FRUITLOOP

Final Update & Jam Postmortem

Well, that was that.

This last update adds a couple nice QOL features, some rebalances and adjustments, and attempts to squish some last bugs (many remain though). We might go on to add a character or two, maybe some extra level-segments if we feel particuarly inspired, or bug-fix if it's particuarly egregious; but for now, we're happy to leave FRUITLOOP as it is now.

A huge thanks again to everyone, it was a year-highlight, and maybe a first-step on something new and fulfilling.

Changelog Version 0.0.2.0:

• More hitbox adjustments, wheel-speed adjustments and other small tweaks.
• Added a Character Unlock system. Each wheel turn unlocks a new fruit. (I've just realised that the popup saying a Fruit's been unlocked occurs even once you run out of Fruit to unlock (Round 6ish); may fix, but if you make it that far, it's a feat in itself.)
• More level overhauls and updates.

Jam Summary

It was a first crack: we came into this as a couple who's sum game-dev experience amounted to hobbyist art projects (none of which was pixel-art) on the one hand, and the other who's small number of failed game projects and pixel-illustrations which made the idea of somehow creating an entire game in 4 days seem pretty wishful.

But we did! We submitted something, had people review it, and ultimately we ended up with scores that we were beyond encouraging for whatever project ends up coming next. We weren't in the top 10 games submitted, of-course we weren't expecting that, but in a few catagories just being in the top 10-20% was exciting to witness.

There's a list of things I'd wished we'd done differently as long as several of my arms, and I'll certainly be mentioning these lower down, but we'd always have things we'd want to adjust, and it's given lessons learned about scope and project-management we'll definitely be taking into future games and Jams!

What Went Well?

1. That we submitted something: This was never a guarantee, indeed the biggest fear I had with this first Jam was that without any benchmark to assess timescales to, we had no way of knowing whether the idea was too ambitious or complex. Many MANY people who sign-up don't get a submission out, so that in itself was an achievement.
2. The gameplay matched the theme: Our highest score was on Creativity, and in some ways I attribute it to the way the game's concept was a twist on something familiar, that brings the Loop theme into the equation. Whatever the excecution of the game's mechanics, flawed and unbalanced as they were, I was encouraged to see reviews mentioning that they enjoyed trying to plan their next loop in advance, as it was exactly what I was going for.
3. The ARTWORK: Megan had never done pixel-art before. Megan had never used Aseprite before. Megan hadn't been forced to put a bunch of artwork out in a handful of days using a very limited colour palette from her incredibly annoying partner before. So when after less than 24 hours of Jamming she pulls out this incredibly cohesive, beautifully realised art-style from seemingly nowhere, complete with all of the characters, blocks, and logo all consistent in tone and undeniably retro-pixel, I spent most of the rest of the Jam scraping my jaw off the floor. The reviews said as much too, and it was our second-best voting category.
4. The MUSIC: MuscleWizard is a friend from work, and alongside seemingly invested skill-points into every single stat possible with a frankly absurd amount of hobbies and different talents, also happens to be a gifted music-artist. So when I remembered mid-Jam that he had created a bunch of retro Nintendo-inspired tracks during the lockdowns, I was blessed to get permission to use a few tracks. Honestly I agree with some of the reviews saying they wish they could survive long enough to hear the rest of the song, and I'm kicking myself that the bugs and input-issues meant only a small slice of that brilliance could be heard.

What Went Not-Well?

What Will Change Next Time?

We know what needs focus on the next loop (haha): building a more sturdy game foundation before anything else. The funny thing I found from the post-jam updates is that if I'd spent even half-a-day more on the gameplay a lot of these issues wouldn't be there. Front-loading this aspect is the key objective next time. 

Overall though, given how many dead projects burn within the pyre of my Archived Game-Project Folder, I'm just so grateful to have been able to produce a finished game. 

Being able to do it with the love of my life is a pretty sweet bonus.

- Michael Kent.