Judge feedback

Judge feedback is anonymous and shown in a random order.

• A very simple roguelike about the toughest, fastest snail in the garden. While there are a couple of references to snails being slow, everything in the game moves at the same speed, so Mal easily keeps pace with critters that should by all rights be much faster - from ants and mantes (plural of mantis), to rabbits and squirrels. The only mechanics of note are a lack of regen, with healing instead provided by a limited number of berries per level, and each level containing neutrals (ladybugs, ants, rabbits) in addition to hostiles (mantes, scorpions, snakes, squirrels). The game retains progression through levelling, though, so the optimal playstyle is to kill everything that moves on the first four floors, and then rush through the last two. You can take as much time to clear out a level as you like with no penalty, though this arguably fits with the snail theme. Main difference between levels is actually in neutrals' strength: ladybugs can never hurt the snail so you should eat them ASAP to gain experience faster and take less damage from mantes. Ants are stronger at first, and require more levelling to become harmless, so you should clear out snakes/scorpions first before hunting them all down. Rabbits are killable but deal more damage than what a snail can heal, so just ignore them and only fight squirrels if they are clearly in your way. The game lacks any sound, but has a nice, clean look. I only think it goes a bit overboard on the fog-of-war effect: levels would feel a little less slow if once you spotted the stairs for the first time, they stayed marked even through the fog of war. All in all, a decent, if unexceptional jam entry, and hopefully a valuable learning experience for its creator!
• * Game was well made, UI was clear. * Gameplay was a bit dry; hack slash whatever * Hard to differentiate from the pack
• This is a roguelike. Don't let the bug themed coat of paint fool you. You start out cutting your teeth on Ladybugs and ants, and the next thing you know you've been jumped by a pack of Scorpions that come packing permadeath. Charming little take on the classic formula.