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Thanks!

I've tried making my own dialogue system at some point. It got very complex due to factors like question/answer systems and branching dialogue, etc. So I gave up and decided to not re-invent the wheel by using (the same?) dialogue manager from that point onwards. It's great and you can implement it pretty easily in multiple projects, and customize it to your liking if you dig a bit into the code.

The pen truly is mightier than the sword!

Having words as resources is such a cool idea. Since I usually go in blind first and read the instructions only when I get stuck, I didn't realize at first you would lose access to the words you already used. I love how the game kind of reverses the exact role of what a player can and can't control in a D&D game. I wish I could've seen more of the game, but when the goblin died (I'm not crying, you're crying! :'( ) he blocked the way to the stairs, and I didn't have a way to walk back either.

Either way this concept has a lot of potential as some hybrid genre game, giving a whole new meaning to branching dialogue options.

A pocket change tower defense like game is definitely not what I could've predicted, I love it.

Maybe it could be nice to have some indication of what types of enemies you're likely to expect, so it opens up some strategy of when to upgrade which coins. Also not sure if it was intentional, but you can spawn new waves mid-round. It's not really game breaking (since it just makes you lose faster) but more like a funny detail to me. In some cases it could actually be used to my advantage, since my units would reach the new enemies faster if they coins were already near the right side because of the previous round. Being able to buy new coins mid-wave adds a fun extra layer of tactics and timing. At some points you get a lot of debt/enemies and have a ton of coins and pocket change to spend so it becomes kinda chaotic, but in a fun way. It's fun to throw a lot of units at a lot of enemies.

Good job on the game! The possibilities to expand upon this concept are endless, if you plan to continue with the game sometime.

Pretty unique use of the theme! Having the instructions being part of the gameplay is clever. The switch from level 1 to 2 took me off-guard. It's a pretty sudden switch, but definitely caught my curiosity that way. Also the music is cool.

Level 1: The micro-metroidvania idea of showing unreachable places and later getting the upgrades for them is awesome, I never considered using that concept in smaller scoped games! 

Level 2: Feels like a puzzle in a way, since you have all the information from the start and have to do some math of when to heal. At first I misread the healing ability and thought it would heal 50% of max HP, but this takes a shift in mindset, since it heals more the closer you are to death. Could be an exciting mechanic to build upon (risk/reward)! Also I thought the blaze would do damage on the turn it was used as well, based on the description. At the end I got into this situation where we killed each other at the same time and it wasn't really clear if I won, lol (though if I healed first here it would've been a victory guaranteed)

Interesting way to use the theme! 

Even if there isn't much gameplay yet, this way it's still easier to switch direction of where you want to take the game. A swimming simulator where you just discover places underwater (caves with air pockets and some cool secrets?) could be fun? With some relaxing ambient music and background sounds it could be an immersive experience to relax after school/work. Also, using up HP instead of dying immediately after running out of air is a nice touch.

By coincidence I've made a similar type of game for a jam before, so it's interesting to see how others approach the idea differently.
If you're curious: https://djentalist.itch.io/peaceful-diving

A more open playground type game sounds interesting! I always love games that let you mess around freely like that and be creative with the objects and how they interact with each other and the player. (Using the fan to get across wide gaps was one of my  ideas for a potential puzzle btw!) I'll brainstorm some more about the direction I want to take the game.

I planned to make some ambient space synth music and had a general idea of the kind of music I wanted to use.

To be continued (?)

Thank you!

I had a couple of other ideas of things you would be able to pocket (hazards, enemies, animals (?), ...), building puzzles around having to think about where and when you pocket which object, since you can only carry one thing at a time.

I really like your idea of taking it to a whole new level, where the level would become a pretty literal puzzle this way, haha. It could create a pretty unique mechanic.

Thanks for testing! I planned on having more objects but ran out of time to add my other ideas. Maybe I'll continue with the game other time.

Hm, that's weird, if you stand next to a crate and face it it should move into your pocket. If a red X appeared, it meant you were already carrying an object and didn't have enough space to take the object out of your pocket there.

