itch.io

Updated to version beta1.03

HOT FIX!

• Added a "missing" asset to prevent fishing mini game from crashing. (I say "missing" because it shouldn't be calling for that asset anywhere, will investigate further and provide a more thorough update!)

Small Update: Fixed all the above issues. Nothing major.

Known bugs: (should be fixed on the next update)

• Help Menu has out of date screenshots for some systems, like combat & cooking.
• Help Menu has out of date instructions for cooking.
• Unused dialogue left in when Nael is found in Greystone Hills.
• Sometimes music doesn't start on reloading from a save file. Typically going to a new map solves this.

Fixed in V01_02

Please don't hesitate to leave feedback, a review, a video, or just thoughts about how I can make Mana Engine better!

You can start your own new topic or just leave a comment here.

Thanks! 

-Slaughty-

Mana Engine is in early Alpha, please report any bugs, crashes, problems, etc. here and so I can track and fix them to make Mana Engine the best experience I can. Thanks!

-Slaughty-

Thanks for checking it out zombie! Feedback is noted and appreciated. Normally I put a whole control scheme in a help file, tutorial and/or on the game page, but was pressed for time.  Any time you're stuck in full screen or a softlock or a hardlock or whatever in MV/MZ press F4 to exit full screen to enter window mode or F5 to restart to title and can exit game from there. I wish MV/MZ allowed for players to enter the options menu from battle so its easier / more intuitive to exit full screen. Like I said, I should have included better instructions, that's my bad and on me. Thanks again for checking it out and spending the time to leave feedback. You're awesome for doing so. :)

I agree the opening maps on this game are really good. Your writing is on point. The premise is wonderful and really nails the Christmas theme.  I also have to agree with the pretty much what everyone else has already said. The font can be a little difficult to read at times. The last puzzle is a doozy. I unfortunately stopped playing during what I think is the last puzzle as I was going into the 25 minute mark. I think they were well thought out and inventive and executed well. I'm not sure I've seen the slippery floor tile puzzle done in that way before. Very cool. Personally though, I think your pacing was a little off in the story because you really don't get into the gameplay until way into the time limit which is a bummer because I wanted more time to spend on the puzzles and actually playing the game, which I finished later off camera. Overall good job, great game design, wonderful writing and execution.

I tried to make a video of your game but in two separate attempts it just dropped the frame rate too much depending on what dish I chose to make. Not sure if it's the quest window being updated continuously or a heavy parallel process or what but even without recording there would be weird stutters and frame drops depending on the dish I choose. Could just be my potato computer but I typically don't have any problems playing anything from AAA to RPG maker. There was a lot of NPCs to interact with and lots of dialogue which thankfully was optional because it put me well over the 20 minute mark. I also didn't know what most of the NPCs were talking about, I guess this is all from your other game.

Wow, the art is amazing! Sprites and maps and icons, everything looks terrific! Gameplay is pretty unique and the recipes get pretty involved and there are so many of them! Took a couple of tries to get the hang of what it was telling me to do, kept getting undefined ingredient, the purple and black "missing texture" icon is a nice touch! But I eventually figured it out.  The amount of polish and custom assets in the game are astounding! Really cool game and premise and gameplay! Wonderful job!

I redownloaded the game in case something went wrong with the download the first time and it opens this time! Not sure what the issue was for me originally.  Sorry, I couldn't make a video as the frame rate dropped too low to be able to play while recording. Visually the game looks great. I think the idea was good. Gameplay didn't feel good though. The platforming is super clunky, yes I used a gamepad but it still didn't make it any smoother to play. It might just be my potato computer but it might also be that you are just asking to much of an engine originally designed to make 2D games. RPG Maker just doesn't lend itself well for platforming or precision movement and I wonder if the 3D elements just exacerbate the problem. Random spawning of the presents and fire made some areas either extremely easy or way too difficult. Music and visuals were on point as well as the layout of your level. Very cool game idea, and it's full of eye candy.

