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ScoreSpace Jam #18 🕹️

Hosted by ScoreSpace · #scorejam

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A jam submission

Binary PlanetsView game page

Control two planets to collect starts and avoid arrows but beware the magnetic fields.

Submitted by lrdazrl — 20 hours, 24 minutes before the deadline

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Binary Planets's itch.io page

Results

Criteria	Rank	Score*	Raw Score
Theme	#1	4.500	4.500
Gameplay	#15	3.550	3.550
Overall	#23	3.413	3.413
Sound	#52	2.750	2.750
Aesthetics	#55	2.850	2.850

Ranked from 20 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.

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Comments

JuulHSubmitted1 year ago(+1)

Pretty good game! It was simple which made it pretty intuitive, but maybe it could use something to keep it more interesting and replayable for longer. I think the stars look a little too much like the other arrows, so something to make that a little clearer would be nice. In case you're gonna implement the on-screen rotation buttons I would probably recommend using the entire left and right sides of the screen as buttons. With that you could also move the circle down a bit so you have more room to spot incoming projectiles from the top. The leaderboards currently just give an error, would be nice to be able to see how well you did compared to others and your earlier playthroughs. I think it could also use some more sounds or some background music.

Overall a pretty decent game, good job :)

Submitted

lrdazrlDeveloper1 year ago(+1)

Thanks for your feedback! You have good comments and I have noted them down for possible future improvements. So far I have only managed to fix the bug with the leaderboard but I might still continue to do some other fixes as well.

By the way, would you like the leaderboard to show all of your previous attempts or just the best result for each player?

JuulHSubmitted1 year ago(+1)

Hmm, I'm not exactly sure, you could try both to see what works best but I think having all your previous attempts might clog up the leaderboard pretty quickly, so you'll have a lot more scores of the same people in there. I personally think just the best result would be best.

lrdazrlDeveloper1 year ago(+1)

Okay! Thanks for giving your opinion. I think your arguments make sense. It’s probably better to only show one best result for each player. Well, that will be easy then. That is how it’s currently implemented.

Nutty StudiosSubmitted1 year ago(+1)

Nice game you've got, It was a really simple idea yet fun and a bit of a challenge as well. Only things I'd say is it's missing some background music. And sometimes if the planets are on the 3 and 9 o'clock positions the arrows can easily come in from the side quickly ending your game (however the player can just counteract that by rotating 90 degrees) so that's not really that much of an issue.

I enjoyed playing it, good submission!

Submitted

Magnet Override

lrdazrlDeveloper1 year ago

Thank you for your comment! Really nice to hear you liked it.

I've think about a lot about arrows getting too close unnoticed and how to prevent that making the game annoying. This issue has been brought up by other players too and it was something that I knew might become a problem even before any external playtesting. At some point I even thought that I might just leave it as a fun strategy point for the players to notice that they should keep the planets on 12 and 6 whenever possible. But in the end I don't think that would be very good solution to the real problem. This is definitely something that I have to experiment with more to find a good solution if I end up trying to improve the game later.

I agree that some music would be nice. Although I don't quite know what kind of music would work the best. In the end this game is quite casual and the real target device (If this were to be a "real" game) is mobile, so I might not want the background music to be too distracting from the gameplay itself. If I have understood correctly this is usual in casual mobile games. Did you have something in mind, how you would like the background track to be in a game like this? Can you think of any music style or example game/song that I could use as a reference?

Ikmal SaidSubmitted1 year ago (1 edit) (+1)

A fun little game. I like the color choices and the UI, its looks good to the eyes. I quite enjoyed this game. Overall a nice submission you got there! ^^

Is it normal that the on-screen button rotates the planets slower than using the physical arrow keys? Also, the leaderboards screen sometimes returns a runtime error and sometimes it does not.

Submitted

I AM OUTTA NOWHERE AND I MUST RUN

lrdazrlDeveloper1 year ago(+1)

Thank you! Good to hear!

It's not intended. Using the on screen buttons should have the same effect than using arrow keys. For some reason I had problems with getting the press end action to work for those buttons and I had to leave to not working state because there was more important tasks on the todo list. I will hopefully fix it after the jam. Leaderboard problem is also a known issue that I have not yet solved. It is most likely related to LootLocker.

Indie SealSubmitted1 year ago(+1)

I like how its very simple and easy to understand, its a fun gameplay. Even though I tried playing with A & D, lol.

Submitted

Asteroid Destroyer

lrdazrlDeveloper1 year ago

Thanks for the comment!

Yes, someone else also suggested that the game should be playable with A and D keys. I might need to add that later. But good to hear that you considered the game otherwise as easy to understand but fun as that was something that I intended it to be.

MM's Gaming CoSubmitted1 year ago(+1)

This was fun, once I figured out what was going on! Great use of theme and fun gameplay!

Submitted

Magnet Destroyer

lrdazrlDeveloper1 year ago (1 edit)

Hi! And thanks for playing and the comment!

What would you say felt the most confusing about the game when you played it at first? It would be really useful if you could elaborate your experience a bit so I would get an idea what parts of the game I would need to improve. Was it the movement, magnetism rules (which color attract/repel which color) or something else?

Also, I did not have time to make tutorial or in-game instructions but there was some instructions on the game page itself. Did you happen to notice/read them before playing or did you start playing right away?

It would be greatly appreciated if you could answer to these so I can improve my game design skills.

