itch.io

Sorry I'm late, but thanks for the extensive response! I should probably clarify a few things about the radar. For one, it actually can pick up on any emerald piece at a given time; the icon just indicates whichever one you're closest to. The appearance and color of the radar is something I've already changed and will be implemented in the next update, though it's worth noting that even as it currently is, the radar's beep rate will speed up as you get closer to an emerald, much like in the Adventure games. I assume that would be enough accommodation for those with color blindness, but I'm not certain. On that note, the keys and doors already have different shapes, though perhaps I could have made that more obvious.

I've received a number of comments about the speed being too low, so that will be tweaked in the next update. Though if you see this, I am curious, to what extent do you think it should be buffed? I don't want the control to be so fast that it becomes imprecise.

I really liked the level of customization that was available at the start of the game. The game itself was somewhat confusing and unpolished, but it would be nice to see this get updated in the future.

Pretty fun for what it is; it's nice how you still have to keep track of the hunger meter even as you get bigger. My biggest gameplay gripe is that the hit detection on the koi seemed off, especially at larger sizes, which made eating the items sort of finicky. I would've liked some sound effects and maybe better sprites, but the music choice was nice at least.

Fun enough game but pretty rough around the edges. The controls were a bit difficult to understand at first, and I feel like there's some balancing work to be done (tell me why I shouldn't unload dozens of strawberries or bananas at once). I tried blockading the door during the "Karen is on the loose" event (which was pretty funny) but still lost anyways; not sure what went wrong there. The presentation was mostly good, but the effect that plays when you pick up a fruit made me sort of uncomfortable. Needs work; that about all I can say.

The idea of this one had me interested (you're bartending for ghosts, that just sounds like a fun idea), but it needed a lot more refinement. Initially I couldn't tell if the ghosts automatically went to their seats or if you had to lead them there; a tutorial might have helped with that. It also felt like there were too many ghosts to manage, but after a short period of time, the ghosts just stopped coming, and I was expecting it to go on for quite a bit longer. I also would have liked more sound effects, especially for filling the glasses. The game looks nice at least, but everything else needed more polish.

A pretty good idea for a platformer with decent level design, but it's pretty barebones (especially in its presentation) and the jumping controls feel inconsistent.

If there is one word to describe the game Extend by YDOEY, it would be diabolical. It must have been a deliberate choice on the developer's part to restrict it to download-only, gating off the weak players and ensuring that only those who already have the patience and commitment to giving the most thorough examination of the Fireside Jam 2024 entries would be subjected to its torments.

It seems at first glance like a low-effort platformer with overly basic artwork and the only audio being a simple piano piece. At that time, one little realizes what they have gotten themselves into, but soon enough it becomes clear. Once the first spike appears that provides no visual cue to its presence, however, memories of all those mind-meltingly difficult games that YouTubers would endure for the sake of letting others see their excessive emotional reaction start to flood the player's subconscious, and a certain excited trepidation overwhelmes their nervous system.

And these fears are only cemented with a masochistic glee with each passing level. While a lesser developer might fall back on repetitive usage of hazards meant to blindside in a way that leads to exhaustion, YDOEY has clearly mastered the craft of extricating joy from unfairness. With each passing level there is a new and unexpected twist on the game's rules that forces players to rethink their approach while also reintroducing old tricks in a way that is perfectly paced, ensuring that those who play it remain attentive to its cruelty rather than becoming annoyed by it.

If your experience playing it is anything like mine, this game will break you. You will not remain stable during its runtime. The piano piece will reflect the madness growing inside you. You will come out of it a changed person. You may either hold an eternal grudge over the developer, or come to respect their ingenuity and vision, You may have an easier time facing the hardships in your life knowing that there is perhaps some cosmic purpose behind them. To those reading it, this review serves a warning just as much as it does a recommendation.

Seems like a good start, but there doesn't appear to be any real end point to any of it and you can't even expand outwards by buying more land, so there ends up not being a whole lot for you to do.

Seems like it might have been a little too ambitious for the time frame? The lack of description on what anything does, how much they cost, and where to place them made the game a bit hard to understand, and while I did eventually sort of get a handle on the way the game worked, once the wave starts you reach an impasse since the soldiers seem invincible. The lack of music or sound effects is also a pretty glaring omission. I think this is all stuff you can work out with more time.

Final score was 2326! While not the most original tower defense game there is, this is fun to play and polished, and the in-game graphical style is excellent. If there's one thing that seemed strange to me, it's how little range you gained from the expand towers (and how little range you had at the start), but I still have little to complain about.

