itch.io

One of my favorite ideas that I've ever seen come out of a game jam! It's inspiring when a team can remix a feature that's typically not considered gameplay into a central mechanic- even more so when that mechanic bolsters the game's narrative and theme. Having the "rules" for beauty change constantly and become progressively more specific is not just a device for ramping up the difficulty- it also highlights the absurd futility of chasing beauty's ever-moving goalpost. There were times when I was confused by the negative ratings I received from customers, but it's the same confusion that I feel when a real-life person expresses dissatisfaction with their appearance despite conforming to beauty standards. I can't say whether the inconsistent feedback was a design choice or a result of my poor play, but either way, the absurdity lent to my experience by that feedback helped drive the message home. Also, the art direction has personality for days! The grungy looking, cobbled-together faces are a key component of what makes this deconstructive work so powerful and funny. I love video games. I love this video game. Thanks for making a really good video game!

The midi sound font, simplistic visuals and precise jumps remind me of the flash games that could distract me from work for an entire class period in the school computer lab. You've got a formula for fun here and I'd be interested in seeing if this concept could be applied to an infinite runner sort of game. I don't have much new to add to the conversation, but I agree with the general consensus that the camera could use to be zoomed out a smidge. A minor adjustment would make the game feel more fair without compromising the difficulty and removing the satisfaction of the eventual perfect run. Also, running into a wall and having to manually reset the level is a hard fail state disguised as a soft fail state, if that makes sense. I'm fine with only having one chance to jump over a hurdle, but I'd suggest adding some spikes or something to the side of those hurdles to make it clear that they're hazardous. Making contact with the spikes would naturally end the run and prompt a restart- bonus points if you add in some of that signature flash game gore. Great work to everyone involved, I hope you continue to develop this concept and explore its potential!

Thanks for taking the time to leave some constructive feedback! With more development time, I would have done some additional tuning to make the controls feel a bit less slippery, and I'd also probably adjust the jump animation speed like you suggested. As for the music, I personally think it fits the tone we were going for, but it's possible that taking a cutesier and less triumphant approach could have worked just as well- something to consider for next time.

Thanks for the play and the nice message! We're big fans of moles and plan on featuring them in many more games down the line, so stay tuned for those. I'll be sure to give your game a rate and comment before the voting period ends- I'm excited to see what it's all about!

First thing's first- I can't believe a single person made this in 4 days. Hats off to you! I love these sorts of games where I'm the guardian of predictable AI entities and I have to control them through indirect means. Playing with a level editor that makes pretty sounds is both unique and rewarding, and hearing my compositions layer on top of each other as I ascended was a fantastic feeling and a perfect example of what makes the interactive medium so uniquely powerful. My only constructive feedback is that the layout of keys felt unintuitive on some layers of the tower and broke the illusion that I was playing piano keys. One example that comes to mind was when the 'A' key served as the note one step above the 'M' key. It was an extra layer of mental gymnastics that made certain floors trickier than they needed to be. Because the game never requires use of more than one octave at a time, I think the keys used could have been consistent across all floors in an unbroken left-to-right layout, similar to a piano. But don't get it twisted- this game rocks and my singular gripe didn't hamper my enjoyment. Outstanding work, and you can bet I'll be checking out your future projects!

It takes a lot of bravery to make a puzzle game in such a short time, so I commend you for successfully making one that explains the mechanics well and isn't overly complicated. I had to stop and think a few times, but I was never frustrated and I wanted to see your game through to the end. One minor note is that factoring consumables into puzzle design is bound to result in players being softlocked (and maybe not realizing it), so I'd generally advise against that. Thankfully, the rooms are small enough that any time I did something in the wrong order, it never took more than 30 seconds to restart the room and get back to where I was. The transformations could have been a little faster as well and had a satisfying sound effect to compensate. Nitpicks aside, I had fun playing your game and I hope lots of people give it a shot!

Super inventive take on the theme, and the level of polish here is inspiring! I really hope you continue development because not only does the concept have lots of potential, but I also selfishly want to see some more complicated and devious puzzles. Great work to everyone involved, and I hope lots of people find this awesome game!