Wow, cool short game, love what you did with it. The video game Harold is playing in the beginning is a really nice touch, lol the default game over screen for Harold's game. Your writing and story is done really well, Santa kicked my butt at first until I had to bring it, lol. "War on Christmas you say" I literally laughed out loud for that and the BB gun reference. I liked the moral of the story and it was a clever way to include social commentary without being preachy or "my side is right, your side is wrong". Battle was a little tough, but that could just be me as a large numbers don't work well with my limited brain capacity, ha. I like the shaking text to accentuate certain words but I feel it was bit over done.  Mapping and sprites are done well, puzzles were short and not too complicated,  game runs smooth, but what really stands out to me was the writing and dialogue. Very well put together game!

Amazing job! Absolutely adore the art, sprites, music, and writing. The premise was right in line with the Christmas theme and just full of heartwarming joy. Just roaming around town spreading Christmas joy! I encountered what appears to be a game breaking bug. I tried to leave the Firehouse area and it just froze up. :( Which was disappointing because I was having such a jolly time. Personally, I'm not one for warm and fuzzy feel good holiday stories but this one melted my heart and really put me in a jovial mood. I love the short well written dialogue. Mapping is superb and the entire game just had a level of polish and care put into it that really sets this game apart. Very well executed and amazing job!!!

Cool art. Sprites, tiles, and character art are really well done and cohesive. Your dialogue is really good and the whole game has a quirky vibe going. Gameplay and the premise is good and I have to agree with Windryder that it would have helped immensely to know what was in my inventory at a glance, but otherwise very good job. You made a fun, quirky, and unique game.

Thanks for playing, Alice and hope you had fun! I originally had santa looking like a fat bearded Vegeta before I tried to make him look more like Coca-Cola's Santa and then just said, "good enough". Lmao.

Sorry, but the game wouldn't open and run for me. Looks like everything is there but I'm not sure. :(

I'm not going to lie, I absolutely love and adore this game! Mapping, writing, gameplay, premise, art, theme, and polish, everything is on point. So much fun to be had in this game. I really love how you approached this one and steered away from typical RPGMaker gameplay and went with something different but somehow familiar. Towards the end, it gets a little more difficult but since the player isn't just dropped in it but rather is gradually introduced to things, it really works well. My only criticism, and this would be nit-picking, is not really knowing how my profit/money is being calculated and where I am currently with money before the shift ends. Absolutely phenomenal job!

What a different entry! It kind of feels like taking one of those online personality tests to find out what kind of "x" you are or something. Very inventive and clever. Writing is pretty good but a little verbose for my liking. I personally like short punchy dialogue in games so I can get back into actually playing the game. I found the use of "stock" images to be a refreshing change from RPGMaker's RTP and Face generator graphics. The mini games are executed very well and really shows your creativity and originality. Good job!

I agree with Windryder that this game has a melancholy vibe going but I liked it. It was a very heartfelt story and right before the end, you have a feeling of what is fixing to happen but not quite sure. I thought it captured a Christmas / Holiday feel akin to Frosty the Snowman melting at the end of his story. The gameplay was a little lack luster but I feel like the main focus was the story and you did it well. A couple of suggestions would be to limit your use of ellipses ("...") when there's more than one in a row it gets redundant and consider upgrading to MV/MZ just for the ability to full screen. Otherwise I thought this Fable was really well done and heartfelt.

This was a fun short game. Love the narration, the art is cute and the writing is really on point. I thought the premise worked well with the theme and the entire game has a vibe that reminds of the old school stop motion holiday animation specials like Rudolf and Frosty. Very wonderful job. I got the good ending, but I'll replay this for the Naughty ending as well.

I think difficulty option would be a welcome addition, also lol  to 'Hawk Mode'. Yes, I was so thankful when I didn't get a game over when I went into negative HP. Wonderful job again, BerryB.

