Strike of Rage ! by deepnight 2012-08-30T05:05:00
Awesome graphics (as per usual) and controls, yet a little bit too unforgiving. As is always the case with your games, it's hard to believe that it was made in only 48 hours - I guess you don't get to sleep too much during Ludum Dare! :D
The use of the theme, though... ;)
Félicitations!
LD26 — Minimalism (69)
Mr. Minimal by sP0CkEr2 2013-05-16T05:57:00
On the positive side, the game fits the theme ok, although it feels more simplistic than minimalistic, and the music was quite nice; the loop didn't get old.
On the flip side, I didn't have much fun with this game 'cause there was no real challenge to it. I just kept moving around without any sense of purpose or threat, avoiding the static red guy and the strange blue whirlpool that suddenly appears on screen. The victory condition is not clear enough, as you seem to be able to beat the levels without changing every tile's color.
Also, the graphics are really poor for a team effort/jam entry. If you only had added some small animation to the characters, it would've gone a long way towards completing the game's appearance.
Maybe if you added some more dynamic enemies moving around the game area, like in Qix, or a puzzle side to the color changing, like Q-Bert did, it would improve the overall sense of fun. But as it stands right now, there's nothing there to make me want to play it again.
OnlyOne by mrexcessive 2013-05-16T05:33:00
Nice little puzzle game. The idea is interesting, although I think some explanation of the core mechanics would be nice, even though you can understand everything that's going on after just 2 levels.
It lacks a certain punch, though; some more "daring" level design. And it certainly would benefit from a post-compo redesign on the visual side. But, all in all, the important thing is there: the core idea and game mechanics.
Keep it up! :)
Mono by Alphonsus 2013-05-11T08:14:00
Well, a lot has already been said about this game, but how come nobody's commented on its biggest asset, yet? The mime, people! The mime! :D A game in which you control a mime gets extra points and a hand-made wool scarf. That's a well known fact.
The concept is interesting, although I find it more simple than minimalistic, even if gameplay mechanics are kept to a bare minimum, as they should. The graphics, aside from the hilarious mime (love that walk cycle, mate!), are functional and easy on the eyes; maybe a little too functional, as there's a disconnection between the characters, richly drawn, and the bare-bones levels.
Too bad about the control issues, but what do we expect from a 48h-72h development? Yeah, been there, broke that :)
And yes, level 8 is frigging hard! ;)
The fact of the matter is that with a little polish and adding some more levels you'd have a very nice, very fun game on your hands.
Congratulations!
Brutaliz'Art LD26 by lotusgame 2013-05-08T06:18:00
Amazing overall concept, even if there's not a lot of gameplay there. The introductory video is hilarious, and the game is quite fitting of the theme. It's awesome how destruction can bring a certain sense of community! :)
Also, the tech is put to surprisingly good use, and a destruction click feast... that never gets old!
Best score: 85890$ "Save the Bunnies" turned out to be unminimalisable ;)
Congratulations! :D
Super Neo Tektropolis by vidarn 2013-05-08T06:05:00
The pixel art is of an amazing quality, especially given the simplicity of its design. You managed to cram a lot of detail and personality in these sprites. I also like the color palette; it's easy on the eyes, and looks cool (no pun intended). The design is an ok fit to the theme.
As for the gameplay, the game controls well, but jumping was marred by platform positioning. The view should be wider around the character in order to avoid cheap deaths, which occurred a lot. Or maybe allow the player to look up and down beyond the camera's current position as some other platformers do.
The action is sort of eventless, as orbs where scarcely available (my best score so far is 1880, if I recall right, and that equals just 4 or 5 orbs), and it mostly boiled down to "jump blindly - die" or "get shot by an off-screen enemy".
Finally, I found the controls to be all over the place. It's stated on the description that 'S' moves your character right, but it's 'D' that moves you right. And having to press Enter to restart the game felt forced and unintuitive.
I see a lot of potential in the idea, especially concerning the visual design. But making the level design random plays against it; I'd rather play levels handcrafted, with a strong sense of purpose or narrative.
Definitely one game I'd like to play a post-compo version of, and one to follow down the road if you get it developed further.
Ginnungagap by kyyninen 2013-05-08T05:49:00
The game's somewhat confusing, made worse by the view moving up and down following the mouse. The forest was so scarcely populated that I didn't have much to do for most of my playtime. And then, I ate a blue-headed guy and my health went actually down for no apparent (or explained) reason.
