FoonLudum Dare ExplorerUsers → xel

xel

Category Medals

YearLDThemeGameDivisionCategoryScore
🥉 2013 27 10 Seconds Detective Awesomepants compo Humor 4.38
🥈 2012 23 Tiny World Tiny Vessels compo Mood 4.42

Games

YearLDThemeGameDivisionRankOvFuInThGrAuHuMoCo
202046Keep it aliveMy BFF! Glorpol!compo204.183.953.183.654.483.954.313.94
201739Running out of PowerCute Chutecompo743.853.513.533.764.553.534.333.90
201328You Only Get OneMy Dad's the Grinchcompo283.933.553.683.284.133.543.873.7769
20132710 SecondsDetective Awesomepantscompo74.203.973.774.144.153.274.383.7871
201326MinimalismAbidecompo2753.462.843.643.733.813.141.813.3340
201223Tiny WorldTiny Vesselscompo403.872.823.634.203.804.092.384.42100

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 xel

LD23 — Tiny World

gravity by Rémi 2012-05-02T01:23:00

Loved the sound effects and the graphical style of the game. Feels very polished.

Stampede at the Crooked Thorax Ranch by mimshwright 2012-04-25T01:15:00

Loved how the magnify glass effect worked. Really interesting idea.

LD26 — Minimalism

Factory Consultant by namuol 2013-04-30T06:25:00

Super cool gameplay. Would have been nice to modify object placement while the painter is running instead of having to stop/start all the time to test, the fast forward button helped but it took me a few levels before I saw it.

Freedom by orangepascal 2013-04-29T06:16:00

(Spoil free) Still can't figure out the correlation between my actions and one of the steps. Overall a pretty interesting game. Good art, fitting sound, and a cool concept.

XYZ by ataxkt 2013-04-30T06:43:00

Very slick.

The Rules Are Simple... by saampahlavan 2013-04-29T04:31:00

Beat it after many many deaths. The different rule variations were cool and kept the game interesting. The end screen was also a nice treat. Good work.

Snape by notajetski 2013-04-29T04:03:00

Very cool concept. Was fun to play once I got the hang of the controls. It'd be awesome to see a multiplayer version in the future.

BasedBall by Neten 2013-04-29T04:13:00

Really liked the simplistic controls and the core rotation mechanic. Managed to beat it after a few tries. Wish there were a few more levels that explored new obstacles!

LD27 — 10 Seconds

SILX by alvivar 2013-08-30T05:51:00

Solid work and fun to play! Loved the music too

Nelumbo by Darklotus 2013-08-29T03:05:00

Great concept. Love that the levels are randomly generated. My browser crashed after a few restarts as well.

Onomatomania by mixin 2013-08-29T03:15:00

Couldn't find the square at 1920x1080- made my browser window smaller and then it showed up. Fun game and an interesting concept.

10 Second Run by charmahal 2013-09-08T20:39:00

Hey, for your second game ever this is really great! Keep it up!

Time Perception by Reyn 2013-08-30T05:48:00

Pretty cool concept. The Director's Cut was absolutely brilliant.

Forward Motion by Feysoura 2013-08-26T04:23:00

Cool game. I got stuck in some walls during the reverse gravity puzzles though. Other than that it was fun to play.

Encounter by geekdrums 2013-09-08T20:32:00

Great concept! Loved the overall feel of the game

ErectServeSnug by mpath 2013-08-26T04:16:00

Definitely a 5 in mood ;) Funny concept. Controls took a few tries to figure out.

Bob Loblaw's Blob War by Budda 2013-08-26T05:29:00

Interesting game. Mortar units are totally OP!

The Lonely Sentry by namrog84 2013-08-26T04:29:00

Successfully collected all the love fuel! Fun game- and the music played at the end is pretty catchy.

ROBOT PLANET by GeorgeBroussard 2013-08-26T04:39:00

Great game! Loved the roguelike gameplay mixed in with having to make time-sensitive decisions. Scored 2970 on my 2nd try.

LD28 — You Only Get One

One Gunman by Levi D. Smith 2013-12-17T05:10:00

Apparently I don't know my maths. Great concept though. The narrator was great.

Rue by david_laskey 2013-12-19T07:20:00

*** *a*. * *a* ******* ** **a* ** **** *****!

Nent by Zolmeister 2013-12-16T06:09:00

Great concept & fun to play. I agree with funselektor though, wish the upgrades were bound to the keyboard keys.

one-sec by rottenmage 2013-12-17T05:04:00

So. Satisfying.