I remember playing a similar flash game back in the day in which you clicked to spawn minions and had to outnumber an opposing army. Simple gameplay, but context can make it fun, and the art direction kept me invested for my entire playtime. One thing I will say is that the game appears to be balanced around players who haven't discovered the two-finger clicking technique. I'd love to see some more challenging stages that punish this technique by forcing you to move the mouse and click on specific things. Congrats on releasing your first game! You saw it through and made something charming and fun.

As a classic survival horror fan, I think fixed 3D perspectives are an underexplored concept and it's awesome to see a developer utilizing them to do something fresh. Paired with the high-contrast lighting, the scale of the environment is often ambiguous, which put me on edge and made the game world's secrets feel vast and unknowable. One drawback of limiting the player's perception with light and perspectives is that it took some trial and error to figure out where I was allowed to walk, so I spent some of my playthrough walking against invisible walls and losing sight of the player character offscreen. I don't make 3D games, so take this suggestion with a grain of salt, but I wonder if lifting some of the camera perspectives a little higher off the ground and rotating them down would give a clearer indication of where the navigation path is. That one small gripe aside, you've made something really outstanding and the most atmospheric experience I've played in this jam! I'll be thinking about this one for a while and I'm excited to explore your catalog once I've given some other submissions a shot.

Easily the hardest game I've played in this jam so far, but I was motivated to complete it because the concept is so unique and the art style quelled my rage somewhat. It was fun to get the hang of how the grabber moves, and by the end I was a master of rocking it back and forth to reposition. I truly think this concept is fresh and versatile enough for a full release with some levels that ramp up the challenge even more. I really love when games demand this much attention and care to play, and there are lots of people out there who feel the same. 5 stars across the board- really outstanding stuff!

Thanks for trying out our game and seeing it through to the end!

¡Sencillo y divertido! El movimiento del coche es responsivo, y me gustó que yo tenía que tomar riesgos para ganar puentos. ¡Buen trabajo!

Thanks for trying out our game and taking the time to comment! I'm glad the intro is as charming as we hoped it'd be, that was the element that our artist spent the longest creating. As for the challenge, it's so hard to know when making a game if the difficulty is right or if you're just really good at your own game. Our last game frustrated some people, so it's really nice to hear that you enjoyed your experience. Also, you're keen for noticing the musical scales in the soundtrack! Thanks again for all the kind words, I'll be sure to check out your project soon!

¡Estoy contento que disfrutaste nuestro juego! Hicimos nuestra mejor esfuerza para diseñar una mecánica principal con originalidad- gracias por mencionarlo. Agradezco tu mensaje amable, jugaré tu juego hoy y publicaré mis pensamientos.

Super impressive for a 2-day solo dev project! I like that the character can collect coins by shooting them, it was fun to snag coins that way during combat/exploration. Also, having an options menu and a high score system are extra bits of polish that go a long way, so kudos to you for that. I'll be honest, I wasn't really sure how to use the building blocks effectively. Hoarding them made me a big slow target, and placing them down didn't seem to stop the enemies' movement. Maybe I'm missing something there, but I ended up ignoring them altogether on my last run. Still, I had a good time running and gunning while exploring your Atari 2600-esque alien landscape. Great work all around- I'm excited to see what you make next!

That was wonderful! The characters are so charming, and the measured abundance of color set a carefree, feel-good mood without distracting from the important gameplay elements. It took me a minute to get in the groove, but I was smiling for the entire play session and came out the other end feeling like I'd just experienced something really special.

Thanks so much for the play and the nice feedback! I was a bit worried that the quirks of jumping with a pole would frustrate players, so it's great to hear that you had fun with it. And yes, Lexie (our team's artist) is extremely talented, and I'm very lucky to get to collaborate with her. I'm about to check out your game, so stay tuned for my thoughts on it!

Even though the game falls apart upon using an ability, the concept is funny and half the fun was seeing all the player arm animations. It's clear that a lot of work and vision went into your game, so I won't fault you for being overly ambitious. I hope you continue development and squash those bugs!

