FoonLudum Dare ExplorerUsers → tddawson

tddawson

Games

YearLDThemeGameDivisionRankOvFuInThGrAuHuMo
202353DeliveryCue Cardsjam
201944Your life is currencyBallhogscompo3533.143.043.122.303.18
201842Running out of spaceBlank Slatecompo
201739Running out of PowerSuperstuffcompo6042.682.722.092.772.092.312.292.04
201738A Small WorldThe Time of Our Livescompo2843.293.083.653.412.503.432.87

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 tddawson

LD38 — A Small World

Cryofailure by Neon 2017-05-20T16:28:04Z

Since I couldn't play it, I had to opt out of a few categories. However, just watching the walkthrough video left me very impressed with what you were able to accomplish in such a short time! I have a GearVR--not sure if the controls and other requirements are such that it could be converted into more of a point-and-click adventure compatible with GearVR and similar headsets.

It looked great and seemed to have quite a good feel to the whole game. Great work!

Every World Has a Pizzeria by Lucas Trevisan 2017-05-18T01:13:22Z

Well done! This really felt like a completed project. It had solid graphics, audio, and a simple gameplay mechanic that worked. Even a few bonuses, like damage to the truck. Personally, I felt like the difficulty was about right, but maybe the first time through could use some sort of GUI hand-holding of the controls.

Great job, team!

Your Planet: Too Big by Scriptorum 2017-05-15T03:02:33Z

Awesome! I like puzzle games a lot and enjoyed your take on the genre. I do like that the timing matters. It passed the test of "I'm stuck on a level, but I'm not giving up until I get it," so that's a good sign! Random idea: it might be cool if each of the different tile types made a different sound when destroyed. With a little more polish it could be quite a fun little mobile game, too. Something to consider.

The Hungry Planet by madalaski 2017-05-19T04:01:48Z

My first time playing through, just about all of the asteroids I saw were moving way too fast for me to catch them. After I died, I tried again and was able to track some down and then I started enjoying it more. I did have some difficulty gauging my speed and momentum when I got places without stars in the background, which made it harder to control. I like the concept and it was very easy to understand. You should definitely be proud with what you were able to put together in such limited time!

A View from Above by OfficialCodeNMore 2017-05-15T02:31:46Z

This is my first time participating in (or even hearing about) Ludum Dare, and it's projects like this that have won me over. A short, unique experience that wouldn't exist without the constraints. An ability to try out ideas that wouldn't exist otherwise. The humor worked for me, and the little interactive bits that do exist added to the experience.

U-Turn by benjamin 2017-05-19T03:53:40Z

Wow, I'm also very impressed. It feels so complete and polished for a compo game. Even setting aside the time limit, it feels like a solid web game. It takes a straightforward premise and maximizes it.

If I HAD to change something, I'd say that the music isn't my cup of tea--but it still fits really well with the game so it's hard to complain. Probably just personal preference.

Seriously, though, great job. I hope it gets picked up and played more.

Pale White Dot by cosine 2017-05-15T02:40:11Z

I really like the visuals, has a cool feel to it! I agree with some of the others about feeling a bit blind about the consequences of my actions at first. A few adjustments to that and (as you mentioned) the balance could make a big difference. Good work!

Tiny Man's Skies by wrexialmt 2017-05-17T00:13:50Z

I liked the inclusion of different physics with the different planet/star types. I didn't catch that at first, but it's a cool mechanic. I agree with what Chris said about not feeling "motivated" to keep exploring other planets at this point. Even something like a time limit to create a little more urgency could go a long way. Of course, that would also make it less relaxing, so I guess it just depends on the mood you want to hit.

Good work though, congrats!

Our little island by tinyworlds 2017-05-15T23:50:27Z

I'll try to put a finger on what exactly felt "right" about it, but I keep coming back to the thought that it all fit together well. The audio, the unique visual mix style, and even the speed of the characters. It felt cohesive and unified. Great job!

Feed the dog by aviktorov 2017-05-07T21:04:29Z

Ha! I enjoyed it and it made me smile, so thanks for uploading despite it being a prototype. Cool concept and I'm curious to see where it ends up should you keep developing it. Seems like it could have some potential in a local multiplayer environment.

Gravity Wars by highlyinteractive 2017-05-19T04:26:14Z

Very cool graphical style! I was pretty awful at actually using my gravity to affect things, but I wish I had a gamepad handy to try it out as recommended. Good work!

