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A jam submission

SpacewardsView game page

Save a stranded astronaut in this platforming adventure.
Submitted by Hoimar, iDLE LUKE (@iDLELUK) — 1 hour, 18 minutes before the deadline
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Spacewards's itch.io page

Results

CriteriaRankScore*Raw Score
Graphics#44.2004.200
Accessibility#193.0003.000
Audio#213.3333.333
Overall#253.2573.257
Originality#353.2003.200
Theme#363.6673.667
Fun#422.8002.800
Controls#492.6002.600

Ranked from 15 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.

Godot version
3.3.2

Wildcards used
What's up doc, Local time

Game description
Rescue your friend from a damaged spaceship.

Source
N/A

Discord username
Hoimar#6305, iDLELUKE#1102

Participation level (GWJ only)
Second time.

Participation level across all jams
Third jam.

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Comments

Submitted(+1)

Well done! This is a really solid entry with great sound and art design throughout. 

I feel like you've got a lot of feedback already on the whole boost and give up mechanic, but I do have a personal issue with it: I think I'd be much more stimulated as a player if I could restart the room with the minimum number of boosts required to actually start that room, as becoming stranded is very frustrating and imo doesn't really respect the player given the amount of explanation. Another mode to play the game could be to try to play the game in a single playthrough and after dying you'd strand back in the starter room or so.

I think some more sfx for doors opening and other small things like being out of boosts would also be nice as a communication tool for what's going on.

Developer

Thanks for playing and for the torough review, I aggree on all counts! Much of this is already being worked on for a post jam version.

Submitted(+1)

The audio was well crafted for this. The music sets a nice old school mood, kinda spacey-carefree. The SFX were nice as well, although I'll have to admit that the intro dialog was skipped as fast as possible for me. That particular tone was very ice-picky. The other comments have already mentioned my feelings on the boost. I would remove "Give Up" as an option. It is too easy to stumble upon.


Overall, great entry!

Submitted(+1)

So I reached the room after the room with a bunch of carrots on the bottom and on the top. At that point I pushed "give up" by accident when I was trying to push "restart," and I wasn't sure if I wanted to try to re-do all the levels up to that point.

In any case, I have developed a single primary concern with this game: the mechanic where you can end up with too few boosts is very difficult to deal with as a player. In particular, the screen I gave up on by accident had this problem. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to use a boost or not. I had 7 whole boosts, plus one more from that screen, but I had no idea if I was going to need all 8 later or not.

And so what this means, is that every level I run into that gives me a boost, I have to make a choice. Is this boost intended to be used on this level? Or not? If it is not supposed to be used on the level, but I think it is, I will end up at some arbitrary point having to restart the game.

And on the flip side, if I run into a screen that I can't figure out how to get past, there's two possibilities: either I am missing something, in which case I should keep playing, or it is physically impossible for me to beat, in which case I am supposed to restart the game. And so, I have to make a judgement call--and if I end up back at that screen, having not figured out any way to get more boosts, I am probably going to be pretty frustrated.

Something that compounds this problem is that quite a bit of the platforming in the game is quite precise. In fact, I never figured out the correct strategy for the screen I died on. It seemed like I might be able to beat it with 0 boosts if I stood on a platform that was between an electrified thing and a spike, but I hadn't quite figured it out.

Now, in practice, I didn't really experience too many problems with this mechanic in the game. I only really had to restart at the very beginning of the game, when I couldn't beat the third screen. (I also had to restart immediately, as I used my two boosts on the very first screen and couldn't get past the first wall in the second...)

Nonetheless, I didn't find myself enjoying this mechanic too much as I played.

However, I do see some value in it. I can see the value in turning the use of each boost into a nerve-wracking judgement call--this matches the narrative extremely well. The player character is of course going to need to make a judgement call with every boost they receive, and so making the player experience reflect this is a very effective choice in terms of atmosphere and storytelling.

But, at the same time, I really don't want to push that "Give Up" button when I don't have to.

I've thought a bit about ways that this mechanic could be improved a bit, as I do think that the narrative value of it is potentially pretty significant.

I think the main thing that would help is some way for the player to learn, at least at some point, what number of boosts they would need on each screen, and when they had reached an impossible screen. And, of course, communicating very clearly that the player was going to have to do multiple runs, and that they were going to be able to learn these things.

This could even be turned into a pretty cool gameplay moment: when the player reaches a screen that is, currently, unbeatable, the game could let them try to beat it a couple times, and then laugh in their face and tell them that they screwed up. I think it could be a pretty jarring moment and could be pretty interesting.

