Wild Scaled West is a fun and engaging game with a clever "built to scale" mechanic that adds a unique twist to the classic shoot-'em-up formula. Your power increasing with your size creates an interesting dynamic, and once I realized that you regen to scale 1.01 after taking damage, it made progressing much more manageable.
The shooting feels solid and satisfying, making it enjoyable to take down bandit camps and face off against the powerful final boss. The pixel art is simple but clear and effective, perfectly complementing the game's fast-paced action.
Overall, the game offers a great balance of challenge and fun, with a cool mechanic that sets it apart. I had a blast with it and it is heading to my GMTK 2024 collection.
Switching Scales really pulls you in once you get the hang of it. The concept of being able to change player scale with objects around goes hand in hand of level design, adding a fresh twist to the gameplay.
The music is perfectly fitting and enhances the overall experience, making the mysterious and slightly eerie atmosphere even more enjoyable. As you progress and get used to the mechanics, the game really starts to click, and the scaling ability of the player character becomes a highlight.
It's a well-executed game that’s both challenging and rewarding. Great work!
Bongle is a delightful and deceptively challenging puzzle game. The relaxing music and colorful visuals set a calm and inviting tone, making it a pleasure to play. The controls are tight and responsive, which is crucial given the game's unique mechanic.
What starts as a simple premise—scaling objects to match sizes—quickly becomes more complex as you realize you can only scale objects on one axis at a time, and must bond them to others to get the right dimensions. It’s a clever twist that keeps you thinking and engaged throughout.
Overall, Bongle offers a satisfying puzzle experience that’s both relaxing and mentally stimulating. Great job!
Imagine Sisyphus Happy is definitely going on my list of top picks this year! The game offers a unique and challenging take on the classic myth, where you guide the prideful king through the underworld, endlessly scaling a mountain with his trusty boulder. The game does a great job of capturing the overwhelming scale of Sisyphus's task, making you feel small against the mountain. The Wilhelm scream is a fun touch that adds a bit of humor to the otherwise grim and dark setting.
The music is nice, and the physics feels solid, especially when you get to crush enemies with the boulder. However, the difficulty is pretty high, with long levels that could benefit from some checkpoints to make the climb a bit less frustrating. I also got stuck offscreen in level 2 when I went too far right and had to restart the app.
Mouse or cursor control could also improve the precision and make the gameplay more enjoyable. Despite the challenges, the game has a lot of potential, and with a few tweaks, it could be even more fun to play. Superb job!
Contaminant delivers a tense and atmospheric point-and-click adventure that really captures those classic alien vibes. The eerie setting on a Mars base, combined with the rapidly spreading tentacles, creates a sense of urgency and suspense that keeps you on edge.
The gameplay is intriguing, but I’m not sure if I missed something—the door seems to open just as the alien reaches me, and I’ve ended up dying every time. If that’s intentional, it definitely amps up the tension, but it’s a bit frustrating not knowing if I’m doing something wrong or if it’s just part of the challenge.
Overall, it’s a well-crafted experience that nails the creepy, horror atmosphere. Great job!
Gobba Ladder is a hilarious game with a great sense of humor! The concept of being a construction goblin scaling a ladder while trying to escape a cranky dragon is just fantastic. The visuals are super polished and the very thorough tutorial does a great job of getting you up to speed quickly.
One thing I’d love to see is an indication of how high the ladder can go—maybe a sound cue or ensuring that platforms aren’t placed just pixels out of reach. It can be frustrating to go for a big move and miss by just a couple of pixels. That aside, the game is a blast to play. Awesome work!
Gobba Ladder is a hilarious game with a great sense of humor! The concept of being a construction goblin scaling a ladder while trying to escape a cranky dragon is just fantastic. The visuals are super polished and the very thorough tutorial does a great job of getting you up to speed quickly.
One thing I’d love to see is an indication of how high the ladder can go—maybe a sound cue or ensuring that platforms aren’t placed just pixels out of reach. It can be frustrating to go for a big move and miss by just a couple of pixels. That aside, the game is a blast to play. Awesome work!
The Beat'en Path’s got a charming connection to music that really draws you in, and the art style is just perfect for the vibe. The game strikes a great balance—it’s challenging enough to keep you engaged, but not so difficult that you get stuck.
There’s definitely a rough diamond in this game; with a bit more polish, it could really shine. A simple tutorial to guide players through the first level would be a great addition, helping ease into the gameplay. I think the easiest way would be to show the player what to do (now press 1, now press 2, now press 3, now move over the created notes to the key and save the other note). The way the notes look gives me a "snake" vibes, and I’m totally on board with the idea of musical snakes saving others with their tunes! Overall, it’s a creative and enjoyable game. Great job! For sure going to this year's collection of mine!
Cozy Realm is a delightful experience, perfect for anyone who loves a very relaxing management game. The music sets a soothing tone, and the atmosphere really lives up to the game's name—it's the kind of place you'd want to hang out in.
The art is lovely, with lots of well-stylized sprites that bring the starting zone to life. It's fun to watch your zone grow as more players arrive. Overall, Cozy Realm offers a charming and peaceful way to unwind. Great work!
Pebblr is a real treat! The name is spot-on, and the sound effects are top-notch, adding a satisfying layer to the whole experience. The physics-based puzzle gameplay is tight and incredibly satisfying—stacking those pebbles just feels right.
Nailing level design in a short game jam is no easy feat, but here you pull it off by keeping the solutions open-ended. It really lets you get creative with your stacking. The Tetris-inspired level is a simple yet clever nod to classic games, and it put a big smile on my face. All in all, this is a well-crafted and enjoyable puzzle game. Great job!
