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Snoother

Games

YearLDThemeGameDivisionRankOvFuInThGrAuHuMoCo
201430Connected WorldsSleepjam4343.152.613.322.702.031.532.683.6690
201429Beneath the SurfaceBeneath the Surfacecompo1573.672.623.413.062.484.052.724.11100

Performance over time

overall score (left axis) percentile (right axis)

Scatterplots

Fun vs Overall

Innovation vs Overall

Theme vs Overall

Graphics vs Overall

Audio vs Overall

Humor vs Overall

Mood vs Overall

Comments by Snoother

LD29 — Beneath the Surface

Last Dive by Gabriel 2014-05-04T19:04:00

That was just incredible. Yes, as has been said, it is extremely polished graphically and musically, and has a challenging gameplay mechanic. But the gradual subversion of the story is also very well-composed. How on earth you managed all of these elements in 72 hours is beyond me. Obviously there are minor flaws -- the biggest probably being that the prose could be embellished a bit. But, regardless, the sleepless nights have seemingly paid off, because this is stunning.

The world beneath by Spotline 2014-04-28T18:45:00

Great mood. Seeing the torch ablaze and listening to those lush chords was a beautiful experience. Thank you.

In Cold Blood: Hatching a Conspiracy of Epic Scale by Brian Corr 2014-05-02T21:43:00

Funniest game so far. Sound effects and music are just too good. And the gameplay was actually fabulous too, enjoyable challenging.

Senilescape by Xaychru 2014-05-03T14:09:00

You really nailed the tension. The music and platforming just perfectly suit the premise, which in itself is a pretty good take on the theme. Well done.

Down Through Sins by Toki Anholmes 2014-04-28T19:12:00

The style and ambience is fabulous. The platforming is fun, if a bit too "trial and death" at times. The premise and core mechanic both work very well, though.

Doomsday Bunker by ZYXer 2014-05-05T15:30:00

Oh dear, I played that for far too long! Really addictive. The whole graphics and UI feel really polished and well done. Definitely a highlight of this LD.

The core idea is incredibly fun but little things could do with some tweaking, mainly reducing he frequency of the air raids and the preceding warning. At the rate they were going off for me there was no way I could sustain my bunker.

Space to go by geekdrums 2014-05-17T13:31:00

Wasn't sure at first, but the music is wonderful and the minimal gameplay just works, letting the player pace the music. Congrats, a highlight of the compo.

Crystal Myth by TeamInCharge 2014-04-29T19:52:00

The ambience and openness of it was beautifully moody. Joy to play for the short time it lasted -- would definitely love to see more.

Le Ver by GamerTaters 2014-05-03T16:42:00

"A depressed existentialist earthworm contemplating his life." My God, I think I'm love: that is just such a brilliant theme. Loved the music and voiceover and the cosily weird mood that creates; the graphics were sublime too. A really great entry, congrats.

Project Tethys by vilya 2014-04-28T21:31:00

Really good, well-suited music.

Helevenium by alvivar 2014-05-10T15:25:00

Really fun and exhilarating to play, but a bit too challenging for me. Although I kind of like that "trial-and-death" Hotline Miami feel.

The Sea Has No Claim by dukope 2014-05-01T21:18:00

Love the title and graphics style. Aesthetically I think it's spot on; gameplay-wise, I must admit -- and obviously you confessed this -- I found it a bit confusing. Maybe this is a contradiction, but I would have liked greater clarity and an expansion (weather conditions were suggested, which seem like a good idea). But I did enjoy playing through it, and I always like it when a game developer adopts a concept influenced news or politics. (I hope I'm guessing right that this derives from the latest South Korean airline disaster.)

Beneath the Sur(e)face by Potato & Taco 2014-04-28T18:54:00

Couldn't get it to run. Opening the .jar file does nothing and opening the .bat file launches a very brief command prompt screen and then nothing. I'm running windows 8.1, if that helps.

Beneath the Sur(e)face by Potato & Taco 2014-04-29T16:45:00

I managed to capture the message in the brief time it appeared: "'java' is not recognised as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file."

Watch Your Step by nka 2014-05-05T12:13:00

The mechanic is really fun, especially with the upgrades. And that graphic style -- just the right palette.

Subterranean Extermination by Fritzendugan 2014-05-05T11:34:00

The central mechanic is fun and addictive. But it could be sped up a bit -- maybe make the process of digging less arduous? Also the difficulty could be upped a bit. The graphics and music work well though. Oh, and I love the title.

[ Particle Effects. ] by Graf_Grun 2014-04-28T15:22:00

Really fun. I enjoyed the enemy variety and art.

Beneath Me by Fasox 2014-05-03T21:36:00

Beautiful premise. And the gameplay mechanic does a really good job at depicting the overwhelmingness of verbal abuse. Also kind of frightening knowing what the character will do if you don't succeed -- an admittedly melodramatic point showing that hate breeds hate. Well done.

Behind Mirror by SaintHeiser 2014-05-02T21:16:00

Amazing graphics. The music and sound effects are really well-suited too. But by goodness, you were right about it being hard! Maybe I'm just bad at these games... Anyway, I enjoyed it!

Fragment by rxi 2014-05-11T14:13:00

The idea of telling a story in minimalist fragments is very appealing, if, sadly, a bit impractical and not always workable. The graceful music, intriguing opening paragraph and austere colour palette set up a perfect mood, but finding another paragraph just felt too infrequent. For 6 hours, though, it's pretty damn incredible.

Go Below by GagaPete 2014-04-28T16:28:00

Neat concept. Has a distinctive style.

Beneath the Surface / Warm by finefin 2014-04-28T17:22:00

It is very linear, but that kind of worked for me. And the whole loop thing is pretty cool. Also it's an interesting use of the theme.

Oh, and nice use font effects and font variety -- something so many Twine games neglect.

The Surface. by Teejay5 2014-04-30T20:56:00

Well, that was quite a revolution. And the character selection was a surprising twist. I was practically rolling on the floor in laughter. Must admit, though, at times it felt like the fight was spiralling out of control.

Okay, I think I've worn out the puns about spinning.

In all seriousness, I had a whirl of a time.

Read Between the Tropes by Crowbeak 2014-05-03T16:16:00

The prose is generally well-written, but I do agree sometimes it's a bit too much all at once. Might have helped if you'd tried using different (perhaps larger) fonts and broke up the text further. Nevertheless, the story was fun to read and the choices seemed to have admirably significance.

Something Fishy by AnnaGavaldaKedavra 2014-04-28T21:35:00

Great atmosphere, thanks to a well-styled music and graphics.

Castle Engineer by KayZ 2014-05-01T20:46:00

Inventive use of theme, and has changed my perspective on such platforming games: I'll always be picturing this peculiar little man beneath it all.

The Day After by caryoscelus 2014-04-28T19:44:00

Nice graphics and music. And a good shock of a twist.

But the prose was at times weak, with grammatical and spelling errors.

Mind Your Business by Noah Ratcliff 2014-05-05T11:50:00

Pretty unique. And the presentation is quite polished. The main concept is very good and, for the most part, fun, if at times containing too many sudden end-games for my liking.

The Pond by SunShiranui 2014-04-28T21:17:00

Incredible. It perfects mood; wonderful minimal design and wonderful music. It's captivating too. Definitely one I'll replay later.

FedIt! by zedutchgandalf 2014-05-05T16:34:00

Shooting is a bit slow when you consider how small both the bullets and enemies are, but it nevertheless was fun. Audio works really well too.

Enderscope's Game by Arakade 2014-05-05T11:14:00

Peculiarly wonderful idea that is a joy to explore. Definitely one I'll be watching out for post-comp. But I too am unable to turn fully at certain points.

Dany's Room by Alexandre Szybiak 2014-04-28T21:20:00

Wow, really polished and stunning graphics. Music was good too, if a bit repetitive.

Juno's Garden by Dining Philosopher 2014-05-05T20:15:00

Yeah, the mechanics were kind of overwhelming to start of with. But I recommend for people to stick with it. The story is cute and the premise of building a sustainable garden on an asteroid is really good. Though I too agree with VictoryGarden that if it were a slower, more sedate game the gameplay would probably be noticeably better and more suitable. Nevertheless, it's still a good entry as it stands and worth people's time.

Tenkosei ROBO by radmars 2014-05-04T17:54:00

Wow, quite possibly the most innovative gameplay so far. The challenge ramps up nicely and the whole package is fabulously polished.

An Ode to Violence by Benn 2014-05-04T17:29:00

Really fun! Though it lacks challenge a bit. The sound effects and music are really quite excellent also.

