I was finally able to play this, and it's great! I found that the game has a relaxed feel, whether the timer is enabled or not. I could imagine the crocodile as a sort of sage/guidepost character in another game, where you aren't quite sure if he's telling you the truth. :)
As you wish: I'll play your game but I warn you -- I'll enjoy it.
Manipulating text is not easy, but it looks easy in this game. I confess I turned the timer off immediately - as I'm not a fast reader and wanted to enjoy the story.
Music is great.
Story/Vibes are great.
There were a couple of beats in the story where I felt like the narrative led me to a different question that was wrong.
I had a good time becoming educated, listening to the ramblings of an old crocodile. ;)
Thank you Xed! The questions are really mnemonics. For a while I switched over the "strangest people" and "coldest place on earth" because the questions work with both chapters. I changed it back because it seemed a bit too cruel. If I work up a V2, I will probably draw a closer link from one chapter to the next via the questions.
The 20 seconds was a delicious appetizer!! A very well written story, engaging music and beautiful visuals. I couldn't help but take the timer off to enjoy the entirety of this delightful story.
I like how simple this game is. Although I’m not sure if this type of gameplay works with the 20 second limit. At least I’m glad you added the ability to disable the timer, so I can take my own pace for reading.
Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed this game and it’s very cool!
confess that I needed to turn off the timer, I am really not a fast reader, but enjoyed my time greatly with the crocodile story ... very specific comments on strangest people, cold places, travels .... real nice short textual conversational experience
As all other commenters before me, I can't praise enough the art and and the general ambiance. Everything is very poolished and feels professional. Also each new game is a step up in all departments and that adds a lot to how much I enjoy them.
Passed the initial frustration to not be able to actually read the story, re-reading the menu entries over and over again until i could finaly beat the game shaped an implicit story in my mind. I will now take my time to play without the timer and see how close it matches your words.
Thanks. Yes, I know the stories and the animal connection to Kipling is strong. I was also channeling my inner 19th Century author voice that has a similar tone to Kipling and draws in other fantastical writers like Jules Verne.
Hi Akz ! The story is wonderful, the ambiance, the art, the music, I love it all, but how can you expect us to read it in 20s ^^’ ? Even after reading it once, there is just enough time to scroll the lines to get to the bottom of it in 20s. But, still, the idea is great, a story that makes sense only in a certain order, otherwise memory is fading away. And you’re such a storyteller ! Would love to see a comic adaptation of it :)
I respect the decision to write waaay to much text than is feasible to read in a timely manner. Consequently, I didn't read most of it, but I enjoyed the atmosphere and I feel like I got the gist of it as well as a person can without using the unlimited time feature.
I'm glad you liked the atmosphere. The game is designed to make you feel under pressure to complete the story but there are, intentionally, strategies that allow you to read text at your leisure (or, if it's all too much, there is an option to disable the timer in the settings)
The gameplay feels very polished and I really like the setting, characters and art style! Like others have said, for me the game is way more enjoyable (or even possible to play) without the timer. It took me a while to figure out that you need to find the right order of the stories. Maybe it needs to be clarified more? Part of the reason is that I found the "failed" story dialogues super engaging and funny, so it didn't feel like a "fail" to me :D Also I found it a bit cumbersome to start from 0 every time you click on the "wrong" story, and the double-click-to-skip-mechanic made me accidentally click on the wrong story a few times. I hope you'll continue working on this, wanna see more of Victorian croc!!! :-)))
Thanks bonkibot! The game is intended to make you feel like the old crocodile, under pressure to complete the story quickly. It's going to be fun for some people and not so much for others (which is why there's an option to disable it).
You're right about the final dialogue. I wanted to do that but it would have increased the number of clicks you need to do to make it to the end. I also originally planned to include more dialogue and branches inside each chapter until I tested it and found that getting through the seven chapters was already pretty tight. I'm going to be making up my mind about whether or not to expand the game with a longer and more branchy, untimed version.
Thanks for the note about the double-click. I'll try to fix it so that it's harder to accidentally activate the menu during a double-click 👍
i love the art style! im not sure about the mehcaincs though, i feel like the time constraint kinda forces me to not care about the text and just click stuff until i get a win state
I'm glad you like the art style. I know, the idea of a game where you have to build a life's story in a very short time or risk not getting to the end is, frankly, absurd. I included the option to turn off the timer for people who have a hard time reading while under psychological pressure 🙂
The music and art style are pleasant, creating a welcoming atmosphere. While the gameplay presents a challenging experience, adding some voice acting could significantly enhance engagement and accessibility.
Comments
I was finally able to play this, and it's great! I found that the game has a relaxed feel, whether the timer is enabled or not. I could imagine the crocodile as a sort of sage/guidepost character in another game, where you aren't quite sure if he's telling you the truth. :)
Thanks very much! This is my second game to feature crocodiles and I have a feeling this guy might come back again some time :)
As you wish: I'll play your game but I warn you -- I'll enjoy it.
Manipulating text is not easy, but it looks easy in this game. I confess I turned the timer off immediately - as I'm not a fast reader and wanted to enjoy the story.
I had a good time becoming educated, listening to the ramblings of an old crocodile. ;)
Thank you Xed! The questions are really mnemonics. For a while I switched over the "strangest people" and "coldest place on earth" because the questions work with both chapters. I changed it back because it seemed a bit too cruel. If I work up a V2, I will probably draw a closer link from one chapter to the next via the questions.
loved the story and the feeling! Beautiful game, congratulations :-)
Thanks so much Joonas!