The graphics are cool, and I especially liked the sort of washed-out look of the overlay. Also, the overall game's design is quite fitting of the theme.
I just feels this game needs to better express what the player's supposed to be doing (and there's no need for any intrusive exposition or tutorial; just a more thorough design of the game's elements), and to keep you busy instead of having you just strolling through the forest with nothing to do.
A promising game to follow.
Minianimalism! by lorancou 2013-05-08T05:36:00
A nice concept and very strong execution, with a top-notch presentation that would be at home in any AAA game. That makes the plainness of the menus all the more surprising.
Just not very fun for me, nor too funny, with the exception of the introductory text - I must be getting old, but I don't really care about fart jokes. Especially as a game mechanic.
The theme's nowhere to be seen, either.
I'd have liked to be able to visit the levels prior to putting together the creature, and not the other way around. Turning the game into a proper puzzle, rather than an exercise in trial and error.
Please Ignore The Dancing Llama by Zed 2013-05-08T05:25:00
Nice game, and a perfect fit for the theme, both in terms of visual design and game mechanics. The dialogue was ok, and the music is pretty cool.
The pace was too frantic for me, though, and it made avoiding the enemies on the first and third stages almost impossible, which moved the game into "I don't care I'll just get the bonus pieces" territory. Also, there's no sense of progression; it's full on from the get go.
BTW: you don't ignore dancing llamas; dancing llamas ignore you. Everyone knows that.
Congrats! :)
F*** This Job by Casino Jack 2013-05-07T19:18:00
Awesome entry! The one-button mechanic is probably the best suited one for this compo's theme, and this is a game that takes it to the next level. And then it kicks the level's ass, and goes up two more levels, just in case. And that's thanks to an incredible level design.
And not just the level design, but even more difficult (and impressive): the level's flow. The fact that the levels are not only ingenious, but have a specific, water-proof tight timing, and that everything's been put together in just 48 hours is mind blowing, to say the least. Still trying to put the pieces of my brain back together.
It makes me feel ashamed I made a one-button game, too.
I hope this game wins the 48 hours compo. And even the Jam, what the heck! :) And gets to be President of the United States of America. God Bless Its Soul.
Congratulations! :)
Steve Can't Zen by DaanVanYperen 2013-05-07T06:38:00
Cool entry! I like the craftsmanship of the graphics and the way Steve's sprite changes over time. It's quite fitting of the theme, too, as much of the action is reduced to press (or rather, mash) the 'E' key. Although it doesn't seem to be the optimal choice for the action key when you use WASD to move around.
But the best part, by far, is the writing. The ending is funny as hell!
Not much gameplay in there, though, but a great one-time experience. And an awesome introduction to a character that I'd love to see in other games.
Best score: 207400
Congratulations!
Potato Dungeon by _Rilem 2013-05-07T06:19:00
Absolutely brilliant visually - I love this kind of geometric look. The sound design is great, too.
As for the game itself, it got old quite quickly for me. There's something about the passive act of letting enemies impale themselves on your sword that I don't find too exciting.
The use of the theme is 50/50 for me. The combat is minimalistic, indeed; a little too much, maybe, as I already pointed out. But the rest of the game's design is standard platforming fare. Simplistic, you may say, but not minimalistic.
Also, why the choice to use SPACE to jump, instead of 'W'? It seems counter-intuitive to me, and not too comfortable.
All in all, a very nice game with huge potential for a post-compo version that moves away from the theme, that I think doesn't add anything to the game.
Congratulations! :)
OneEighty by Mekuri 2013-05-07T06:03:00
Good first entry, with some nice ideas and quite fitting of the theme, both in terms of mechanics and presentation.
I agree the audio is hit or miss, but the fact there's audio at all is a winner to me - LD games not including audio at all is almost a staple of this compo.
Congratulations on your first of hopefully many LD games to come! :)
Hipster Pad by nimblegorilla 2013-05-07T05:58:00
Excellent idea, with a nice, stylized presentation, and some mind-bending level (or rug, in this case) design. The potential is huge for a post-LD version!
Also, quite fitting of the theme.
This one would be a winner in a touch screen. Just saying ;)
Congratulations!
The Cave by euwaku 2013-05-06T05:50:00
Very nicely put together puzzle game, with some interesting design choices and fine level construction. Both the visuals and the sound are pleasing enough without being too distracting, although the first music loop, groovy as it was, became grating after a while.