See by Esenti 2014-04-30T21:11:00

Yeah, once I grasped the mechanic it became really fun. But I too am curious how it relates to the theme.

Magma by DMinsky 2014-05-05T12:06:00

Music really consolidated that powerful, earth-shaking feel. Concept was perhaps a bit underdeveloped -- could have had different levels or a larger planet -- but it was nevertheless very fun to play. Regardless of the premise, I felt evil for what I was doing. Congrats.

The space below by NuSan 2014-05-05T16:45:00

That was fun. And the trippy space sections were a pleasant surprise. Yeah, the controls could be a little less "slippery". I know that is kind of the point, but it's maybe done to excess.

I Remember Alice by Linus Lindberg 2014-04-29T20:16:00

Aww I love these kind of introverted romance stories. And the game mechanic is just ingenious -- perfect for the narrative.

The only downside were a few grammatical errors; stuff that's easily fixed, though.

I Remember Alice by Linus Lindberg 2014-04-29T21:08:00

I just want to quantify my opinion and say this is most definitely a highlight of the compo.

Heart of the Cards by roaet 2014-04-30T21:08:00

Really inventive use of theme, and well-executed too. I did find that the story moved a bit slowly, though, because the game mechanic eventually became a touch too monotonous. But I too would like to see the theme developed further.

Flood Trap by amymist 2014-04-28T17:32:00

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. The prose is very spartan and minimal -- but I kind of like that. For some reason it creates a distinct mood. On the other hand, it does make it seem a bit unpolished and at times bland. I'm curious as to whether it was a conscious design choice.

There are some bugs (one of which has been highlighted) but another pervasive one was: "Introducing himself as Apollo, he agrees to go with you.
Backbad expression: Unexpected string"

Wunderheilung by kbm 2014-05-13T20:58:00

The art and gentle surrealism is just sublime. And the curiosity of examining people (or creatures?) for medical peculiarities is really wonderful. Definitely wanted more!

I picked up the controls fine, seemingly unlike other commentators. But I did want a bit more narrative so as to pick up the premise better. Why am I helping people? For what greater purpose? At what institution? That kind of thing. It seems like it what lend itself to a cool, whacky narrative. Maybe with recurring patients that whose stories are gradually revealed through the interactions. I don't know, just some stuff that sprung to mind.

Anyway, it's still a 5/5 entry. Congrats.

Substratum by Ian MacLarty 2014-05-12T18:52:00

Wow, great concept and music. Got stuck at the green bit, but I'll probably revisit it at some point and (hopefully) beat it. The whole thing was so captivating and immersive, with sooo many pwetty colours!

Undermind by FREEZX 2014-05-04T21:00:00

Creepy, especially with those earthquakes.

Colony 31 by Crazi456 2014-04-29T21:16:00

Great graphics, mechanics and audio -- pretty much great everything. Loved the Bastion homage and slick gameplay design. Congrats.

The bunker game by hansolox1 2014-04-30T08:40:00

Simple, fun an challenging. It could do with a slightly nicer presentation, but it was certainly enjoyable.

Chrysalis Assassin by TaleLore 2014-04-28T21:26:00

Weird and quite funny. Am loving the graphics and the gameplay mechanics.

The Longest Way Down by fullmontis 2014-04-28T21:11:00

The graphics are gorgeous. And the whole thing feels quite polished for a compo game.

Would love to see music in a post-compo release.

A Happy Place by Woftles 2014-05-05T16:16:00

Weird. I'm not quite sure I was meant to feel. It was a kind of blissful death, as opposed to the panic you would expect. Definitely a memorable mood piece with beauty in its audio and visuals. At times it moved kind of slowly -- maybe a bit more prose would help? -- but in some ways that pacing may have helped the mood. Plus, the general minimalism of it is quite appealing. Overall, a really fantastic entry. Well done!

Souvenirs by BadPaul34 2014-04-30T19:43:00

Fascinating use of theme.

Series Of Choices by joe40001 2014-05-15T13:59:00

I actually really like the use of theme -- the underlying, meticulous workings of a speedrun -- but by its nature I think it makes for some frustrating gameplay. I will admit platformers are not really my thing, so it's not instantly appealing to me. But I can quite easily see how polishing the controls (especially the jump) could improve the gameplay experience. The core mechanic is very good, though, and thankfully a lot less derivative of Braid than I initially expected.

Also, I instantly liked the quaint graphics and the fading during the number sequence (I know it's a little thing, but for some reason I noticed it particularly). And the music worked well too.

Wireside by Solifuge 2014-05-03T13:59:00

Wow, that music is fabulous! Has an interesting premise and use of theme that could definitely be expanded upon even further. The gameplay is fun, though at times a bit clunky: maybe make the scrolling a touch quicker and eliminate the need to click walk everytime. But I suppose those are pretty minor criticisms. Anyway, in summary, I really liked it!

A Day in the Life by iambored2006 2014-04-29T17:57:00

Very creative. Love the monotony of it in representing the workings of life.

Super Plumber Brothers by arrogant.gamer 2014-05-05T12:22:00

Concept is, well, interesting and pretty damn funny. Yeah, the controls are a bit off -- and at one point I somehow got stuck, quite literally, beneath the surface. If that wasn't a bug then it's a wonderfully cruel joke.

A Trip Underground by Rxanadu 2014-04-27T17:46:00

That was fun. I see you couldn't resist the old cave-crawl IF trope either!

The pacing (at least for the path I took) suited the dramatic events. Would have liked it to be a bit longer, but obviously that's difficult under the time restraints.

And for some reason loads of these (‘) appear. e.g. "At last, you‘re at the top of the tower. Yet, you’re still underground."

A Trip Underground by Rxanadu 2014-04-28T14:54:00

The prose is mostly solid, with a few "meh" sentences. As I said in the comments it was fun to play and had good pacing, even if at times scenes did move a bit too quickly. And I would have liked it to be a touch longer.

Order of the Mind by Crefossus 2014-04-28T20:30:00

I'm normally wary of parser IF that's not written in an established authoring system, but this actually works quite well, especially with the useful addition of a minimap. It's well-written too and sets out an immersive mood from the get-go.

Inside Yourself by nerdybirdy346 2014-04-28T17:45:00

Wonderfully disturbing, especially the ending.

In the Black by HybridMind 2014-05-03T22:04:00

That is some amazing music, especially considering the time constraints. And I love the concept and presentation. It's actually surprising how, in essence, three choices (expand mine et al.) can form the bedrock of a really good game. And I don't often see text games in Unity, so that was interesting too (in a good way!)

Mimic of the Deep by Kep 2014-04-30T18:50:00

Wow, just sublime. I think the music kicked it up to that extra level. And the mechanics were simple yet varied enough to create a intensely good gameplay experience.

Baking Simulator: 2014 by Sam Oates Games 2014-04-28T16:45:00

Wow, that was excruciatingly hard -- but in a good way!

Beneath The Lab by Techblogogy 2014-05-02T18:31:00

Good puzzles and fun to play through; the music worked well too. However, the whole Portal-esque setup is a bit trite -- but this is redeemed somewhat by a unique mechanic.

ASCII: Beneath the Surface by Recon 2014-05-03T13:28:00

Those graphics evoke such a warm, fuzzy feeling. The whole thing had an enjoyably primitive, first-person adventure game feel. Congrats.

Black Bile, Inhuman Circuits by RobotParking 2014-04-29T16:59:00

Enjoyed the IF references and fourth-wall breaking. Pretty damn funny at times. Oh, and really well-written; some of the imagery is just horrifically sublime. An inventive use of theme too.

Black Bile, Inhuman Circuits by RobotParking 2014-04-29T19:45:00

And, of course, it definitely has the best title of the comp.

The Sadness of Rocky Barbato by PaperBlurt 2014-04-28T15:05:00

Not what I expected, but nevertheless good. Nice use of graphics and timed scenes. The prose was a bit bland at times, but overall it's pretty well-written.

The Sadness of Rocky Barbato by PaperBlurt 2014-04-28T17:06:00

Played it a second time: upping my score slightly. The prose works better than I originally thought and, on reflection, it really is a bloody good premise.

Ghost of the trapped Miners by thx4nothing 2014-04-28T16:50:00

Good game. Kind of reminded me of Home. Controls were a bit awkward, however.

Not All Of Them Died (And They had Beef) by gapgen 2014-04-28T20:50:00

A very effective and unimposing polemic against industrialised war (specifically WW1 I'm guessing). The minimalist style -- both in terms of gameplay and graphics -- is perfect for the message.

Really good game and fantastic use of the theme. Best so far.