The 20 seconds was a delicious appetizer!! A very well written story, engaging music and beautiful visuals. I couldn't help but take the timer off to enjoy the entirety of this delightful story.
Thanks a lot!
Wonderfully written story, great job!
Thanks a lot!
A very original approach and a really nice story. I enjoyed it and found it very relaxing (+gentlemanly)!
Thanks DaiZa! Really glad you liked it
I like how simple this game is. Although I’m not sure if this type of gameplay works with the 20 second limit. At least I’m glad you added the ability to disable the timer, so I can take my own pace for reading.
Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed this game and it’s very cool!
Thanks, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story!
Speed Reading: The Game
tl;dr: 📖🐊🌍🇮🇳🇬🇭🇦🇶🇨🇦🇬🇧🇫🇰🇦🇺📘
lovely music, lovely theme, adorable characters ...
confess that I needed to turn off the timer, I am really not a fast reader, but enjoyed my time greatly with the crocodile story ... very specific comments on strangest people, cold places, travels .... real nice short textual conversational experience
Thanks a lot! Glad you liked the story
What a cute and funny story, enjoyed every bit of it!
Thanks a lot!
As all other commenters before me, I can't praise enough the art and and the general ambiance. Everything is very poolished and feels professional. Also each new game is a step up in all departments and that adds a lot to how much I enjoy them.
Passed the initial frustration to not be able to actually read the story, re-reading the menu entries over and over again until i could finaly beat the game shaped an implicit story in my mind. I will now take my time to play without the timer and see how close it matches your words.
Thanks jujule! I would love to hear about your second play through
I really enjoyed filling in the gaps. I imagine you know of the Just So Stories by Rudyard Keepling. Your story reminded me of them.
Thanks. Yes, I know the stories and the animal connection to Kipling is strong. I was also channeling my inner 19th Century author voice that has a similar tone to Kipling and draws in other fantastical writers like Jules Verne.
Hi Akz ! The story is wonderful, the ambiance, the art, the music, I love it all, but how can you expect us to read it in 20s ^^’ ? Even after reading it once, there is just enough time to scroll the lines to get to the bottom of it in 20s. But, still, the idea is great, a story that makes sense only in a certain order, otherwise memory is fading away. And you’re such a storyteller ! Would love to see a comic adaptation of it :)
Thanks!
Read _or_ play! That's the choice :D
Oh, I see, there was the choice ^^, clever indeed !
I respect the decision to write waaay to much text than is feasible to read in a timely manner. Consequently, I didn't read most of it, but I enjoyed the atmosphere and I feel like I got the gist of it as well as a person can without using the unlimited time feature.
I'm glad you liked the atmosphere. The game is designed to make you feel under pressure to complete the story but there are, intentionally, strategies that allow you to read text at your leisure (or, if it's all too much, there is an option to disable the timer in the settings)
The gameplay feels very polished and I really like the setting, characters and art style!
Like others have said, for me the game is way more enjoyable (or even possible to play) without the timer.
It took me a while to figure out that you need to find the right order of the stories. Maybe it needs to be clarified more? Part of the reason is that I found the "failed" story dialogues super engaging and funny, so it didn't feel like a "fail" to me :D
Also I found it a bit cumbersome to start from 0 every time you click on the "wrong" story, and the double-click-to-skip-mechanic made me accidentally click on the wrong story a few times.
I hope you'll continue working on this, wanna see more of Victorian croc!!! :-)))
I just played through the entire story, I really liked it!
In the end it would be cool to have a final dialogue with little croc :-)
Thanks bonkibot! The game is intended to make you feel like the old crocodile, under pressure to complete the story quickly. It's going to be fun for some people and not so much for others (which is why there's an option to disable it).
You're right about the final dialogue. I wanted to do that but it would have increased the number of clicks you need to do to make it to the end. I also originally planned to include more dialogue and branches inside each chapter until I tested it and found that getting through the seven chapters was already pretty tight. I'm going to be making up my mind about whether or not to expand the game with a longer and more branchy, untimed version.
Thanks for the note about the double-click. I'll try to fix it so that it's harder to accidentally activate the menu during a double-click 👍
i love the art style! im not sure about the mehcaincs though, i feel like the time constraint kinda forces me to not care about the text and just click stuff until i get a win state
I'm glad you like the art style. I know, the idea of a game where you have to build a life's story in a very short time or risk not getting to the end is, frankly, absurd. I included the option to turn off the timer for people who have a hard time reading while under psychological pressure 🙂
Another gem of yours. Memorable (art) style. I still need to finish it though. I'm going to disable the timer and enjoy all of it!
Thanks. I hope you enjoy it!
Definitely! even with the 20 sec limits it has its place because you feel in a hurry like the yourn croc :D
Nicely done, i'm just to impatient to go through all questions :)
Thanks! If the timer is giving you a hard time and you just want to enjoy the story, you can turn it off in the settings.
The music and art style are pleasant, creating a welcoming atmosphere. While the gameplay presents a challenging experience, adding some voice acting could significantly enhance engagement and accessibility.
Here’s a corrected version of your sentence:
If you’d like to help me, please consider leaving a review at:https://johndoubleub.itch.io/infernal-machine
Thanks Fidel. Did you find a sentence in the game with an error?
No I did not, why ?
I thought this meant that you found something that needed to be corrected but I think I figured it out 😉
It really is lovely. <3 Thank you for creating this <3
Thank you for playing Dony! 💚
i loved every second of the story, and the background music is very pleasant :)
Thank you Gubby! I'm glad you liked it 👍