Just sent you a friend request
My Discord is scottjacobson
1. Initial Overwhelm & Guidance
○ The game starts with an immediate sense of confusion. While this may be intentional, the lack of initial direction is off-putting. A glowing glyph or a subtle guiding action could help players understand their first move without compromising the mystery.
2. Instant Timer Issues
○ The timer begins immediately, adding pressure without any understanding of objectives. Being judged on speed before knowing the mechanics creates an unfair fail state. Consider allowing players a grace period to learn before the timer activates.
3. Glyph Blocks & Interaction
○ The placement of glyph blocks feels arbitrary. Adding a gamified reason for moving them—such as forming control clusters that affect navigation—would enhance engagement. A compelling narrative could explain that the alien craft adapts to human thought, redesigning the dashboard dynamically based on user input.
4. Earth & Laser Mechanics
○ Seeing Earth while having the ability to fire at it is confusing. This might unintentionally suggest that Earth is a target. It could be more effective to reveal Earth only after movement controls are activated, reinforcing the concept of control before engagement.
5. Overall Concept & Future Potential
○ The game presents a fascinating micro-sandbox experience reminiscent of old-school Nintendo titles. With additional narrative, UX refinements, and expanded gameplay elements like boss battles and collectible power-ups, this could develop into a fully immersive experience. The inclusion of the cow was amusing, and it seems to have a strategic purpose, though this could be clarified further.
6. Loading Screen Clarity
○ The loading screen lacks clear communication about whether players should wait or interact. A simple prompt or visual cue would improve the user experience.
1. Thematic UI Integration
○ The introduction is clear, but the experience would be enhanced by presenting the UI within a book-like frame to emphasize the storytelling aspect.
2. Writing & Engagement
○ The game’s writing is hilarious, creative, and engaging. The humor is a strong selling point.
3. Visual Contrast for Choices
○ Implementing a darker screen or noticeable contrast for bad events would create a stronger visual impact, reinforcing the consequences of choices.
4. Player Identity & Gamification
○ There is a missed opportunity to define the player’s role in the universe. Framing the player as a magical entity who influences fate—with their choices determining whether they become a benevolent ruler or a malevolent overlord—would add depth. The final outcome could reveal the player's identity, giving the game a more personalized and gamified experience.
5. Audio Enhancements
○ The music is fun and engaging. Additional sound effects corresponding to good and bad choices would enhance feedback and immersion.
6. Player Agency & Satisfaction
○ The ability to manipulate the fates of characters is oddly satisfying. The game should lean into this more, providing even greater opportunities for impactful decision-making.
1. Lack of Music & Immersion
○ A medieval-themed game without music significantly diminishes immersion. A fitting soundtrack would improve the experience dramatically.
2. Attribute Mechanics Confusion
○ The attribute system lacks clarity. For instance, messages like “Character gets -1 Strength” are ambiguous—does this indicate a loss or a gain? The UI should make these changes more explicit and intuitive.
3. UI & Information Overload
○ The interface feels cluttered and disorganized, making navigation confusing and disorienting. A clearer structure is needed to help players understand their progression and objectives.
4. Lack of Clear Goals
○ The purpose of buildings and citizen management is unclear. There is no apparent connection between structures and population growth, making the gameplay feel random rather than strategic.
5. Overall Playability
○ There may be excellent mechanics in place, but they are buried beneath poor UI design and unclear communication. Refining these elements could significantly improve accessibility and player retention.
● Unable to Play
○ The game is PC-only, and I am using a Mac, making it inaccessible for review. If possible, providing a Mac-compatible version would ensure broader playtesting.
Mark Soderwall's Overall Fav: "Name Your Kingdom"
⁃ Cute premise
⁃ I like the variety and trial and error concept.
⁃ Combat was a little difficult to understand?
-Could use better explanation to user.
⁃ Heavy UI that didn’t seem to add value to overall game.
Nice concept however of a fun mechanic of name association. Well done
Mark left specific feedback in the comments of each submission page :)
I was immediately drawn in by the art style, especially the subtle animation of the cat breathing, which is delightful. Once I got the hang of the game mechanics, helped by the clear and helpful signs, I was able to fill drink orders with confidence. I really appreciated how there wasn't a timer for the visitors themselves, which made the experience more enjoyable. One aspect that stood out to me was the topping mechanic, especially when adding whipped cream – it felt very satisfying and added a nice layer of interaction to the gameplay... The art especially achieves, to me, the height of pixel art for indie games like Stardew Valley and others. Moon Cafe really is a beautiful game.
| Kolby Alloway (gamertag “Diangelo) was the first president of the Lake City Game Creator Club to become an esports caster and win the NACE 2022 broadcaster of the year award! Kolby first started as a player for the Bronco Overwatch team. “Alloway brings a depth of gameplay knowledge to each airing and can break down complex team fights in an engaging way for viewers.” |
Our wonderful panel of Judges will share their BEST OVERALL Choices here with maybe a few words!
