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A jam submission

ArcheocookView project page

A narrative game project about a cook recreating old recipes from the past in a solarpunk setting.
Submitted by Elise (Litotic) — 1 day, 4 hours before the deadline
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Archeocook's itch.io page

Results

CriteriaRankScore*Raw Score
Promising Idea - How interesting is the concept? Would you want to play it?#14.8574.857
Aesthetic / Art / Sound - How cohesive is the aesthetic? Is there a clear theme?#114.3574.357
Overall#144.2574.257
Well Planned Production - Is there a clear production plan?#233.7863.786
Reasonable Scope - How reasonable is the scope for the timeline of the jam?#244.1434.143
Use of Themes - how effectively or uniquely does it engage in the jam's themes?#284.1434.143

Ranked from 14 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.

How does your concept engage in the jam's themes?
It is a solarpunk game set in a distant future, showcasing ways to live harmoniously within the ecosystem of a tropical river.

Use of Theme / Inspiration
I'm using the simple act of cooking as a way to bring people into broader themes related to climate change. I always find the whole concept of "climate change" hard to grasp for a general audience because it is too abstract. By focusing on a "mundane" activity, while showing how sustainable practices can be "a very normal thing" in the distant future, I hope that this little game can help "normalize" things such as respecting the environment you're part of, trying to live with it instead of controlling everything, from each according to their ability, to each according to their needs, etc.

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Comments

Submitted(+1)

This game sounds really cool! The concept of traveling a tropical river to uncover ancient recipes in a solarpunk future is super intriguing. The voxel dioramas sound like a fun and unique touch. Can't wait to see how it all comes together!

Submitted(+1)

I love your idea of a narrative about people who live on a boat in the far future. Lots to play with there, thinking about how earth has changed and why people left to other planets. I like the tile system you're thinking of and how this can change with each story beat, lot of ways to deliver this new  world you're wanting to show us. I think the style your are going for with the blocky 3D has good potential to fit your theme of a humble yet futuristic simple old earth. Since this is a story heavy game you're making, lean into that as much as possible, how can you tell the story by showing and telling alike? How do the character's actions shape the story and this world that is around them? Really hone in on evocative storytelling, it can be super powerful, especially in your case. Also keep an eye on scope when creating these branching narrative paths, but stick with it because this is a supper cool idea that has a ton of potential! Really looking forward to playing through this mystical tale, good luck with this epic passion project!

Submitted

I really love how this game uses cooking to make climate change feel relatable. It makes sustainable practices seem normal through everyday activities. This approach helps me understand complex themes more easily. It's a fun and creative way to promote environmental respect and harmonious living.

Developer

Thank you for your comment! These days I'm having a great time researching about where commonly used ingredients come from and their possible equivalents in other parts of the world. Good luck with your own project, it looks very intriguing!

Submitted(+1)

It looks like you're about to create a magnetic world that players will want to live in, such a game must do well as long as you put in some good effort, looking forward to playing it.

Developer

Thank you very much for the kind words! I really hope the game will live up to such expectations, ha! :)

Submitted(+1)

I LOVE your idea!! I think harvesting, exploration, and cooking is a great ways to get your audience to care about playing your game and in turn, care about your message! It's very inspiring to see you doing this as a solo dev as well!! The art direction looks great and I'm excited to see your progress throughout this jam :-)

Developer (1 edit)

Thank you so much! Been dreaming of making a cooking-related game for years, so I'm very happy to see other folks also enjoying the theme and understanding what it means.

Submitted(+1)

The amount of detail in the concepts you have here is fantastic! It's super interesting to see where you take your influence from and im excited to see how it turns out! Good luck!

Developer

Thanks a ton for reading me! Yeah I tend to research a lot about stuff (started my career as a writer so I could spend an unreasonable amount of time browsing the Internet, heehee). 

Submitted(+1)

oh my gosh your game touches my heart so much as someone from Vietnam  :,)

Your production plan looks really well thought out & the Voxel dioramas are looking beautiful! I'm excited to see your progress through this and I can't wait to play it!!

Developer(+1)

Ohhh thank you!!! Your comment means a lot to me! I'm also of Vietnamese descent. Wishing you all the best on your project(s) as well!

Submitted(+1)

Love the angle of utilizing themes of foraging on this. I think its a great way to remind people of more sustainable ways of getting food, that the earth (when treated properly) can provide us with a lot of resources we dont utilize much these days.

Developer (1 edit)

Yes exactly! Thank you for the comment, I'm glad my message came across clearly!

Submitted(+1)

This looks amazing! Great aesthetic and worldbuilding concepts, and a very compact, gratifying, but scalable loop. I especially like the emphasis on a real-world, sustainable lifestyle. Good call on the cooking mechanics as well - the goal and cultural side are still intact, but the focus is kept to the core river mechanics for the jam. Super excited to try this out!

Developer(+1)

Thank you so much for the kind words! :)