Fun little game. Mapping and the dialogue is done well and the tone of the game fits right in with the theme. I like how you have items that hint at what the other characters would like for Christmas. I did however go into the negative with my money, not sure if that was intended or not. Very fun and whimsical game. Great job!

Wow, my hands hurt and my mouse will never be the same! Very good job, the art is amazing! Somehow you told a story without dialogue. I didn't fully understand it, but I think I got the gist of it. I also went into negative HP during a fight. I think your game is very ambitious and I appreciate what you were trying to do here with something completely different than any other jam entry I've played so far, but I have messed up hands, due to severe rheumatoid arthritis, and this was absolute torture for me to play and I felt some of the battles would never end. I love how you changed up the gameplay formula as the game progressed with the boss fights  and everything was polished and tight. You really showed your prowess as a game dev on this one. Keep it up Berry, you never disappoint! 

This was an interesting short game. Love the NES art style. Story is simple but fun.  I slapped everyone as well, I thought about letting them go, but no one weirds me out and gets away with it, LOL. Ending is good and did I mention the art is awesome? Very fun, captured the theme well and I think I learned some things about Finnish Saunas as well. Good job.

Very cool and different game! I love the concept and how simple yet different the gameplay is. Very clever! A couple of the elves were tricky to find but got 'em all. Love the ending. The writing is great, sprites and art look good and are cohesive. Over all, a wonderful short jam game that demonstrates the theme well and it has all the bonus points (blondes, etc.) I enjoyed this one and think you made an enjoyable game made on a simple premise, stuck to your scope, and executed it perfectly. Wonderful job!

thanks for playing the game! Sorry about the bug, I thought I fixed it, guess I didn't. It happens so infrequently and randomly in my testing, I am at my wit's end with it. My best guess is, it is loading the victory screen while the HUD stuff is still being cleared and it hangs it up. So sorry that happened to you and thanks for reporting it. 

This is a fun short game with snappy dialogue and what feels like a pretty deep battle system. Interior mapping needs work, shrink those room way down and I think they'll look better and feel more interesting. You have a few typos/grammar errors but otherwise the story and the writing are done really well and I love the ending. I think you made something unique with the theme and combined it with turn based combat. I know it was all made in a short amount of time and it's hard to adhere to the time limit but I think you did a really good job.

This is a cute and fun little game. The zoomed in look really works here. The maps look good but the critical path can become obfuscated a little bit but otherwise the maps are beautiful. The art is consistent, cute, and pleasing. Battles felt balanced really well and were pleasurable. I wasn't really sure what to do after awhile, like, do I just keep grinding? Is there a path or object I'm missing? Does it end or do I just grind enemies in the forest endlessly? I have no idea, because I stopped playing a little after the 20 minute mark. I was unsure if to keep going or was I missing something and in the spirit of the jam being short. All and all, I enjoyed it. The storyis done well, graphics and presentation are great and very polished for a jam game. You really leaned into the theme and I'll pick this up again and see if I can find the end this time. Really well done job!

Very good looking and atmospheric game. I love the lighting and breathing effects and the art and graphic design are really well done. Story is pretty good and intriguing but a little dark and in my opinion, misses the Christmas vibe, but in fairness, I didn't get to completion on this one, so I didn't see the ending. The QTE on the bridge with the falling boulders really got me and having to reload and repeat stuff just didn't sit well for me as a player. Also I think the sliding ice puzzle is a little messed up because I'm not sure how I got through it, lol. I'll end up redownloading since you've made an update, but in all honesty, while clever and executed well, the mini games are kind of punishing and don't lean into fun as much as I would have personally liked. Over all it's a well put together game with a unique look and atmosphere and shows a lot technical competency with RPG Maker.