Flat Earths! by ponywolf 2017-05-15T23:55:57Z

Beautiful graphics! It definitely felt like one of the most complete, polished games I've tried. I will say I lost track of my dolphin quite a bit as I was getting used to the controls and movement. Having the "keyboard" label show up every now and then helped me out with that, but maybe there could be another way of helping new players feel a bit more aware and in control. That's really my only suggestion and it's a pretty minor issue, especially after getting used to the controls. Great job!

All The Way Down by luthwyhn 2017-05-20T01:24:26Z

I enjoyed it! I really appreciate that it was easy to pick-up-and-play. It was quick enough that I wanted to beat my previous score each time and had that "just one more time" feel to it. Your plans sound really interesting and ambitious!

I could even see just a more polished version of this game optimized for phones (with touch screen controls) because of the bite-sized nature of the gameplay.

Good luck with wherever you take it and congrats on completing Ludum Dare!!

Invaders from outer space by Nanoteck137 2017-05-07T20:48:28Z

Congrats! I like the core gameplay that you came up with! It was cool to try to fight through a bunch of enemies swarming at you. It seems like you got a lot done--different difficulty levels, AI, various enemy classes, different weapons, etc.

Other than the fire rate is there a difference between the weapons? I agree with zondarg that a little bit of polish on the visual/audio elements would go a long way in bringing out the fun of the basic gameplay mechanics.

Infrastructure God by Lucas Knutson 2017-05-07T20:58:56Z

This game grew on me, though I definitely had to come back to your instructions in the description a few times before it started to click. Obviously in 48 hours it would have been hard to do much about that, but if you did continue to develop the game, it might be nice to include some of the training within the game itself. Like when you have enough gold for a new unit type for the first time have it give a little explanation. Or add some visual/audio indication when you reach certain milestones.

Overall, very well done, especially given the constraints of the Compo!

Wake Up ! by GoZz 2017-05-16T23:59:11Z

Well, that was gorgeous. Really cool idea: simple to grasp, but implemented in some clever ways. Great job!

The Time of Our Lives by tddawson 2017-05-15T02:42:27Z

Thanks for your feedback! I haven't decided what I want to do with this one post-Compo, but either way I will take that to heart the next time I participate in Ludum Dare!

The Time of Our Lives by tddawson 2017-05-19T03:45:27Z

Huge thanks to everyone who helped double my # of ratings overnight and an even bigger thanks for all the awesome feedback. I would have loved to add other distinguishing features but I ran out of time. It also would have been fun to explore relationships between gender. It's definitely meant to be a little hard and frustrating, but I like some of the ideas about how to make it more forgiving or provide little cues. Great ideas! I'm glad the concept at least resonated with a lot of people :)

I've tried to go through and play all of your games, but I'm afraid I only have access to a Mac and web games.

Thanks again for making this a great first Ludum Dare experience!

Newbie God by nuria-fl 2017-05-17T00:19:36Z

Ha! I really like the overall feel from the game. The graphics, gameplay, and writing work together quite well. I agree that a little bit more work could go into the audio to make sure it fits as well. A fitting soundtrack could round off the whole package quite nicely. But yeah, minor things for a Ludum Dare entry--and a first game, no less! Keep up the good work, and I love the creativity!

Bee World by InaBox 2017-05-20T01:43:10Z

I agree with most of the others: it's a fun little game that does exactly what it tries to do, but could be improved with some music or a bit more variety.

Its simplicity also lends itself well to score comparisons/leaderboards. Even just the comments here led me to play it again to at least partially reclaim some pride :) (720)

Congrats on a successful Ludum Dare!

Twin Jet Miner by invader 2017-05-15T02:49:06Z

Personally, I actually liked the speed of the jetpack. I was a bit confused about what I could do and what I needed to go to get more of each supply type, so maybe a little polishing on the interface would help with that. Neat idea and quite well-executed for the weekend!

Bitverse by klekky 2017-05-15T03:36:27Z

Well done! It took me a minute to fully understand the controls, but once I did I felt like it controlled well. I had fun playing it and would enjoy seeing what other ideas you guys could come up with to keep it fresh and encourage further play. Congrats!

Radion by revx 2017-05-19T14:53:13Z

Wow, what a cool project! Thanks for sharing!

World on the Tip of a Ballpoint Pen by HacksawUnit 2017-05-17T00:06:55Z

I really like the style. There's a lot of pixel art games these days but this one really manages to still have its own unique visual feel to it. In the beginning, I was definitely clicking on just about everything. There's nothing inherently wrong with that approach to learning gameplay, but it's something to keep in mind if you wanted to make it a little more approachable. Good work!