Yeah, at some point I just had a specific simple game concept in mind and just went for that while forgetting about the horror theme, haha. 

The emerald was a small joke reference to the green Zelda rupee.

This game is secretly just a highly sophisticated deep metaphor for drowning in debt. 🦈

Thanks for the comment! My intention was  to mimic the inertia from having to slow down or change direction underwater, hoping to make the hazards and enemies feel a little more dangerous that way.

The real friends are the scary fish we... no, the real treasure we found... uh, something like that.

Thanks for trying the game!

Both the air meter and having to go back up were ideas I was considering, but didn't have time to add unfortunately. Might be fun if you encounter new hazards/enemies on the way back up.

After posting this I realized I can just convert my drawings into only pure black and white pixels in Krita (or some other software) anyway, so in that case I could still use my method while staying true to the limitation. :)

In this case I would be drawing sprites and tiles with black ink on a white paper canvas, no greyscale variation like with ballpoint pens or mixing ink with water. Just pure lineart created with fineliners drawing at full opacity.

I'm curious how far we can stretch the definition of 1 bit. 

Fun game! My best score was about 21000, dying at level 7 at my 3rd attempt.

I like to go in fully blind in game jam games at first to see what happens, so the first attempt it took me a bit to figure out what to do with the bombs and beams, but after that point the two-step process felt intuitive and the gameplay was challenging in a good way. Level 3 seemed like a bit of a difficulty spike, and I feel like on level 7 the screen was a bit cluttered with enemies jumping and shooting several fireballs to dodge all of it, but I like the variation in enemies and thinking of how to adjust your strategy to hit each one, which one to take out first, etc. Putting the bomb down instead of rolling it was much easier to hit the enemies with, it's a neat extra option.

The visuals were cool, and pretty detailed for a game jam imo (love the chain physics in the background).

I didn't really pay much attention to the powerups, since I was usually too busy with watching out for the enemies, so I didn't always know what the upgrades did or whether it was just a random collectible.

Also the skeleton ghost that slowly chases you is great, reminds me of the great stress of taking too long in a Spelunky level. The hitbox of it seemed a bit big though, or at least one time I died without actually touching it it seemed (?).  And one time it spawned in a place where I jumped into it, so I'd add something like a warning or gradually appearing silhouette so you know to get out of the way there.

Overall I enjoyed the game! In some ways was a bit reminded of the single player mode of Towerfall (sorry to be one of those "that reminds me of" people, but it's meant in a good way).

Yeah based on the feedback so far the arrow block seems confusing at first. I designed the puzzles by planning out a route with me having infinite building blocks at first, and then I add obstacles/gaps/etc. along the way to force players to use multiple different blocks. The spike ball was added to provide a scenario where the arrow block pointing down was needed. (Though there might've been other solutions as well) After that point I check how many blocks I placed and set the number of each block available for that level.

I had planned some music and sound effects and I do have a fairly quick way to create both (jummbus.bitbucket.io/), but this game jam I was still fixing some code at the last moment. I've uploaded another game called Unfair Tennis, where both the music and sounds were made with that tool. I'm hoping to continue this game but it depends a bit on how busy life will be haha.

Thanks! The second one was harder to design despite being easier to solve for some reason. As soon as there are more different object blocks and obstacles it should become easier to design more level variations.

I'm impressed with how much you managed to make in such a short timeframe. I know how many coding challenges there are when a game like this (cough dialogue system x_x cough). Pretty cool to see a mystery game submission, where most of the game relies on dialogue and thinking about which actions to go for at which moment. At some point I got a bit stuck, I didn't know how to get more money or what to do when it was unsafe to travel.  Also I know it's the type of game, but I'd love to see some visuals (or with something like a quick mouse hover) directly displaying all the information to judge whether it's safe to travel (instead of the clicking each check, which got a bit repetitive at some point but not where it hindered the game too much per se).

I was not prepared for this experience, expecting a flappy bird game.