This game is pretty creative and I wish it weren't so limited by RPGMaker's clunky movement. I think you executed your design really well, it's a just a little too unforgiving with the clunky movement (You aren't lying about not flying too low! LOL) and dying and having to start over sucks but I get it, maybe more lives or a continue from the new level would've been nice. I also wish I would have made it to the ending on this one, it gets pretty tricky! Seems like this was really hard to event/program together. Very impressive! The art and the writing are charming. It's a lot of fun, very unique, and it definitely has the Christmas vibe going strong. Wonderful Job!

Really enjoyable and fun combat focused game. It feels like a vertical slice out of a bigger project and I think that works well for such a short game focused on battles. It really respects my time as a player with it basically being quick virtual novel style cutscenes, shops that get straight to the point, streamlined "menu" (during the break scenes), and punchy battles. I would have preferred to be able to equip my actors from that same pseudo menu instead of having to select "menu" and then navigating to equip but that's a personal preference and not a deal breaker as I understand this was made in a short amount of time. I like the variety of characters and none of them feel like blatant copies of each other. I played this one twice because it didn't record right the first time, so I chose different characters my second run compared to my first run through just to see how they played. Nice variety of skills, equipment, and consumables. It feels designed to let the player win and a little more difficulty wouldn't be a bad thing, but over all a nice introduction to what could be a more in depth and complicated battle system. For a short game jam, it's perfect. I like the Rock-Paper-Scissors design of the combat system. The art is nice but the enlarged and pixelated backgrounds don't match the character art. Honestly though, that's just nit picking as it fits the vibe and tone of the game. The writing is short and punchy, which I like. The overall presentation, polish, and execution are all top notch, very well done and shows a high level of competency of you as a game dev. Great job!

I really enjoyed this game. I love the premise and how Harold responds to everyone. I like the on map "spell" to solve the puzzles. Speaking of puzzles, they aren't complicated or overly simple, but hit a nice sweet spot. The collision and movement is a little weird but better than the default grid movement of the engine, especially for this type of game. The writing is done well and the ending is both cute and funny. The converyor belts are nicely done and a good touch. The writing is good and the vibe fits well with the Christmas theme. Very well put together game that I enjoyed playing and wish there was a couple of more puzzles/maps to do before it ended.

Cool collecting mechanics. Starts to get a little grindy and repetitive just as you get into new areas. Something to break up the monotony of the game play would be nice but probably wouldn't fit into the time allocated. I like how the collecting can be automated and how the game builds on just a few systems and could easily be scaled up. Very fun and inventive gameplay loop, excellent eventing and presentation and overall solid and well put together game. I could have easily kept playing after the 20min mark but decided to end my playthrough there.

Super cute and love the hand drawn look of the character art. Cool short concept, definitely leans into the Christmas vibes. I wish it was a little more clear about what to get everyone but that is just nitpicking. Cool fun game.

Cool game with a nice relaxing atmosphere. Love the sprites and character busts. Writing is on point, needs a little bit of grammar correction, but nothing major. Puzzles aren't too complicated but the coffee "puzzle," if you could call it that, felt a bit flat. The ice pond is a nice one, reminds me of the old Windows game "Minesweeper" with it's rules. Very clever and everything is very well executed. I like how the dialogue is short and for the most part punchy, in my opinion this where a lot of RPGMaker games fall short. Overall I love the vibes, aesthetic, music choice, dialogue, and story.

Extremely well executed and enjoyable game. I adore the aesthetic and how you doubled down on the cat theme. Really solid and polished game, plays smooth and I love all the little details. The way it's structured is perfect for a short jam game like this and really utilizes the 20 min limit and respects the players time.  I both simultaneously love and hate the meowing SFX. It just gets a little grating after awhile.  Kudos, great job!

Nice, thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I agree maps could use a better layout and the critical path made a bit more obvious. That's good advice I'll take into account moving forward.

Thanks Starmage for checking it out!

Short Playthrough by That Aussie Gamer, thanks for checking the game out and glad you had fun!