Influenza: The Game by longchamps 2017-05-19T04:20:25Z

The fact that you used something that would have been an excuse for many people to not participate as the inspiration for your game is just awesome. The fact that it's your first jam and first completed game ever: awesomer. And the gameplay may be simple, but honestly it made it easy to pick up and enjoy it right away. The game doesn't try to be anything it's not, and it feels more "complete" than a lot of other games from the weekend as a result. Keep up the good work!!

SmlWhrld - A Puzzle by OldeTobeh 2017-05-20T16:22:27Z

I quite liked the concept once I started figuring out exactly what was happening. I was confused that I was scaling myself up and down and I agree that the controls weren't intuitive. It's a neat idea, though, and I love puzzle-type games so I'm excited to see how you continue to develop it! Congrats on your first Ludum Dare!

Heroes of Old Lennieh by shuandang 2017-05-07T21:11:34Z

Well done, I enjoyed the core mechanic of moving the characters around as they keep fighting! The style was nice and cohesive too, from the graphics to the audio. Maybe a little bit more refining of the controls and hit boxes could bring it up to the next level. Good work!

Finitely Big by gemcc 2017-05-20T01:32:09Z

Super creative approach to the theme! I second the comment about the writing, music, and visuals all working together really well. Great job with such limited time--if you do ever expand it, I also liked the comments about having the player feel like they achieve something before having it all turn into nothing.

So You Want To Build A Snowman. - (A finished game for all ages) by Alex Hart 2017-05-18T01:22:02Z

Very unique and creative! I actually do appreciate that you didn't try to force audio without having enough time to create something worth listening to. Perhaps one quick way to add some audio would be as an indicator when you pick up a new object. Sometimes it took me a second to realize when I had picked up an item and when it failed because I already had one of them. Good work!

Blobbery by Odefus 2017-05-19T04:10:50Z

Neat little game! I felt like it had a neat "rhythm" that tied together the music and animations. I like that you changed up the jump mechanic so it felt different than a standard platformer, but that did increase the learning curve a little. Some tweaking of the jump wind-up animation or other visual indicator like others have suggested could make it easier to pick up.

I felt like sometimes the hit-boxes of the enemies were a little off and I would get hit by them when it didn't look like I had. Just a little thing that happened only a small number of times.

Overall, it still feels like a well-developed cohesive package. Well done!

Just Another Pocket Universe by Owen Davies 2017-05-15T23:45:19Z

Congrats on your first Ludum Dare! I liked the music a lot and am curious to see how you imagine it taking shape with more time. I did have the controls freeze up on me a few times.

Just Another Pocket Universe by Owen Davies 2017-05-19T04:14:20Z

@owen-davies (Sorry, just saw your comment). I'm using MacOS.

LD39 — Running out of Power

Tax Rebel by LeReveur 2017-08-09T02:32:57Z

I'm going to comment without reading any of the other comments so it's only based on my experience. So apologies if I add nothing new :)

I really liked the gameplay. It feels so different than the other games I've played in this and previous jams, which I found refreshing. I liked that it was a mix of moving quickly and also planning ahead. Trying to do both at the same time--especially after you've been seen--is an exciting and fun challenge. I think it might be nice to have a clearer idea of where the guards are looking and what they can see. I think it's great that you added the variety in what they can see based off of movement, status, and presence of windows. Mentally, it was just hard to put that all together and so sometimes I was surprised that I could be seen. That might get better with practice, just my two cents. It sounds like you have a number of ideas in mind for improvement, which I think would be fun to see. But great job on getting this done with all the constraints of a game jam!

Space Journey by foreverip 2017-08-04T20:40:13Z

Space games are always fun! I liked the simple and easy-to-learn controls. I liked that there was a little variety in the enemy firing patterns. Sometimes I was a little confused about how much I was moving, especially at the edges of the map. Some more objects that scroll in parallax could maybe help with that? I was also expecting to be dealt damage when their ships ran into me, but it didn't seem to.

Icarus Fate by saintheiser 2017-08-10T02:38:37Z

I agree with all the comments about the art style, and I'd especially echo the ones praising the subtle animations to the icons and feathers. My only complaint was that the collision detection no the rocks seemed a bit off. A few times it looked like I completely avoided them, but still took damage. Good work!

Robo Power by jahndis 2017-08-10T02:46:49Z

I really liked the graphics! It did feel a little bit slow to playback. I have never really played one of these types of games, so I didn't realize how the commands looped and I was confused why he kept going. I thought he was just automatically driving it to the drop-off point. Once that clicked, I enjoyed the puzzles and thought it was a great compo entry!