Jump Chip by arkeus 2013-12-16T04:07:00

Great game. The puzzles were pretty fun. Reminds me a lot of One and One Story

UNDERDEEP by GeorgeBroussard 2013-12-16T04:32:00

Lot of fun and nicely polished. Claimed the Sword of Badassery on my first try.

LD39 — Running out of Power

Outside by gelisam 2017-07-31T21:33:55Z

Interesting little puzzle game! I played this yesterday with a friend and we couldn't figure out how to beat it- when I saw @kevinworkman's comment about solving it, I had to go back and give it another shot. Successfully completed it after a few tries! Overall a pretty solid experience. Simple clean graphics, fun narrative, and fitting sfx & music. Good stuff!

Icarus Fate by saintheiser 2017-08-02T04:55:29Z

I really liked some of the subtle animations you implemented, such as the heart beating and the feathers falling off Icarus. Some of the obstacles felt impossible to avoid but overall it was an entertaining experience!

Nuclear Arms 4: Fallout of The Mountain King by Logicon211 2017-08-03T04:53:29Z

Those foolish bears had no idea who they were messing with. Fun game, enjoyed the over the top plot and the design of the main character. The destructible environment was also a nice touch. The controls felt a little sticky but that hardly outweighs the awesomeness that is Craig Killbane.

Recapitate by superpokeunicorn 2017-08-03T02:22:14Z

Fun concept! The art and sound were really well done. Some of the platforming was slightly frustrating, but overall the game was fun to play. Throwing your head at enemies is definitely a unique take on the theme!

Robo Power by jahndis 2017-08-02T05:16:20Z

Fun game with solid art, a great soundtrack, and a nice splash of humor

Probe Abuse by minibobbo 2017-08-01T04:03:59Z

Nice to see HaxeFlixel still being used! Really liked the concept. Playing as a new probe each time and having to recollect modules allows for some interesting design. The power down option seemed slightly buggy though, as my probes would end up in places I didn't put them. That aside, I think there's definitely potential to expand on this concept post-jam. There's a lot of cool things you could do with disposable probes!

A Night at Grandpa's by Kingethaniel 2017-08-03T02:32:06Z

Amazing. One of my favorites so far! Loved the art and the core mechanic. It took a few deaths before I realized I was supposed to quickly turn the lights on and off, but after that it was 'smooth' sailing.. well as smooth as it can be when you have creepy horrors slinking around every room.

Sip Sip Universe by sugarbyte 2017-08-01T03:24:03Z

The No Man Sky of Wines! (And in a good way). Really novel concept. It was surprising and awesome when (*spoilers?*) I picked up that the other wines I saw were made by other players. The fact that each play through spawns different planets adds to that- each player has the potential for very different combinations to create. Good work!

Eat pray live by wrexialmt 2017-08-05T06:58:51Z

Absolutely love the art style. The music was a nice touch as were the *ahem* sounds when restoring your energy at the church. Good work :D

Cranked 1911 by zee 2017-08-03T04:37:03Z

Interesting idea- love the art style of the main character! Controls were a bit tough but I guess that's to be expected when driving a Model T. I was actually much better at driving backwards than forwards!

UFO Abduction by dreadloaf 2017-08-01T02:58:53Z

Interesting idea. Different humans giving different amounts of energy was a nice touch. It gave me a reason to hunt around the map, looking for the perfect people to bring aboard my ship

Intrepid by Arkthalohs 2017-08-02T05:35:23Z

Interesting game that I'm absolutely terrible at. Ran out of energy with 15 light years to go :( The dice rolls were a nice touch, and the core gameplay was a lot of fun once I got the hang of it. There's definitely some strategy behind the best ways to deal with each crisis.

ABANDON SHIP by attrition 2017-08-02T05:42:42Z

Fun game with nice art and solid music- really enjoyed the puzzle elements behind figuring out who to grab first

Game of Cows by greysphere 2017-08-01T04:22:12Z

I might be Jon Snow.. I know nothing about these types of games. Fun concept although I was embarrassingly bad at it

SpaceBase LD39 by Jason Lothamer 2017-08-02T06:36:06Z

I really enjoyed this! Nice and simple game with a fun core mechanic. Good work!

Short Lived by Matt Fabius 2017-08-02T16:23:36Z

RAMBO!

South by zchen 2017-08-05T06:35:02Z

Got to loop 12, shot 54.

Cool concept. I dug how activating the start button essentially functioned as a simple tutorial for the game.