Smoldering Star by Mikhail Lyubimov 2014-05-04T17:20:00

Concept is wonderful, with an enjoyably drab element of surrealism. And the music enhances this with a kind of sad majesty. Gameplay-wise, the controls are a bit stiff, but the core mechanic works really well. Congrats, this deserves to place well.

Her Touch by ZeppelinCaptain 2014-04-30T20:00:00

Love the mood of it, especially when employing certain powers. Couldn't quite work out the story or message behind it, but even as a mood piece it does a very good job.

Beneath the monsters surface by aldian 2014-04-28T15:46:00

This felt distinctly reminiscent of the scene inside Mr. Slave's rectum in The Stick of Truth.

It took far too much to kill each creature; killing them was such a grind. The music and sound effects were good, though.

The Music Box (Voxel horror) by Glockenspiel 2014-04-30T19:48:00

Well-crafted mood. Great ambience and sound effects. Could have done with some textural variation, though.

Beneath by AGDG_REJECT 2014-04-29T20:01:00

Loved the style and graphics, and even enjoyed playing it despite its incompleteness.

Moai by Satyre 2014-04-29T17:26:00

Really fun and clever and challenging. Does get a bit repetitive but I enjoyed it.

Scratch Ticket Fate by XenosNS 2014-05-02T18:49:00

Love the concept! And the sound effects make it quite immersive. (And my fate was one of vast wealth, which is something I'm always happy to hear.) Lateral use of theme too.

the vole beneath by mcapraro 2014-05-05T11:22:00

Definitely an innovative mechanical concept and a clever take on the theme. At times, the controls were a bit clunky and imprecise. But the graphics are really nice; same goes for the music. Yes, as you say, it definitely needs to be expanded on, and I look forward to seeing what you do with it.

Overwhelmed by OhFiddleDiddle 2014-05-03T21:41:00

I love the inevitability of it. Powerlessness is something that needs to be explored more -- losing as a worthwhile gameplay and narrative experience -- and your game does it well. And the simple mechanic displays something we've all doubtless felt; some, sadly, to a much greater and more fatal degree.

The Gamer by Rother Games 2014-04-28T15:36:00

Had to run it in compatibility mode to get it to work (I have windows 8.1 if that helps). And the controls were not great.

I agree with the last comment: the music was really good, but it wasn't at all clear what you're supposed to do. It didn't help that the intro screen disappeared way before I could read it all.

Darkness Looms by TeamOmni 2014-04-29T18:51:00

Jesus, that shit was moody. Loved the music and graphics and the slick, pro interface.

It Came from Beneath the Surface of the Sea! by JavadocMD 2014-05-07T17:34:00

Well-paced, with the number of helicopters by the end being pretty overwhelming (in a good, challenging way). It was pretty funny at times too. Gameplay-wise it could have been enhanced a bit -- maybe with the ability to destroy, not damage, buildings; or something like being able grab helicopters. Also some killer, forceful music would have been good.

But overall it is really fun.

(By the way, I replied to your comment on my game, if you're interested.)

It Came from Beneath the Surface of the Sea! by JavadocMD 2014-05-07T17:35:00

Ah: I just saw your comment on being able to take down helicopters. Completely missed that in the game. So you can skip over that criticism.

Something Beneath the Surface (Sea's will) by Striwx 2014-05-12T20:48:00

The black and white graphics are just gorgeous, and you're instantly captivating and excited when you begin the game and see the animation of the ship. Sadly, however, it is too short, definitely finishing way before I would have liked it too. (And this only applies to the jam version. I'll play the post-jam version at some point but, obviously, my ratings are based on the jam version.)

SubWars by Random Abductions 2014-05-02T18:42:00

Yeah, I think I agree with the general implications of previous comments: marvellously complex, but kind of confusing. The sounds and UI did make the game quite engaging, but I would advocate abstracting out all the unnecessary elements until you're left with the absolute core. Then work from there.

Goat Guzzler by rorycooke 2014-05-02T20:52:00

Had to try this because of the title. An amusing use of theme -- and just even more generally amusing. Graphics and music had a certain charm too, And I enjoyed the extra challenge provided by the defecation of the goats.

Somalia by Tomski 2014-04-28T21:07:00

Looks really good, but it crashes for me on startup. I'm running windows 8.1, if that helps.

Beneath The Ice by Danman9914 2014-05-10T15:33:00

Heh, I love that ending. Maybe could have been a touch more challenging, but the concept was really fun and the game was just about the right length.

Sopora by Crabman 2014-04-28T20:58:00

Really tense; the minimalism was frightening. A fantastic game.

Neath: Surf Ace by ViKing Games 2014-05-06T20:30:00

That art had a wonderful gameboy-esque charm. Not so sure about the music, but I think it may have been that it wasn't intended for my midi sounds. Gameplay-wise it was fun and challenging, but more could have been done with the wave to develop more than a mere jump mechanic.

Under a bush of roses by AmmoreChicks 2014-04-29T16:21:00

Great use of theme. Had the kind of "Horse Master" feel, which is invariably a good thing. And I too enjoyed the irony and cultural satire.

Some easily rectified stuff:
Noticed a bug: on the "Search for a radio station" node, the picture wasn't appearing.
A misspelling: "somobody (or something) is hidden behind a tree"

Baum by Waterman7 2014-04-29T20:03:00

Nice black-and-white graphics, really stylish. Game was a bit slow but nevertheless fun.

Under the kitchen surface by lorniebear 2014-04-28T16:36:00

I think the audio was the highlight. Enjoyed the authentic, homemade feel of it. Controls could have been a bit smoother, though.

Final Move by Team-KwaKwa 2014-05-01T20:08:00

Awesome graphics and style. It is a bit quick, though, and feels too unexplained. It would be nice to know why there is so much animosity between the son and father, and by doing so it would probably make the metaphor behind the chess game far more potent. But it still worked well and deserves recognition.

The fight beneath the surface by Caridorc 2014-05-15T15:24:00

I'm sorry to also be negative, but the game hasn't got a lot going for it. The opening narrative is way too long and the voiceacting is just painfully awkward. Bugs are plentiful and the gameplay needs lots of embellishing. The gameplay is also completely unrelated to the narrative (why am I essentially laying dodgeball?), and it gets boring fast.

I know I've said nothing really positive, and apologies if that's disheartening to read. But I don't think this was an entry with loads of effort, so it probably isn't representative of you as a game designer.

You managed to make a game in 48 hours, and it can just about be played all the way through, so please don't give up. It's just there's so much to improve upon -- and if you're aware of what that is it's much more likely that your next entry will be better, I think. As the last guy said, "just learn from this experience and move forward."

The fight beneath the surface by Caridorc 2014-05-15T15:25:00

Oh, I meant *playing dodgeball, in case that didn't make sense.

Beneath the Surface by Snoother 2014-04-28T10:55:00

Thanks for playing.

There were some some major problems with the audio in the web version, so I took it down. If I can fix it I'll put the web version back up.

Beneath the Surface by Snoother 2014-04-28T16:20:00

Your welcome!

I'm working on trying to get web version up, but it looks like it isn't going to happen -- Twine really doesn't make it easy to confidently set up the audio stuff online.

On the story questions... I'll probably do a post-mortem at some point that will likely address that. I don't really want to do it in the comments for fear of spoilers.

Beneath the Surface by Snoother 2014-04-28T20:20:00

No, sorry. It's actually the first time I've ever distributed my music. Glad you like so much.

And thanks for the extremely nice comments. Really made my day.

Beneath the Surface by Snoother 2014-04-29T21:11:00

Thanks for the lovely comments, especially (but of course not exclusively) from Linus Lindberg whose game is still lingering fondly in my mind.

Beneath the Surface by Snoother 2014-05-04T13:00:00

@HybridMind I've written a post-mortem that may help to explain things: http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/2014/05/04/post-mortem-59/

Thanks for playing!

Beneath the Surface by Snoother 2014-05-06T22:08:00

@JavadocMD that's a good point. But I'm afraid you misinterpreted my intentions: it's not quite satire. It's more a compilation of what I hate about violent video games, giving my (I think) valid criticisms some exposure in a (hopefully) engaging way. If it were satire it would have to include (quickly does an Oxford Dictionary search...): "humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule". It's not meant to be the first two or indeed the last. And I wouldn't call it exaggerated, though you're welcome to disagree.

It's also a bit more than just the hyper-masculinity of violent video games. It's intended to more broadly depict what lies beneath the surface of an FPS: themes of enemy powerlessness, vulgarity, absurdity and, yes, masculinity. (If you want you can read the post-mortem, if you haven't already, though admittedly it may not be the most riveting of reads.)