Super unique visual style and tone! Cute pixelated chef meets unfathomable eldritch horrors, what's not to like? The gameplay loop recalls the golden age of flash games, and the risk/reward tradeoff of either hoarding or launching pancakes made for an exciting and dynamic experience. At one point, my greed cost me a particularly big stack, and I audibly shouted, "NOOOOOO!" That level of player investment is a good sign that you've made something special. Thanks for a great experience- I hope your game gets lots of traffic!

Fun concept! I'm impressed with how fleshed out the environment is, and that I didn't encounter any Z-fighting or wonky colliders while playing. Leaving the water and slowly flopping up the stairs was the highlight for me. That said, I ran into some problems. My first issue took place near the beginning when I swam down through the grating and into a pipe. The current pulled me against the wall next to the pipe entrance and I had some trouble getting through. After that, it was pretty smooth sailing until I grew so large that the camera clipped inside the salmon, making it impossible to see exactly where I was. I started the game over and avoided the orbs to prevent camera issues, and I reached a plugged pipe with some kind of needle sticking out of it. After struggling for a while, I ended up giving up without finishing the game. I hope you continue developing Salmon Go because I'd love to see how it comes along with some extra time for polish!

Wow, incredible sound design and atmosphere! I really like how the gameplay loop of following the lights organically leads to that big surprise moment. Mechanically, I also like that directly hitting the glowing part of a tile refills the light meter instantly. There were a few runs that I was only able to salvage by passing that optional skill check, which was satisfying. Great work all around, I'll be thinking about this one for a while!

It's funny that you mention that!  Our team's artist suggested adding a gas meter that depletes over time, signifying how much time is left in the stage.  It would have been the right move, but I was committed to the 4:3 aspect ratio by that point and the field of play fills up the whole screen, leaving no room for UI elements.  Thanks for taking the time to play our game and leave feedback!

It's games like this that make me proud to be Lawn Gang.  I like the slippery controls- it's fun to lean on the accelerator and mow with reckless abandon.  I'm a big fan of games that let you impact the environment to this degree.  It was fun seeing the chaos I'd wrought by the end of a level: small patches of grass I couldn't bother to clean up and skidmarks everywhere.  It's a nice touch that you navigate the level select screen with the mower as well.  I liked practicing movement without the pressure of a timer.  Simple chaotic fun with a power metal soundtrack to match.  Great work and keep on mowin'!

This game is a blast, and it has a staggering amount of vision for a game jam project.  The difficulty progression feels natural, and I appreciate that there are plenty of alternate paths to add some risk and reward for confident players.  I felt motivated to collect every watermelon I could, even though I had no idea if they were actually valuable in a gameplay sense.  In other words, your game is intrinsically satisfying, which is possibly the best quality a game can have.  It goes without saying, but a lot of the fun can be chalked up to the animation quality and the feedback it provides, as well as the sheer amount of style on offer.  When I entered the bonus stage and started striking poses, I audibly said, "oh hell yeah" despite being home alone.

I have some constructive feedback as well, mostly on the technical side.  First, I noticed that whenever I died, the camera sensitivity reset to its default value.  The watermelon counter also reverted back to zero, which felt punishing, but then it jumped back up to the amount I had before dying as soon as I collected another watermelon slice.  Not sure whether you intended for the counter to reset or not, but it sorta does neither.  I like the alternate costume and the tradeoff of jumping high vs jumping far, but being able to switch in mid-air for maximum height and distance kinda undermines that idea and makes tricky jumps more cumbersome than they need to be (3 button presses.)  Lastly, and I'm sure this is something that would have been changed if you'd had more time, the lack of floor textures in the second stage made it hard to judge the shape of terrain that's in shadow.

Incredible work overall.  I hope this didn't come off as too negative- my gripes are minor and I only mention them because I really like Clara, and I want to see it become the best game it can be if you choose to continue development.  Cheers, and thanks for the funny little critters.

Super cool idea with great execution.  It reminded me a bit of WarioWare in that I had no idea what sort of game was coming next and I had to quickly figure out what was going on.  The dating sim was an inspired touch, too.  I'm not usually one for inside jokes and niche references, but we're all Dunkey fans here so I'd say it was tasteful.

I have two pieces of constructive feedback: the first is that I didn't know that the 2D platformer spikes were spikes until I landed on them.  Take that with a grain of salt though, I'm pretty dumb.  The second is about the health system (not lives.)  I'm not sure what determines how much health you'll have at the start of a level, but on my second go at the 2D platformer, I lost in a single hit.