I just don't see the theme, other than in the entry's description. Not having a player character per se could be considered somewhat minimalistic, as it's clearly unnecessary. But eventually the very blocks take on that role, so there's that.
The game is fun and becomes challenging without ever resorting to cheap tricks or getting unfair. And achieving that sort of balance as well as... well, actually making the game, in 48 hours... that, sir, is quite an accomplishment :)
Oh! And I found out that pressing the right mouse button skips the current level. A debugging tool you forgot to deactivate, or a cheat?
Congratulations!
Perception by ghostinthesoft 2013-05-06T05:35:00
Very interesting high concept and great potential for a post-LD follow up. The graphics are ok, but what's really nice is the transformation process that takes place.
It also sports one of the most "by the book" approaches to the theme, and I mean that as a compliment. I understand minimalism is about distilling a concept to its purest form, and that's what the game is doing, precisely: stripping "reality" from the distractions of shape and form, taking perception down to a deepest understanding.
As for the discussion about high or low perception, I think it would be both a high perception and a high concentration level what would allow you to abstract reality to the max.
In fact, you could plan two different, antagonistic, game mechanics, and have the player balance them out to keep the two attributes high. Something like push/pull, press/release, move/stand...
Then you could go all-out Plato on the setting, or have a guy transcend the limitations of the mortal flesh to find the keys to his Ferrari :)
Potential aside, there's not much game in there yet. But if you keep on working on it, I'd for one be very interested in trying whatever you come up with.
Congratulations! :)
Secret Power by CollabGames 2013-05-06T05:05:00
When I clicked on the download link I got this error: "File Belongs to Non-Validated Account."
CHUCK by brodavi 2013-05-06T05:01:00
This entry has as lot of heart and personality, that shows easily. Both the visuals and the musics' quality are about what you can expect from a jam entry.
But, other than that, it's nothing more than a 3-4 seconds clickfeast. Bam, you're done. The other characters' behavior ranges from standing still doing nothing to throwing stuff between them at close range and completely ignoring you. Also, the theme is nowhere to be seen, besides the entry's description.
And it's too bad, because the concept seems to have a lot of potential, as this sort of zero-sum shooter. But, right now, there's not a game there, yet.
Keep it up!
Vortex Runner by YM 2013-05-05T16:46:00
A strong entry, with nice old-school gameplay, neat wireframe graphics and an arcade-like vibe. The controls are really tight, much more than they feel like at first, and the sense of speed is exhilarating. A really fun game!
I'm just not sure how much does it fit the theme, though. I don't care about the graphics, theme-wise. To me, what really makes or breaks an entry (again, theme-wise) is how much the overall design, encompassing both gameplay and mechanics, shows it's been created with the theme in mind, and not the other way around. And this game is more simple (arcade-like) than minimalistic.
Anyway, a huge accomplishment for the meager 48 hours we had available! Congratulations! :D
Best score: 5813
Galaxaloid by lando walters 2013-05-05T07:41:00
Nice, old-school fun, and quite some content crammed in for a LD game :)
As I've seen in other games, this is a simple game, not a minimalistic one. To me, there's too much content and gameplay mechanics in there to be considered minimalistic.
The game is unbalanced, probably due to the random nature of the enemies' creation. At times it seemed almost a danmaku, with huge amounts of bullets flying around (without the benefit of the carefully designed patterns). Then I got the laser, upgraded it to level 2, and I was sweeping the screen like a Boss, clearing it like nobodies business, in a particle shower extravaganza, until I was left alone. And alone I was for the next 10 or so seconds, until a single missile entered the screen. The game kept throwing me single missiles like that for a while.
Best score: 4570
Keep it up! :)
2 Button RTS by Lord bobyness 2013-05-05T07:14:00
@lightsoda
Not making the theme the main drive behind the gameplay mechanics is the cheap way of taking on the challenge of a Ludum Dare. This is how we end up with hundreds of games that have been obviously shoehorned into it; lots of platformers with the theme pushed into their "story" or, in this case, a helluva lot of simplistic games with geometric visuals. And simplicity doesn't equal minimalism.
Having to "watch" a game is not the theme's fault; is a bad design's fault.
So Kudos to the developer for going all out on the design front :)
I don't wanna be an @ by ashdnazg 2013-05-05T07:03:00
Sir, I hereby name you Duke of Ludum Dare and King of the Minimalistic Hill! The game, as a piece of software, gets the highest possible rating by being written in batch. The animations are hilarious, and do not get me started on "sound design". Pure genius!
