Play project
The Will to Grow's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Gameplay & Mechanics | #11 | 3.429 | 3.429 |
| Overall | #24 | 2.843 | 2.843 |
| Use of Themes | #25 | 3.143 | 3.143 |
| Aesthetics | #26 | 2.929 | 2.929 |
| Polish & Release | #26 | 2.500 | 2.500 |
| Writing | #28 | 2.214 | 2.214 |
Ranked from 14 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Artistic Statement / Use of Theme
For The Will to Grow, we incorporated the themes of the jam by having the player face an unnatural disaster in which the tools humans have used to destroy trees have come to life and they need to stop them by using one of the trees infused with the will of Mother Nature. We used the Dragon's Blood tree, a vulnerable tree native to the island of Socotra off the coast of Yemen, as a source of inspiration for the design alongside the axe enemies that represent the threat of logging that these trees now face. The pixelated art style and simple gameplay loop helps to emphasize the simplicity of the solution but also highlights how damaging the current situation is.
Development Summary
The original idea was to create 4 different trees with their own stories and mechanics, but as we finished putting the team together, it became apparent quickly that the scope was too large. We scaled down multiple times in order to come up with a design we were happy with and that we could realistically implement into the game. Surprisingly enough, we were able to create what was a fairly impressive arcade-style game that made use of all our work and demonstrated, though to a simpler extent, the message we wanted our game to convey. Communicating really kept the team together, as we had multiple meetings to do progress checks and to help lay out what tasks would look like. Sadly, we were not able to implement the original level deign or a lot of the abilities and enemy types that we wanted to, as we had only 6 people, of which only 1 was programming, making progress difficult at times. Despite this however, we did make a game that we can all be quite proud of!
Release Plan
There are definitely changes that would need to be made to this game, and more importantly additions from the original design, before a full release could be warranted. However, it does function pretty well as an arcade game, so if we marketed it on that idea it could work out alright to release it, at least to a small audience.
Topic Tags
Logging, Nature Preservation, Vulnerable Tree Species
Leave a comment
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
Comments
I think this is a great idea that just needs more development to be fully realized. The art style is endearing, the fantastical take is a fun one. I think the tie to the theme would be cooler if we received more information about all the natural elements (like the Dragon's Blood tree) while playing. Maybe a mechanic can be added so that in every level, or wherever the player reaches in the world they recieve a new organism or environment to protect alongside an introductory informational placard for immersion. This reminds me a lot of fantasy open world action RPGs like Genshin Impact, which is something maybe can be sonically and mechanically taken inspiration from. Good luck!
Great job with this! I agree that it does function very well as a fun arcade game. The music is great. I had fun playing this for a while even though I don't play these types of games much, because planting seeds made it easy to regain health. The axe enemies are a nice addition to the game, and they tie the theme together. I also really like how doing the area attack pushes the axe enemies away. I would've liked to see a little more of an explanation of the vulnerable tree species in-game, perhaps as cutscenes between waves of enemies? If you were to work on this further, it would be super cool to have multiple waves of enemies, slowly introducing different tree types or other attacks. Really nice work overall!!
You've done a really good job here! The gameplay is fun and the art is charming. With a little more polish and time, I think you'd have a very impressive game on your hands!
The gameplay is really good. It's really engaging, simple and music is really good. Sound is also good. Some of the sounds can be enhanced and updated but otherwise it's really good. I love the idea of planting trees. Collecting seedlings is a bit confusing considering you fight the axes to get seedlings it's a bit farfetched but overall the gameplay is connected. Using the trees to get the seedlings and if the seedlings grow to be more defenders from the axe army would make it even better of a game.
Really enjoyed playing the game! The music was great, and the art style is charming. I agree with another comment about wanting a bit more depth in the gameplay. After the first few minutes, I didn’t feel as motivated to keep going. It also seems like as long as I keep moving and spamming attacks I wasn't really in any danger., which made things a bit too easy. Overall Great job and good luck!
I thought it was fun! It took a bit to get the hang of it (especially since the tutorial/controls were found on the page and not in the game), but once I did understand what I was doing, I played for quite the long time. I even found myself trying to get to 10 minutes. That being said, I would've liked to see a little more depth of gameplay, as once you pass the first minute, nothing else really changes as you play longer. I thought the art style was really quaint, but I question how well it works in that 3D style. I also would've like more story or thematic elements, since obviously, I know the evil looking axes are bad, but the specifics of the type of tree and the struggles it faces were only laid out on the page and not in game. Other than that though, I think it's great, since ultimately if it's fun that's what matters, and it was!!!
The gameplay is very fun. However, I think more story needs to be implemented so that the themes you adress in your writing come across to players. The pixel art is fun, but the placement of the trees is a little stiff even for the barren land. I think by refreshing some of the assets and adding more written content or cutscenes, this game's story can be fully realized.