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SMASH 4077's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Originality | #6 | 4.333 | 4.333 |
| Theme | #44 | 3.389 | 3.389 |
| Graphics | #44 | 3.333 | 3.333 |
| Overall | #50 | 3.204 | 3.204 |
| Fun | #52 | 2.944 | 2.944 |
| Audio | #59 | 2.778 | 2.778 |
| Controls | #78 | 2.444 | 2.444 |
Ranked from 18 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Godot Version
3.2
Wildcards Used
na
Game Description
Surgery Sim
Source
unsure
Discord Username
Maroderkon and Prof Pixel
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Comments
Wow, big undertaking as a second game for a game jam! Also great questions on your game page. Right now, I think focusing on player feedback and controls could make a big difference. Like, right now, there's not a big feeling of "Woo! I did it!" or "Dang! so close!" when finishing up a patient (could potentially have a few different "failure" screens like if you put in one too few hearts or something, maybe there's a mini animation of them walking then collapsing). As-is, I'm not 100% sure if I did get any of the patients right after playing through.
The drag and drop of the organs was also a bit touchy at times, and even something simple like making the organs on the ground react to being moused over would help a lot in knowing where the hit box really is for the organs. You could have a lot of fun here with sound effects like mushy organs squishing. Also, if you are going to have different tools bound to different keys, good rule of thumb is to also have a way to click on the tools in the UI, or at least have them labeled.
For the lounge area, I also found it a bit tricky to read, and think you should focus on the surgery gameplay, maybe even having something like a timer so there's some sense of urgency to finish the surgery faster.
But all in all good job, and I'd encourage you to take it farther!
Really cool idea. Loved that you upped the originality with the anatomy book and the sci-fi twist on an Operation-style game. Some suggestions: Keep the anatomy book open for ease of access and add audio feedback (e.g. rapid/calm music or intense/minimal vibration) so the player knows how they're doing, I thought the lounge was quite an amusing idea too, but would probably reduce the text and use a more legible font. Congrats on the unique submission - I think this has a lot of potential if you decide to take this further :)
Thanks so much for the feedback!
Good concept. To answer your questions:
Thanks so much for the feedback, it's super helpful!
Reminds me of Surgeon Simulator a bit! In response to your questions: some sound design could really help in the surgery section - a heartbeat monitor would really up the tension. As for the lounge area, it's a nice way to change things up between surgeries, but I don't think you can expect people to become invested in the stories - they're more of an aside than an actual focal point in-and-of-themselves.
The similar game idea as you texted in comment for our game. It sure is.
I'm not the fun of pixel art, but this one is not bad. I mean it. The structure of characters and the narrative is on good level. There is a good game designer in your team or a creative person at least =)
The UI could be better. Some forms especially in the bar are on the half of the screen and it's badly influences on the UX. IDK why you decided to make game screen so small, maybe you were making a game for mobile... Well, anyway - I suppose if the game screen were bigger and UI was not so unsightly this game were more fun.
About the gameplaye: I tryed like 10 patients before I actualy got the idea that there is more than 1 tool in the game. We did not guess to make ingame tutorial too, but there were tools visible in our game from the start. In your one - player needs meta-game info to get the idea of tools existence.
I'll be honest - I can't say it was fun for me to play this game. It's like a pazzle in which you need to look for pieces that have fallen under cabinets, sofas and other furniture in the apartment instead of enjoying the process you are looking for how to deal with it while being irritated.
If I may ask - how big is your team and who were in it?
Thanks for the feedback. I think you honed in a couple of things we would have like to have fleshed out a bit more. Totally agree about the text size. Some of these features were our first rodeo and our first click and point style game. The whole thing was an exciting and stressful learning curve. But the spirit is there.
This is all useful critical feedback. I rather like your description a game of puzzle pieces falling under furniture. A fine description of alien surgery.
We are a mighty army of two! Thanks for checking out the game. All the comments are immensely helpful.
I see. Same for us - we are a team first time working togever. There were 5 Artists, 1 Programmer and a Sound Designer. The programmer and sound designer were working togever befor on other jams, but it was first time on jam for me and artists =) Artists are people who I found for my project and I decided to invite them on Jam before project will start. And this was my first jam as a game designer. I'm a profescional Mid game designer have some expiriance in producing the ideas for mobile and PC games. So if you'd like to know more of that I can say analizing your game - feel free to PM me in discord. (Same nick-name in Wild Jam discord server ;D)
Well... Not a doctor Confirmed ! Even in space :p
Had some fun, the fact that you made it sci fi and you operate alien patients is awesome !
Liked the fact that you can quickly change tools with the wasd keys although i think it would help to have like a hud element where you see at all times what instrument is bound to what key to help quick swapping, and i liked the whole downtime between levels with the bar and character dialogue, character design is pretty cool too, kinda have a maniac mansion NES version vibe to them.
The only negatives, the mouse pointer on the menu is a bit hard to see where you click since it's square, and one you probably know cause i think i encountered the bug mentioned on your page (the green organs that didn't really cooperate when trying to drag and drop)
Other than these, quite fun, its kinda trauma center... *corny 50's echoed voice* IN SPACE !
Jokes aside good job :)
That's some very useful and critical feedback. All good points. And yes, the Splack Jubles did have a little extra trickery when grabbing with the tongs. I wonder if there was one organ that squirms and is tricky to grab (by design) would add to the stress level. Very interesting idea with the generator. We have a wish-list on the back burner so you never know. We're sincerely glad you enjoyed it.