The stylization and physics are so impressive that I was completely blown away—I’d love to know how it was done so I could try it myself. The concept of building tiny things for tiny people is both quirky and fun, and the whole setup really draws you in.
The idea of using a computer terminal for guidance is cool, but I think the interface could be more thematic. Since the machines have that analog vibe, something like a paper notebook, blueprints, or even posters above the machines could add an extra layer of atmosphere and make the experience even more immersive. Overall, it's a fantastic game with a lot of charm. Great work!
Dragon Scales is a delightful game with a fun twist on dragon lore! The idea of harvesting scales while keeping the dragons happy with gold is both unique and entertaining. The game is well-polished, with only a minor bug where a recipe didn’t load (but re-opening the menu fixed it).
The art is charming, though I think unifying the style of the dragons and items a bit more would make it even better. It’s a relaxing game with a nice touch of strategy—I found myself wishing for even more strategic elements to dive into. Overall, it’s a lovely and engaging experience. Great job!
Starship Scale is a blast—literally! This rogue-like shoot-'em-up is incredibly polished, with top-notch visuals and awesome effects, like the laser lights and explosions, that really make the game pop. The core mechanic of scaling up your ship as you blast through waves of enemies is super satisfying, and I had way too much fun (and frustration) trying to survive.
The only thing that bugs me is the delay before entering the shop—definitely slows down the pace a bit. But honestly, I spent way more time playing this than I expected because it’s just so addictive. I really can see this as a top-100 contender. Great job on this one!
Llamageddon is a wild ride! It’s an impressive mashup of five different minigames that you’re juggling all at once, and the chaos is just perfect for a game jam. The visual polish is top-notch—you can really see the effort that went into it. The sound effects are great too, adding to the frantic atmosphere. It’s a super chaotic experience, but in the best way possible. Great job on this one!
It would be really great to have global leaderboards on this one. Anyway, 100% going to the this year's bag of gems for me.
The concept of scaling your deck to become more powerful is intriguing and well-executed. The increasing complexity and power of your deck as you progress through the dungeon creates a satisfying sense of progression.
While the game's scaling mechanic is impressive, it's possible that drawing an excessive number of cards could lead to an unbalanced endgame. It would be beneficial to explore ways to mitigate this. I was just too afraid of what would happen if I clicked to draw 100+ cards lol.
Scale the Dungeon is a well-polished and enjoyable game. By its pure fun element, I consider it one of my favorites in this jam so far!
The game's charming pixel art style and playful soundtrack create a moewful atmosphere. Cat-filled store is both humorous and engaging.
The core mechanics of building, managing, and expanding the store is well-executed. The balance between resource management and loan repayment creates a challenging experience.
While the controls are generally intuitive, minor adjustments could enhance the gameplay experience, like streamline selecting building/hiring/buying.
Mega Meow-Mart is a well-polished and enjoyable game that offers a unique gameplay. Its charming aesthetic, addictive gameplay, and clever humor make it a another standout entry in the game jam.
The game's unique art style, reminiscent of my own MS Paint days is a stronk choice. The core mechanic of managing resources, upgrading buildings, and defending against the monster is straightforward, as the monster grows larger and stronger, adds a sense of urgency and challenge.
The game really could still benefit from clearer labels and explanations for key elements like the monster's strength, building upgrades, and resource requirements. When the monster becomes too large, you cant see what is happening.
But once you figure out how to not die in first level, it is actually fun. Good job!
Size Strike is a super polished and fun arcade game that offers a unique and addictive experience. The core mechanic of scaling up and down to crush or burst balls is well-executed and keeps the classic arcade control scheme fresh. The modifiers force you to adapt quickly, adding another layer of challenge.
The game's strong visual style, soundtrack, and voiceover with a heavy Italian accent make it another standout game jam entry for me. It's also well-polished, from the game menu to the helpful player tutorial that explains everything you need to know. Adding global leaderboards would make the game even more competitive and encourage players to try for higher scores. It might also make me feel a bit embarrassed about my own top score!
Mole Vault offers a delightfully quirky twist on vertical platformers. You play as a pole-vaulting mole, bouncing through a treacherous mineshaft in pursuit of hidden treasures. The art style is charming, and the mole's sound effects are adorably fitting. The concept is both unique and entertaining, providing a fresh take on the 'built to scale' theme.
However, the game has room for improvement. The choppy animations make precise jumps challenging, especially for platforming noobs like me. While the core gameplay is engaging, the music doesn't quite match the whimsical nature of the game. I know this is subjective, but a more playful soundtrack could enhance the overall experience. Despite these minor setbacks, Mole Vault shows great promise a gave me a good laugh. With some refinement to the movement mechanics and audio, this underground adventure could truly shine as a standout indie platformer.
The game's pixel art style is visually appealing and creates. The concept of navigating the dungeon and growing by eating skeletons remains intriguing. I kept eating. The time-based element adds an extra layer of challenge and urgency. Although it broke in two of my games. Or maybe I ate to many skeletons. The endgame resolution could benefit from a more satisfying conclusion, perhaps with a humorous or dramatic twist.
Movement animation could be maybe improved as it didn't feel smooth and comfortable to look at. With a small refinement and added content I believe this game has the potential to become a polished and satisfying dungeon beater.
The game's title is intriguing and sets a humorous tone. The pixel art style is visually appealing, although the resolution across different sprites could be refined to enhance the overall aesthetic. The core mechanic of navigating through the puzzle-like environment appears straightforward. However, the lack of clear controls and in-game instructions makes it challenging to progress. I got stuck in third room :(
Providing on-screen controls or a dedicated tutorial would help players understand how to interact with the game world and ensuring that the puzzles are challenging but fair would prevent noobs like me from getting stuck too early.