Airship Climb by Rudenko 2017-08-04T20:28:00Z

Well done! My two favorite kinds of Ludum Dare games are the ones that try something completely new/crazy and those that just pick a simple concept and build something that feels complete out of it. Yours does the latter quite well! I could definitely see something like this doing well on mobile platforms, particularly if you did implement your idea of buying upgrades. One suggestion for me, personally: I think these games do best and are the most addicting when the average play time of each attempt is a little lower. After going super high, it's not as compelling to try again right away when there isn't as much challenge until you get higher up. So maybe just add more hazards/enemies or make energy a little scarcer? Just my two cents. Again, great job!

Wind-Up Knight by joemag 2017-08-04T20:13:29Z

Nice! I especially loved the whistle effect as I fell to my death, haha :) I also found that the controls took some getting used to. I wonder if something as simple as grouping the dials closer together would make it easier to keep track of them and not have to feel scrambled as much. Of course, the fun draw of the game IS managing your different resources, so maybe that's not something you'd want. Either way, congrats on a successful Ludum Dare and best of luck with this and future projects!

Zombie Power Station by CodeChomper 2017-08-09T02:22:36Z

Good job! I liked a lot of the small details that you included: the recoil on the gun, the street lamps, and the lights coming on all come to mind. I agree with the people who recommended being able to shoot while jumping and that I was unsure how many zombie parts I was holding. Some visual indication, or at least more of an audio cue might make that more obvious. I really enjoyed the campy zombie atmosphere that carried through from the graphics and gameplay to the audio. Well done!

Superstuff by tddawson 2017-08-04T19:56:50Z

Thanks for the feedback so far, everyone! Thanks especially @jupiter-hadley for the inclusion in your video series. I feel like there is no substitute for putting a game in someone's hands to see what works and what doesn't.

From the feedback I've gotten from you and watching friends in-person, it definitely ramps up too quickly in a way that is more "frustrating-hard" than "fun-hard." A big part of that is due to the constraints of LD 39 and only having time to put together 3 levels. I wanted to show how the two abilities I have so far could be combined in ways that are both tricky to execute and tricky to think through. Level 3 definitely is beatable, but it does require some planning and execution.

@eric-florio: I'm hoping with the inclusion of two more abilities, different types of obstacles, and a better difficulty curve that I'll be able to explore it for a 20-25 level mobile game, maybe with an "endless" mode. Hopefully it holds up for that, but I definitely agree that it would get stale quickly in it's current state.

Voodoo Lockdown by Antti Haavikko 2017-08-01T04:06:39Z

First game I played and it really set an unfair precedent for the others. Seriously great work, it felt complete. I died about 3/4 through and immediately started over so I could finish. I'm proud to say I got to the end. Really cool how it felt like I was figuring out my own way through the puzzles and a good difficulty curve, starting off simple and then gradually introducing concepts and techniques like quickly pressing to change letters while you're "in" the shape.

Doesn't Match by Eric Florio 2017-08-04T20:05:43Z

Well done! I especially like the graphics and the fun diversity in the achievements. I was a little confused at first about the angle I needed to be at to pick up the match, but I got the hang of that part after doing it once. It felt nice and polished and the touches of feedback ("too slow", etc) made it feel like a complete game jam game.

Project Sunspot by AntaresValdemar 2017-08-09T02:52:24Z

I loved the mood created by the graphical style and lighting, which integrated really well with the gameplay and story. A subtle little background music could have brought it even a step higher (still a 5* mood for me, given the nature of a jam). I'm impressed with everything you were able to put together and have it feel like a completed quest. I didn't make it super far, but I did watch the walkthrough video you posted and it reaffirmed my opinion. Really my only other feedback is a little frustration with the difficulty and some of the camera angles, but it sounds like you've already addressed some of that in the post-jam version and have other ideas for future improvements. Great work!

Failing Empire by Mad_Fizban 2017-08-10T02:32:55Z

I'm impressed with the variety of options and accompanying graphics for each one. I would have preferred a bit more guidance and less trial-and-error at first, but that may just be personal preference. I agree with the comment about the audio loop, but it's hard not to run into that during the compo especially.

The Last Question. by RarefactionQ 2017-08-01T04:23:32Z

"Unease" is a good word for it. The song was great and tied the experience together. Full marks for audio and mood from me without a doubt. I also liked what you did with the theme. Very different, less of a "game" in the traditional sense so it'll be interesting to see what people think. Thanks for sharing the feeling with us!

Operation Lambda by Schuster 2017-08-10T02:26:39Z

Really fun little puzzler! Made me think of Khet 2.0. I liked that even though the movement and rotation were the only gameplay moves, there were a lot of interesting ways to use them to avoid turning it into yourself or getting stuck. I agree that having to start over in a puzzle game is a bit different and was a little annoying having to go back through the levels I had already solved to get back to the one I was working on. Good work!