You've also given us a few games to look to for inspiration.
Thanks again!
Well happy if this helps :)
Oh man this took me back to Space Quest times, such nostalgia!
Result: Kindly vacate the basement immediately.
It gets used to but after a couple of dead bodies I became an expert in space murder.
Honored.
It's a little confusing to play. You don't know how to grab the organ since there is no indicator of where your cursor is on the too and I had no idea if I was actually saving them.
Sorry for the rough play through. Yea, we didn't realize that there is a bug where the sound is not working in the operating room. A flatline noise is meant to be played when the patient dies. It definitely makes hard to tell how you are doing. Thanks for giving it a shot though!
Very original idea. Bar scene gives reminds me of some games I played as a child, pleasant memory :)
My first and second patient died, because I didn't know what I was supposed to do. I suppose I should read the description, but some UI in the corner with tools and keys could be useful and easy to implement.
I enjoyed the story in dialogues, but pixel font is hard to read. I would recommend using regular font for longer texts, leaving pixel only for titles, names and other short text labels.
As for the 'drag and drop'. I have not created anything like that myself, but if you had issues with it why not just remove it? Simply clicking on organ could snap it to mouse and then clicking again would drop it. Whatever is easier and faster is better for a game jam :)
Thanks so much for the feedback. Yea, I think a simple WASD and the tools there assigned too is a good call for the UI. Also, I wish I would have thought of your suggestion about the drag and drop at the start of the jam lol. Thanks for playing!
Hi folks,
I just wanted to let players know that unfortunately the sound in the operating room is not working. It is supposed to have a heart monitor that would flatline if the patient dies. Everything is still totally playable but it makes it difficult to know if you saved the patient or not. Hopefully you can still enjoy the experience.
Thanks!
I loved the change between the hectic surgery room and chilling atmosphere in the bar!
The mechanic of changing tools by buttons took me a while to get used to, but then felt as a master chief, cutting open the war-torn grey mantis, sweeping the bacteria, and placing the organs inside.
(the room felt a bit empty without music, thanks for explaining it is a bug!)
1) To make it more exciting or to add anything more, have a look at other games in this Jam, "spam-clicks" to power a generator is a fitting mechanic I think for this style of gameplay.
2) If you are aiming to build more, I would suggest a small mini game in the bar might be nice. You have all these characters and the different leisure options, maybe a sort of "increasing how much an NPC likes you by doing activities with them". Since you already have such a cool dialogue system, you can show it there.
(how did you do the dialogue system by the way? :D)
if you'll excuse me, I'll now go play cards with Prof. Pixel.
Thanks so much for such thoughtful feedback, I'm so glad you enjoyed playing. I think the "spam clicks" is a solid mechanic to explore. Also, I really dig the idea of having to win favor with the other surgeons and changing the dialogue based on how much they like you. We weren't sure how to gamify the lounge and that might be the way to go!
The dialogue system we used was crazy easy but I think it might be problematic in a more complex game though it worked pretty well for us. Here was the process:
1) built an array with about 20 lines of dialogue
2)built a dialogue box that printed dialogue[dialogue_index] and was set to invisible
3)We then rigged up signals to a bunch of area 2ds so that the dialogue box would be set to visible
4)Each character randomly chooses their dialogue from the array. For instance Dr. one picks from dialogue lines 1-5, Dr. two picks from dialogue lines 6-10 etc. So everyone only has 5 potential things to say but it's a pretty large amount of combinations they can have as a group.
Hopefully I explained that okay?
Thanks again for powering through the games many glitches at the moment, it means a lot to us!
All the best,
Maroderkon
That was fantastic! Thank you for explaining and pulling that off! It has indeed a feel of 2-in-1 games. I am to try out your suggestion for the dialogue system! (Really enjoyed your step by step explanation).
Thanks again!
Nothing makes losing a patient any easier...nothing. But that's why we became space surgeons, for the chance to give them time. Maybe its days, maybe its seconds. That's the surgeon's burden.
[Sadly sips martini]
Good game! We though it had some great point and click adventure vibes. The lounge area really added to this feeling.
Good job
Glad you liked it!
Hello fellow gamers,
I just want to say that this game is a labour of love and we sincerely hope you enjoy(ed) partaking.
I focus on the pixel art, animations, and share duties on writing. I have detected one of my own typos with "you're" instead of "your." You may direct all grammar-nazi related grievances to me.
Sincerely, Prof. Pixel
The bacteria were very distinct and facilitated gameplay well.
Fantastic instructions by the way! Really liked the explanation of each organ, and the world building was great as will with all the fraternizing and the distinct art style. Reminded me of old sci-fi movies and Star Trek on its infancy, how all these aliens co-exist for thousands of years.
That is some high praise indeed. Thank you so much. Having a hub of bustling alien convo was Merodakon's vision from the get go.
The pixel style tends to take on a life of it's own. I'm glad you like what shook out. The bacteria was going to be a constant nuisance so we wanted it to be visible. Tuns out some rainbow colours and a cheeky grin was just what it needed. I'm glad you enjoyed "the lord." Coming up with organs and fake history, honestly, is some of the most fun of making a game.
A bit of banter also goes a long way so it was coded to be random (hopefully feel more organic). But it was our first time working with text boxes. Besides some font and text sizes, the heart is there.
Thanks for the feed back!