This is some of the most fun I've with a "falling block platformer." :) I agree with sparsevector, using the player as the "cursor" for the piece positioning helps consolidate the controls incredibly well. It's also fun that the logical extension of that idea is "toroidal" wrap-around for both platforming and placement.
There's something oddly compelling about "40L Sprint but parkour." There's a lot to rethink about time attack in this format. My current PB is 3m11s, which feels a lot like sub-3 should be in reach with a little more puzzling and practice.
Wow, that's a very fast sprint time for that mode! I prefer 20 line sprints, and was only getting around 2 min.
Not sure what controls you used, but my platforming muscle memory felt more natural than my usual Tetris controls. I also didn't get that brief moment of key binding jet lag when switching back to playing standard Tetris with my usual controls.
If I decide to polish the game, adding a way to test the controls in the main menu is high on the list.
I agree that time attack/trial mode has more potential than what I implemented, and 2 min is sadly not a lot of time to do anything with this format.
How it currently works is you get a set amount of points for the type of clear (single < quad), a multiplier for consecutive line clears, and a bonus for the time between line clears. There is also a large bonus for an All Clear, but it seems really difficult so I can't remember if I even bothered adding an animation. Without spins, it really limits the possible play styles.
Maybe with a better or more complex nudge mechanic there could be ways to make it more interesting. Currently, the mechanic can be more of a hindrance than a tool when playing quickly.
I don't know, maybe it's just not a mode that's really compatible with this format. I think variations on sprint and survival modes naturally work a lot better.
My controls are similar to what I use for other puzzle games; Arrows for movement/drops, A/S for rotation, and Space for jump (in place of where I usually have Hold). I would also normally use something like A/S for run/jump in 2D platformers, but that FPS "WASD Space" hand placement logic seemed to take over pretty nicely here.
Oh, my comment about time attack was from my own perspective as a player; there are interesting new things to think about how to effectively and quickly move and place pieces.
I haven't dipped into the 2min score attack mode yet. A combo-into-quad system makes sense given that there won't really be a way to do other types of maneuvers. There's maybe other ways one could experiment with how the combo/multiplier systems work, but something along those lines is what sounds most natural.
I did run into some accidental nudging situations. It's pretty closely related to something you might want to do normally (jump on top of a falling piece), so sometimes a slight difference in approach can lead to an unintended shift. It can be rough since there might not be a good opportunity to get back around to the other side of the piece to push it back.
I do appreciate the effort to keep things consolidated onto the existing set of keys/actions. Though, if you wanted to add 1~2 keys to separate it out into its own mechanic, I think you've earned that right. :) I think it helps that the core of the game can be played and enjoyed without needing to frequently access piece nudging, but it's something that can be offered to players that want to do something a step more advanced.
The way I look at things, right now you have three action keys: 2 rotations + jump. I think this compares favorably with other puzzle games. The average Tetris game has 2 rotations + Hold. Tetris Effect has four action keys: 2 rotations + Hold + Zone. Recently released Tetris: The Grand Master 4 will let players use up to seven action keys: 2 rotations + 2 alt rotations + Hold + Backstep + Extra; this may sound like a lot, but in practice it's not too different from the Tetris Effect case: the 2 extra rotations are optional for player skill expression (quick 180/270), Extra is an optional meta key (used for playing faster in certain contexts), and Backstep is for a mode-specific feature (in the same sort of way that Tetris Effect's Zone button applies to a subset of modes).
If you ever wanted to play around with other ways to handle the mechanic, it feels like there's also great potential to take advantage of with the toroidal playfield; instead of nudging individual pieces, you could allow the player to move the whole world out from under them. :) Compare with V-Tetris's C-Type mode, which iirc has playfield rotation mapped to the L/R buttons. Consolidating into one meta key like Shift+Left or Shift+Right could also work -- maybe a key that lets you "grab" and push/pull whatever you're standing on (a single piece or the whole stack).
That's some amazing feedback and ideas! I really appreciate how your reasoning is clearly backed by a lot of personal experience. I don't think there are many people who explain this kind of stuff so clearly.
Love the idea of shifting the entire playing field. I can already think of a few ways that might work. But your idea of grabbing/pulling is excellent!
I think my key takeaway is to keep the core gameplay simple and accessible while not limiting optional mechanics that can make the game more interesting. Although, I'll try my best to also keep the optional mechanics relatively simple as well.
Thanks again for all the incredible feedback and insight!
I've updated the game to include new game modes which I didn't finish in time for the game jam. They are a lot easier to play, one of them is an infinite climbing game with rising lava, and the other a block merging game with collision physics!
This is a really awesome concept and impressively executed. Linking the player position and piece drop position makes it manageable while still giving you the good brain feeling of doing two things at once. The platformer controller is also really smooth. The wall jump is great. I started playing without looking at the tutorial (typical lol) but was able to discover it while playing. I haven't played enough to where I'm using the nudge deliberately yet but I love the idea because it solves the whole overhang issue without complicating things too much. It feels like the game has a fun learning curve which I love.
The vibe is really good, even the menu feels good and responsive!
And: Thank you sooo much for making it possible to change the controls, that is so important, especially with tetris type games!
