Play game
Sorcerer Vs. Swordsman's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Originality | #520 | 3.819 | 3.819 |
| Fun | #627 | 3.514 | 3.514 |
| Overall | #652 | 3.611 | 3.611 |
| Presentation | #1101 | 3.500 | 3.500 |
Ranked from 72 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
How does your game fit the theme?
You must connect blocks in game to either apply debuffs to your enemy or buffs to yourself. You can sever those connections and remove the buffs/debuffs with your sword. Hence, the dynamic of the game changes depending on which connections are active.
Did your team create the vast majority of the art during the 48 hours?
No
We used pre-existing art
Did your team create the vast majority of the music during the 48 hours?
Yes
We created the vast majority of the music during the game jam
Leave a comment
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
Comments
Very cool game! I love the variety of strategies for different play styles. I was bad at platformer fighting so I burned the Sorcerer to death.
I feel like you shouldn't have to click on the blocks though since the Swordsman is already there. Also, changing the font would be an easy yet significant visual improvement.
Overall amazing game!
Hi ExplosiveJam!
I know! I am so regretful I slotted in the text changes with TMPro and even had a new font picked out, but unfortunately it just slipped my mind before the submission :/. 48 hours and all that. Also, others have commented on how the physical aspect of the block connecting mechanic should work, and all of it is well received. I can't wait to improve on this game! Thanks for the feedback!
Best,
Brandon from TheIndieDream
Clever idea, and it's great to make the decision to attack, sever connections, or make your own. However, I had a lot of difficulty moving a character this fast (end up flying over platforms instead of on them), and wall-sliding hurt me more than helped. No-one else is saying this, so maybe it's just me?
Hi metabloxer!
I am glad you think the idea is cool, and I am sorry you had trouble with the character controller. I wonder if I can make it configurable somehow... Off the top of my head I can't think of a way where slowing you down wouldn't bestow a significant disadvantage on the player. I will take your input into consideration as we push the game forward, and I look forward to coming up with a clever solution to your problem.
No worries if it was just you that experienced this - Everyone is different and games differently. I want to include as much of an audience as I can, so this is a problem I will surely tackle.
Thanks for the feedback!
Best,
Brandon from TheIndieDream
Great idea and execution. All the essential feedback FX was there which is something I regretted not having the time for in my jam. My main critique's would be that the wall jump just feels a little too sticky. Hard to describe but it just feels off. Also it would maybe be cool if you could transition to either side of the map via the edge of the screen! (maybe with a cooldown or something to balance it)
Hey ryancross!
Thank you so much for playing! I do like the idea of a packman style screen-wrap. Maybe a block you could connect to to get that power!
I'm glad you still found it playable with the sticky wall jump! Character controllers are super tough. We will definitely revisit it in the future and sharpen it the best we can! Thanks again!
Best,
Brandon from TheIndieDream
A neat game with some cool mechanics. I felt the controls were a little tricky and overall I felt the overall difficulty was a little high. Also some of the blocks felt mostly un-impactful such as the speed up or down. The idea that you can give either yourself or the enemy buffs / debuffs was cool but took away from the focus of the game so much that I tended not to go for it. Overall very polished game, nice use of the theme, and I was able to eventually win when the enemy got stuck lol.
Hi JoshuaPelican!
Thanks so much for the feedback! Yeah this game didn't really make it to a balancing phase and I am deeply regretful for it. I'm glad you still enjoyed it even though you found it pretty tricky! Thanks again!
Best,
Brandon from TheIndieDream
I was a little confused about how the different powers work, but I still had a good time running around swinging and hacking at the sorcerer! The AI works nicely too. Good job!
Hi atolbertsmith!
Thanks for the feedback! AI is very difficult for me at this stage in my game development career, so to hear that you thought it was good is an awesome compliment. Glad you had a chance to play and enjoyed it!
Best,
Brandon from TheIndieDream
I really like the responsiveness of the controls, although I feel like an interactive tutorial could definitely do the game wonders, aside from that the game is amazing
Hi fishyladerino!
Thank you for the feedback! Interactive tutorials are definitely something I need to work on, so I didn't have time to put one in the jam. Rest assured the game will have a much deeper tutorial system when we ramp up production in a few months! Thanks for playing!
Best,
Brandon from TheIndieDream
Unique Game with an surprisingly deep combat for a jam and a super tight movement system.
Hi SuperSalteGames!
Thanks! I appreciate the kind words. I was quite pleased with how the combat system was executed as well!
Best,
Brandon from TheIndieDream
good, so *** good
Hi Makarov Inc.!
Thank you for your comment! Really appreciate the enthusiasm, good luck in the rest of the jam!
Best,
Brandon from TheIndieDream
Pretty nice concept, and fun excecution, very satisfying to land hits! I did find picking up "links" was somewhat finicky, and as other have said the powerups were slightly underwhelming. Overall, good job!
Hi Diatere!
Thanks for the feedback! Yes I am fortunate that the community has suggested several ways to improve the linking mechanic. When we bring this game into production we will be sure to improve the feel of that mechanic. And of course, balance will be paramount!
Thanks again!
Best,
Brandon from TheIndieDream
It's a fun game, definitely has some potential. Like other reviews said, powerups did feel a little lackluster. Adding something like invincibility or even double jump. Movement felt nice and wall jump added a bit more flexibility to your moves. I do feel like it would be fun playing this game against a friend.
Nice job altogether!
Hi Cviki!
Oh double jump is an excellent suggestion! I love this pro-sumer relationship, its giving me excellent ideas for how to improve the game. And we are definitely going to implement multiplayer competitive play as one of the first improvements to the game. Thank you for the feedback!