Honestly I love how well the whole game focused on immersing the player in the story, without having too much where it would distract from the gameplay itself (usually I struggle with games where the story and gameplay feel like separate experiences from each other). The pacing and storytelling by directing visual attention were really great and kept me hooked throughout the whole thing. I also loved the twist with the boss fight.

Even though the art and music assets were borrowed, you used them in the right way and picked very fitting music for each moment.

Sometimes it was a bit hard to see how far exactly I could fall down before hitting the river, but during the gameplay it didn't really matter since the main obstacle were the storm birds anyway. I feel like a single wing flap didn't have to push me this high, usually my problem was more with the ceiling than with falling down, the rest of the controls were fine.

Overall, a short but fun experience with a great atmosphere. ^^

Oh, wow! Thanks so much for the video playthrough, this is a goldmine worth of feedback honestly. Seeing the thought process going on in "realtime" points out a lot of which things are hard to figure out for the player and what changes I need to make (such as making it more obvious how the arrow block works exactly). There's also multiple bugs exposed this way that I didn't realize, such as placing objects on top of the spike ball, or the eraser not giving blocks back.

I also forgot to think of the possibility that people might find different solutions, but that's actually great.

For anyone curious, this was the "intended" solution for level 1: https://imgur.com/0Md3ifS  (which in hindsight should've been swapped with level 2)

Thanks for testing the game and giving feedback!

There was a lot more interactions planned (other types of moles, several obstacles like bridges that can only hold X moles at the same time, and extra level blocks).

The point of keeping the blocks between runs is a also good one, I'll keep that in mind.

Maybe (if I get around to it) I can improve on these things after the jam. :)

I didn't know a farming game could be this stressful haha (in a good way), but I enjoyed it a lot.

It took me a bit to figure out how certain mechanics worked (like where to refill my can ) and the first time I was trying to cut away all the trees, rocks and grass in the entire area, before I paid more attention to the timer. Once I understood the game loop the amount of time I got for a level was just right (also I like how the growing pumpkins have faces). The game feels quite challenging due to the timer, but in a sort of roguelike way where each attempt increases my understanding and skills and gets me further into the game.

The penalty theme is well implemented and adds new challenges that force you to rethink your strategy and priorities each time. At some point I couldn't find my shovel until I realized it was those ****** little goblins taking my stuff. >:(  (but to see them scurrying away with my tools was hilarious) This was my best attempt, getting to the 3rd (?) level.

Sometimes I would get stuck in the middle of a flame and wasn't sure how to get out, but that's about the only real bug I've come across.

Love the concept! I like how water is versatile in that you can also stop the robots with it. The stars of being detected seemed like a sort of healthbar? (game over after 5 stars) 

The music is great, and the eyebrows drawn on the photos were funnier than I expected. 

The robots having set patterns and clear visible cones of vision made for some interesting puzzles and having to find the right timing. The difficulty ramped up pretty quickly in the level with the diagonally moving robots but it was still doable. Though at some point I was in the toilet area on the left and got surprised by a robot walking in from outside and got detected 3 times in a row because I tried to escape in an area that was a little too crowded, lol. The invincibility timer does help (again, the visual indicators in this game are great), but sometimes I would be too far away from water and too slow to walk anywhere safe. 

That being said, the game was super enjoyable and definitely has potential for a further fleshed out game if you were to add more variation in the robots or stealth strategies in later levels.

Super unique way to implement the penalty theme here! Being hesitant to do something as basic as jumping was a new experience for me haha. The specific penalties are clever, and fit the "malfunctioning robot" theme really well.

The game has a chaotic pace and madness scrambling for spare parts that I really enjoyed. I found it very challenging though, robots were jumping at you from all directions and really fast. Things went better when I rushed through the level, making use of the invincibility time and collecting spare parts to heal in the midst of the chaos, but sometimes I would still get caught in a place with 8+ robots and struggle to survive for a bit. It took me a while to realize I was supposed to shoot the glass and that I could aim upwards to do so, I'm not sure why that took me so long, lol.

The part with the missile hazards is as far as I got after a couple of attempts.