On the other hand, gameplay seemed to boil down to basically get the character running in a straight line and mash the H key every time a stickguy got nearby. It almost became old, fast. Almost. The fighting animations kept me coming back for more XD
In more ways than one, this is the game against which every other entry should be judged.
Congratulations! :)
Agoraphobia by PiotGuy 2013-05-05T06:53:00
Very interesting concept on paper, but kinda hard to get into. I see now where the comments are coming from: it's hard to plan a strategy when you can't seem to understand how the gameplay works. The gray blocks seem to move using random patterns, or at least those patterns aren't readily obvious. As a result, you end up playing the game almost as a button masher. And I don't think that's the way this game's supposed to be played :)
I liked the way you integrated the main gameplay mechanic to navigate the menus.
Keep it up!
Minima by Andy West 2013-05-05T06:46:00
Nice entry, fast and fun. The controls are spot on and the action keeps you on your toes. The music is pretty cool, too. Heck, being an LD entry with music is pretty cool!)
I felt the design was more simple than minimalist, though, and the action became routine as I "seated" myself on the edge on the screen and just moved up and down - in fact, you could have distilled the concept even more and have disposed of the left and right controls altogether.
As an example of what I mean, my entry is very similar in spirit to your game. In it, you also dodge killer geometrical figures (what's wrong with all those triangles and squares?? So much rage! XD). But I just use one button to control the action.
Best score: 150950
Keep it up! :)
Hello World. by empireindustries 2013-05-05T06:33:00
Nice game, and as minimalistic as they get :) The control is smooth and the action fast without becoming frantic. I like the sort of old-schoolish feeling you get by being kept on your toes by a game.
My own game is quite similar in concept to yours. In fact, I think the old theory about there being dragons beyond the rim of the world is false: I think all those colored squares of yours go to my game when they disappear through the left edge of the screen, and viceversa! :D
Best score so far: 3393 points
Minimalism by chanko08 2013-05-05T06:22:00
Not working for me, either (Chrome, too). Left the page open for ten minutes, in case something was loading on the background, but all I got was a white rectangle.
On the other hand, if that's the idea to begin with, let me name you Emperor of this Ludum Dare edition, as this is as minimalistic as it gets ;)
I'll come back to check on this game again later :D
Giant Behemoth Sprite Maker by spock9a8 2013-05-05T06:18:00
I fail to see the point in releasing this as a jam entry. That's not to say this tool couldn't be useful to create assets for certain games, and it's a really cool initiative, but why not just wait until after the compo and announce it once actually finished?
Also, what are your plans about the contents you deliver? Will you create all the different bits and pieces that will come with the program, or is there gonna be an option to import data into it?
Nice spriting chops, by the way! :)
Keep it up!
We Dreamers by stevejohnson 2013-05-05T06:08:00
As someone else pointed out, this is an awesomely artsy guestbook. A very neat idea, and a technical prowess for the time constraints, that shows you've got some deadly programming chops.
All in all, a nice collaborative experience, very fitting of the theme. I'm just not too much into games without any gameplay to them - yeah, the ages old debate about games as art :)
Congratulations! :)
Right Side of the Road by ethankennerly 2013-05-04T06:51:00
Quite a bizarre entry... I'm still trying to wrap my head around the concept of having to guess which lane you're supposed to be driving in by identifying the origin of the words describing the vehicle you're about to encounter. It's kinda hard/unfair for the non-English speaking people, don't you think? And what surprises me more is that you sound like English is not your mother tongue, either. Genius or madness? Kudos for thinking outside of the box, anyway.
I like the visual style of the game, and the happy inclusion of a speed control; otherwise I may have fallen asleep at the wheel, and you know how dangerous that can be, people! :)
Keep it up!
The particle swarm by dick_claus 2013-05-04T06:41:00
Very interesting concept and fitting use of the theme. Too bad I suck at it! XD
I found it difficult to visualize both the right orientation of the obstacle to redirect the particles, prior to drawing it, and the very action of putting the vertices down. Maybe with a little visual aid, like drawing a line from the vertex to the mouse position, drawing the obstacle would become much more intuitive.
But that's just a limitation of mine. The concept is very cool. Congratulations! :D
FOLD by jwaap 2013-05-04T06:26:00
Very moody, artsy experience, quite fitting of the theme, yet hardly a game. The sound design is truly brilliant, and the best part of 'Fold'. Being able to change the color scheme by pressing the space key is a welcome addition, as some of them are easier on the eyes than others.