I was slightly confused the first few loops, as the screen shake that happens made me think I might have died somehow. Once I saw new enemy patterns after the 3rd or 4th loop I realized it was progressing. A more prominent visual display of your loop count increasing would probably solve that issue.

The slowdown effect was pretty nice and reminded me a bit of Superhot.

Enemy design was cool. I also dug seeing the level get darker and the red glows more prominent as I made it through each loop. Overall it was a solid experience- nice job!

HE BEAT HER. by Angela He 2017-08-01T03:17:27Z

Amazing art and solid music to back up the tone of the game. A very interesting take on the theme. It was slightly difficult to think of what to write. Having contextual images or more descriptive intro text to better describe the scene might make it easier to come up with what actions the game would accept. Overall a great game for being made in 48 hours. I'd love to see this expanded on post-jam.

Spaceship Ferry Captain's Handbook, Chapter 12: What to Do in the Event You... by sketchycode 2017-08-01T06:45:14Z

Life support is overrated, though my crew might think otherwise. Took me two tries to get to the space station. Controls were tough but I never expected piloting a space ship to be easy! Fun concept overall. Nice simple graphics. Good work!

The Last by Vija02 2017-08-01T06:39:43Z

Creepy (but great) narrative, and perfect music to go along with it

Battery Worm by ExciteMike 2017-08-05T06:51:30Z

Snake meets Resogun! It was cool to be able to see where obstacles and batteries were by looking at the back of the cylinder. I dug the art style and the overall concept. Being able to destroy bats while invincible was a nice touch. I had maybe a bit too much fun hunting them down..

Gemheart Hunter by Taffaz 2017-08-02T06:15:42Z

Fun game. It was cool to work your way around the map while being careful about how often you place recharging stations.

Automated Explorer by Aircraft Terrier 2017-08-01T06:58:33Z

Really solid game. I do agree with @pixelgriffin, the midgame was a lot of driving around aimlessly until I ran out of energy or got shot by an enemy. Overall though it's really well done. The concept is great, as are the graphics, sounds, and music. Good work!

Power Loss by Pixel Programmer 2017-08-01T02:48:15Z

Made it through the levels. Really liked the pixel art, especially for the enemies and the particle effects.

Winter has come by GistNoesis 2017-08-03T04:46:49Z

Really interesting game. The numbers move quite fast- I was usually dead before I realized what was happening. Had to play it a few times to understand how to balance everything out.

LD46 — Keep it alive

Blob by KevTukk 2020-04-24T17:09:19Z

Love that you don't take damage but your blob does. That design decision works really well with the theme of the jam!

Bubby by dnp 2020-04-20T04:13:58Z

Bubby is amazing. He smiles even when walking off a ledge into a pit of spikes below. The design was great for the levels you put together. It was nice to see some variety in the different solutions!

Firekeeper by thomas-olsson 2020-04-21T02:41:18Z

Beautiful game! Love the character art and all the animations and effects you have. The sound effects and music really match the mood (love the enemy growls). Gameplay is entertaining- who doesn't like lighting things on fire? Great work!

My BFF! Glorpol! by xel 2020-04-24T21:21:08Z

Wow, thank you all for your comments so far! It's always great to receive feedback during these jams and to reflect on what can be improved! I commented below with responses to most of you! Thanks so much for taking the time to rate and review!

@nyunesu Thanks for the feedback! Agreed about the music. Regarding grinding, I definitely wish I could have made it less repetitive. I ran out of time and wasn’t able to put in the other enemies I had planned! For the tutorials and dialogue, I definitely see how it could be a bit handholdy. I initially wanted the entire game to be dialogue focused but shifted away from it day 2, I think the remnants of that initial direction don’t mix too well with the new core of the game! Thanks for your feedback!

@snesgaard Agreed! I wish I had time to get in the other two enemies I had planned :(

@madebychaz Thanks for the feedback! I originally had planned on much more expansive dialogue but at 4am in the morning I just started slugging things in! Audio was last minute so I was just happy to have something in haha.

@automatonvx Agreed about dialogue dragging on and combat feeling repetitive! If only I had time to put in more enemies :(

@marcelo-zoletti You found one of the bugs! I didn’t have enough time to fix it and figured it wasn’t too game breaking :) For spell casting I wanted to balance the players decision between attacking and spell casting. I think if I put in an ability to push back enemies that it would help quite a bit.

@scott-steffes Thanks! Making games is actually my day job so I do have a fair amount of practice!

@emperor-eagle Thanks so much! Agreed about the dialogue for the jam. If this was a full game, it’s totally a good amount- but a bit overboard for this jam!