I hope that doesn't come across as defensive; I just wanted to clarify a few things. And goodness knows there are things I'd like to improve about it.

Anyway, thanks for playing and taking the time to provide some criticism. When I get a chance I'll check out your game -- it looks fun.

Beneath the Surface by Snoother 2014-05-08T06:59:00

@JavadoxMS thank you! A very interesting and thoughtful response.

I have to admit I had to limit agency because I just didn't have time to write various methods of kills and the like. It is something I'm considering improving upon in a post-compo release. Consdering it's a game about powerfulness, the lack of agency is certainly a problem, and I don't think this had quite occured to me until your comments

Beneath the Surface by Snoother 2014-05-13T16:09:00

Thanks for the feedback!

Yeah, the lack of choice is something other people have criticised too. It's becoming obvious that it's a bigger issue than I initially thought. How can I expect a game to

Beneath the Surface by Snoother 2014-05-13T16:18:00

Woops, accidentally clicked submit.

So, where was I... oh yeah: How can I expect a game to elicit a strong moral response when the player feels no responsibility for the actions? At the same time, I don't want there to be a way to evade the vulgarity of it. Somehow I have to make the player feel as if they had a choice without actually giving them one, which is really damn hard.

Plus, I ran out of time. I kept abstracting ideas so that the game could be made within 48 hours. And the result was the "Kill" and "Wound" choices that are nothing more than grotesque flavour, I admit. The scene prior, with the guy in the bed, is more towards the direction and level of agency I had initially intended.

Anyway, your criticism is really helpful. And it's something I definitely want to address in a post-compo version. Who knows when I'll actually get one done -- so many other projects to complete and so many school essays to write -- but I'm determined to revisit it at some point.

Beneath the Surface by Snoother 2014-05-14T10:53:00

@udo i'm glad you found it engaging. And I must admit I'm curious to see what rating I'll get uder "fun" ;)

I had big problems with audio syncing whereever I hosted it online. I actually may be on the verge of solving the problem (not a programmer, so I'm really slow on the technical stuff), but there's only, you know, 5 days left. Regardless, over 70 people have rated and mostly all commented on te game, so it hasn't been too much of a problem.

Beneath the Surface by Snoother 2014-05-15T13:31:00

You've hit the nail on the head, to use a God-awful cliche. For my next game I really want to try conveying an idea/opinion but make the player come to the conclusion themselves rather than show them very obvious messages. I think if this game were any longer the reception would have been a lot more negative, because it is too preachy. And if you're the converted, I guess it is even less engaging.

I do think there's merit in purely making the player feel bad, but that's something I can only backup subjectively.

And thanks for taking the time to make some really helpful points! I really do appreciate it.

HYPERHYDROSIS by Craig Smye 2014-04-28T21:22:00

Simple and elegant.

Beneath the clouds by simplesmiler 2014-04-28T16:58:00

Interesting. Art looks really nice. But there are some grammatical problems and a typo ("trough" instead of "through"). And some audio would have elevated it.

Did I miss something or is it supposed to be non-interactive?

Beneath Colossal by Liens 2014-05-04T17:39:00

That was intensely moody. The droning ambience, the crowded screams. Loved it.

Beneath The Mirrors' Surface by MaddeMichael 2014-04-28T15:27:00

The premise is really good. But I too struggled with the controls to the extent that I just couldn't complete it.

The Danger Beneath by mihaivdev 2014-04-28T20:36:00

Fun to play through. I especially liked the music.

Theres's a Twist by Lucio 2014-05-01T20:41:00

Love the idea of a literal twist. And the puzzles were great -- I didn't have the confusion/difficulty that other people experienced; I thought they were about right.

Bloody Barry by CDK 2014-05-01T20:22:00

Pretty fun. And Barry is a really amusing conception. Can't say I was particularly good at it... but I never am with these types of games.

And the Moment Is Gone by Mike Mezhenin 2014-05-05T20:41:00

I love games like this. Games that I can relate to. Games that depict the stress and exhaustion of conversation that people seldom notice. Thank you for making it.

A very interesting take on the theme too, with a mechanic that could definitely be taken further in a longer, more extensive conversational game.

I agree with some of the other comments that question the women's responses. There doesn't seem to be much consistency and her character seems pretty empty because of it.

And some of the suggestions were a bit too subjective. "Be myself" or "say something interesting" -- one of which is hard to guess and the other will likely vary from player to player. Though, it the latter's case, that ambiguity is arguably part of the stress and confusion of the conversation.

I'm almost tempted to argue that not being able to win would have made it a better game. Maybe a more true game. Though there's nearly-always a way to overcome social anxiety, so I suppose "winning" is suitable. God, I'm going to be thinking about this game all night!

Anyway, overall it really is one of the top games this LD.

Beneath My Skin by Jely L. 2014-05-03T13:45:00

Definitely one of the better console games I've played this compo. The game is fun to play through, though kind of sluggish at times, but that's part of its charm. Especially with that wonderful midi music.

TRESHUR by Zupoman 2014-04-28T19:36:00

That was fun, addictive and challenging.

Beneath the Surface by mandrake 2014-04-28T15:16:00

Enjoyed it. The difficulty builds effectively, and it has nice macabre mood. The kind of floating, gliding controls (I'm not sure exactly how to describe it. The way it accelerates and de-accelerates to suit being on water) were a good addition to the gameplay, an extra challenge.

It would have been really good if it had some sullen, ethereal music. The sound effects are okay, though, even if not that remarkable.

Managed 9 souls, in case anyone's interested.

Greys by ccglp 2014-04-28T17:57:00

Great mood and good use of music. Didn't manage to unlock all the secrets but the premise appealed to me. A good experiment.

The Hole Thing by TheExGenesis 2014-04-28T19:20:00

I agree, the soundtrack's really good, but it could be louder. I like the game mechanics quite a bit too, and the trial by death design works quite effectively.

oh, and a minor thing: pressing A to restart doesn't work for me.

Any ship can be a MINESWEEPER... Once. by tehryanx 2014-04-28T16:10:00

Love it! Sound effects and graphics (both the of the sailor guy and the onomatopoeic stuff) are brilliant.

And the In the Navy cover just made it for me.

GetOut by sniper33 2014-04-27T17:20:00

Just a heads up: you need to make the file public. As it stands, you can only access it with an account.

No Eyes Willy by blockbot 2014-05-05T16:38:00

That is one wonderfully wacky premise! Has a cute kind of charm aided by really nice graphics. A bit buggy: sometimes the direction changes for no reason after climbing up a ladder, but overall a really good entry.

NYC by Secret_Tunnel 2014-04-30T19:08:00

Dark and tense. Love it. Also an interesting use of theme. Wondered if there was a story I missed; regardless, as a mood piece it works very well.

Deep Beneath by SuperIzzo 2014-05-01T20:54:00

Graphics and mood are great. I agree that the control are a bit too slow, and I would have kind of liked more responsive enemies. But it was could fun and an interesting entry.

Beneath The Surface by adamwoolridge 2014-05-03T13:20:00

Brilliant concept! And really quite polished. High marks from me.

A bot is sinking by Melondonut 2014-04-29T08:34:00

Yeah, a few too many grammatical errors, but I too am pleased to play a twine game that isn't fantastical. The subject matter was certainly interesting and well-dealt-with, but the prose felt a bit plane.

A bot is sinking by Melondonut 2014-04-29T08:36:00

*plain

Underline by eufrik 2014-04-28T19:38:00

Okay, I couldn't complete it, but it was really fun. And I loved the music.

Jeremy Brain: Brain Doctor by idovingx 2014-05-01T19:44:00

Yeah, wonderful use of theme. Gameplay-wise, there's a bit too much backtracking for my liking, but the core idea was nevertheless effective and well-employed. Would love to see this polished up post-comp.

IlluminateTree by IL_yoshioka 2014-05-03T16:33:00

Love the atmosphere and the idea of going round illuminating trees and the various metaphors that implies. But I too struggled to see exactly how this related to the theme, or if indeed there is some greater meaning I missed.

Hi It's Julian by baboum 2014-05-01T20:12:00

You know what, that was pretty cool. And it seems to me that this an inspired piece. So please don't apologise.

The Stones Back Home by jrap 2014-05-03T21:54:00

Really stylish graphics/colour palette. I like the premise, though it felt underplayed in the game. The gameplay itself is fun and exciting, especially with the well-suited music, but I too hit a few dead-ends. Oh, and it's got a great title.

