itch.io

Got some stray thoughts when it comes to ideas on expanded details/portfolio, if going on a minimalist bent.

• You don't 'need', animated images for enemy characters, let alone any sprite. Though it could be a great skill to learn!
• "Lazy" animation wise, a programmer/coder could always get away with some flashing/color shifting of the sprite asset/s done.
  • Any effort past that (and heck, even just colour shifting as is), can fall under the "animated effects" tier of art.
• Depending on the planned scope of a team's project (it should be small!), chances are you'll be drawing more than a handful of enemy monsters, or even graphics.

I can probably, maybe cite more detailed thoughts on the lines of concurrent development. But I'd feel it's probably better of learning through communicatio, and trial by error.

Past that. If you're willing, I wouldn't mind you joining up with us. Throw me a message if interested.

Thanks;
A

If you're still looking for a team, I'm roughly 1/2 people short, and could use an extra hand to be safe/sure on any lingering issues during development, could have an extra hand or eye to resolve.

That, and at a push, maybe being able to pick up some other skills on the aside, to a generalist developer end. Alongside making looming project planning a lot easier!

So, in the off chance you're cool. Sooner/sharper, better. DM/send me a message on Discord. My handle's ArcaneHermit#3896

Thanks. :)

Noticed and sent. :)

May be a bit/notch late, but I've thrown a friend invite, just in case you're still not part of a group.

A bit experienced, but it's been awhile since I've done some games programming/development. So if you don't mind the rust and inexperience with this type of genre, then feel free to accept my discord invite.

My Discord handle's ArcaneHermit#3896

I'm a bit rusty, but I'm also know of C# programming. Could do 'some' pixel art at a stretch, but far more confident in programming over art.

If you're still looking for another coder, throw me a message then at ArcaneHermit#3896! :)

PS: As an aside. You might also want to look/find a basic musician for 'sample boss/battle' fights as well. But if it's a small dungeon crawler game, probably only "Battle" music at minimum. To possible Ambient (SOUNDS!) and such at a stretch.

Way I'd see it, it 'might' be fudgeable at a push, under a big solid "maybe?" But a quick calculator mess made me think of how a "hex" Tile game would in fact, feature 60 degree turns, even if it allowed for a 180 degree 'back switch'.

The second thing to be mindful on, is even if you 'could' do it. Should you do it, is another matter. When one has to think of the KISS Principle when it comes to any game design. Especially towards Game Jams.

Still, if it's under a "first person, 2D" Perspective, it might lead to a unique visual take on being able to see in 'five' directions, up-to wise. But that's just a hazard guess, without doing a 'dummy' rig to see how walls would look like on a 2D Plane at a glance, if placed on a 'hexagonal' format, instead of the iconic square format which is part of this game jam, I'd presume.

Needs more possible 'tag teams'. Like say, possibly Tanaka & Marco? Or at an ironic push/stretch, "Levi & Marina?"

Adjusted my review a notch, in light of the bug fixes submitted and all.

The only gripe I have still? Is how there was a technical 'lack' of a sort of ending, in relation to the previous tales/stories? But past that, it's fully playable, and any gameplay glitches that say, 'skip' parts of the story have likely been fixed, alongside a surprising inclusion of further audio cues, alongside an immersive tutorial prompt/reminder, that's surprisingly swell.

From personal experience, played this game twice and though I've experienced what I think was 'all' the lives, from visual prompts (three tales.) Wasn't able to open/prompt that 'white door', in spite of all the tales played and such, instrument wise.

So on that lens, dunno if it's a bug, or a feature; all due respect wise. But in a certain, eerie/weird like horror vibe. I have a feeling this could be an immersive, unique take under "every life counts".

From personal experience, not much to say on what's the fun part of say; "counting" every head within a limited timeframe. Not that engaging outside of speculative numbers and guessing games at a stretch...

Still, in a metaphorical pun. It fits the theme, if nothing else in counting individual lives. :)

Got stuck with a bug, that barred one of my robots from using their ability to jump after a certain point. Bar that, puzzle element where each character is valuable, is fitting for the game jam.

More atmospheric than actual gameplay or interaction, so it's a low rating. But could be surprisingly fitting, under part "chinese water torture", part "trapped in a room", in background horror akin to the film; "the shining".

Bar a bug that makes me unable to even 'hit/kill' a blob if spawned with shotgun, giving a bad first impression...

Playable? But no 'game over' conditions apparent. Nor how it's associated/related to the theme of 'every life counts'. If it were 'defend X from harm', it might be. But no mechanics supported that feeling/hunch.