The loose controls/camera are probably the main negative point for me. I guess you can get to really flow with the action with enough practice, but was sort of unwelcoming for me at first.
Keep it up! :)
The Road by GeorgeBroussard 2013-05-04T06:17:00
The game is fun on its own, challenging yet accessible, and an awesome use of the theme. The controls are spot on and it manages to never seem unfair. But, above all, what I like about this game is how it manages to actually send across a couple messages about life.
For one, you have to be patient in this game. You must learn when to move forward, when to wait, and when to take a step back.
Getting bigger as time goes by, making obstacles more difficult to avoid is also a great design decision, both as a gameplay mechanic and as a comment on life.
Some of the death messages are a bit heavyhanded, like "You were beaten to death by your stepfather". Others seemed a little out of place, like "You died from trying to return the One Ring" - but still are funny as hell XD You must have had a blast coming up with all those texts!
All in all, it's impressively profound for a minimalistic game about a square jumping over triangles :)
Best score: 30 :(
Congratulations! :D
Undercolor Agents by farmergnome 2013-05-04T05:57:00
Very fun game, with a brilliantly designed and implemented look. The action is smooth and the use of the theme is ok. But, above all, the amount of contents you crammed into this one in just 48 hours is simply staggering.
Being able to destroy the walls opens some neat strategies, but also makes the game easier, as you can aim directly for the color towers using an almost straight path and completely ignore the enemies.
Playing solo became somewhat tedious after a bunch of levels, as they offered little to no variation from one another. But I'm sure playing it with some friends has to be a blast.
As a comment, I found the initial statement to be frankly brilliant, as it really sets the tone for the action. Or the hue, in this particular case.
Congratulations! :)
dodecaphony by heuermh 2013-05-03T05:53:00
First of all, kudos to you for expecting your players to read a wiki in order to learn how to play your game. In this day and age of short attention spans, that's brave of you.
The use of the theme is one of the most uniquely appropriate I've seen so far, and again points to you for fleeing the most obvious and easy use of Piet Mondrian as a figure of reference (and I'm guilty of that as well, I should point out).
But gameplay wise, your game is ironically too thematically focused to be easily enjoyable. Maybe with enough investment from the player it is possible, but as I pointed out before, in this day and age, that's brave of you to expect.
Congratulations on daring to think outside the box :)
Traite de taoisme applique aux canons lasers by Griffablanc 2013-05-03T05:45:00
To begin, you get extra points for the game's title - it has to be one of the BEST game title's ever! :D
The gameplay is quite minimalistic, and I like its frantic, arcade-like quality. Graphics are also very nice.
That said, I became quickly frustrated by the randomness of the action. If you could have just added a small, subtle hint about when a laser is about to fire, that would have made all the difference in the world, as then you can make informed decisions. Split second informed decisions :D
Keep it up! :)
This One by kidder 2013-05-03T05:35:00
I didn't get it O_o The use of the abilities it pretty cool, but I'd like to know what every one of them does. Does the water whirlpool damage the enemies or just slow them down? And what about the earth ability?
And what was with the raddish-head guy, running from side to side like a mad man?? It was kinda weird...
Finally, the use of the theme was never apparent on my playtime, as I didn't manage to get far enough to see that degradation of gameplay you comment on the game's description.
Bong Out Wars by Eternal_Rest 2013-05-03T05:28:00
I, like so many others around here, don't like having to install anything in order to play a game. A sign of the times of sorts, I guess. Sorry about that.
Is the problem with GM:Studio specific to your computer? Because I use GM:Studio and can make standalone exes without a problem. Or is it because of the version?
Too bad, because I was really curious about this one :(
Astray during Tea Time by djdduty 2013-05-03T05:23:00
I like the core concept of having to navigate a maze using a "hot/cold" approach.
I had some trouble navigating the levels, though, as the character tends to hit the corners when moving horizontally. You could have made the collision mask smaller for the character, or the corridors a little bit wider.
Bearing in mind that many times you have to decide which way to go without any information, it would have been nice to have a reset key to restart the level and try a different direction whenever it becomes obvious you've taken a wrong turn.
Finally, the use of the theme is appropriate, but a little too much "on your face" a lot of the time, with so many repeated references to it.
Press Z by netguy204 2013-05-03T05:13:00
One of the truly minimalistic games I've tried, so kudos to you for that. You distilled one of the mechanics of a Mario game to its purest form - stomping on enemies :)
But that said, it quickly became tedious. You could have added enemies with different behaviors to spice things up (there weren't any up until the point I played).
