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Microforestry's itch.io pageGame Title
Microforestry
Developer Name
Studio 13amboo
Short Promo Blurb
Grow your own urban Microforest in this minimalist arcade puzzle game!
Full Description
You are tasked with planting a microforest in your neighborhood. By sewing your seeds carefully to increase local density and diversity, your plants will grow faster as they compete for light, water, and nutrients in the soil. As your plants grow, they capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Your goal is to capture as much carbon as possible.
Promo Image(s)
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1255303644933521471/1264279828660752414/image.png?ex=669d4bd8&is=669bfa58&hm=70549786fbed200a973ff08944507698bd1ff816c117cfdeb4d80fc597ac1fb3&
Promo Video
https://youtu.be/1M5tNuZJFfY
Artistic Statement / Use of Theme(s)
We wanted to create a game that highlights this unique climate adaptation for urban environments by providing a glimpse into a world where microforests are commonplace. One of the most pressing issues in the current climate crisis is atmospheric carbon dioxide, and by incorporating it into our game we hoped to show people that planting microforests will be effective in offsetting some of our current emissions, thus "changing our story".
However, capturing carbon is only one piece of the 'puzzle' that makes microforests so awesome: they can also have a measurable cooling effect on the surrounding area, or provide habitats for local wildlife populations, especially birds and insects.
Development Summary
There were many mechanics we cut early on in order to keep the scope manageable for the jam time limit, some cosmetic and some gameplay-affecting. For example: fauna interacting with your forest (birds, bees, bunnies, squirrels), soil conditions, water supply, a computer controlled "helper", and random obstacles, just to name a few.
It was a big challenge to find a clear way to communicate scoring rules visually. One major thing we considered early was a timer to add pressure, but we felt the game lent itself to a more relaxed setting. A challenge mode is planned for the future with some form of a time limit.
Six people were involved in the development alongside a group of recurrent testers made up of friends and family.
Release Plan
We will release as a demo on itch while we plan for the future development of the game. More modes, levels, and plants are all possible directions we are looking to expand.
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Comments
This game is absolutely amazing, i love the art style, gameplay, and relaxing music! I really hope you guys continue to work on this game and make a name for yourself on the market and game community. Very well done!
I liked the game art and game play! I really wish there was more done with the area surrounding the garden since I was confused at first if there was another garden to put flowers in as I moved around. Also, hold was written in the bottom left, but when I tried clicking on it, nothing really happened. Overall, good job y'all!
i liked the relaxing gameplay and light problem-solving the game provides. it was satisfying to fit small radius plants in the tiniest nooks and crannies i could find. i loved viewing the forest i created, it's a simple joy to see something i made as a result of trying to fit plants as efficiently as i could. the 3d and pixel art plant assets and rendering are nice as well
i have two suggestions. first is in teaching the game. it's not a trivial task to add an integrated tutorial tho i think it would help with onboarding new players much more efficiently and enjoyably. as it is now with the "how to play" instructions, i'd suggest putting the 4th section first since that describes what's happening in the game. the first three steps feel out of context so the 4th should give players a better sense of what they'll be doing. perhaps even some explanation or links to why microforestry is beneficial to mitigating climate change
I would've also loved to see more evolution of the gameplay loop. one idea i had was synergies a player could discover when planting certain species together. for example, tomatoes and basil are commonly grown together b/c they complement each other; basil wards off bugs that might eat tomatoes while tomatoes provide shade to basil, which can be sensitive to sunlight
overall, i found the experience pleasant and cozy. great work yall!
I like the idea of placing trees in tight confined space to increase the score . I could not find the finished> button to submit the mircoforrest for scoring
Wow, you went really high polish with this one since the prototype, excellent job! The ending sequence is effective in particular, I was hoping the game will let me see the forest from a lower angle and it delivered, along with some useful and tastefully designed info. Pretty solid entry in many criteria.
The most fire plant puzzle game I've ever played!