Making a start:
Entry for the 2024 Mystery Game Jam on Itch.io.
Added bars to indicate the four main statistics used to control the game's outcome. The bar meters deplete or fill up depending on the decisions made. The player needs to keep this bar between 0-100%. This is what really helps make Reigns such a compelling game.
Added some character sprite images. I think they suit the style. They look quite a bit like Nerial's Reign's characters, yet distinctly different. Not having eyes adds to the surreal and mysterious atmosphere of the game.
Lots more cards added to the game. They're quite straight forward to write. I'm using a gd script for them instead of a spreadsheet, as I'm trying to get it all done by the game jam deadline. I might switch to spreadsheets post-jam and thereby let people mod the game.
I also added loss conditions and managed to die 1 minute, 13 seconds into the game! Looks like I'm going to have to balance it more carefully.
Lastly, added a week (turn) counter.
Added a whole bunch of visual effects. Some using Godot's WorldEnvironment node and others are shaders. Went for a CRT effect to give the game some texture and a slight retro vibe, which is very popular and well appreciated by gamers. I felt it needed a little more texture, so I added some noise created using Gimp's filters. On top of that, I turned on Godot's glow feature to give the game an ethereal, surreal, dreamy look.
This all helps create the right kind of atmosphere. It's not dark and gloomy like blatant horror games, so people don't get the wrong impression as I'm going for a more lighter vibe. It's more of a thriller than a scary game.
All in all, I'm happy with this as the final look of the game.
There were quite a lot of interesting points raised in a discussion. People suggested that using gibberish as a substitute for voices is a viable alternative, examples included Banjo-Kazooie and Animal Crossing. Others recommended using musical instruments used in games like Don't Starve. Both appear to have a long history in gaming. Not only are these solutions quick and easy, there's no cost to making them. So, it's perfect for my entry to an indie game jam.
Having trouble finding free recordings of gibberish, apparently it's a lot harder to create than you'd think, I made an attempt at the latter. I used music notes. I'm certainly no musician, so I simply opted to randomise the pitch and wait time between the notes. Changing the latter had a huge effect on the outcome. Short delays produced a very comical effect. Other suggestions are highly appreciated.
I tried a variety of different instruments. There are 6 in total. Some seemed to work better than others. I'll make my final decision after reading through feedback. Right now, the violin works the best. I believe I heard somewhere that the violin owes its popularity to being close to sounding like a human voice.
I wonder what other people think...