Great concept overall!

Holy crap, how did you manage to make this in a single week?!

There is so much I love about this game I don't know where to start.

The level design is great and controlling the character feels smooth and satisfying. Slopes never caused me weird issues like slipping off, and there was a lot of variation in each part of the levels. Controls were easy to understand and to get used to (usually I have inverted camera controls so that took me a bit to adjust hehe).

The level of difficulty was comfortable and never really frustrating, without it being boring. Originally I collected 3 pizza slices and didn't know where the 4th one would be (I thought each area would have one) but after some searching I did find it (but nothing happened afterward?). I didn't collect all the candy but stopped around 304-ish, which is still way more than I usually go for in games (I'm not much of a completionist).

The art has a special kind of charm that fits the classic 3D platformer type of game that you don't see as much nowadays (except games like A Hat in Time), and the music was fun and fitting.

I'm not sure how the penalized theme works into this, but maybe I missed something obvious. Aside from that, really fun game, nice job!

This game made me broke. :( Do you have room for one extra person in your house?

Jokes aside, fun factor is where this game shines the most imo. I went in blind to see how far I could get, and thought I was doing great as within a few minutes the city was full of crashed cars. :D
Then I actually read the game description and found out I was an hour late to work, lol.

The game is silly and chaotic in a good way, it reminds me of a really old game I used to play called Midtown Madness. These cars are really something special where they're able to drive on their side. :P

Some general tips for improvement: 

• When your car lands on the wrong side it's kind of disorienting and hard to get back to the original position (though I'm not sure if this is intentional since you can easily borrow anyone's car after that)
• I would make the cyan dot on the map that tracks the player into an arrow instead, and make it always visible on top of the dots for the other cars, so you know more easily where you are and where you're going.
• I clipped through the map a lot, though if you're not sure how to prevent it you could also make it quicker to respawn when falling.
• The player changes direction with the mouse, while the car doesn't. This is more of a thing that I personally had to get used to but is not a big deal, and also could be intended (?).

Btw, being able to customize your car's color is a neat little feature! 

Thanks for the feedback! 

In the comments I'm starting to see a trend of the most common problems, so after the judging is over I might try some fixes and improvements for the game, such as:

- a visual indicator for the swing timing or better perception for how close the ball is

- teaching Goostav how to deal with topspin serves (and also how to not be a cheater :) )

- closing the roof to prevent the ball going out of bounds

- possibly more stuff

Very cool game, with exceptionally good looking art for a game jam! There were a lot of subtle details that showed me the polish and understanding that went in the overall design, such as the red flashing for anything that is a hazard, a generous small hitbox for the player, indicators for where the hazards would be coming from, etc.

The difficulty scaling was great, although at some point later in the game, I was so heavy that I couldn't get out of the way of some obstacles in time even when knowning where they would come from (but that could also be a skill issue). But the difficulty progression doesn't just add more hazards but also changes the formula a bit each level to keep things interesting.

A small thing btw, I didn't completely understand when a timeout would become a game over, I just saw I died at a score of 228.

Anyway, love the game, impressive for such a short time! :)

Pretty enjoyable game with good visual clarity and easy to pick up, the monster designs look cute, and I liked the music.

I'd recommend keeping the camera centered, so you can see enemies coming more easily. I would usually camp in a corner and shoot bubbles from a distance because of this (I played the turtle the most, but tried each character). At some point the game would get pretty easy this way, with me picking damage + attack speed, and picking the enemy attack speed as penalty, so I would slowly become a bullet hell boss to the enemies. >:D 

I found it harder to play as the slime than the other monsters, because of having limited range while my damage output seemed the same compared to the other characters (?), but I don't know if that's intentional. 

I was wondering when I would come across a game using the word penalty in a very different way, that's a clever use of the theme. 

I started out with hitting the puck into the wrong goal, lol. I was wondering why no one was following me there. I played the game blindly, reading only about the controls at first, it was really funny to me when I figured out I was put into the penalty box. In the end I was behind 4 - 0 but ended up winning somehow, maybe because the referee saw the opponent fight me (?). The whole idea of having a whole  mechanic to win by cheating got a chuckle out of me.