Pretty good start and the presentation is solid so far, though I seemed to be stopped after a certain point.

Honestly I'm kinda speechless. As someone who doesn't really play this type of game that much, I thought the difficulty was just right; and while there maybe could have been more sound effects, the boss dialogue was enjoyable and the music choices were really good. This all left me with a big smile on my face when it was over.

Presentation was basically perfect, and I love the gameplay on paper, but I wasn't able to get past around 14 goats even on repeat tries. Things seem to get hectic a bit too fast; I'm not sure if projectiles coming out of the fire was necessary, at least that early on, since I feel like the authorities being on your tail would heighten the tension enough. In addition, the goats' behavior already makes it a bit tricky to lead them into the fire, and having stuff coming out of the fire makes that even more difficult. I feel like I shouldn't be this critical because this is still a very polished and well-made game; I just didn't gel with the design as much as I hoped.

I'm kinda shocked how great this is based on how few people have rated it. It feels like a complete experience with a story, a mini game, and a boss battle; I found the physics-based gameplay to be quite satisfying; and aside from one level with conveyor belts near the end, it feels like the levels were designed to avoid potential softlocks that would require you to restart the level. This is one of those games where I'm impressed that you managed to put it together in ten days.

Neat approach to the theme, and the level design is suprisingly good with some tight platforming and seemingly multiple ways to go through the stages. I wish the visuals were better and there was real music, and it's also bizarre how the jump sound only plays when you let go of the button, but otherwise it was a fun time.

A real game for game devs! Sort of a brilliant concept, and I like how it evolves over time at a nice rate. I honestly wish you went even further with it, like making the player character animate at a certain point or having the level open up more, but I still admire what you achieved here.

Really enjoyed this one! The gameplay is pretty simple, but the presentation is wonderfully zany with the stop-motion visuals and especially the sound effects.

Managed to beat it on the third try! I like how the map layouts make you think about where you should put each establishment. The seeming lack of music was a bit of a let-down, but I do like how the one sound effect gets higher as the money earned per round gets higher. Overall I had a fun time.

They call me Snak-Man.

Anyways, this game was a pretty fun take on some familiar concepts. It did feel like it started a bit slow, but it ramps up quickly, which I appreciate (I like how intense the music gets when you reach 10 pellets). I also sort of like how needing to get to the exit creates a risk-reward scenario since your high score only saves if your reach the exit (mine is 17).

The gameplay here is solid, but the random generation of objects occasionally made for some awkward situations. I also think the longevity would be improved if there was some sort of scoring system. I like the font used in the menu, but the rest of the visuals feel a bit basic. Not bad overall.

"It's me, the devil! I'm here to convince you to do sin!"

...now that that's out of my system, this game was honestly really cool; almost felt like a 2D rendition of Jet Set Radio or something. I liked the balance between stealth and doing the different minigames before time was up, and thanks to the radar, it was never unfair. I did lose a few times, but I still persevered. I made it to midnight and raised 18 prices. I'm feeling delightfully devilish!

My record's apparently 252! This easily surpassed my expectations; the art style was distinct, the gameplay had a nice mix of arcadey action and player progression, and I especially enjoyed the final boss. Only thing I can think to add would maybe be some music (I'm imagining some old timey piano piece going over this); otherwise, nicely done.

Points for creativity, no doubt, but having to place down the cotton candy one at a time made it so I spent a lot of time going back and forth (even when I realized I could throw them), and this doesn't really mesh well with the fact that it's not always obvious where you're even supposed to be going. A really great concept that I wish didn't feel so time-consuming.

I was a bit confused by this game at first, but once I realized you have to place the buildings adjacently for the goods to transfer, I started to appreciate the strategizing here and I think there's potential for a high skill ceiling. It might've been easier to reach if you were able to inspect the buildings to see what their input/output is after you've placed them down, or at least some sort of guide to what they all do, but I still think what you accomplished here is impressive.

Kind of a shame you couldn't achieve your vision with this game; there are many ways in which this clearly needed more time that I don't think I need to go over. Judging the game as is, my biggest hurdle early on was that...well, my delete key doesn't work, but besides that, most of the time when I'd put down a settlement, there wouldn't be any rocks or trees to harvest, though this oddly became less frequent as I went on. Would be nice to see this continue.