I like the idea and its fun to play. I especially like the fact that the border warps from left to right so you can cut the block in half.
There is just one thing i am wondering: while the nudge idea is really unusual and clever, for me it was more of a nuissance since i played with sort of a 'fire and forget' method , but when a couple of blocks are en route, its easy to bump into them and misalign them. The fact that all blocks accelerate when you send a new one makes these manoeuvres even more tricky. I actually avoided the nudge the best i could since the reward does not really seem to outweigh the risk of losing the game. But, then again, maybe thats just my skill issue :D
You could maybe add a beginner mode where the blocks fall as you send them without being nudgeable?
One more detail i noticed: it is a bit tricky to get out of a cramped space, you have to jump and then right for example to slip out of it, maybe you could make that move a little more forgiving.
Overall, great and polished game - congratulations!
Thank you so much for playing and for the feedback!
I agree that the nudge mechanic can be a little frustrating. I really wanted to implement the idea, but I faced a lot of issues. I needed a way to trigger the nudge that was easy to do but also not something you'd do accidentally all the time (might have failed with that part).
A dedicated nudge key could be an option, but I was concerned about adding another button to the existing 7 just for a nudge. Another idea was to make it a multi-purpose dodge button, but you could still accidentally nudge a block when you're just trying to dodge out of the way.
My compromise was to use the wall jump mechanic since it requires purposeful inputs. But, as you pointed out, it's easy to get so used to wall jumping that you accidentally nudge a falling piece. I also made the timing for wall jumping very generous, which makes accidental nudges even more likely.
I really like your idea of having an option to disable it, but probably not as a dedicated mode. An even better solution might be to let players choose between using the wall jump for nudging or having a separate nudge button. I could just swap the condition from 'jump + direction' to 'nudge button + direction'. I would be adding an extra button, but it would be optional. Reminds me that I should have added a test screen inside of the control menu to quickly test the controls.
As for getting out of a cramped space, I'm trying to make those moves more forgiving. I've already added a few things, like a high tolerance for the 'squash death' condition, which will push you out of a block to save you if it can. I also added coyote time to help with tricky jumps. But you're right, there's probably more tweaking I could do.
It's great to hear that you find the game polished. Thank you again for all your thoughts!
I totally get your thought process. I just started game dev and I am blown away by how many thoughts and balancing goes into game mechanics and features 🤯😁
Keep at it, it's already a great game, totally worth the effort! 👍
Comments
This is some of the most fun I've with a "falling block platformer." :) I agree with sparsevector, using the player as the "cursor" for the piece positioning helps consolidate the controls incredibly well. It's also fun that the logical extension of that idea is "toroidal" wrap-around for both platforming and placement.
There's something oddly compelling about "40L Sprint but parkour." There's a lot to rethink about time attack in this format. My current PB is 3m11s, which feels a lot like sub-3 should be in reach with a little more puzzling and practice.
Wow, that's a very fast sprint time for that mode! I prefer 20 line sprints, and was only getting around 2 min.
Not sure what controls you used, but my platforming muscle memory felt more natural than my usual Tetris controls. I also didn't get that brief moment of key binding jet lag when switching back to playing standard Tetris with my usual controls.
If I decide to polish the game, adding a way to test the controls in the main menu is high on the list.
I agree that time attack/trial mode has more potential than what I implemented, and 2 min is sadly not a lot of time to do anything with this format.
How it currently works is you get a set amount of points for the type of clear (single < quad), a multiplier for consecutive line clears, and a bonus for the time between line clears. There is also a large bonus for an All Clear, but it seems really difficult so I can't remember if I even bothered adding an animation. Without spins, it really limits the possible play styles.
Maybe with a better or more complex nudge mechanic there could be ways to make it more interesting. Currently, the mechanic can be more of a hindrance than a tool when playing quickly.
I don't know, maybe it's just not a mode that's really compatible with this format. I think variations on sprint and survival modes naturally work a lot better.
My controls are similar to what I use for other puzzle games; Arrows for movement/drops, A/S for rotation, and Space for jump (in place of where I usually have Hold). I would also normally use something like A/S for run/jump in 2D platformers, but that FPS "WASD Space" hand placement logic seemed to take over pretty nicely here.
Oh, my comment about time attack was from my own perspective as a player; there are interesting new things to think about how to effectively and quickly move and place pieces.
I haven't dipped into the 2min score attack mode yet. A combo-into-quad system makes sense given that there won't really be a way to do other types of maneuvers. There's maybe other ways one could experiment with how the combo/multiplier systems work, but something along those lines is what sounds most natural.
I did run into some accidental nudging situations. It's pretty closely related to something you might want to do normally (jump on top of a falling piece), so sometimes a slight difference in approach can lead to an unintended shift. It can be rough since there might not be a good opportunity to get back around to the other side of the piece to push it back.
I do appreciate the effort to keep things consolidated onto the existing set of keys/actions. Though, if you wanted to add 1~2 keys to separate it out into its own mechanic, I think you've earned that right. :) I think it helps that the core of the game can be played and enjoyed without needing to frequently access piece nudging, but it's something that can be offered to players that want to do something a step more advanced.
