieve this with the use of a low pass filter on the original track? I know if you use Unity you can implement FMOD to dynamically alter your tracks while in game, for example. All beyond the scope of the jam, of course, but just suggestions for an even better mood in a later version.

The gameplay was simple, but tricky as heck. I really had quite a bit of fun with it for a jam game. The only things I think you can improve have to do with game feel (again, stuff for a post-jam release). For one, the physics felt pretty damn wonky when it comes to the rotation of the submarine. I would try to hug corners (which years of racing game experience have taught me to do), yet oftentimes this would result in the little scope (I think that's what you call the thing you use to see on a submarine?) getting caught on a corner and my submarine getting stuck and spinning around maniacally. This didn't really feel like a fun challenge because I felt I did nothing wrong, but the game punished me for it because of its physics. Thankfully, you can easily fix this by just making the collider of the submarine be only its body and not the scope. If you want to take it further, you can make it slightly in favor of the player by making the submarine more "slippery" on curved surfaces, instead of the clunky-ness it has now. I know Godot has a move_and_slide function for this, and I'm sure the same is achievable in Unity or Game Maker, for example.

The rest is more minor game feel stuff. Firstly, I feel like it takes too long to restart a level after you run out of fuel (I played the web build just for reference). The bubble animation is charming, but it also takes some seconds to get it started and with a game that is as tricky as this, every second invested into getting back into the action can be detrimental for the pacing. Furthermore, restarting should also be possible with the keyboard, in my opinion (just map it on the R key, for example).

Secondly, I see no reason why I would not be able to keep going with no fuel. I had a situation where I was comfortably parked under a platform and could feasibly slide to a fuel tank, despite having no fuel currently. Yet I couldn't do that, because the game treats running out of fuel as a game over no matter what. I honestly think you wouldn't lose much by not having a fail state enforced by the game at all and just letting players manually restart if they so choose. So, basically no fuel related game over, just let players restart themselves when they have deemed the levels "uncompletable". This may also result in funny situations for them where they set a challenge for themselves to waste as much fuel as possible and coast along to the end on an empty tank.

Finally, a very small issue. Often I would reach the bottom with no fuel and then end up winning still. This results in a bit of cacophony because I hear the winning sound but also the no fuel sound. You should probably disable the latter. Furthermore, the hole I need to go down, I don't always reach fully, yet I can still pass the level by just touching it. This is visually rather weird, so you could maybe make it so you get sucked down the hole as soon as you have touched it. All minor things, but I figured I'd mention them for the sake of completeness.

Overall, very solid entry! I had some fun and I really think if you take my (and other people's) feedback into consideration you can make a fantastic arcade game out of it. Great work!

The purpose of a worm by Eximir 2021-04-28T19:17:07Z

Absolutely adorable! You had me hooked from the very first seconds of playing. The art is really cute, the music is fitting and the writing is good with a simple, but strong moral at the end. Everything was unified aesthetically and it really felt like I was experiencing a children's book, even down to the voice acting, which was admittedly amateur, but because of that it felt like it was just my dad or something reading me a bed time story. It was super charming!

I honestly have no real critique, to be honest. Just a big thank you for putting a smile on my face with your cute game!