At first I couldn't see what the hitting was doing, since the visual effect is very subtle and low contrast, this could be improved in an update if you plan on doing so, also combined with sfx maybe.

Fun concept with the tradeoff for each powerup, buffing enemies in a different way for every buff you give yourself.

That being said, I was struggling a bit with understanding when I got hit and when I was in range of an attack, so I wasn't sure how to position myself and time my attacks, often dying pretty quickly.

If you plan to continue the game I suggest adding visual and audio feedback for getting hit and for when you stop being invincible after a hit. Music and more different sfx would also help a lot, the sound of hitting an enemy was a bit loud against the silence of the game.

The penalty idea was nice though, with how you could strategically weigh the buffs you want VS not making the enemies too dangerous to fight against.

For clarification: The moving tiles were pretty easy to figure out as doors, it was mostly some of the static tiles were it felt like you ran into a secret entrance in a wall. 

From the few games I've played of this jam so far, this one probably makes the best use of the Penalty theme. I like how despite being given penalties, you still have a choice in which slot you pick. 

Visuals look great, especially given the Pico 8 limitations. My only gripe was that sometimes I thought I could stand on a bridge but it was a background element.

The game is challenging (I hit my limit with 5 packages delivered, 0 on my first attempt), but also allows you to choose the amount of challenge to some degree. I like the Yoshi mechanic of losing your mail.

Also the wacky jump + slippery shoes combination is pure evil, lol. Wacky jump threw me off, but usually not in a way that got me a game over. Overall the game has a well executed concept!

Wow. This feels incredibly polished for a one week game jam submission. The quality of the visuals especially stands out, and the card pictures and descriptions are cute.

Probably the most relaxing game I've played in quite a while, with a fun puzzle mechanic. The game is easy to understand, and feels like something might play as a co-op experience on a board game night with friends.

If this were to become a full game it might be fun to think about introducing new gameplay aspects or unique properties of plants to keep the gameplay loop refreshing for new levels/plants. (but that's all just based on my first impression and immediate thoughts)

A simple game but with more gameplay depth that you would think at first sight. I can see the attention to detail and polish when it comes to giving you a bit of extra options like going "out of the box" and having some extra time when you bump into your own CO2 emissions. My usual strategy was circling from the edges gradually to the middle.

Pretty addicting game with good visual indicators / vfx for everything, got up to around 5000 eventually :D.

I like the charming retro aesthetic of the game, you use the limited palette well. Sometimes it was a bit hard to distinguish enemies from the background, if there were overlapping colors, usually with the cactus.

I suggest making the cactus slower when it approaches you from behind, so the player has a bit more time to react if they're in the middle of shooting. 

Unfortunately I didn't get past the first level, it was like the game froze after opening the door?

Interesting twist to the formula that requires the player to use a bit of thinking and timing for which color to set for the ball. At first I only looked at the controls to see if I could figure out the game mechanics and it was possible to figure out what to do by myself that way. I got to level 6.

With the black orbs I'd prefer if these were a bit more visible because they sometimes surprised me. Also level 3 took quite a while with the narrow part of the middle virus. With level 6 the ball would take a while to get past the past, slowing down the gameplay. In other levels when the ball would bounce horizontally it would eventually get interrupted on its own by the floating obstacles, which was nice.

Nice game overall.

Love how the movement feels, the wall jump especially is satisfying and easy to get used to.

The difficulty ramps up quickly, but it works fine because you have more freedom in how to navigate the level, which is great. After my first completion I found out how you implemented the theme, and suddenly a lot of the level parts / obstacles make sense in why they allowed you to take the easy way.

I'm not super great at platformers and since there are no checkpoints I didn't get super far, but I like how the level design was done.

Though some parts of the background blended in a bit with the level itself, so sometimes I wasn't sure where the wall stopped, and in some spots the spikes could have a bit more contrast from the level/background.