Also, bearing in mind how minimalistic the visuals are, maybe you could have used a simpler particle for the stomping effect. It looked somewhat out of place to me.
If you could manage to keep things fresh from level to level, this would be an awesome game for a touch screen device, and one that I'd personally like to play.
Complete Revenge: A Hero s Journey by Nuclear_Hammer 2013-05-03T05:03:00
The game's looks are very interesting, but that's about what I could get from my playtime, as the game is almost unplayable (at least it is for me), due to the controls being very non responsive.
Thinking that maybe that was because I was playing the web version, I tried to download it. And then I was asked to register for an account to download the game? Man, did that piss me off X(
If you could create a mirror to streamline the download, using Mediafire or Dropbox, for instance, I'd love to try it again, as it really looks interesting. But as of now, there's no way for me to do so. And that's too bad :(
Keep it up! :)
Door by hockeygoalie5 2013-05-03T04:55:00
Cool idea and a good take on the theme. But I think there's a vast potential left untapped, mainly due to level design.
See, the main mechanic is really interesting, but it's never put to good use. The puzzles are actually about the right sequence, not the right mix of colors. And the right sequence is always pretty obvious.
Controls should be a little tighter, too. The character should move a little bit slower - this is a puzzle game, so there's no rush :)
Finally, I had some trouble seeing the white blocks. Maybe you could make the wall blocks somewhat darker in tone.
All in all, a good idea with huge potential for mind-boggling puzzles. I had thought about this same color-mixing concept for my own game, but I tossed it aside, painting it (oops!) as too uninteresting. You proved me truly wrong.
Congratulations! :)
Gods Will Be Watching by GreyShock 2013-05-02T06:13:00
The game's design is very intriguing, and its visuals are awesome - especially for a minimalistic game :) Very moody and capable of creating some real tension without leaving (as far as I've played) the same single screen. Kudos for that.
The set of available actions felt too constrained at times, though, leaving me the sensation that my decision were merely mechanic in nature, and not organic, and that some of the actions are there as filler: make sure the fireplace is lit (something you learn the hard way on your first night), repair the radio, repair the radio, talk to the one member of the crew that looks like is falling apart, repair the radio...
It left a lasting impression, for sure, and I'll come back to it again to fully grasp the possibilities of the mechanics.
Congratulations! :)
Particles by Covenant 2013-05-02T05:55:00
One of the most fun games I've played so far on this LD! It's really well thought out, with a number of very interesting game mechanics - maybe a little too many to be exactly minimalistic. Sound design is good, too, and a welcome addition in a LD game ;)
Even if, to me, it doesn't perfectly fit the theme, it's a terrifically designed game that I've played from top to bottom and that would look and play great on a touch screen.
If you develop this game further, post-LD, count me in.
Congratulations! :)
It's Probably Not Even Paint by J 2013-05-02T05:38:00
I think there's potential for a really fun 2-players game here. If you just streamlined a little bit the controls, to make the movement feel smoother, and added some gameplay mechanics that allowed the players to interact between them (like being able to paralyze your opponent for a couple seconds by hitting him/her with a ball of paint), it would become a frantic piece of old-school couch fun.
All in all, a nice effort with plenty of potential for further development :)
Rhynix by fpMiguel 2013-05-02T05:29:00
Interesting concept, and certainly a great fit for the theme. I like the retro graphics, and the music was nice, although I'd have liked something a little more chiptune-y in nature, more fitting to the graphics and gameplay.
My only complaint would be the level with the question mark, as I found it to be rather unfair, bearing in mind that the secondary objective of the game is to use as few moves as possible, and that's impossible by definition on that specific level. Thus, I felt it was somewhat detracting from the whole experience.
Congratulations! :)
The Painter's Cat by Arcana 2013-05-02T05:21:00
I have mixed feelings on this one.
On one hand, I like the sort of freedom to experiment that it gives you, and it's aesthetically engaging.
On the other hand, I do not like its art for the sake of art vibe. It also has some serious issues with the control and collision detection, basic for a game. But, then again, this is not exactly a game.
I'd like to see this concept further developed, in order to fully grasp what you were aiming for.
The Minimalist by Dans17 2013-05-02T05:11:00
Well, I for sure didn't get it. I just saw a game with terrible control that, judging from the music and sound effects, may have a "secret agenda" or a meta use of the theme. But, again, I didn't get it.
