Play game
The Firs's itch.io pageJudge feedback
Judge feedback is anonymous.
- This was an awesome platformer puzzle. I really enjoyed trying to figure out how to traverse the obstacles with the grappling hook. The dialogue was well done and added to the experience. I enjoyed the art style and android character. The music and sound effects were fitting. Everything worked together very well. It did take a little bit to figure out how to "energize" the gray blocks, but once I understood that mechanic I seemed to start moving through a little more efficiently. Very enjoyable submission! I would love to check it out again in the future. Hope we see you all in another jam soon!
Link to your Game Design Doc on Google Drive.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VNc9NUJV0aQews7MagKLr1a4HaeifDBUMJJvJhK217s/edit?usp=sharing
Have you checked that your GDD is publicly accessible ?
Yes
Is your game set to public on itch.io so we can see it?
Yes
Summarise your game!
The Firs is a 2D puzzle platformer where you are an android with a grappling hook, who was sent in to secure a mountain village and remove some sentries. You puzzle your way through a nice landscape and meet characters and try to get to the top of the mountain. Controls are WASD for movement, mouse to aim and click+release to fire the hook.
Please explain how your game fits the theme:
You are literally a weapon in that you are a tool used for damaging/dismantling other weapons (the ‘sentries’), and you use your primary means of movement (grappling hook) to do so. Spoilers -- you are also a weapon in that you were secretly sent in as a biological weapon. This is foreshadowed throughout the game.
Is there anything you'd like the judges to pay particular attention to?
Enjoy the art, I think it is the best part.
Leave a comment
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
Comments
Congrats on completing the jam! I managed to defeat the cave sentry and return to the town. I needed to stop because the controls were cramping my wrist (that's me not you) but a gamepad option could be good for this game.
I have a lot of fun swinging around on the hook - I wish I could've chained hooking in mid air. I didn't really enjoy vertical movement - maybe it needs to be faster and it would be nice if there was a jump. I also had difficulty swinging onto platforms which had a vertical component directly above them. I think the collisions need to be rounded a bit because I would hit the vertical part and then fall down even though the direction key was pressed - would expect to slip in once aligned with the route. Maybe a more horizontal level design than vertical would be more fun.
The cutscene at the beginning was really cool looking! Great job!
Thanks so much for trying it out, we are definitely adding a gamepad option post-jam!
Right above the town the levels do become vertical! But overall, we did design the movement to be a challenge, so you have to manage momentum and stuff. Most people I've seen play it, like yourself, seem to wish it was more dynamic/action platformer... so, I think we didn't get it just right this time.
Btw, there is a secret way to enable "FAST HOOK", which shoots faster and has zero recharge midair ;) It's tricky to enable atm, you have to reach a secret level. We are going to add just a cheatcode for it post-jam.
This is really good. I liked the puzzles. I especially liked the secondary touches in the level layout, like how you could see the path of the water flowing between screens. For some reason that detail really struck me.
I think I hit a bug at the beginning of the mountain climbing segment. I was able to turn one of the grey blocks yellow but nothing I did seemed to have any effect on the first grey block you see and I couldn't turn the turbine. Maybe I just wasn't seeing the solution.
I am so glad you liked it, and that someone noticed how the stages line up !!
You are not alone about the start of the mountain climb, sadly most people I've watched play it get stuck there! We've edited it now to make it more clear, and made the NPC tell you helpful stuff about it.
The way is: hook on to the top yellow block, and then swing your body so you get close to the gray one while hooked to the yellow, and it will then turn yellow.
Ah, I see. I thought that in previous sections just shooting the grey bricks was enough to change them. Didn't realize proximity was part of it.
Really love this game. Fantastic art. That intro was amazing synced to the beat and everything nice. Nice opener. The gameplay was very clever and I really enjoyed using the grappling/wench mechanic. Destroying each sentry was clever and fun. Check point system was good. The story was really intriguing. Well done on that front! <3
Enjoyed this one a bunch!
Thanks, I am so glad you liked it!
Nice idea and a really cool intro!
The intro, though, sets quite high expectations for visuals - which are nice but are a bit too static - having an extra sprite or two for movement would make it fill much better.
Also great work with sound!
Thank you for trying it out!! I agree about the visuals, nice but definitely in need of some motion!
The painterly aesthetic is not something you see in games often; I like it in this! I Wanted just a little more oomph in the grapple reeling/swinging action but I understand that might have broken/bypassed the puzzles.
The red arrow graphic pointing between the yellow and grey/blue blocks could be a little clearer, I first thought it meant hitting the block would change the color, not realizing that I had to be standing on the source yellow block. Swap the red arrow out for the grapple graphic and maybe add a little robot on the source block perhaps?
Thanks so much for the feedback. We thought that the lore would be that residents were typically just connecting blocks with wires, so it wouldn't make sense for them to make a poster that directly implies grappling. But you are absolutely right that clarity should take complete priority over lore. We will improve that poster!
Fun puzzle game! I loved the art, the level design, and the story. Great job!
A good puzzle platformer. the grapple mechanic feels smooth. got a bit stuck on the sentry surrounded with yellow boxes but it was easy to figure it out. The art looks good and unique.
Thank you very much, yes our artist did such amazing and quick work didn't they!
Really nice puzzle platformer! I enjoyed it.