Frustration Phone by jakecoxon 2017-08-04T20:18:51Z

I was impressed with the variety! I also felt like while I started off a little lost, the first level served as a good introduction to a lot of the tasks I'd have to do. Whether intended as a statement or not, I also felt like it was a good reminder to not let myself get carried away with pointless things constantly in my real life.

Crazy-Power-Rush by Zachary Shah 2017-08-04T20:34:33Z

Congrats! I think there are a number of interesting ways you could take what you have to the next level. Maybe some way to recharge with item pick-ups? Or collectables that tempt you, but you still have to stay away from the things that sap your energy.

I may just be bad, but it felt like there were some times when it would randomly generate sequences that I couldn't get through without taking damage, which was a little frustrating. Again, that may just be me haha.

LD44 — Your life is currency

GERYDAS TOWER by Syrapt0r 2019-05-02T03:21:42Z

Best soundtrack I've heard yet! I noticed the little flashing animation when I got hit, but sometimes in the heat of the battle it was hard to notice. Adding something like a sound effect, camera shake, or other effect around the edges of the screen might give some valuable feedback about that. For the most part, I did just run around to avoid enemies and look for the exits instead of seeking out fights and shops. A few shifts in the balance or designing specific areas that you have to fight your way through enemies are a few ideas about how to encourage combat if that's your goal. Nicely done!

Peak Myths by fashionbatman 2019-05-03T01:12:52Z

I liked the message and your interpretation of the theme :) Was there a way to see how many years of my life I had left before buying more credits? Sometimes I would go back and mash out a lot of games and then forget how many I had left.

Peak Myths by fashionbatman 2019-05-03T01:57:26Z

@fashionbatman I think that makes sense and it definitely fits in with what you're doing.

Ballhogs by tddawson 2019-05-03T01:15:38Z

Thanks, everyone! I had a lot of fun making it and I'll have to put together a video of all the crazy bugs during the course of development (not to mention the ones that exist now).

@sundancekid That's the plan! I wanted this to have a heavy local multiplayer element, but that ended up getting cut from this version to make way for other features and because I figured most LD testers would just be doing quick solo games. I'll definitely keep working on it.

Ballhogs by tddawson 2019-05-04T21:52:01Z

@trusty That was the plan! Unfortunately with my level of Blender knowledge, even sticking a few spheres and cylinders together would have taken time that I felt I needed to get the rest of the game where it is. But, someday, play as a pig you shall. Similar story with bg music and sfx unfortunately. I was really looking forward to recording some over-the-top color commentary but never got to it.

@appix Thanks for the feedback. The CPU players are faster than the human, a handicap I made to force the player to use the lunge/dive effectively and because the AI isn't currently smart enough to use jumps and dives. As for the overall speed of the game, that's something I'll continue to tweak to find the right balance of arcade-y action with feeling in control.

Ballhogs by tddawson 2019-05-06T00:56:31Z

I'm loving all this feedback!

DataGreed, the out of bounds logic is a little wacky right now, as it doesn't matter if you're in the air or not and my collider that determines OOB isn't even directly over the line. Once I fix those things it should behave correctly.

Dan, you're absolutely right about the resets between points and turnovers.

@vinay-rao Thanks so much! The accuracy algorithm definitely needs tweaking. I'm glad you appreciated some of the elements inspired by NBA Jam and the possibility for a fun party game. In the back of my mind I was trying to merge what I loved about the bball gameplay of NBA Jam with what I love about frantic local multiplayer games like Overcooked. I didn't get to the keybindings to do 4 player (or even 2) this release, but I've already got a good jump on that for post-release. I'll definitely look more into adding online functionality, though I feel like the strained relationship between co-op and competition would be especially fun with a group in the same room. Your rewards/bonus suggestion is something I hadn't thought of but could be a lot of fun to play around with. Thanks for the great feedback and suggestions!

Ballhogs by tddawson 2019-05-09T18:28:57Z

Thanks, all! It sounds like I should definitely play around with the controls and some UI elements to help first-time players. I want the controls to be fun and easy to pick up even for non-gamers and still have depths of mastery to allow for some really cool blocks, steals, and shots.

And thanks for the comments on the AI! It's actually the first one I've done (besides just following a pre-set line on repeat) for a game. I learned a lot in the process and there's still a ways to go, but I'm glad it's working well for you. In my post-jam version, the in-bounds are random, but with this level of AI and the ease of making a full court shot, I decided to make the player earn it each possession for the LD version.