So, it didn't feel as minimalistic as just simplistic. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing, mind you, but in this case, if your goal was to make us look at your game in a specific way, I think you may want to help us go beyond the first impression.
Natural by Oye Beto 2013-05-02T05:03:00
Very nice game, indeed! It's hard as nails at times, but that's the way games used to be, and that fits the look & feel of your game perfectly. I think games should leave you with a sense of accomplishment, and your game does that in spades.
My own game is a one button game, and it deals with changing directions in a similar, yet quite different, way. I also chose to put the player's brain to the work, and avoid visual hints that would make the game unnecessarily easy. Here, the platform's color clearly points to the direction the character will move - that's more than enough.
A game to follow, should you decide to keep on working on it post-LD!
Congratulations! :)
Maximus Minimalist by Alexander 2013-05-02T04:55:00
That's kind of a bizarre game, indeed, but with some nice ideas worth exploring further. I like the idea of this kind of inverse-Tetris mechanic, and I think the tiger keeps things interesting by pushing you around in what would otherwise have been a pretty easy game.
On the other hand, I don't feel this game fits the theme that well. Having simplistic sprites that do not match the rest of the game, or nothing but a plain colored background, along with the plain ugly head that floats around makes it look underdeveloped, not minimalistic.
The poor implementation doesn't help on that front, either.
All in all, I think there's enough potential on the main idea to keep on working on this game beyond the constraints of the LD.
Congratulations! :)
qob by alts 2013-05-02T04:41:00
Very interesting puzzle idea, although somewhat limited on its appeal if you do not happen to have someone to play against.
It certainly is minimalistic in its presentation and mechanics, yet takes some practice getting the gist of it. Luckily, the manual/tutorial you included was really helpful on that front.
Finally, I really dig the way you managed to "squeeze" the Mondrian-esque background in your overall design, and not just as an easy backdrop for the action. Kudos for that.
Congratulations! :)
Where therefore we go by pjchardt 2013-05-02T04:33:00
Awesome implementation of the theme in every aspect of the game! It's artsy, moody and leaves a lasting impression. I especially liked the painted backgrounds; having your "signature" on the title screen (and after beating the game) is quite appropriate.
It's interesting to note how our two games have some basic similarities, yet they are vastly different.
Congratulations! :)
Minimalismia by MetroidMan347 2013-05-01T06:47:00
Neat entry, although the pace of the game is on the slow side, and fighting that many triangles (even though I hate triangles! XD) at that speed quickly becomes tedious.
Also, I tried to play the web version, first, but even though it seemed to load correctly, the game never launched.
Game of Rows by Zim the Fox 2013-05-01T06:39:00
Can't play your game. I get an error when trying to launch the .exe: "cx_Freeze: Python error in main script", followed by one heck of a traceback.
I took a screenshot that you can find here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/101571362/PyError0000.jpg
Good luck! :)
The Vale by Tyro 2013-05-01T06:32:00
A really fun game, with old-school visuals, sound and gameplay. I like the way the shield can work against you in certain areas, by obscuring your character.
The thing is: I don't see it fitting the theme very well - to me, simple visuals or mechanics doesn't equal minimalism.
Other than that, a very cool game on its own.
Congratulations! :)
Reach the Moon by Nanolotl 2013-05-01T06:20:00
Impressive "Minecraft" vibe for an LD48 game! The exploration of the mechanics is a nice concept, but needs the player to think outside of the box a little too much; it's easy to get bored of planting potatoes if you don't happen to find the way to get the giant potato and move the experience forward.
There's also the "potato" thing, that it's sort of a love/hate matter in this edition, and I tend more to the later than to the former :)
Congratulations! :)
Def by pansapiens 2013-05-01T06:06:00
Really fun game, if somewhat difficult to get into the first few times. You did a great job with the theme, distilling the essence of the tower defense genre.
I also dig the "Monaco" vibe of the graphics.
Congratulations! :)
Ping by Cybearg 2013-05-01T06:01:00
Awesome! The fact that it's actually an Atari 2600 game is mind-blowing to boot, but it stands on its own merits as a real fun game, with a great main mechanic, and also fits the theme to a t.
Hands down, one of my favourite games of this LD! :D
Now, maybe you could contact the guys from RGCD to make some physical copies of this game? :) If you do, save one for me!
Congratulations! :)
Snobits by gmaker 2013-05-01T05:52:00
I really dig the "Lost Vikings" vibe of this game, but the controls need some tweaking for the game to be fully enjoyable.