Overall, I'm impressed by the variety on offer and how polished everything looked and felt given the scope of your project.  You've made something really special here, and I have a feeling I'll be coming back to this one soon.

Hey, lawn legion!  I haven't played yet, but I have to acknowledge how wild it is that both of our games about lawn mowing feature bronze/silver/gold medal systems.  I'm excited to experience your different takes on gamified lawnmowing!

Lawn Gang!!!  I'm glad you could still enjoy our lawn game after two and a half tireless weeks of creating your own.  Thanks for the play and the positive feedback, I'll be sure to hit you back with a download and my thoughts in the coming days!

Thanks for pointing that out!  I can totally see how that would be confusing; high-speed blades of grass aren't very threatening in real life, after all.  I'm glad the Namco influence shined through, because we were aiming for a Dig Dug-esque experience with this one.  I appreciate the play and the kind/constructive feedback!

Warms my heart to see so many people invested in Ray's plight.  I hope Bimmie Jr. didn't get too many of 'em :)

A fellow grass guru, you say?  It's funny, we thought our interpretation of the prompt was SO original.  Still, all of the lawn games to come out of this jam look very distinct from one another and I'm excited to try them all.  Thanks for spreading the lawn love, and may your soil be weed-free.

That's a good strategy, you had every reason to believe that it'd work.  Unfortunately, Bimmie Jr. is a very silly boy and he does not care about your best laid plans.  Thanks for the play, and I'll be sure to give you some feedback on your game soon.

Thanks for trying our game out!  I love the art and music too- I never thought I'd get to work on a game that looks and sounds this good.  Slug Mode looks like madness (in a good way,) so I'm looking forward to playing it later this week.

Hopefully it's not TOO surprising!  I've been playing games since I was old enough to hold a controller, so I'm hoping all those years have given me some insight into what makes for fun gameplay.  Thanks for giving our game a shot and bringing the positivity- I'm excited to try out your game when I get the chance!

Hey, thanks for playing and leaving a nice comment!  Glad you like the art style as much as I do- lleyksie is a fantastic artist who I'm very lucky to have on my team.  I'll try out your game in the next day or so when I get the chance!

Thanks for playing our game and taking the time to leave feedback!  This was our first ever game jam, and there are a few things that we wanted to include but couldn't finish in time.  The inkwell was a placeholder asset that we never changed  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I appreciate the Cruelty Squad comparison- our goal for the visual style was a goofy but dull vision of Middle America.

I think that'd be a good change.  But also, I'm just one person, and other players may make the correct assumption when they get stuck with the pianist.  Designing puzzles is a pain.

Here's a screencap showing what happened.  After speaking with the pianist, I hovered my mouse at the bottom of the screen hoping to walk away and explore the environment some more.  Rather than displaying a downward-facing arrow, the cursor displayed this error symbol.  Clicking that section of the screen did nothing.

Thanks for nudging me in the right direction, and it's good to know that the game is still completable as is, but I'm assuming this is a bug and an easily fixable one at that.

Goofy and fun but I'd like it if there was some in-game acknowledgment that I collected the Gnome Coin in each level.  I had a hard time with the controls at first, but I improved a surprising amount over the course of my play session.  Felt more consistent than Happy Wheels, even though the Reckless Gnome goes from zero to sixty in an instant.

The atmosphere and writing are phenomenal- reminds me a lot of Killer7.   I really enjoyed my time with the game until I got softlocked talking to the pianist.  I wasn't able to back away from it after gaining emotionality.  I tried waking up and re-entering the flow state, but I couldn't find any way to progress from there.  Not sure if the problem with the pianist is what's making me unable to progress or if I'm just missing something, but I figured you should know about it.  All in all, outstanding work and I look forward to seeing what you produce in the future.

Thanks for the feedback, and I'm sorry if my game frustrated you.  This game is very much in an unfinished state right now, and I do plan on displaying player health and ammo on the UI down the line.  I'll also include a proper tutorial rather than expecting people to jump right into the action as soon as they've finished reading the control layout.