The Westport Independent by Double Zero One Zero 2014-05-01T21:07:00

It's great to see a political game, especially one tackling the often-falsely-assumed right to freedom of expression. Obviously it's a dramatisation in an authoritarian country, but it nevertheless shows how easy bias can be employed, and how important important the press are as a check on power -- arguably the most important check on power.

Home by Brenden Gibbons 2014-04-29T16:39:00

Well-written and inventive. The multimedia fits well too.

Hey, you!! by Crocanti de Pollo 2014-05-10T16:14:00

Yay, I found the thief on first try. As people have said, it's weirdly captivating. Maybe could do with a few devious red herrings, but it's nevertheless quite fun.

Amazing! Beneath The Surface by nonetheless 2014-05-03T16:49:00

Interesting entry with good use of audio. And the art style is rather nice too. (The cover art vividly reminds me of Kentucky Route Zero, which automatically places it on the upper echelons).

Kill or Kill by GreatBigJerk 2014-04-30T18:58:00

Creepy. And the sudden, disturbing shift in music (which is itself very good) helps this. Mechanics were a bit rough but it was most definitely engaging in its own sadistic way.

Beneath the Surface Z: Day of Survival by Seraphina 2014-04-28T15:54:00

Love the mood created by the music and lighting. The gameplay was a bit rough, and it actually took me about a minute to realise that the other people were enemies. But I enjoyed it.

The Loudest Ballerina by whalebot 2014-05-04T22:07:00

Really cute concept that's very well executed. I love the dichotomy of pleasing your dad and the audience v. not being killed by the monster. I'm sure there's a metaphor in there somewhere. Oh, and it's a wonderfully innovative use of theme. Loved it!

60 Seconds and a Wake Up by CayoDaves 2014-05-02T16:56:00

Interesting idea and enjoyably challenging. Feels quite overwhelming at first -- and I don't know if that was your intention (?) -- so I was initially confused, I must admit.

Revolve by Shire 2014-05-02T17:01:00

Interesting concept -- looks like it could be pretty addictive. But I too lack an iPad to play it on.

Undercover by Shivur 2014-04-30T20:05:00

Great concept and art. Particularly love the use of theme. The instructions are a bit unclear, though. And there's a typo on the first screen: perpreting instead of perpetrating, I'm guessing.

Losing it by Fox_in_sox 2014-05-03T13:38:00

Wonderful graphics and style. The drab black-and-white palette hints at the dark psychology described in the description, but I found the gameplay a bit too challenging and probably didn't get far enough to uncover this second meaning. But that's more a problem with me than your game! Anyway, congrats, it is very good.

Box Simulator by terraco 2014-05-01T20:27:00

Okay, that was pretty damn funny. And weirdly creepy.

Abstraction by cr2crstudios 2014-04-30T18:44:00

Very good. Simple and short but nevertheless says a lot. Great use of theme too.

Beneath The Surface by Kaoin 2014-04-29T19:00:00

The music gave it a nice mood that fitted the minimalist, digital graphic style. Definitely way too short (!) but you admitted that and intend to expand it, so that really isn't much of a problem. The foundations are there, and it looks promising.

Masks by lioninthetrees 2014-04-28T17:11:00

Love the pictures. They're all really well-drawn and have a distinct common-style. And it has a cute, appealing story.

My one overriding issue was how small the font was. Increasing it by, say, 50% would make the presentation noticeably nicer. But this is a minor gripe.

Airport Security Screener by SevenKingdomsSurvivors 2014-04-30T18:35:00

Love the music and concept; it has that it-should-tedious-but-isn't feel that Papers Please had. I do agree, though, that the items a tad too small to see.

pIMGale by pIMGale 2014-04-29T16:25:00

Really interesting experiment, pushing twine to its limits. Love the looping nature of it.

Reaching new surfaces by lixaxil 2014-04-28T19:25:00

Kind of fun, but I really struggled with the controls. I just couldn't get the rocket to go in the direction I wanted without it spinning round endlessly. A little fine-tuning of the steering would make a world of difference.

Infection by InfectionTeam 2014-05-03T22:29:00

Wow, a lot more polished that I'd ever expect from a LD game. Not the type of game I'm particularly good at, I must admit, but I enjoyed it, especially with the level of progression and upgrades available. My one gripe (and I'm probably an anomaly on this) is that I'd like a bit more narrative, especially considering the initial premise of a man lying on a hospital bed, fighting vigorously against the infection inside him. I don't mean make it sentimental or anything, just give the theme some weight as opposed to it being a superficial element that plays host to an admittedly-polished-but-nevertheless-generic top-down shooter. However, I didn't manage to finish the game, so maybe I speak too soon. Oh, and I completely forgot to mention that the sound is really bloody good.

Gravity by jsmars 2014-05-16T19:26:00

I'm trying hard to think of some criticism -- but I'm stumped! The graphics look fantastic, the music is stellar (get the pun) and the gameplay is ridiculously addictive. You've addressed all the stand-out problems in the post-compo version, so I don't know what else to say! Just congrats, it's an amazing entry. Thank you for bringing my attention towards it.

One idea: I would be curious for you to do a post-mortem or something similar. And I'm sure others would find this valuable.

Dig for Unobtanium by Rialgar 2014-05-03T13:05:00

Enjoyable, though eventually tiresome. It's always fun to upgrade and progress in these types of games, but the mechanic was not that interesting, and really it was the mood and sense of progression that made it more than anything else. I mean, there's definitely more good than bad, don't get me wrong, but I just feel like the gameplay could be expanded upon. Also found it weird how you could drill up into the air.

Herder monster by Wukkopi 2014-04-28T19:31:00

I enjoyed it. But I agree it's perhaps too easy. A bit more variety I think is needed, especially with a resource survival game like this.

From under the snow by madflame991 2014-05-03T12:49:00

Nice visual style, but I agree that it was a bit confusing. Some hints and/or a tutorial would elevate the game greatly.

Firefly by KevinWorkman 2014-05-12T21:04:00

Wonderfully sedate, and the piano sounds and blinking are reminiscent of Brian Eno's "Bloom" app -- which is invariably a good thing. It was a bit vague at first as to what you were controlling, but it's a minor gripe.

The Captain's Holiday by qualia 2014-04-29T16:35:00

Nice use of multimedia and css effects. The prose was decent and the mood and tone fitted well, especially some of the more sardonic humour.

HammerHead in the Sea of Monsters by LTyrosine 2014-05-02T21:29:00

There's the obvious additions of more creatures and devices that would better the game, but it's nevertheless quite good as it stands. The fundamentals are there, and it's great fun to explore. In other words, I can see this becoming really good post-comp.

Coin Diver by VDZ 2014-05-15T20:57:00

Loving the way for music builds powerfully alongside the gameplay. The controls could feel a bit more underwater-y, if that makes sense, and the wall-sticking issue mentioned previously needs to be fixed. The graphics could probably be embellished a bit too.

But overall it was really addictive and had a quick pace that, as I said, was amplified by the music pretty much perfectly. Good work.

Coal Not Dole by badlydrawnrod 2014-04-28T16:41:00

Fun to play through. The voice-overs are pretty amusing, and the political context -- however slight -- made it that more interesting.

RMBR by Pitoum 2014-05-14T19:42:00

This a wonderful concept with great ambience and mood. A bit on the short side, and with a few too many typos. But the core mechanic of dragging towards you memories is very immersive. I'm not if there is a cohesive narrative or message, but as a mood piece it works very well.

RMBR by Pitoum 2014-05-14T20:44:00

Ah, thanks for pointing out the post-mortem -- it's an interesting read; the inspiration and enthusiasm just shines through. You really do have something special going on here that I can't wait to see furthered.

Speed of Light by Robotic 2014-05-15T15:55:00

Hehe, I loved that ending. Am definitely curious as to which assets you got online and which you created yourselves. Nevertheless, it looks beautiful and builds to an unexpected and smile-inducing climax.

LD30 — Connected Worlds

The Lion's Song by LeafThief 2014-09-03T15:39:00

A 5/5 entry, without a doubt. Evocative themes, stylised graphics, well-suited audio. Top-notch on most fronts. I like the spontaneity of the telephone call, that pleasantly unexpected spark of human interactivity we've all doubtless experienced online with some friendly so-and-so. But setting it in the early 20th, using phones instead, gives it a peculiar familiarity. Then how social curiosity leads into a poignant romance, set against the backdrop of Romantic composition. Safe to say I liked it.

