Skip to main content

Indie game storeFree gamesFun gamesHorror games
Game developmentAssetsComics
SalesBundles
Jobs
Tags
(+1)

I didn’t expect much from this game, but it grew on me a lot! The levels do get more satisfying, and I was able to completecompleted level 11 (died on level 12 because I only got 57 balls vs the requirement of 58).

If you plan to continue this further, I have a couple of suggestions:

(a) allow me to restart the same level rather than having to replay all past levels if I make a mistake,

(b) animate the balls in some way to show how much time is left until each one shrinks,

(c) play a dramatic sound effect every time I catch a new ball, increasing in pitch/intensity as I get closer to the level’s goal

Thanks for the fun!

(1 edit)

Thank you for your feedback! From the Rockbox games I've played, I found this one the most memorable. There is a strange kind of satisfaction from getting a chain reaction from a well-timed initial action. Regarding your points:

  • In the original version I've played, I think level 12 was the last one, allowing people to actually see the winning screen. I've considered to remove the extra-hard levels, but your suggestion of restarting the same levels may also work. Alternatively, a level select screen for those previously completed (this is a design I've seen in visual novels and it makes sense to me, although I've rarely made use of the feature).
  • A visualization of the remaining counter could be cool. I thought of adding some unobtrusive status text or pulse or whatever (it's a countdown of 3 seconds since the last reaction). Animating the balls themselves definitely requires more thought, I found it difficult enough to animate the ball movement/enlargening/shrinking.
  • Sounds would be cool, but doing this in elisp is tough. If it's just a single sound, it's doable with a mplayer/mpv subprocess and pipe, I've done that in chip8.el. The downside is the extra setup required from the player and it was difficult enough to ensure the game works for other people. Maybe better suited for a more general-purpose lisp? (I'm partial to CHICKEN)