Not rating this game atm, as the game build wasn't uploaded, only the gameplay recording.

Not rating, to rating it low on my end. Since it doesn't really let me, play it under either PC or WebGL. Possible Mac or mobile bias, being too strong here wise.

A bit of a shame, as I felt it could have been quite a nice game to play, for all I know.

I'll be mindful to play again in a foreseeable future, and potentially adjust ratings accordingly. In spite of it's unplayable mess, I feel that if nothing else, this game nailed the concept of "Every Life Counts" down to a mostly visible tee. I mean, until the 'buggy' nature of the game was revealed, seeing an intro scene of in-gameplay footage of toddlers suddenly playing with... not!knives, but shovels? Pretty much set the scene to a lovely fitting nightmare, of a theme. :)

Playable. But not fun, nor do I feel how is this game even related to the "every life counts", bar the two actors/players needing to defend mutually. And even then, at worst it only suffers from 'delayed' game overs, which make it objectively unfun, instead of impactful over 'not' saving a life/etc on time.

I'd have almost argued that this game went under the 'anti-lens' of every life counts, if going under the lens of "snake eats lives". Then again, it could ironically be implemented under not only the lens of 'if the fox eats all the chickens and eggs. They'd be no lives left to feed from'. Along with the objective giving the 'twist' ending of having to strangle/circle around a chicken.

So, tangibly wise. The twist, makes it nicely related to the game jam theme, for a 'simple' snake game. :)

Excellently playable game, for a solo dev. Especially on WebGL.

It being fun, however, is another thing. As much as couldn't help but feel though the use is tangibly related, it could have possibly been more linked to the theme, if possible on "every life counts". Past that, biggest grip is time pressure not relenting, if even a single life is lost. That can lead to a spiral of losing all lives at least, under deadline rush. Dunno if that's intentional or not, but it made the game less 'fun' on a fair lens.

Also, tank controls plays horrible, in manuveuring around the game itself, gameplay flow wise.

Theme might be tangibly related, if going under 'everybody working together'. But how the puzzles are executed in gameplay, with some not even giving blunt clues visually on how one could solve all of them, blind?

Well, it ain't fun. But at least it's tangibly related to the theme, and it's playable. So in my view, the game's at least functional to a working degree. Just, could have used some polish, in the UI lens/end, at least. And maybe a bit more generous on the amount of 'time' given per puzzle...

Almost tangibly unrelated, bar the unique gameplay mechanic of switching lives, that could have made the project fit in an unconventional way, if it were potentially implemented/used more, under a 'back/forth' lens, that if implemented a bit more in a puzzle element, would be wonders. Past that...

Noticed quite a few glitches out of bounds, if one's very destructive with parkor or what-have-you. That in some broadscope lenes, even if 'railroaded' the game didn't take into account. Or in some other lens, didnt' include 'reset' flooring in case of unwitting 'fall death'. But visually, even if everything looked more "Prototypical" in visuals. Gameplay, tells another story, especially with what few 3D Assets were made/included for this unusually fitting theme.

Playable, if done in a jam. Unfortunately, the game itself wasn't designed with mind or even thought apparently given to 'fit' the theme of 'every life counts'. At a bare boned minimum, counting even 'how many times' one died at the end of "lazy game" would have veered it towards '2' on the theme fitting lens. Given how the gameplay resembled Super Meat Boy, with a unique twist... (Albert one, that with how it was implemented, sucked some of the 'fun' that could have been had on the platformer elements, in contrast to easing challenge.)

I can ditto that statement. When my personal experience was to first go 'up', and it led to a 'loop de loop' dead end after some time. Then go 'down', and the controls where right there.

I like a 'bit' of the design ethos, but wished that in some lens, it was a bit more 'transparent', or roguelike in an irreversable 'geiger' meter/counter, past a certain point. Bar that, message wise, I find it more an impactful serious game, than 'strictly', a viable commercial product. Which is totally fine. Great, even! Given the current war rampaging climate outside and all...

Hey everyone. Just an aspiring game developer aged 29, that's just left university post-Masters, and hoping to work with a team for this Game Jam hosted by Brackeys, under wanting to make sure I'm doing more rapid prototyping.

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Though I have experience with Programming. I also have developed knowledge of 3D Modelling, 2D Sprite Art (to "MSPaint" standards), and at a stretch, Audio under music or sound folly.

While I have a bias in mainly using the Unity Engine for game/app development. I'm also open to using other game engines, such as Unreal Engine, or even Game Maker for the jam, under treating it as a learning experience to not get trapped under.