@thelemba Glad you found the writing enjoyable! I tried to make the tutorial unobtrusive but dialogue can definitely drag!

@emmatw Yes I would love to add different enemy types! I just need a hyperbolic time chamber!

@gustavo-christino Thanks so much for your in-depth feedback! Getting outside the bounds of the camera is definitely a bug, that shouldn’t be happening! The original idea was a mix of Frankenstein and Full Metal Alchemist so you’re pretty spot on! And don’t tempt me with thoughts of monetization! It’d be great to turn this into a full monetized product!

@melonking Agreed on both counts! Dialogue can definitely drag and the audio leaves…. a bit to be desired hah

@clblobby Shhh don’t mention it’s loose connection to the theme!

@johnnysix I didn’t explain it in the game but some spells are only front facing, so if you don’t have any enemies in front of you they will fail to fire but the cool down will still activate. If I had more time I think I would rework how that functions!

My BFF! Glorpol! by xel 2020-04-25T17:18:00Z

@scott-steffes Not really, I work full time for a studio that does mostly client work and my night hours are spent doing freelance for other indies, sadly doesn't leave much time for me! Part of why I love doing Ludum Dare is that it's a chance to create something that's just mine! You can see some of the non-NDA work I've done at [my portfolio](https://matthewvroman.com/).

@silkworm-sweatshop Thanks so much! Yeah buff and debuff would be really cool, the freeze effect is neat to think about and probably wouldn't have been too hard to implement! Why weren't you around when I was making the game!

Lily vs. the Swarm by Coda Highland 2020-04-24T16:29:01Z

Great concept and really loved the hand drawn graphics and the animation for the butterfly!

Solais by dragonxvi 2020-04-28T05:18:38Z

Really tight platforming and so much polish for a PICO-8 game! Super impressive!

Unbroken Shell by Garett Cooper 2020-04-22T02:04:43Z

I did it! I delivered the egg! But at what cost!? :(

Loved the ending, enjoyed the overall atmosphere of the world. The game was definitely challenging. The best tip I can give to others is wait until you've reached the apex of your jump and then move forward. Trying to move in the air too early is a recipe for disaster in the later parts of the game!

Shooty Moony by flyingbear 2020-04-23T19:20:08Z

Super fun concept. It went from feeling like I was playing a standard arcade game to the most intense game of pool ever. Bouncing enemies off each other is extremely satisfying.. though I definitely had my planet die more than once waiting to line up the perfect shot of coins and enemies.

The Seeker by GeorgeBroussard 2020-04-21T17:25:15Z

Love the concept. Pixel art is great and makes all game elements very readable. SFX whenever your flame is hit by rain is a nice touch. Tutorial was straightforward and easy to understand. Game elements were simple but created a nice challenge when laid out in the level. Super enjoyable :D

Seeking Power by gustavo.christino 2020-04-24T17:26:11Z

The game reminds me a lot of 'I Wanna Be The Guy', challenging platforming but really satisfying once you master the patterns!

Keep It Alive top-down shooter by kkrac 2020-04-24T17:28:53Z

I get a 404 error on itch.io when trying to access the link! https://kkrac.itch.io/keep-it-alive

Where did it go? I want to play it!

Keep It Alive top-down shooter by kkrac 2020-04-24T18:43:48Z

Thanks @kkrac! Was able to play it now.

Short but one of the most fun games I've played yet! The graphics are simple but feel very clean and polished. Love the glow & the subtle screen shake when enemies fire. The final boss felt pretty good in terms of difficulty. Would love to see this expanded into a larger game post-jam! Good work!

Dart Attack by EternalXP 2020-04-24T18:35:41Z

Fun game! Love the strategy involved in how you position yourself and your heart. Graphics are well done and feel polished. Good work!

My Friend Phil by Conroy 2020-04-24T18:39:36Z

Really love the concept! The art is well done and the SFX match the mood of the game. Took me a second to grasp the controls but they weren't too bad once I got the hang of it!

Lamps by qkjosh 2020-04-27T01:43:02Z

Amazing atmosphere. I went from a good boy to scared boy real quick once I entered the basement!

Final Flower: Petals of a Lost Age by Scott Steffes 2020-04-24T16:20:41Z

Wow I really enjoyed this. It definitely has a speed run type feel and the leaderboards were a great addition to emphasize that. I replayed a bunch of early levels to try and optimize my times. I could definitely see this becoming a full game down the road. Great work!

Focus, kid! by Necromic 2020-04-21T18:16:23Z

You can pet the dog. 5/5. Game of the Year.