Depths by potatolain 2019-05-04T22:17:28Z

I echo what everyone else has said about how cool it is that you made a game for the NES and one with meaning in such a short time. I was able to beat it (normal) my first time, but I completely agree with your reasoning for the difficulty level. I love being able to play through a complete LD game. One minor issue I experienced was getting "stuck" on the edges of the rafts/animals when they were in close proximity to each other. I was eventually able to all the way up and around the raft in reverse. Just a small thing, didn't affect my enjoyment. Good work!

Monolith by jsec 2019-05-04T22:45:25Z

I also basically did a spin-and-fire technique in each room, which was actually very visually satisfying :) It sounds like you've got some great feedback in terms of options in the future already. My two cents is I like the suggestions, but don't try to do them all. Find out what you want to be unique about it and run with it, whether it's a more frantic shooter, a resource manager, etc. You've got a good start, so good work!

Knit Worth by ColeSlaughter 2019-05-08T00:59:51Z

I didn't read the other comments so as to not sway my views at all, so I'm sorry if I end up repeating too many other comments.

First of all, the word wow comes to mind. For sheer craziness and uniqueness from concept to art to sound and for how it all came together into one cohesive game. I love all the little details and flourishes throughout. Also, wow at whoever got that high score. I played three times and... I didn't get close to that. But, I did get better each time which shows you've made a game that has learnable strategy and feels good as you get better. For that reason, I would have also loved to see a local high score tracker so I could see my own progress.

I also love the core gameplay tension between going as fast as you can while also being patient and safe. The fact that a quick tap on the keyboard isn't enough to cause the crochet hooks to hit the targets adds to it: you can't just mash buttons, there has to be some semblance of timing and rhythm to your play. Small note that I was initially a little confused that just tapping the key didn't cause it to hit the target. I'm not sure if there's a way to train that or convey that other than just playing the game.

This goes back to the details: great work on having an in-game tutorial to teach the mechanics. The cut-scene was fantastic as well.

With the dark blue neurons it was often hard to tell when they'd stop being targets. I know they flashed, but with the other visual feedback happening it was easy to miss. Maybe some sort of audio cue (though tricky with two sides) or something more clear than different rates of flashing. Then again, after my first round I just learned to be patient and the lack of certainty added to the tension I talked about.

A quick typo I caught, too: it should be "Testament" with an a, not an i. But the fact that I even bring that up shows how well-polished the whole experience was. Fantastic job!

Robyn Hüd by Michael Feldman 2019-05-02T03:30:04Z

I really like how you interpreted the theme and what you did with it! Very creative. I also had a little trouble seeing the cars through some of the power-ups when they started to come more frequently. It was also sometimes hard to judge the speed the power-ups and cars were moving, but I probably just needed to practice more. A literal idea to expand the game could be to have wider streets in later levels so you have to traverse multiple lanes of traffic to make it rain. Good work!

Headbutter by Lukas TAMAYO 2019-05-03T01:02:36Z

For what it's worth, I also was unable to get the past the start screen in Firefox, Chrome, or Safari (I'm on Mac if that makes a difference). I downloaded the Mac app and played through it as well. I really liked the song! I would also say not to worry about the length of the game, especially for a game jam. For me, I enjoyed having a simple experience that I could play through in one sitting without getting frustrated or bored. I liked the take on people commenting about wasting life and how that's a form of currency. Simple graphics, but they worked well for the mood of it all. Good work!

Nexcidium by keanutah 2019-05-02T03:07:38Z

You did a great job at exercising restraint in a lot of areas of game design here. By making it a shorter, digestable experience that wasn't artificially difficult it made it an easy decision for me to play it all the way through. The graphics, colors, and music were all subtle in the right ways for the experience, too. Another thing to consider while balancing the game could be to make the first level a bit shorter to have it essentially serve as a tutorial. That level in particular was easy enough where I just found myself standing still and shooting waiting for it to end. If that level was a bit shorter it would show what a full level was (and make sure people knew they needed to shoot haha) and get them right into the rest of the game.

One minor nitpick I had is that because I was so focused on my player and the incoming obstacles I never really was able to keep an eye on the progress or health meters. Maybe there'd be a way to represent that information closer to the player so you don't have to lose focus to see it?

Again, well done and I'm glad I played it through!

God All Smitey by SundanceKid 2019-05-03T00:50:35Z

Well done! I found myself "just one more time"ing despite (or perhaps because of) the initial difficulty. Looking at a few tips you and other commenters gave helped me out a great deal. Sometimes I'd spawn with a lot of tanks underneath me and feel like a good chunk of my health was taken before I could get out of frame or load up my first attack. I think it would help to have an audio or visual effect cue the user when their next strike is ready. That way, they can keep their eye on the action and be ready to strike immediately without just mashing the mouse button.