| Chris Adam is currently Head of Special Projects at Gravity Jack Games, creating AR and VR experiences since 2009. Chris bills himself as “an intelligent, passionate, HUMAN leader in the world of UX design”. He is passionate about creating platforms that promote family friendly, uplifting content of all kinds, i.e. video games, tabletop, podcasts, newsletters, etc. As a child his favorite thing was a blank piece of paper. On it, any world he wanted could be created. |
| Michael Perrigo lives in Florida, is the founder of Faithdrawn Studios and is also Marketing Manager for The Salvation Poem Project. If that wasn’t enough, he is also the creator of Twilight Explorers, a “Dot Hack-Like” single player “MMORPG*” where you compete in a grand tournament, explore countless procedurally generated zones brimming with mystery and intrigue using ancient Celtic-Atlantean teleportation gates, and harness the power of Kairos. Coming soon to Early access! |
Our wonderful panel of Judges will share their BEST OVERALL Choices here with maybe a few words!
| Chris Skaggs is founder, CTO and Game Designer at Soma Games and is the founder of the Imladris Community. Imladris is a movement to create a healthy and profitable ecosystem of Redemptive Content Creators, Patrons, and Fans, motivated by their shared faith, to bring excellence, scholarship, and leadership to the Interactive Entertainment industry. |
| Michael Perrigo lives in Florida, is the founder of Faithdrawn Studios and is also Marketing Manager for The Salvation Poem Project. If that wasn’t enough, he is also the creator of Twilight Explorers, a “Dot Hack-Like” single player “MMORPG*” where you compete in a grand tournament, explore countless procedurally generated zones brimming with mystery and intrigue using ancient Celtic-Atlantean teleportation gates, and harness the power of Kairos. Coming soon to Early access! |
Our wonderful panel of Judges will share their BEST OVERALL Choices here with maybe a few words!
| Coral Rosehill aka Falpal, was the first president of Lake City Game Creators to bring their published game (Ceramic Uncertainty) to a convention. Other accomplishments include: Provided music for Witch Hazel with Chase Of Bass; created Watercolors, a contemplative, minimalist interactive fiction about death that reads like an anthology of poetry, short stories, and lyrics. |
| Paul Finman is an inventor and Technical Director for 3dB Cloud LLC which designs and develops a low-cost autonomous tractor functioning as an IoT device. It transforms regular agriculture, land security, and real work into a video game that can be monitored and controlled from anywhere in the world! AsymWar is his most current project. Received his education from both MIT & Stanford. |
| Scott Adams is one of the founders of the computer gaming industry! He created Adventureland, the first text adventure game for microcomputers. Released in 1978, it involved the search for thirteen lost artifacts in a fantasy setting. Due to its success, Scott formed the company Adventure International, which later went on to publish twelve similar games in different settings. |
| Mark Solderwall has an impressive history - Senior Lead Artist Electronic Arts (EA); Instructor of Game Art and Animation at The Art Institutes; Internal / External Director ATARI, Inc.; Internal / External Director LucasArts; Indie Game U. Founder, Joy Monster Co-founder; Creative Director Soma Games are just scratching the surface. |
| Chris Adam is currently Head of Special Projects at Gravity Jack Games, creating AR and VR experiences since 2009. Chris bills himself as “an intelligent, passionate, HUMAN leader in the world of UX design”. He is passionate about creating platforms that promote family friendly, uplifting content of all kinds, i.e. video games, tabletop, podcasts, newsletters, etc. As a child his favorite thing was a blank piece of paper. On it, any world he wanted could be created. |
| Jeff Neet’s career spans Lockheed Martin, NASDAQ, Equifax, full-stack dev providing training content delivery for Toyota, and an iOS and Android experimental game with Numinous Games. After that he co-founded PxlPug, a game studio focused on using games as a catalyst for connecting people to community and meaningful moments. |
| Kolby Alloway (gamertag “Diangelo) was the first president of the Lake City Game Creator Club to become an esports caster and win the NACE 2022 broadcaster of the year award! Kolby first started as a player for the Bronco Overwatch team. “Alloway brings a depth of gameplay knowledge to each airing and can break down complex team fights in an engaging way for viewers.” |
Our Judges this week will be posting each of their choices for BEST OVERALL,
with a few words, in this thread OOB Wednesday!
Chera Meredith, a master of the secretly educational cozy game genre, recently spoke at our monthly January meetup and shared about their studio So Peculiar's Bug & Seek (cozy bug-catching sim/creature collector styled like an 8-bit classic), the lessons learned and some valuable tips.
AND OUR OVERALL WINNER IS JOSH K of YouthGroupGames!!!
Enjoy UFO50 and best of luck on your other game projects!
Swamp-Fall >> https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2294640891?t=0h8m31s
Defend The Swamp >> https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2294640891?t=0h31m57s
Swamp Stew >> https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2294640891?t=0h52m36s
swamp-survivors >> https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2294640891?t=1h23m20s
RetroRunner >> https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2294640891?t=1h33m0s
An Afternoon With Henry >> https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2294640891?t=1h47m11s
Rogue Slayer - Text RPG >> https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2294640891?t=2h19m23s
Galaxy Shooter >> https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2294640891?t=2h50m11s
Swamp Craft >> https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2294781542?t=0h0m1s
Arcade of the Swamp >> https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2294781542?t=0h20m9s
New Super Ascension Car 3D Deluxe >> wouldn't load
Sea of Green >> wouldn't load
Time to PLAY & VOTE PEOPLE! Interestingly enough, the voting period for this jam ENDS November 5th @ 7pm PST. This obviously corresponds to ELECTION DAY and our Lake City Game Creator Meetup where we will have a bit of a celebration along with our normal share/pitch/networking time. https://lu.ma/f64i9f3i