The aesthetic is super well done. Feels like a nice short polished game. Good work!

Have Mercy by Stefan Jovanovic 2020-04-24T16:10:07Z

Super interesting concept once I picked up on what was going on- I managed to miss how immobilizing worked in your description on my first play! I love the idea of the different breakpoints and pairing those with the QTE input.

Also a bit out of left field but I could actually see this as a great way to teach match to kids!

Me and My BEAST by Electric Blue 2020-04-24T19:01:00Z

Fun concept! I really liked the graphics- the beast looks great in pixel art form. I tried my best to keep those darn bandits away from it but ultimately I was overwhelmed :( Good work overall!

MyTube by backurio 2020-04-24T17:39:35Z

You did it. You convinced me. I now have the training I need. Tomorrow I quit my job and become a full time Youtuber. Thanks so much for giving me this confidence!

But seriously, really well done. Extremely polished game!

droidathon by acgaudette 2020-04-24T17:20:28Z

This is my aesthetic! I love the art style you've got going on here. Getting a hit on the enemy feels so satisfying with the screen flashes!

King's Table by PetTurtle 2020-04-20T04:30:01Z

Always love to see a new way to use chess pieces. Pairing them with tower defense is super interesting. Love the graphics & the gameplay. Nice work.

Cthulhu: The Cult Must Not Die by LaserPanzerWal 2020-04-25T18:01:38Z

Enjoyed the concept, it's a fun idea to have to defend the cultists. Loved the art and music but definitely struggled with controls for combat. With a bit of clean up this could really be a top tier jam game!

Flight of Chernobog by WIDOSOFT 2020-04-21T03:14:00Z

The art is really well done! The gameplay is fun, all the different wave patterns provided nice variety in the challenge. Just wish I could have seen the moon!

Don't Kill Death (Or Die Trying) by MadeByChaz 2020-04-21T18:53:20Z

Extremely polished and fun! Love the voice acting. The art is amazing and full of small details. Great work!

The Adventures of Eggbert by BattleCat 2020-04-24T17:14:42Z

Great game! The concept works really well with the theme. Really love the graphics (including the dancing flowers). The title screeen is super reminiscent of old NES games. Altogether it feels like a pretty complete package!

Party Animal by puntocom 2020-04-24T17:33:41Z

Being a host is hard work! All I want is good vibes and these fools keep fighting! Fun concept overall! The characters are super cute and the graphics are well done. It's a great take on the theme.

The Power of The Five Books by Marcelo Zoletti 2020-04-22T05:19:37Z

Really liked the character art- the skeletons gave me a real Lego vibe! The different spells were fun to use, especially the jump boots. Zooming through the air feels really satisfying!

Dumb Ways to Doctor by Specturnal 2020-04-24T18:52:19Z

Cool yeah so I definitely shouldn't be a doctor with the number of patients I killed at first!

The concept is great, it took me a second to figure out where all the initial tools were but once I had a mental map of them it became a lot more fun! The treatments were also pretty funny. Imagining super gluing an artificial limb to a patient and calling it a day is great.

Mad Sorcerer's Garden by AsgardHeavy 2020-04-22T03:42:50Z

Not bad! The art was totally readable and that's good enough for me. I liked the concept and think you did a pretty good job for your first jam! Time is the ultimate enemy :( It slips away so fast.. especially for the compo!

Véia Defense: Aliens Attack by Arthur Silva 2020-04-24T17:45:38Z

Love the art style! Love the music! Super polished and really well done. This feels like a game that I would play on cartoon network :)

Save The Health Service! by TomRafferty 2020-04-24T18:56:44Z

Stay inside people! I tried my best, I really did. But I couldn't keep up in the end :(

Overall the game was pretty fun. It's definitely on theme and I enjoyed the graphics. The sound queues were a nice way to indicate when there was a new spawn I needed to care about. Good work!

Across the Lake by stephan steinbach 2020-04-21T03:25:57Z

Love the zen atmosphere. Everything works so well together to make a really nice final product. Great example of how a low resolution game can feel extremely polished!

Keep Hope Alive by keybol 2020-04-22T03:57:31Z

Super interesting take on platforming. Music and SFX fit really well with the games aesthetic. It was satisfying to chain everyone together and get them home all at once! Good job!

Finterior Decorator by illuminegames 2020-04-27T01:34:00Z

Was a very zen and relaxing experience. Was fun to just chill out for a few minutes and grow my aquarium. Tons of different little customization options and the art and sound were super well done. Great work!