We Pay In Blood by PhillSerrazina 2019-05-02T02:48:32Z

This is an impressive compo entry! It feels really full in the sense that there's a real main menu (with settings!), music and sfx, multiple enemy types, bosses, varied weapons with different abilities and visual effects, etc. I actually don't mind that you lose weapons between each round, but maybe that could be explained or conveyed more clearly. I agree with @mrtnldm that some knockback could improve the flow of the combat. I liked that you could attack in all eight directions, but because the sprite was only facing one of four ways it was sometimes difficult to tell where I'd be attacking. Again, I'm impressed with the breadth of the features, mechanics, and extras you've added in just two days.

World Class Track Meat by Dan Thompson 2019-05-02T03:37:34Z

Very creative implementation of three different minigames with simple and distinct controls. I thought the music, graphics, and humor all fit together really well! I also felt compelled to try all three different modes. Maybe some way of comparing your results or tracking your high scores overall would be a fun way to motivate repeated play-throughs. "Ba, da da, duh da da" is now stuck in my head.

TimeForYourSouls by Suchista 2019-05-08T01:35:38Z

Well done! I love the music and visual effects, particularly with the time reversal. I also was confused by the automatic reversals that happened when I ran out of time the first few times. Maybe differentiating between the lever-triggered and timer-triggered reversals would help. Even just a message after the "watch out for time" message that said "Time's up, try again" would have helped me understand.

I think you have a lot of awesome potential with this idea for some really cool levels. I had a bit of a problem with the trial-and-error nature of some of the levels. As far as I could tell, there wasn't anyway to tell which levers would trigger which platforms to disappear, or where i could safely place the black box before triggering the timer. As a result, it felt like I was doomed to fail several times before working it out. I like puzzle-platformers where you can reason out the solution more than trial-and-error, but I'm sure that comes down to personal preference. I watched your video to see the ones that I wasn't smart enough to get to and it looks like you have some really creative ideas of how to use the mechanics already. Great work!

Paylife by deformhead 2019-05-05T17:19:54Z

I agree with a lot of what's been said. Super impressed you made it within a day and using your own framework. I think it could make a fun mobile game. It has some self-balancing that's really cool with the increasing cost and the increasing rates of hearts which can come back to bite you if you get greedy. I feel like because buying too many things made hearts fly so fast towards the end, I generally ended up avoiding the bottom cards for a good portion of the game. Maybe a way to keep those options interesting would be to allow you to buy upgrades that weren't just increased release of hearts. For example: maybe an upgrade could occasionally release items that gave you more time, or golden hearts that were worth more, etc. Something to keep users making decisions with the cards throughout the whole game. I also wasn't sure what exactly made up my final score. Great start and could easily be a fun, addicting mobile game.

Paylife by deformhead 2019-05-05T18:27:44Z

Got it, thanks for the explanation! It definitely fits!

Soul Exchange by Dennis Jeong 2019-05-05T16:50:20Z

I'm a bit blown away by how cohesive and fun your entry is! Everything works together very well, from the audio and graphics to the core gameplay mechanics. I also liked how you built off the theme but didn't let it distract from the game itself.

I only have two minor pieces of feedback I could think of from playing it through. The first is the exact issue @dennis-jeong described in his response. I'm afraid I don't have a great solution to it, but it did feel a little wonky sometimes when transitioning from one side to another and then trying to go back. The second was that while the arrows guiding you were a great idea to serve as a tutorial in a bite-sized jam entry, as you continue to develop it I think the level design itself should nudge the players in the right direction without explicitly telling them. Might add a bit more of a fun puzzle element to it, especially with some of the other character ideas you mentioned.

Again, super minor details that didn't detract from the overall experience and how fun it felt to land a perfect double-jump-to-transform-to-stick maneuver. Great work!

Contract Cleric by Vinay Rao 2019-05-04T22:35:33Z

Good work, super unique! I think what you mentioned in an earlier comment about gradually introducing the abilities in-game would do wonders. It felt a little overwhelming at first, but once I actually started playing it made sense how it all worked together. This may just me being stupid, but after a few games I'm still not quite sure when/why to move my character? I found myself mostly just managing the spells and the damages which was plenty to keep track of and a lot of fun to try to figure out. I liked that I felt like I was constantly performing quick cost/benefit analyses and making decisions, even when spells were cooling down. Great job!