Also, I think it doesn't fully embrace the theme, having to control up to 3 characters - it seems more old-school than minimalist to me.
Congratulations! :)
Mondrian Click by CherryNukaCola 2013-05-01T05:43:00
Very moody and atmospheric, and I like the way you added the Mondrian-esque visual flair to the very gameplay, instead of simply using it as an "easy" backdrop for the action in order to get extra theme points.
The click thing, even though it's a feature and not a bug, still kinda seems detracting from the overall experience. And a free, 'endurance' mode where you can click you brains out would certainly be a nice post-compo addition :D
Congratulations! :)
Minigames Octacade by bvanschooten 2013-04-30T19:33:00
Excellent collection, and a testament to what can be done in 48 hours, which is absolutely mind-blowing, as some of these games aren't that obvious to recreate in such a short period!
My only complaint is that the controls could use some tightening on certain of the games; especially bearing in mind that some of those games want you on your feet quickly.
Also, it would be very nice to be able to restart a game from inside the very game, and not through the main menu.
As a side note, something like food for thought: any of the games on its own fits the theme perfectly. But can a collection of 8 minimalistic games be considered minimalistic as well? ;)
Congratulations! :)
Single-button Survivor by meszka 2013-04-30T19:14:00
Very nice use of both the theme and the one-button mechanic. I found it easy to learn and (somewhat) difficult to master, and that's the mark of a great design.
Congratulations! :)
LOOP by vandriver 2013-04-30T07:07:00
Awesome little jewel of a game! Had me thinking about it for a while after I played it.
I liked the mood, strengthened by every little detail you put in there. And there was a lot of those.
Graphics-wise, I loved it: from the NES-like pixel art to every effect to pulled out of your hat - the leaves, the particles, the change of scenery.
The music is also great, and the feeling of flying around is very, very nice.
My only complaint, if I had to name one, is the potato thing, that to me detracted from the overall experience.
Other than that, the best LD26 game I've played thus far. Hands down.
If this is what you can come up with with a theme you hate, I can't wait to play whatever comes out of a theme you actually like! :D
Congratulations! :)
Hyperborea: The Secret of the North by Cake_Catastrophe 2013-04-30T06:54:00
You had me at "Hyperborea" :)
I like all the little details that you put in there, and the way that you bothered to create a save system. But, on the other hand, I'd liked to know why I was walking around, looking for brightly colored spheres in the middle of that barren land. Not that it matters, but it would help me as a player to keep pushing forward.
Do the "monsters" track you using the footsteps the PC leaves on the snow?
Congratulations! :)
circlesLT by evelyn-jolli 2013-04-30T06:47:00
I agree with some of the other comments, here: asking for an XBox controller is not a realistic requirement.
Too bad! It certainly looks promising :(
Dwalk by Joritan Cety 2013-04-30T06:43:00
@arrogant.gamer I got stuck there, too, and got out using the Space key instead of the Enter key I'd used on the rest of the menus.
It looks like an overlook.
Saishou Sentou by Joshua Douglass-Molloy 2013-04-30T06:35:00
Man, that was the leanest, meanest shinobi I've played in a while! :) Great use of the theme and nice implementation of the one-button concept.
I made a one-button game for this compo, myself, as I'm sure many others have, and it's quite interesting to see how such a simple mechanic can be used to make games that are so different.
I liked the ink wash background a lot.
Congratulations! :)
Lights by corrigan_sam 2013-04-30T06:26:00
Well, you sure fully embraced the theme like no other games I've seen on this compo, yet. Kudos to you for that :)
You could have mapped the 3 colors to some keys, and take the difficulty up a couple notches.
Congratulations! :)
Katana Adventures II: The Reckoning by Jed Mayberry 2013-04-30T06:20:00
Well, that sure was minimalism for you! :) I would have taken it a step further, though, and kept the mechanics down to just walk back and forth.
Oh, and I found the hidden potato. Yay! :D
Congratulations! :)
OZE by BigBlackBeard 2013-04-30T06:07:00
Very interesting concept, and also well executed. It's surprisingly fun and addictive.
The music had me on edge pretty quickly, though :) Became grating fast.
Congratulations! :)
Spark by CNIAngel 2013-04-30T06:02:00
Interesting take on minimalistic mechanics. A little bit too minimalistic, maybe, and worth taking it a step further.
Also, I had to download it 3 times, as the downloads kept getting cancelled.
Congratulations! :)