However, I do have some criticisms (sorry!). Sometimes it lacks subtlety -- for example with the way you describe emotions and expression, defying that old maxim of 'show, don't tell'. And the prose can at times be a bit too melodramatic for me -- "...form a synergy before his inner eye...", "...warm rain in a flowing autumn's breeze..." etc. When I replayed it also, I found that the choices were sometimes without any effect -- occasionally, if I remember rightly, the character would choose the same thing regardless of the player's choice. I'm guessing that was down to time constraints, but it would be good to maybe flavour the choices a bit more post-LD.

Our Worlds by davisan 2014-08-27T19:36:00

The graphical style looks really nice, particularly the distinct colour palette for both the boy and the girl, and the music also works very well. Gameplay-wise, the premise is very good, and it can most certainly be fun, but I found the control a bit inconvenient. Nevertheless, it is a really good game. Congrats!

Our Worlds by davisan 2014-08-27T19:38:00

And I just saw your moment about being able to change the controls... I really should have read the other comments before I've posted. Thanks, it's a lot easy to play when adjusted. And I've upped the rating of course to account for this.

Warp Paint by zatyka 2014-09-03T15:00:00

Really clever level design with challenging puzzles. (So challenging in fact that my puzzle-inept self is still solving it as I write. I may have to revisit the game at a later date. Damn, I'm hooked.) And it's very coherently thought out considering the time constraints.

I don't know if this is intended or not, but there's about a 10 second period of conspicuous silence while the music changes. But I'm nitpicking. I feel obliged to suggest improvements... Maybe some graphics polish? But I don't know much about graphic design so I don't like to comment. Hm. I'm stumped. Good work!

Mor by Ditto 2014-09-03T21:02:00

Just from the description I knew I'd love this! Instantly funny with addictive gameplay. Great mood and style too (esp. thanks to the music). Has a kind of Binding of Isaac vibe, which is always good. And personally, I liked the ending.

Twin Souls in Parallel Worlds by ramoncb 2014-08-26T23:27:00

I'm loving the entries that took the theme to mean love -- and you've done a really good job fitting that into a dual-character puzzle-platformer. The music is nicely stylised, but can at times almost feeling like a retro porno, which I'm not sure is what you intended... But maybe that's just me being kind of creepy. Anyway, good work!

TAUPE by Shmarah 2014-08-26T11:41:00

This is really, really enjoyable and innovative. Taupe will never be the same. And considering this is your first Twine... well... it's very impressive. Looks sleek and gorgeous, and the mood is fabulous, especially with the music on to.

But... <<mild spoilers forthcoming>>After drinking the orange juice I can't seem to get much further. There's the bedroom and the small patch of wall that I'm guessing are the next bit, but there seems to be no way to progress, so I'm left wandering aimlessly. Maybe I'm just being stupid -- in fact that's probably likely. I'll definitely be replaying it though, so maybe I'll work it at a later date.

Anyway, well done!

New Ludum Dare Game by Crowbeak 2014-08-26T00:39:00

I enjoy the spirit of the game -- but like others, I wish there were more of it. Still, it's good that you entered and what is there is definately fun to play through. Other things get in the way of completing, I completely understand and was nearly in that position myself. Can we expect a post-compo release maybe?

Seminecata by blackcode 2014-08-26T13:38:00

The drawings are lush and lovely, but the animations could do with a bit of polish. However, for 72 hours it is admirably pretty -- and creepy.

First Encounter by Ysty 2014-08-26T11:07:00

Wow, that's not something I've seen before! My only complaint is that it would have been nice to have some css effects, not just the Twine defaults, especially considering you're also using graphics.

Advesperation by dook 2014-08-26T16:06:00

The second Twine+Unity game I've played this LD. Really interesting combination that I never knew was possible. I agree about the second bit not working though, and it is terribly maze-like which is always worrying. The first section has promise though.

Circling Circles by Linus Lindberg 2014-08-26T17:46:00

I must admit I have a thing for these kind of evocative minimalist pieces, and this is no exception. I love the mood that the austere graphics and reflective midi music brings. The dynamics of the music are a bit rough though imo, and a touch jarring because of it. But mostly the music's good. Gameplay-wise, it's addictive and challenging but is simple and doesn't overwhelm, which is the perfect balance I suppose. Thanks for making it! Have to check out the Oval game you mentioned next.

13 minutes of light by Jod 2014-08-27T20:28:00

Oh my God the 'home sweet home' ending melted me -- I'm way too soppy I think. I almost don't want to replay it because that ending feels so right.

The story was wonderful and really well told through. And the letter mechanic worked extremely well, both through the varied choices and the ability to glimpse at the effect of said choices. I also loved the detail that went into the political backdrop and all the various reddit posts. It kind of even works as an anti-war polemic, but it's a romance at its core, and you've done that very well. The characters are very much believable and the romance was almost tangible. Really fabulous entry -- dare I say the best I've played yet. (And I haven't even mentioned how good the graphics and music are. Sorry, this entry has got me really excited. It's exactly the type of game I wanted to play this LD.)

Cesarino's Friendly Interplanetary Delivery Service by ZYXer 2014-08-27T13:58:00

That was really fun. And the physics made the game kind of comedic (in a good way) -- all the bumping into planets and what not. That's not to say the controls aren't tight; they certainly are.

More variety would be nice, however. But considering the goal is only to reach level 8, the game doesn't really overstays its welcome.

Oval Opposites by Kiwiboi 2014-08-26T17:55:00

I'm loving how this pairs with Linus Lindberg's game as a unique take on the theme. Mostly the same things I said there apply here, except that I think the music is a bit better for this game; however, the mechanic is perhaps slightly more interesting for Linus's game. Otherwise, both have wonderfully subdued graphics and gameplay mechanics that set just the right mood. And I absolutely love minimalist games. Congrats.

Crece-above-Clouds by Solifuge 2014-08-27T23:09:00

I was sceptical at first, but it turned out to be really good. The engaging banter that makes it more than just another survival strategy game; the fabulous soundtrack (of which I can't wait to get a copy); the addictiveness of the gameplay.

However, it would be nice if the gameplay had more variety -- maybe more than just turrets to deploy, a greater variety of trading. And I didn't wholly like the graphics. They look very polished, but at the same time they feel too clean and bright to me. I don't know, it just felt like the characters and the game world both have a roughness and the graphics go against that.

Despite that, it's definitely a high scorer in many areas. And the problems mentioned are stuff I don't think you could have done in the time frame. So I find it hard to penalise you for them.

Look forward to seeing the story mode!

Into the Woods by emmelineprufrock 2014-08-26T00:12:00

Really good piece. Thank you for writing it.

My only gripe is that it doesn't break with the default Twine font and layout. But that's superficial I suppose, and the prose itself is quite evocative.

Song of Elements by Sascha 2014-08-30T23:31:00

Quite fascinating to play; to watch and engage in the development and connection of the two worlds. It is generally well written -- maybe a few trite, almost cliched, lines -- but the writing is usually distinctively odd and weird enough to maitain interest. I do really like the approach to colours in telling the story also.

RED Thread by NickZangus 2014-09-07T12:33:00

Really good gameplay mechanic with some well-thought out level design.

Inversion by EncryptedCow 2014-09-02T15:20:00

Overall it's quite fun, but the controls can be somewhat too slippery, particularly when jumping. And some music would have made the game noticeably better. But time constraints and work hindered you, which I completely appreciate. The premise and some of the puzzles are good though -- an interesting take on the theme.

Crisis Culture by GrooveMan 2014-08-28T19:45:00

Loved the stylish graphics and how they fitted the odd, distinctive characters. It is definitely an entry that will stick in my mind. Congrats!

Capsule by PaperBlurt 2014-08-26T11:03:00

I really looked forward to playing your entry after seeing what you did last LD, and this lived up to all my hopes. I think I preferred it to your last one actually: the initial premise is perhaps less gripping, but the story felt more engrossing, it was equally as well written and funny, and it's quite possibly the most gorgeous-looking twine I've seen. It's a high scorer, for me at least. Really don't know how you managed it in 48 hours -- I'm kind of envious.

Disconnecting People by Once Upon a Team 2014-08-26T23:38:00

This feels remarkably polished. The graphics look stunning, the music feels just right and the controls are really smooth. The graphics in Bonus Time are pretty too. I'm already addicted -- can't wait for the highscore menu.

I FEEL IT EVERY LATE MORNING by ExtreLime 2014-08-26T23:32:00

Those graphics are just so pretty. And the music fits it perfectly -- a kind of majestic weirdness. I played it with my lights off.

Where have you been so long? by Satyre 2014-08-28T12:33:00

I have some political disagreements with it, but I like how it evolved from a mundane slice-of-life game a politically-centred game.

