Skip to main content

Indie game storeFree gamesFun gamesHorror games
Game developmentAssetsComics
SalesBundles
Jobs
TagsGame Engines
A jam submission

Essence//StructureView game page

An Atmospheric 3D Platformer, with an emphasis on exploration.
Submitted by xena-spectrale (@XENA_SN) — 1 hour, 23 minutes before the deadline
Add to collection

Play game

Essence//Structure's itch.io page

Leave a comment

Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.

Comments

Submitted

I loved this so much! super compelling, loved the skybox + art direction. One bit that would be an easy fix is capturing the cursor when playing with the mouse + keyboard! (i was playing with two monitors, and trying to glide while holding my mouse down the window would defocus because the mouse would go to the second screen)

Developer(+1)

thanks a lot for the kind words ! I published an update correcting the issue you mentionned, however my setup consist of only one screen, so i'm not able to check if it works properly with two screens ehe. But the CursorLocked mode of unity should work well. 

Honestly, this was such a cool game! The controls are tight, the atmosphere is just perfect, and finding all the collectibles was way more engrossing than I initially expected. I thought I was pretty thorough searching, but I apparently missed 3 drops and a memory, which is a nice excuse to play it again!

Developer

Thank you for playing ! I'm pleased by the fact that you found it fun, there are two endings possibles so here is another reason to replay it ehe

Submitted(+1)

I really loved this game! I have a soft spot for games where the aim is mastery of a set of movement mechanics to explore an abstract space, and the mechanics here feel really well-tuned. I also really like the way you handled increasing the player's abilities, and how it feels like you can do some really cool things by the end of the game. The way the mechanics are taught to the player is also generally really good; I did struggle a little with climbing the 'ladders', and the wires were initially a little confusing, but once I got out of the first area it was all smooth sailing!

Developer

Thanks for your review, i've used your feedback and others to do some tweaking and publish an update. I'll get to you when i'll have played your game !

Submitted(+2)

This is the coolest stuff! I love platformers that focus on exploration and finding creative ways to implement mechanics! Somewhat reminded me of Anodyne 2 in a way lol. The presentation is super cool! So far my favourite thing out of this jam, but i am biased to the weird stuff :)

Developer

Thanks for those nice words ! I'm glad you enjoyed it and i'll be for sure testing all the games this week end, including yours that seems really cool in terms of atmosphere.  See you around :

(+1)

This is a very well-done platformer that flows really nicely. The most appealing aspects to it are the abstract designs that make up the structure. It's a very difficult thing to make a platformer that is simultaneously complex but also engaging and challenging, but I think you've tackled it well.

At first I was wary about the control scheme, but as I learned how to operate the high jump, glide, and dash mechanics, they surprisingly worked very well. Collecting the essence to build the duration of these made things much easier, and in time I found that the game was really comfortable to play. 

I like the unorthodox design of the game world too. It encourages exploration . Like others have mentioned, it didn't at first hit me that the green threads guide players along a general path of direction, but getting to where I wanted to go, after some practice, proved very simple. 

The atmosphere and immersion is good, and I love the inclusion of a little bit of a story as the player goes along. It was probably this aspect that rewarded exploration more; after getting a few essences I found I didn't really need any more and didn't go out of my way that much to source them. 

As far as additional constructive feedback, I think that the only thing that comes to mind is that there were a few patches of silence in between background music. I think the levels might have been a bit undermixed, although this didn't remotely detract from my enjoyment of the game at all. 

I made a playthrough video below:

This was really fun! I can't wait to see what you do next. 

- FSV

Developer

thanks for those feedbacks and for the video ! I think overall my game is a bit abrupt in terms of learning mechanics, I could have found some way to introduce the mechanics bits by bits, but I couldn't find a way to implement this in ways that satisfied me. For the Essence point, it's true that a few of them can make you go to the end with no problem, but if you want to get the 2nd ending and grab some additionnal story bits, more of them is necessary. I'll check out your jam and see if I can find some time to make a game ;)