The way I look at things, right now you have three action keys: 2 rotations + jump. I think this compares favorably with other puzzle games. The average Tetris game has 2 rotations + Hold. Tetris Effect has four action keys: 2 rotations + Hold + Zone. Recently released Tetris: The Grand Master 4 will let players use up to seven action keys: 2 rotations + 2 alt rotations + Hold + Backstep + Extra; this may sound like a lot, but in practice it's not too different from the Tetris Effect case: the 2 extra rotations are optional for player skill expression (quick 180/270), Extra is an optional meta key (used for playing faster in certain contexts), and Backstep is for a mode-specific feature (in the same sort of way that Tetris Effect's Zone button applies to a subset of modes).
If you ever wanted to play around with other ways to handle the mechanic, it feels like there's also great potential to take advantage of with the toroidal playfield; instead of nudging individual pieces, you could allow the player to move the whole world out from under them. :) Compare with V-Tetris's C-Type mode, which iirc has playfield rotation mapped to the L/R buttons. Consolidating into one meta key like Shift+Left or Shift+Right could also work -- maybe a key that lets you "grab" and push/pull whatever you're standing on (a single piece or the whole stack).
That's some amazing feedback and ideas! I really appreciate how your reasoning is clearly backed by a lot of personal experience. I don't think there are many people who explain this kind of stuff so clearly.
Love the idea of shifting the entire playing field. I can already think of a few ways that might work. But your idea of grabbing/pulling is excellent!
I think my key takeaway is to keep the core gameplay simple and accessible while not limiting optional mechanics that can make the game more interesting. Although, I'll try my best to also keep the optional mechanics relatively simple as well.
Thanks again for all the incredible feedback and insight!
You're welcome, glad it could help! :)
I've updated the game to include new game modes which I didn't finish in time for the game jam. They are a lot easier to play, one of them is an infinite climbing game with rising lava, and the other a block merging game with collision physics!
What a cool concept; I was very bad at this XD
This is a really awesome concept and impressively executed. Linking the player position and piece drop position makes it manageable while still giving you the good brain feeling of doing two things at once. The platformer controller is also really smooth. The wall jump is great. I started playing without looking at the tutorial (typical lol) but was able to discover it while playing. I haven't played enough to where I'm using the nudge deliberately yet but I love the idea because it solves the whole overhang issue without complicating things too much. It feels like the game has a fun learning curve which I love.
The vibe is really good, even the menu feels good and responsive!
And: Thank you sooo much for making it possible to change the controls, that is so important, especially with tetris type games!
I like the idea and its fun to play. I especially like the fact that the border warps from left to right so you can cut the block in half.
There is just one thing i am wondering: while the nudge idea is really unusual and clever, for me it was more of a nuissance since i played with sort of a 'fire and forget' method , but when a couple of blocks are en route, its easy to bump into them and misalign them. The fact that all blocks accelerate when you send a new one makes these manoeuvres even more tricky. I actually avoided the nudge the best i could since the reward does not really seem to outweigh the risk of losing the game. But, then again, maybe thats just my skill issue :D
You could maybe add a beginner mode where the blocks fall as you send them without being nudgeable?
One more detail i noticed: it is a bit tricky to get out of a cramped space, you have to jump and then right for example to slip out of it, maybe you could make that move a little more forgiving.
Overall, great and polished game - congratulations!
Thank you so much for playing and for the feedback!
I agree that the nudge mechanic can be a little frustrating. I really wanted to implement the idea, but I faced a lot of issues. I needed a way to trigger the nudge that was easy to do but also not something you'd do accidentally all the time (might have failed with that part).
A dedicated nudge key could be an option, but I was concerned about adding another button to the existing 7 just for a nudge. Another idea was to make it a multi-purpose dodge button, but you could still accidentally nudge a block when you're just trying to dodge out of the way.
My compromise was to use the wall jump mechanic since it requires purposeful inputs. But, as you pointed out, it's easy to get so used to wall jumping that you accidentally nudge a falling piece. I also made the timing for wall jumping very generous, which makes accidental nudges even more likely.
I really like your idea of having an option to disable it, but probably not as a dedicated mode. An even better solution might be to let players choose between using the wall jump for nudging or having a separate nudge button. I could just swap the condition from 'jump + direction' to 'nudge button + direction'. I would be adding an extra button, but it would be optional. Reminds me that I should have added a test screen inside of the control menu to quickly test the controls.
As for getting out of a cramped space, I'm trying to make those moves more forgiving. I've already added a few things, like a high tolerance for the 'squash death' condition, which will push you out of a block to save you if it can. I also added coyote time to help with tricky jumps. But you're right, there's probably more tweaking I could do.
It's great to hear that you find the game polished. Thank you again for all your thoughts!
I totally get your thought process. I just started game dev and I am blown away by how many thoughts and balancing goes into game mechanics and features 🤯😁
Keep at it, it's already a great game, totally worth the effort! 👍
Love the combo mode stuff you’ve added :D and its a fun twist on a classic. Really well implemented! Great job :)
Really interesting idea, crossing a platformer with tetris.