The ending felt kind of superfluous though -- (I paraphrase) the "now I can see!" quote -- kind of spelling out what had preceded. And also I felt it to be a bit arrogant (sorry): that he has suddenly became this enlightened, insightful person because of a few contentious viewpoints.

I think it would have been more effective had you argued and not asserted. Try to show the player why these things are bad and not just instruct them to think that these things are bad, if that makes sense. Otherwise it's just preaching to the converted and fails to influence people like me.

Still, it's really nice that you tried something different and I was certainly intrigued while playing it. The graphics and music also work very well.

Where have you been so long? by Satyre 2014-08-28T19:14:00

@Satyre Ah, I misinterpreted the ending then. Thank you for taking the time to respond to my review, it certainly made me understand the game better. I'd love to read a post-mortem of the game too, as it's one of the more thematically interesting games this LD.

Oh, and thank you for your review of my game :)

Sinister by Joe Williamson 2014-08-28T22:54:00

I'm left just craving more. Fantastic work. The music has a kind of ominous majesty that works right in with the melancholy colour palette and style. But at the same time it's about reconnecting to the living, and the music always feels confident and powerful, urging you forward. (I think you can tell I liked the music.)

Gameplay-wise the obvious thing to say is that more would be good. You've only really scratched the surface I'm guessing. But for 48 hours this is extremely impressive. Nice work!

Any Moment by Jakub Koziol 2014-08-28T22:37:00

At first I felt sceptical towards the lack of interactivity -- until I was asked 'have you ever lost interest in something you really loved?' And I was told to press space when I was ready. It made me pause, hesitate, contemplate. The game suddenly became profoundly interactive. Well done.

The tiresomeness of instant message and 24/7 social networking have really been dragging me down lately, so I was gripped from the start of the game. Then the intimate discussion of depression, the cathartic need to have some listen to you. It was really fabulous.

It's just the ending. It just didn't sit right with me either. I think it could have been omitted and the ending would still make perfect sense.

Nevertheless, this is definitely one of this LD's highlights. 5/5

Interstellar, Inc. by JavadocMD 2014-08-26T22:55:00

Yay I won. It was confusing at first but you quickly get the hang of it. Then it gets addictive quickly.

HeShe by Manou 2014-09-02T12:35:00

Games like this one, that have clear direction instantly appeal. They feel remarkably complete and polished for something created in 48 hours. The graphics and music are fabulously stylised, and the mechanic is distinctive and unique, tying in perfectly to the premise. Nice work.

But as others have said, the 'use your brain' level is a bit too fiddly, and hard to execute the puzzle solution.

Planetary Marriage Counseling by WeaselZone 2014-09-03T21:43:00

Okay, that was stupidly fun. Always ended in divorce though. It's probably for the best. Love the clumsiness of the controls.

Galactic Bonding by alvarop 2014-09-07T12:35:00

A really cute little game. I know you had trouble coming up with an idea so this is kind of rushed, but I think that actually worked in your favour. It produced a small, austere little piece with a clever take on the theme and adorable in its simplicity.

Sleep by Snoother 2014-08-25T23:41:00

Hm, I'm not sure what's causing that for you, sorry. It's working fine for me on Chrome.

Sleep by Snoother 2014-08-26T12:29:00

@Franklins Ghost Thanks for playing. Did you try checking the laptop? The new message on there.

Sleep by Snoother 2014-08-26T13:01:00

@Franklins Ghost Sorry, I just worked out the problem: I forgot to implement a 'back' button on that page. The problem is fixed now. Thanks for the feedback.

Sleep by Snoother 2014-08-26T19:25:00

Your welcome! Thanks for your kind words.

Sleep by Snoother 2014-08-28T10:57:00

Thank you for all the positive and helpful comments. @PaperBlurt It's really great to have it confirmed that I'm improving, thank you.

Sleep by Snoother 2014-08-28T22:44:00

@GrooveMan Thank you so much :)

Sleep by Snoother 2014-08-29T18:04:00

@Jod wow, really detailed feedback, thank you!

The name change was not intended. I don't want to lie and make a fake excuse, so I'll be honest: Adam is the person Alex is based on. I switched names for privacy et al., but at many times I accidentally started writing his real name because, well, it felt so real. I've corrected it now so that the character is always Alex. I don't really want people I know to come across this :/ (And Steven's my name. I slipped again: Nathan is the character based on me, so the character should always be referred to as Nathan. The whole thing is an indistinct blend of fiction and non-fiction, so I kept mucking up the fictional names.)

Nathan's bi -- i.e. I'm bi. At least that's what people tell me. I've never really understood what I am though, so I try to avoid labels, as I did in the game. But Cassie's not a crush... And her real-life counterpart is a lovely person, so I hope the way I wrote her does her justice. You probably caught the anxiety in shyness in Nathan -- which is exactly what I intended when I wrote it -- and mistook it for a crush.

There's only one ending. On the way there's quite a bit of variation and exploration I'd say -- but everything falls back onto a linear path in the end. I might be changing the ending, however, to make its meaning a bit more obvious/effective. And that will probably involve some music.

And that brings me onto the frustrating problems of audio in Twine... I had horrendous problems with it on my last game. Generally it's very hard to make music play in Twine without a chance of seconds delay, or even a chance of it failing to play completely -- that is, unless the game is played offline. You can maybe get away with one piece here or there, but anything more can be a pain. Plus I ran out of time ;)

Glad you liked the D&D stuff, it was fun to write and hopefully made for a nice mid-game break between the really soppy stuff.

And it's great that you checked out some of the music! I always find it hard to persuade people to listen to it, for reasons you can probably guess. Oh, and Blut Aus Nord and Deathspell Omega are the French Avant-Garde Black Metal Alex jokingly referenced in the game, if you played that part. (There's a few paths for the iPod.)

Last thing, I promise: it's 11,035 words apparently. But some passages are repetitions and variations of others. So in reality I'd cut a couple of thousand words off that figure.

I know I said last thing, but... I'll write a post-mortem at some point, which should explain everything else.

If I haven't said it already, thank you for the detailed feedback! And I loved your game; it is definitely my favourite so far. I included it in a list of my favourite love/lust games in case you didn't see that.

Sleep by Snoother 2014-08-29T18:08:00

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Just to say the above comment I made contains a few SPOILERS. So please don't read if you haven't played the game. (And I just realised the arrow looks like a penis. Great.)

Sleep by Snoother 2014-08-29T21:50:00

@Jod Your welcome! I'm faithful to Twine, maybe more than I should be. But for a non-programmer it's efficiency is remarkable, and it has a really creative community surrounding it. We'll probably see native audio in it eventually though -- I hope.

Sleep by Snoother 2014-08-31T18:07:00

@Sunflower Thanks for the feedback and the link. I already have an idea for the jam -- I just hope I have time to make it :/

Sleep by Snoother 2014-09-03T08:01:00

@zatyka you're not the only one to mention dissatisfaction eith the ending, and in all honesty I'm not overly happy with it either. I wrote the ending about an hour before the Jam deadline, so it wasn't brilliantly thought out. I intend to tweak it a bit in a post-Jam version. I like the suddenness of this, but then I don't think anyone really got why it was sudden. <hippo-sized spoiler coming up>Nathan realises he's woken up, and curses that it has to endl. At least that's what I had intended; it's probably not clear enough though...</spoiler>

Sleep by Snoother 2014-09-04T19:53:00

@ZYXer yeah, don't worry, I made sure that number was invalid ;) And thank you for your comment! It's nice to have someone play it who can relate. (And of course calling it the best game you've played has made my day :) )

Sleep by Snoother 2014-09-14T12:12:00

@fizzd thank you for your comment! I actually thought the ending was a bit rushed, so it's nice to hear otherwise.

Where Are Your Friends Tonight by Mike Mezhenin 2014-08-26T21:45:00

Thank you for this. I felt I could really relate to this as I'm now moving on in life, finding out that I'm no longer tethered to certain friends as I once was; they are quickly becoming 'old friends', people who you meet with only to indulge in nostalgia.

The game could do with some fleshing out, as you admit, but I did find the people believable and was able to connect with them. And the premise is of course very good.

One bug, I think : clicking the 'farewell' button doesn't make you leave the chat if it's the first option you click.

Zanlings Match - Connected Worlds by Franklin's Ghost 2014-08-26T13:18:00

I'm loving the style and use of theme! As another guy said, the ethereal audio set against the dating show mechanic produces something really unique. The graphics and colour scheme are fabulous too. I'm stumped trying to think of criticisms -- well, besides the obvious desire for the game to be expanded. I think these kind of peculiar, creative games are the reason LD is so much fun.