Till Breath Do Us Part by DataGreed 2019-05-09T18:47:56Z

Good job of using the theme to influence the mechanics! I agree with a lot of feedback that has been given and that you've already taken to heart: increased player movement speed, smaller maps or a way to locate enemies when they're off-screen, and a little bit of balancing could go a long way. I wanted to be able to experience more of the upgrades, but it was hard when I was barely staying alive from the get-go. At the end of the day, I had fun playing, so great work!

The strange Life of Bill the postman by T-Bo 2019-05-05T17:08:12Z

Good work! The graphics style is unique and fits the game well. The GUI is clever but straightforward and easy to understand. I noticed that you changed the triangle to an arrow based on earlier feedback. I think it's awesome that you're updating the game and taking feedback seriously, but I think it would be helpful to raters to at least include a post-jam change-log so we can base our ratings and reviews off of the jam entry. I certainly won't knock any points for that, just a thought. The only other thing I'd add is that after a few minutes it does start to feel monotonous. Different challenges or areas or puzzles (like with the crates) that open up at certain letter counts (or time, etc) could keep it fresh and give a greater sense of accomplishment. Obviously that's hard to do within the constraints of LD, but something consider if you keep developing the idea. Once again, thanks for your entry and best of luck!

Nine Lives by Evan M 2019-05-03T00:28:43Z

Lots of variety for just a weekend in terms of mechanics and level design! I'm genuinely impressed with how far you got. I also thought there were some really creative levels that forced me to think but were very rewarding once completed.

I found a number of levels required really precise placements, but the controls were just a little too loose to do what I wanted to do. I'm sure practice is the answer, there. Some of my halos I placed next to the "no halo zones" were considered inside of it even though visually they appeared fully outside of the zones. One other piece of feedback is that some stages were all about using the halos in creative ways and some were just about strict platforming (no extra hearts to spare). I thought the strongest ones involved full use of the the unique halo mechanic, so I would double-down on designing stages around that.

Great work!

Ballsy Escape by GeneralAnimal 2019-05-02T18:38:11Z

Well done! It was hard to know how best to ration my life without knowing what was coming up next. That made some levels impossible as soon as you got there, so I just found myself reseting or buying myself to death to be able to move on to the next level. A few of the hitboxes seemed off on the spikes. I liked the different uses of the boxes and all the different types of switches you implemented in such a short time. I also liked the "a box" label :D. Fun all-around puzzle-platformer!

Stilts by MuchosWaffles 2019-05-08T01:16:57Z

In case this helps anyone else, to get the menu on the left to work, I had to enter full-screen mode.

That's a bummer about the theme, but I think you ended up with a great interpretation of it. I really liked your explanation. The opening scenes and closing scenes do a good job of conveying that. I laughed out loud at parts of the "winning(?)" message and then the animation leaping from the stilts. It would have been fun to see some of the higher you are, the harder you fall message built into a game mechanic like you mentioned, but I understand with the time limits and trying to figure out the theme.

Crumb by hutchings90 2019-05-02T02:30:58Z

I like the different levels of strategy that emerged from relatively few rules. For example, trying to "trap" a number of pieces in your base at once. I agree that it would be fun to have a 1v1 human version of this. Good work and good luck with future dev on it!

Leech Weapon by Kiddy 2019-05-09T18:38:08Z

Good work! Two of my games also ended when the shop crashed and I couldn't get out. I love the idea and execution of the theme. Controls were tough to get used to with a trackpad, but that's my own fault for my lousy gaming set-up. It was satisfying lining up the perfect shot to use as little life as possible.

LD53 — Delivery

Cue Cards by tddawson 2023-05-08T18:43:53Z

Thanks everyone! Loving all the ideas and feedback. I knew it would be better suited for groups so I appreciate people poking around with it solo while reviewing LD games! Glad the idea seems to be intriguing in the right context, too.

City Runners by ScalphaMission 2023-05-04T18:53:17Z

I was impressed with the number and variety of purchasable upgrades! It was fun to be able to build out the way I wanted to. I got used to it eventually, but initially the falling speed felt very fast and the camera movement a bit jolty when jumping. I liked the graphical style and the map between runs. Very impressive jam entry!

Love at First Slice by Dan Allison 2023-05-04T19:04:14Z

Great work! I really like the sprite work. The vibe and mood was great with your art and the music you chose. The delivery itself was repetitive like others mentioned, but sounds like you have some ideas to spice it up. A few hitboxes seemed off, too, making it a little hard to squeeze by people for instance. But the trade-off of a few polish items like that for having a completed experience in a weekend is well worth it, imo.