Highest score I got was 280036.92! The instructions made this one sound confusing, but when actually playing it, the game's pretty simple and effective. I like the idea, but my biggest problem is that it doesn't feel like it ramps up over time enough; it felt like I could have gone on forever if I didn't get bored after a while. I also think there could've been more sound effects, and I kind of wonder if it's necessary to have the control scheme involve dragging the mouse when I feel like you could move just by moving the mouse without clicking. Just a thought.

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this game, but it did hold my interest. The presentation is fairly good, and while the controls took a bit of getting used to, I dig the gameplay idea. I just think it could've tied into the "expand" theme better.

I don't know if I'm the biggest fan of games where you manage an army, but I thought it was still well-done and I like its commitment to the retro style. The biggest issue I could find was a glitch where units don't disappear from format menu when they die.

My best time was 1:52. Definitely feels like a first game with how simple it is, but pretty good by that standard! My main critiques are that it's easy to softlock as people have said, and the falling speed can be so fast that it's hard to see what's below you. It's fun for what is is though.

Despite how unfinished the game clearly is, I will commend you for taking the time to implement a mechanic that improves every game a thousandfold: you can click on the ducks to make them quack.

Kind of a shame the game bugs out were it does; I would've really liked to play more levels with this concept! The tutorial dialogue was also fun. The one weak spot is the visuals, which are functional but look extremely basic even for a Scratch game (I like the balloon string effect though). Despite that, I like the direction you took the theme!

Final size was 45! Neat idea for a gameplay loop, and I also like how there's two different game modes, but as another commenter pointed out, the way obstacles generate means you can sometimes avoid everything by going in a straight line. I also wish the visuals were a little better. Still, I'd give it a point for originality.

You made that music yourself? It sounds amazing!

Anyways, there maybe should have been an option to invert the up/down controls since they're opposite of a lot of flying games, but aside from that I thought this felt good to play. I just wish the placements of the rings didn't feel so random. Still, it was neat seeing how this came together after seeing some of the progress updates.

Manages to achieve an unsettling vibe unlike anything I've seen in a while; felt like I was getting a glimpse at someone's broken psyche after waking up from a coma. That said, I'm not entirely sure how it's meant to tie into the "expand" theme.

So here are my final results. Like most people, I struggled with the red spikes at first, but after I found out that you don't have to click the black centers, it was pretty smooth sailing. Overall a unique concept that's fun for its short length.

I was struck with fear once I read the description...

It's a fairly well-balanced gameplay concept, and the models and lighting are pretty good, though it could have used some music and maybe some extra mechanics.

You missed opportunity to have confetti come out of the final white dispensers...

That aside, this was a fine little puzzle-platformer that could have been just a little better in pretty much every area. The controls could have been a little tighter, the visuals could have been a bit more detailed, and some music would have been nice. I also would have liked if the "press escape to pause/restart" tip was a couple rooms earlier since there is one earlier where you're still able to fail. Still, the game does tie into the theme very well.

Now that I've gotten a bit farther, I can say that this game is very fun to play at its best since the movement feels good, but it's marred severely by a lack of polish. Checkpoints don't seem to function consistently; sometimes it would spawn me partway through a level, I'd get a bit further, but then I'd die and spawn at the very beginning of the level. Occasionally my dash momentum wouldn't stop and I'd fly forward all over the place. It would have been nice to have the option to press R to restart even when you're not dead, because there were points I fell through the floor and didn't hit a death plane, so I just kept falling forever. The lack of polish did sometimes work to my advantage (I'm not sure if you're supposed to be able to infinitely jump up walls), but I think it still should have been addressed.

I noticed this was one of the most popular games in this jam, and after playing it, I definitely see why. It ties into the theme well, the visual and audio design is nearly seamless, and I really liked how simple yet unique the gameplay was. The unconventional control scheme, randomized rooms, and going for as high a score as I could made for something that was just plain fun. My only real criticism is that sometimes I got hit by stuff that I couldn't see during screen transitions because I hopped too far. It might have been nice if you could see the rooms ahead of time (it would also help you gauge how much you should inflate). That aside, though, you did an excellent job!

Apparently I managed to survive for 20 cycles and was only limited by the map size and how many nubs I could train within the time limit. Overall, I'm very impressed! The presentation was great and the gameplay was pretty addicting. There maybe could've been more of a strategy element (like maybe each raid could focus on a specific enemy type that you have to figure out how to counter), and it's a bit weird how you seemingly can't remove buildings, but this was still very nicely made.