It's a really complex simulation but I don't really like it as a game, mostly because it feels unwinnable. I want to solve it like a puzzle, figuring out what the top floor layout could be to have the least amount of squares as possible. But it's hard to figure out the algorithm, I wish there were hints for each floor what the algorithm is. Love the complexity of the game, and the storytelling/message I can interpret from it is really well done as well. Maybe it shouldn't be balanceable or winnable after all? I can see there went a lot of thought into this
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Thanks a lot for your well thought comment! I understand what you say; I admit I developed Strata in equal parts art piece and game. Most of the effort went towards caring for the overall experience and telling the story I wanted to tell, and less so in making an engaging and fun game. These two directions frequently contended with one another, and in doubt I went with the art, acknowledging it would make for a worse video-game
As I wasn’t sure how to turn cellular automata into a game to begin with, this was an exercise of pure experimentation to see what would come out of it. And as such comments like yours are gold for whatever (if anything) will come next for these ideas. So thanks a lot!