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Ende Gelände - We shut shit down!'s itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Gameplay & Mechanics | #3 | 4.000 | 4.000 |
| Polish & Release | #5 | 3.846 | 3.846 |
| Overall | #9 | 3.692 | 3.692 |
| Use of Themes | #10 | 3.846 | 3.846 |
| Writing | #13 | 3.308 | 3.308 |
| Aesthetics | #18 | 3.462 | 3.462 |
Ranked from 13 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Artistic Statement / Use of Theme
The game depicts the movement Ende Gelände that organize mass civil disobedience actions shutting down coal mines in Germany. My goal is to showcase what I see as real and necessary climate action in order to draw attention to it and possibly inspire participation. I believe this kind of activism is completely necessary to force a phase out of fossil industry and divert our trajectory toward climate collapse.
"We are the investment risk" as stated in one of Ende Geländes slogans.
Development Summary
The game was developed by me, Kristofer "Kritzlof" Vaske and the music composed by Chika Obiora at Echo and Awe sound. The core idea stayed the same throughout production - A short tactical experience of getting around or pushing through police lines in order to reach a target. Since I'm not a professional programmer I found one of the most difficult things were to make an "AI" for the police that made sense and offered an appropriate level of challenge.
Release Plan
The game has lots of room for expansion through the addition of more mechanics and levels, but I have tried to put it in enough of a finished state to be presentable and I'm happy with the result!
I hope to expand it some day, but I have done enough to feel it's not incomplete if I don't.
Topic Tags
Activism, Direct action, Fossil industry, Coal,
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Comments
This is just incredible. I love the connection to real life radical climate justice, a topic we need to see more directly in the games we play. It would be even cooler if you could include/implement testimonies from protesters or facts about the movement to enhance the educational aspect. Maybe even including clips from the videos you left in the description as a loading screen or something like that if possible. Love the how the tactics the protesters use are not only applicable to in-game, but in real life as well.
Yes, I love to showcase real struggles and movements as a source of hope and inspiration! I think these are the real acts of heroism that we want and need to inspire in the next generation, or preferably this one.
Thanks so much for your kind words! Yes, I'd love to add things to make the game feel even more authentic, those are great ideas :D
This is a really neat game with a good core mechanic and art that fits very well. You've done very well here for the short time we had!
I'm glad to hear you think the gameplay works, thanks a lot for the feedback! :D
This game has a very unique and interesting game mechanic. I've never done a protest in a game before! I didn't pass the level 3 though, wasn't able to find the right strategy without hints. Overally it's fun to play it!
Yes, the hints/instructions might be a bit on the thin side. Definitely something I could improve. Sorry it stopped your progress. Thanks a lot for the nice comment!
If you're interested in more protest-y games I've collected a few by myself and others on my profile page :D
Okay I don't know if anyone's said it. This is one of the best games I have played in recent times. It's incredibly polished in terms of gameplay mechanics. I think you kind of developed and tuned it during the jam. And I am all for it. It's really well done showcases the real ways of protest. Mining is a real man made disaster issue and making a game on how to stop mining by human miners is a really important thing. Really enjoyed the game. I think you should work on the game and release the game.
That's very generous of you! I'm so happy to hear you liked it. Thanks so much ❤️
The title screen/thumbnail art immediately drew me in. I think this is a game with a simplistic but strong aesthetic. Despite it feeling difficult to even try to strategize, the gameplay is definitely solid, though that lack of clear potential strategies does make it a bit troublesome when the levels get more difficult. All in all a great game that feels pretty well polished.
Yeah, the strategic potential is a bit limited. I was going for a kind of simplified mechanic that could work in a mobile format. Sometimes it's just about trying a few times until it goes your way. Thanks a lot for the nice feedback, glad you liked it! :)
Super polished and informative game! This was my first time hearing of this movement and your game was a great introduction! Your round system was great, levels got harder and took more tries but were able to be completed with better strategy and replay!
That's great to hear! So glad that you thought the level design and progression worked and also of course to be able to spread the word of this amazing movement. Thank you so much!
A really solid and impactful game! The tactical approach and strong activist theme made the experience both engaging and meaningful — excited to see where it could go with more levels and polish!
I'm so glad to hear you think it works and that the message gets across. Thanks so much for the kind words! <3