Best,
Brandon from TheIndieDream
Fun game! I feel like this would be a lot of fun to play head-to-head against another player with some tweaking and balancing. I think the buffs/debuffs could have been more powerful. Makes me think of what other kinds of powerups you could include: one that makes your jumps heavier/lighter or even lets you fly around, maybe one that gives you a larger attack hitbox or maybe one that makes you completely invulnerable. Great job with this!
Hi SzechuanSteve!
Those are all excellent ideas and I will be revisiting this post when designing the larger game. I can't wait to make and implement the head-to-head gameplay!
Those are some awesome ideas for powerups. I did think of invulnerability but ended up scrapping it, ironically for what I perceived to be balance issues. I love the jumps heavier/lighter idea, and flying is excellent too! I am very grateful for your suggestions. Thank you so much for playing!
Best,
Brandon from TheIndieDream
Hey, this was fun! I didn't really find myself using the buffs and debuffs all that much, I honestly just found myself parkouring off walls to hit the sorcerer in the air. Then, when he got close to the ground, I hit 75% of his health all at once and won.
The movement and act of attacking was fun. But, the buffs and debuffs were rendered kind of pointless if you just decided to spam your melee attack on the sorcerer. Overall, it was really fun and I enjoyed it, just wish the buffs and debuffs were incentivised a bit more or were more meaningful. I haven't seen any other fighting games in the jam like this, so kudos for that! I'm not entirely clear on how it fits within the theme, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Good job!
Hi beanc16!
I am glad you enjoyed it and found it unique. I have gotten a ton of feedback that the blocks don't help all that much in fighting the sorcerer. Balancing will be a huge focus going forward.
As for how it fits the theme, "joining together" your block and buff blocks, or your opponents block to debuff blocks, changes the dynamics of the fight. It would have been more obvious if the blocks were essential to winning. My bad there.
Thanks for playing!
Best,
Brandon from TheIndieDream
This is one of the most fleshed-out games I've played.
The gameplay feels solid and well-made. The idea is absolutely genius IMO. The art is really good for a 48-hour game jam. There's really nothing I can complain about too much.
Absolutely stunning job. Well done
Hi mvn!
Thank you so much for the kind words! We did not make the game art ourselves however - There is a plug for both pixel artists on the game's page. You should check out their work, they are amazing!
Glad you enjoyed the mechanics though. Thanks for playing!
Best,
Brandon from TheIndieDream
I loved it! The system was a fun take on the genres. I also loved the ways I could stick to walls and slide around. The music was also amazing!
Hi Darthbeeblebrox!
Thank you for the feedback! I am glad you enjoyed playing. The wall sliding mechanic is one of my favorites too! It makes you feel like a ninja. Glad you liked the music as well - I will let our sound engineer know you were a fan!
Thanks again for playing!
Best,
Brandon from TheIndieDream
Exactly what I was thinking, it was like a magical ninja game but quite unique!
I quite liked the gameplay. The movement felt responsive and the buff/debuff game mechanics are pretty original and fun to play around with. It was a bit unusual that in order to interact, I had to stand close and click on top of the block I wanted to interact with. Also, the visuals left something to be desired. Regardless, neat game, there's some potential here!
Hi LordOfLemon!
Thank you so much for playing and for your feedback! Someone else mentioned that activating the blocks was unintuitive as well. I think in the final cut I will want the player to be able to use a gamepad, so I will definitely need to do something about that mechanic. I appreciate your comments!
Best,
Brandon from TheIndieDream
The concept is great. I like the buff and debuff can be connected as we want. I like that you can still jump when on the wall. However, I think that the control is a little bit confusing as you need to move your mouse over to the block even if you are already near it. It's my personal preference tho, but you should consider add option to change the jump to [W]. Anyway, good luck on future update. Good job!
Hi oathmilks!
Thanks for playing and for your feedback! In future iterations I will definitely let the player rebind controls. The command pattern is something I need practice with!
I do want to point out that W serves a function currently - you can do an upward attack by holding W and clicking. It makes placement of your wire-cutting strikes a little easier. If that mechanic didn't exist, I totally would have just bound the jump to both buttons!
Thanks for playing!
Best,
Brandon from TheIndieDream
Curious system with (de)buffs. You could change cursor and add animation when you hover it on blocks to make it more obvious. Or just pick a closest block to player and make connection without hovering a mouse to save some time. Pretty clever mechanics!
Hi SurWeaver!
Those are both excellent suggestions! I can't wait to put this game into further production. I think I will definitely choose between those two ideas and put one in. Extremely helpful feedback! Thanks for playing friend!
Best,
Brandon from TheIndieDream
I liked the game. I didnt understand the blocks system. But really cool.
Hi Alxito!
I'm sorry it wasn't more obvious! I'm glad you played and found it interesting!
Best,
Brandon from TheIndieDream
Very interesting concept! The fact that swinging your sword locks you into place made it quite tough, and I'd liked if the sorcerer creates his connections himself, just like the player. Quite fun still :)
Hi Ennea!
Thanks for the feedback! Yeah with the time constraint and my noob AI skills, I figured it would be more achievable to have the Sorcerer sort of randomly connect blocks from afar. It's actually the reason I made him a magic user - to hide the AI's shortcomings through artistic choice!
I think in the future I will make AI smart enough to physically connect and disconnect blocks, I agree it would be a massive improvement. Thanks for playing!
Best,
Brandon from TheIndieDream
This is a really polished game! The sprite work and mechanics are amazing! I would definitely love to see this developed into a full game post-jam. Nice work!
Hi UA!
I fully intend to bring this game to post-jam full game. Feel free to follow us here on Itch for updates on that! I'm really glad you played and enjoyed the game!
Best,
Brandon from TheIndieDream