Kinda twiddling my thumbs a bit under prospective team hunting, if not doing this solo. But for Jam, I think I'd give some possible advice. Under what I'd suggest in priorities for game jam development, along with rapid prototyping.

Documentation!
For planning, even to an agile lens.

1. Core Game idea/concept, under "how could you do this theme in a quick/fast manner?"
   1. Do it "iteratively". Under get your core functions done first, before anything fancy. For if/when technical constraints hit you.
2. Design/planning, on how the gameplay would swim/function, sort of thing.
3. Story/narration is last. Gameplay in general is more important than cutscenes. Though if you can include them, then great!

Talent
Solo is 'fun' to independent game development, in learning and knowing the full palette of roles. But if a team, consider how and what you can bring to the team.

In your case, being able to Game Director? manage the planning task management and support, on top of past experience in QA, could be a 'safe' default. Though odds are you're probably going to need at a core, programmers, modelists (or artists) alongside a musician, if you don't want to be stuck/trapped with Creative Commons sounds & music loops, or "asset packs" that might not be visually 'striking'.

Bug Fixing
Iteratively. Expect a lot of bug-fixing, and potential cut features. And that's internally as you test/ensure functions work, before building on that. Before the community figures out some 'game breaking' bug that makes the game unplayable, if not "too easy/boring" outside of the intended experience.

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That is of course. Of the top of my head. Before depending on context, you'd have to consider other bands/avenues like say, "Game Maker" or "Unity Engine" as potential fields team member's could be more familiar with, compared to Unreal Engine, or Cry Engine, or any-other-engine nitch.

Almost forgot to post the link to the finished jam game. As such, will at least provide a download link below, for the Google drive containing the builds short term. Will in the long term, also see on pushing the builds to this Itch.io page.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CBFoRPA05Z1RjhNexgHeaEkgymwFgnM7

Builds for our Game Jam project, can be accessed here; https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CBFoRPA05Z1RjhNexgHeaEkgymwFgnM7?usp=sha...

Would have posted them in Itch.io, but it's a notch late in execution, really. Which is a shame. :(

Making an initial draft version/etc, without the upload. In the off chance we upload the later project later than the not-fixed submission deadline, for the GSA Game Jam (it should end in 6PM, GMT+1 on Friday. So best case, we have approx~30 hours left to Jam on this project.)

Don't worry about it. I went simplistic shapes and curves myself as well, so it's not the end of the world to be concerned with.

If anything, you did a notch more than me, with the special effects. More than anything else. ;)

To answer the question, my lens/review on the feature is two lenses. "If" there were in-game prompt that there 'is' a rewind feature, it'd have helped my rating. And given the display being 'mobile' featured, if there were a 'means' to do that same feature on mobile. Then that would have helped as well (like say, "double tap and hold"? Or rewind effect on double tap?)

That aside, if nothing else. The game-play was at least fun, in an arcade manner. Once the controls were found (in-game, or via proxy/README file on controls.) Other than that, I'll stick with my initial statement, in terms/lenses for the game's condition just after the jam. But no doubt if it's good enough, you can easily do post-competition updates to the game itself.

A very unique view/take on the theme itself. And with simple arcade like game-play too to boot.

Game-play was basic. But rewind wise, if the audio itself was wound back as you rewinded, or stopped playing when the cassette was 'empty', it'd have felt more like the theme itself.

Don't think game-play wise, outside the ability to try again, it kept strictly to the theme of "rewind". That said, game-play in a sense was a bit too easy, once you got used to 'hover cursor so the robot moves anywhere'. Also, there was a bit of a display glitch from my play-through, where the 'timer' bar ended up covering half the screen. And hindsight, the way it's positioned may be a hindrance in seeing were to go, game-play wise.

Though the game-play itself might be basic. I have to give applause to an interesting take/spin on the Rewind theme.

A good game, that works well within the rewind mechanic. And playable online without needing to download it too.

Giving it imo, good ratings because it felt like it was built individually, instead of a game engine. That, and gameplay being alright. Only thing it could have used, is more in game instructions on how to control, reset game etc. Instead of assume the player already knew how to upon launch.

But other than that, groovy.

Game-play wise, I feel it's all to easy to just play it like a mobile arcade game, instead of for once thinking on how to utilize the 'rewind' feature. A fact not helped by a lack of in-game instructions on how to implement the rewind mechanic, especially on say; a mobile. Given how it was built in display.

Don't get me wrong, it is fun in an arcade-y manner. But feeling wise, I'm left with doubt on how well it suited the theme of rewind.