Play Game
Engine Operator's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Creativity | #64 | 4.205 | 4.205 |
| Overall | #91 | 3.923 | 3.923 |
| Presentation | #153 | 4.051 | 4.051 |
| Fun | #230 | 3.513 | 3.513 |
Ranked from 39 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Preferred Name
FågelTomten
Newbie?
Newbie
Yes - I'm new to game jams!
How does your game fit the theme?
You need to start the engine
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Comments
This game is pretty interesting and I really love the art and sound effects. However, I think it could have benefit from more explanation as to how things work as at is a little unclear as to how things work.
Fun game! The art and sound are perfect! I like that you having to figure out how it works is part of the game! But when I started, this was not immediately obvious to me. A little comment in the page description that figuring out what you need to do is part of the game would have helped me a lot.
Great game!
The art is amazing along with the SFX! I like the multitasking of components, very crazy!
A very interesting concept! I like the pixel art style, good job! :D
Very fun game! The pixel art is beautiful and the gameplay is frantic and engaging ^_^
I got stuck on level 3 cause I beat level 2 without really understanding what was I supposed to do on the second screen, but once I got back here and read the comment where you explain it (and after some attempts), managed to beat levels 3 and 4. I believe my problem was due to me believing that I had to pull on the thingy from the first screen all the time, so didn't really spent the necessary time in the second screen to understand the movement of the gauges >_<
Had a blast when I understood how to play, good job!
cool concept, engaging mechanics. The pixel art is great.
Hers ours if your interested.
https://itch.io/jam/shovel-jam-2025/rate/3738248
good idea and overall nice game!
i would have liked a little tutorial for the right scene that has the three buttons with the clocks, because it was kinda confusing at first, didnt know what each button did
Very cool mechanics here. Multitasking under time constraints always adds a lot of excitement to a game. The balance could just use a little bit of tuning, particularly with the amount of maintenance demanded by the second screen. Still, a lot of fun, and really stylish visuals!
Wow, this is an incredible project for a first game jame! The pixel art is beautiful and the sound design was perfect. I wish there were hotkeys to switch between screens easily, since fumbling with that and clicking on the wrong button is what messed me up in most runs.
The art is very charming, I like seeing all the pieces in action. Definitely pretty hectic when all the screens are unlocked.
First off this is super pretty... Well done on the art. it's also super unique! I love the concept and execution! <3
Love the artstyle and sound design. Had a lot of fun even though I didn't quite understand how upgrade works, I guess you press 3 buttons and pull the lever to go faster but I'm just guessing
FANTASTIC ART! this totally made the difference, sometimes, for me, what makes me want to play a game is not the gameplay, but the art and the effort put in the small details of the game and your game is clearly it. It is a simple "start engine" but the art gave a way more professional look, this made me enjoy more than I imagined. Also the sound effects are really great and fit well in your game, congratulations for your project, for a newbie it was FANTASTIC. nice job !
Really fun manegement game!
Hellou, nice game with great sound effects, althou I didnt understand how the second level works, would you mind explaining or maybe updating the game's page with an indepth tutorial, because I saw another comment asking the same thing, while looking for answers. Wish you a great day
Hey, I have complete understanding that the game can be a bit confusing. One part of the game is to try and figure out how the engine works, however it is hard to make a design that is both fun and intuitive enough to be understood by everyone. If I ever revisit this game concept, I will put more time on making sure that the game is more clear and understandable. But hey, its only a jam game right.
The second page has a lever, a pressure bar and three sets of lamp, gauge and toggle. Pull the lever when the engine has started to start this component as well, the levels on the gauges should start moving. Pressing the toggles causes their connected gauges to flip direction. When the gauge (and lamp) shows red, pressure builds up in the left bar. Flip the gauge direction to stop the pressure from rising and pull the lever again to lower the pressure level. If pressure reaches the top, the engine will stop. As long as the lamps are green you will recieve extra speed.
(SPOILERS)
And so that the information is here if someone might want it in the future, how the third page works. The third page has two thing on it, a pump which increase the level of the gauge above it. When this gauge is over half full it will provide a speed boost proportionally with how much over the halfway mark it is. It also houses the "overdrive" which when pulled makes all other components go faster (more fuel comsumption, bars fill faster, etc) and in return you gain a faster speed.
You too have a great day.
Thank you very much for your reply, I'll try your game again and use the information. I am so sorry, that you had to explain it in such lengths, but I didnt want to rate this game only from its first level.
Really interesting mechanics, it overwhelmed me quickly but it was always clear what to do. There is a certain satisfaction to see gadgets move.
Nice submission! Fits the theme quite well and i liked management aspect of the game. Good work!
Thx!
Neat game, looks really good! I'd love if it went a little more in-depth and had a full screen button. It was pretty easy to figure out and I loved the horn
Hey, you should be able to press this button to enter fullscreen. Thanks for the feedback :)
Thanks, hadn‘t seen it as its a bit hidden!
Amazing submission!
Really nice art and sfx - would love some ambience music on top (combined with % empty vs. full for variation of it).
Great job if this is your first! Keep developing games!
What a cool game idea, very cool stuff. I think a more in-depth or explanatory tutorial could have gone a long way, it was a bit tricky to figure stuff out. It feels really good to just do the things tho, like pull the levers and press buttons, super fun.