The IT Support by EpiphanyG 2014-08-26T17:28:00

Yeah, the ending felt like a bit of an anti-climax, sorry. But I loved the build-up before that. I was fascinated to know what was happening to Sarah and the game completely subverted my expectations. (I was prepared for it to be standard day-in-the-life of an IT support guy.)

Superdimensional by PixelMind 2014-09-07T12:22:00

Very innovative gameplay mechanic, tying wonderfully in with the theme. And really nice graphic and audio, setting an ethereal mood.

Generic Space Adventures by Markus 2014-08-26T17:22:00

I actually like that it feels like aimless wandering; a mini exploration game. It would be nice to have more encounters, perhaps some with a bit more substantial text or interactive. Maybe even give each planet a more unique feel, its own narrative -- but I'm fully aware that that's a hell of a lot to expect for 48 hours.

Parallel Rift by liquidminduk 2014-08-26T12:15:00

Only managed five clones, but it was really addictive and polished. Plus it's a clever take on the theme, with music and art do a really good job at setting the mood.

A Ludic Proof of the Difficulties Inherent in Finding a Proper Skull by JackDegree 2014-08-27T16:17:00

Very interesting. Took me a bit to get it, but when I did it became quite impressive. Definitely one of the best entries I've played so far.

IGT by cdf121 2014-08-26T22:14:00

I like the use of theme and it's pretty well written and engaging. But it would be better if the music didn't restart with each new passage, and it could have done with greater interaction -- not necessarily more choices though, if that at all makes sense, just more opportunities for the player to indulge their obsessive urge to click things.

Starlight by stephenhaney 2014-08-26T11:16:00

I love the take on the theme. And it's enjoyably silly, while also being rather pretty to look at too. 5 planets left to find...

Interstellar by jsmars 2014-08-26T21:56:00

Nice graphics and music, which set up well the feel of the game. And the gameplay is very addictive (especially thanks to the scoreboard); and I particularly like how the gameplay ties in with the theme. But the difficulty does seem a bit inconsistent. Sometimes you'll hit an essentially impassable cluster in 5 seconds, other times you'll glide through with ease for at least 20 seconds.

NOODLE FEELING by Magdev 2014-08-26T23:42:00

Oh wow. That audio. Those graphics. Noodles. This is amazing.

Collision by Alphish 2014-08-29T20:33:00

I enjoyed the puzzle mechanic and the choices of colour palette - oh, and the music's quite good too. But the environments felt kind of boring, very sparse, and (as you imply in the description) the game feels incomplete. Definitely wanted more narrative and purpose. But maybe that's just my personal preference. I hope you do release a post-compo version, because there is clearly promise here.

Intranet by bluemaroo3 2014-08-26T23:13:00

Gripping story. Really nice use of timers to set the pacing and an interesting take on the theme. All-in-all, a high scorer.

Mage Hunter by LordYabo 2014-08-26T22:08:00

Well written with a nicely expansive story. It's also quite pleasingly presented, unlike some other Twine entries that use the horrible default css settings. And there's a hell of a lot packed in there for a LD game, so well done!

Familiaris by Greg Klein 2014-08-26T22:38:00

A gorgeous game gorgeously presented. The interactivity actually felt about right for me: just enough to maintain player interest but always focused on the story, which is what this game's really about. However, if you include timed sequences in a future version as you say, I think it would improve pacing.

Cablage by Allchimik 2014-08-26T00:04:00

As people have said, it sets a fantastic mood. Eerie sound effects that sound like digitalised gregorian chant in slow motion. Plus the stylised graphics and lighting, which are quite impressive I imagine for a mere three days work.

I don't confess to really get its purpose, and more would be better, but it is really immersive regardless and certainly gets top marks for mood.

World of Beatrice, the girl next door by Lyszie 2014-09-03T15:54:00

Engagingly written and has an important message that's clearly presented. I like that you've highlighted both sides of the prejudice: the stupid expectations for woman to aspire to marriage and disproportionately fulfil childbearing roles, but also the condescension sometimes directed towards women who do, for many reasons, end up in 'traditional' roles.

On the negative side, and this has been said so I won't swell on it, the choices could maybe be a bit more profound. A lot of the time the choices redirect to one set path -- or is that part of the message too? The inevitability of it all, how it can't be escaped?

e|merge by MoonlightBomber 2014-08-28T19:26:00

I really liked the story and the mood set by the music and graphics, but I have to second what GrooveMan said: it would probably be better in Twine. I admit a bias towards Twine, but I feel a choiceless narrative like this is very much possible in Twine while not so much in Ren'Py. As is, it doesn't feel like much more than electronic non-interactive fiction. But then I am tied because I do like the story, but I would like to see it enhanced through some degree of interactivity.

Connecting by AlexDJones 2014-08-30T16:24:00

A really cute and engaging conversation game, one that feels almost tangibly real -- I could very much believe the characters and the style of texting. Plus the graphics lend well to believability.

I like the uncertainty of this kind of narrative. You are entering a conversation that is only a fragment of a person's life -- you have to piece together what has happened, and afterwords you are not sure what will happen. All you know is that fragment, that moment of time. I like that a lot as a gameplay and narrative device. So, contrary to some others, I don't really want a conclusion rounding everything up -- that's boring to me. The uncertainty is what leaves it lingering in my mind, and it's what makes me want to replay and ponder.

What I maybe would have liked is for the conversation itself to be a bit more extensive and last for longer. It felt a bit too brief for a conversation that could dramatically affect their relationship. But maybe people are terser in text messages than me? And, of course, you're limited in what you can do in 72 hours, which I wholly understand.

Oh, and the background audio sounds -- the crowds and muffled chitter-chatter -- upped the immersion too.

Someone else mentioned the possibility of missing the flight if you got too involved in the conversation or something? I thought that was an interesting idea to consider -- not sure if it would work, but there's something there, I think.

Anyway, overall it gets top marks -- nice work!

Reach by Caliber_Project 2014-08-26T11:46:00

It has promise, and it's good that you fiddled with the default Twine format to make it look more unique. But obviously it isn't complete so it's hard to fully judge.

Also I recommend that you host it on http://philome.la/ At the moment you've put it up as a web link but it actually has to be downloaded -- this will probably annoy people, trust me, and you may well lose potential players because of it.

Dear Sister by Robinerd 2014-09-03T15:12:00

God, I remember hearing about this in the news a few ago, if it's the same incident. Very good use of music, the way instruments gradually fade in, buttressing the poignant majesty.

I find it hard to attach myself to these kind of metaphysical premises, being that I'm not in any spiritual or religious. So the notion of people 'crossing over' or having any sort of post-human existence doesn't affect me at all. But despite this, I felt sad after playing this, and taken metaphorically it certainly has an impact.

Secret Place by MJamesShort 2014-08-25T23:47:00

Twine erotica. Quite possibly my favourite niche. There were some really weird, great lines in it -- "early wetness as you melt inside me", "a silent hiss of chemical infatuation". Congrats.

Alice Anxiety by jukimv1986 2014-08-28T20:03:00

This oozes mood and style. I love the graphics and the lush, poignant music. The story premise is good, but it finishes just as things are starting to get interesting (I'm guessing you ran out of time, which is understandable). It's also quite interactive for a Visual Novel-style game, which works quite well. Nice work

Boy and Dog and Mysterious portal by Halfbus 2014-08-27T19:53:00

The graphics and animations are truly lovely. The controls, although perhaps initially overwhelming, quickly become intuitive and usable. (And what is it about piss buttons that make them so fun? The dog must have gargantuan bladder considering the amount of times I made him pee just for the giggles. Terribly childish, I know.) I wasn't overly keen on the puzzles, I must admit, but they weren't that bad. Overall, however, it's a really good entry. I do imagine it would have been great to have played this two player.

A New and Beautiful World by TKia_ 2014-08-26T12:09:00

Wow, this is an admirably large story. I was initially suspicious at the lack of choices, but by the time the game had reached it's fabulous ending it made sense to me. Well written with some interesting ideas. Congrats. I need to replay it now and try the other path...

Bacon Installer by badlydrawnrod 2014-08-29T20:06:00

Recognised your name from your last entry, Coal Not Dole. This one also makes me giggle, and I'm liking the cool b&w graphic style. Would have liked some music, though -- maybe a sort of 8bit energetic tune?

Thinkings by Lythom 2014-08-27T14:46:00

Great premise and mood. The last two puzzles I had to look to the solutions for, but otherwise the gameplay was great, with some really fabulous quotes to help in solving the puzzles. I wasn't that fond of the music, I must admit, but being given the option to toggle it alleviates that problem I suppose.