In fact, the slow doom of losing to an impossible level seems like a really neat kind of experience that I don't think has been in very many games. I think it just needs to be communicated to the player, some how, that they are in fact doomed, so that they can feel it.

Anyways, hopefully some of this analysis is useful..... 😅

Developer(+1)

Thank you so much for the detailed analysis, this is very useful for the post-jam version we’re currently working on.

7 Boosts - you managed your boosts really well it seems. But the game isn’t that unforgiving, if you don’t squander too many boosts, you can easily complete it. But you’re totally right - this was not clearly communicated or shown otherwise.

“In fact, I never figured out the correct strategy for the screen I died on.” - if we’re talking about the same screen, you can complete it with one boost. Usually we placed carrots wherever they were needed and then some.

We might need to add a confirmation of some sort to the “Give Up” function, or replace it with another mechanic altogether.

Thank you for playing!

Submitted (1 edit) (+1)

7 boosts were actually incredibly easy to get. The room before the room I lost on had carrots running along the bottom and the top, but I didn't need to use the ones on the top for anything... I could just drop down and then use the next bottom-boost to go back up. So all the top boosts turned into extra boosts.

Is that not the expected strategy for that level...?

Developer(+1)

Well, in this room the average player will use two boosts to get to the top of the platforms and thus will only collect one or two extra boosts in that room.

There’s also a trick where you jump and then use your boost, which will propel you up much higher (this is not really intended to be used, but kind of makes sense), thus using less boosts in all places that require more than one boost.

Submitted(+1)

Okay, that makes sense. I thought that the giant jump-boosts were a required strat, and that I would be required to save those extra boosts for later.

I think this makes it pretty clear how paranoid the boost system combined with the precision mechanics made me... 😅

Submitted(+1)

That is some very nice Pixel Art. I wasn't expecting that as I went in. The thumbnail may be a bit misleading in that regard. But yea, nice controls, nice sound, gorgeous pixels. Cool game guys. ^^

Submitted(+1)

Really beautiful game. Espeacially the main character looks great.

I also liked the jetpack. It really felt like you are playing around with something powerful and have to be carefull. I would have appreciated an auto reset after dying like in Celeste, since I was dying a lot :D

Developer

Thanks! And thanks for the suggestion, in fact auto reset is already implemented for a post-jam version.

Submitted(+1)

Super cool spritework, i like the fact you used the dynamic lighting/shadows and i like the intro segment ^^

Controls seem fine for the most part but the boos feels a bit unreliable and akward to use, i had some cases in the 1st room where i boosted but didn't pass the high wall and some times the boost just got me too short and i fell in the spikes, 

the mechanic itself is pretty cool and i like the puzzle element where you have a certain amount and have to figure out the best route to pass a room, the timing just felt a bit odd to me.

Other than that you guys did great :)

Submitted(+1)

Looks and sounds great, but I didn't manage the third room. By the time I got there I didn't have a any boost left so getting to the middle platform was basically impossible. 


Would have liked to see more.

Developer

Thanks, so you need one remaining boost when you enter the third room. If you don’t have that, you can use the “Give Up” button in the pause menu (P) and start afresh. It is possible to just use two boosts before room 3 :)

As I explained below: “So what you need to do in the third level/room is use two boosts to reach the middle platform. Then stand in front of the spikes on the left, boost once and after a short delay start moving. This way, you will reach the upper carrot and fall to the switch which opens the door. Now use the last boost to complete the room.”

But you’re right, it’s a bit of a design issue that the game allows players to get stuck.

Cheers.

Submitted(+1)

I love your art style. But I just couldn't do the third level. I just kept bumping my head into the ceiling and falling. Felt like I need a dash or something. Anyways, couldn't figure it out. One other tiny problem that I had was the direction. It took me a while  to figure out the exit is to the left. I guess the right-and-up rule is ingrained in my mind so much that I didn't even think the exit might be to the left!

Developer(+1)

Hey, thanks for the compliments. All the credit for art goes to iDLELUKE :)

So what you need to do in the third level/room is use two boosts to reach the middle platform. Then stand in front of the spikes on the left, boost once and after a short delay start moving. This way, you will reach the upper carrot and fall to the switch which opens the door. Now use the last boost to complete the room.

If you start moving too late, you’ll get stuck on the ceiling and fall, as you said. If you move too early, you’ll run into the spikes directly before you.

Hope that helps.

Yeah, it’s perhaps a bit unorthodox to make a platformer go right to left. Glad you figured it out!

Submitted(+1)

I love the level design. It was a real challenge for me. Nice game! :)

Submitted(+1)

Nice game! The challenge was good and the jetpack was a fun mechanic! Visuals were amazing