MM's Gaming CoSubmitted1 year ago(+1)

I did not read the instructions and just jumped in. At first, I couldn't figure out how to move the planets without the on screen buttons. Also, the on screen buttons move the planets really slow. Then I figured it out with the arrow keys. I would also like to move them with A and D. Then I was wondering what I needed to collect and what to avoid. After restarting once or twice, it was not hard to understand. The instructions on your itch page are clear, I just didn't see them. I would suggest putting where you enter your nickname on the main menu and maybe adding options for volume level or on/off. Hope this helps!

lrdazrlDeveloper1 year ago(+1)

Thank you for taking the time to answer. It is really helpful. You have good suggestions.

Sc0rpiOnSubmitted1 year ago(+1)

That's a really good game! I can see being addicted to it and playing it for hours, especially on mobile. I love the simple aesthetics and the sound effects were nice too. Unfortunately, entering the Leaderboard is breaking the game for me. It gives out this huge error and the game crashes... As a result, I don't know if my score of 120 is any good hahaha. But overall a great submission and great execution!

Submitted

lrdazrlDeveloper1 year ago

Thanks for your nice words!

Yes, for some reason the leaderboard crashes when it is open after playing the game. It works if it's opened first before playing though... No idea what's going on. But I checked you score. With 120 points you are just below the threshold for entering top 10! Current number 10 has 126 points.

EmbraysiteSubmitted1 year ago(+1)

some good duet vibe here, did you play it ?

Submitted

Magnetic Pinball

lrdazrlDeveloper1 year ago (1 edit)

I didn't recognize the name so I had to Google it. I have never actually played that but I have seen some pictures/videos of the game (or similar game at least). And it is actually what inspired me to try creating a game that has controlling two balls on an orbit as a mechanic.

WPG1Submitted2 years ago(+1)

Really fun game and great concept. Would be a great mobile game.

Submitted

lrdazrlDeveloper2 years ago

Thanks for your comment! Good to hear you enjoyed it. And yes, I had mobile specifically in mind when designing the game.

bl4stSubmitted2 years ago(+1)

Got 1rst place :D. I just wish the playing area was in the middle of the screen, it was very stressfull not to be able to see further on the sides / below. Good job !

Submitted

Magnetic Pinball

lrdazrlDeveloper2 years ago

Congratulations! And thanks for the comment too.

I tried to place it mostly on the center but I know there is a little less space on the sides than up and down. Did you feel that it was also not in the middle in vertical axis? Would you consider it better if the whole game was zoomed out a bit? I tried experimenting with this earlier but zooming out also makes everything look smaller on the screen which also makes dodging projectiles difficult. The problem is finding the right balance.

bl4stSubmitted2 years ago(+1)

I felt like there was enough space on top / bottom, maybe just making the resolution something like 10/8 will make room for the ui (20%) below and give the player a square shaped playing area.

The playing area is smaller on the top, so i was mistaken but you can see it here.

lrdazrlDeveloper2 years ago (1 edit)

Oh, you are right. It looks like to not be in the middle. I have to fix that at some point. Also, the suggestion for rectangular playing area is really good. I could try something like that later if I have time make post jam fixes to the game.

Thanks for the feedback!

Tulenväki ProductionsSubmitted2 years ago(+1)

Really nice simple but addictive little game <3

Submitted

Great Attractor - Mass Ejector

lrdazrlDeveloper2 years ago

Thanks for the comment!

Comic and SonsSubmitted2 years ago(+1)

Very very cool gameplay idea. It's quite simple but makes a lot of fun! You made a properly working game in three days. Congrulations!

Submitted

Treasure Hunter XXL

lrdazrlDeveloper2 years ago(+1)

Thanks! I aimed for a simple but (in a sense complete) game that would be fun to play. I had to scope it pretty strictly to be able to get something done with the time that I was able to use for this jam.

ExtroiasSubmitted2 years ago(+1)

Great mechanics, it's really difficult to understand that arrow = same color and star = opposites. Definetily a great prototype for a mobile game. The only thing is the buttons at the screen not working and the leaderboard button not working.

Submitted

lrdazrlDeveloper2 years ago

Thanks for the comment!

The only rule is that same color object repel each other while different color objects attracts each other. But because arrows need to dealt with in a different way than stars (repel vs attract) that confusion might arise. It's good that you pointed it out that it feels complex. I was trying to keep the game relatively simple so I might need to think some ways to make it easier for the player.

For the rotation buttons, I did not have time to get them to work correctly so I left it out from the jam version as controlling with keyboard is arguably easier anyway.

pbjkushSubmitted2 years ago(+1)

Great game and I would love to see a mobile version of it which it seems you pretty much implemented! Great idea and great way to fit the theme only thing that didn't work was the leaderboard button when clicked popped up an error for me and I had to reload my page. But overall, it was a great job!

Submitted

lrdazrlDeveloper2 years ago(+1)

Thanks for the comment!

Yes, I had mobile game in mind while designing the game but I decided to build it as a WebGL because a) I have no previous experience in developing for mobile and b) it provides easier access for others to test the game. However, I have understood that Unity has pretty good capabilities for building for different platforms so I might try build this as a mobile app at some point.

I noticed the problem with the leader board myself too. It seems that it works if it's opened before playing the game, but then afterwards it cannot be opened without crashing the game. I wasn't able to fix it before jam was over. I still don't know what is the issue but I'm pretty sure that there is something wrong with my LootLocker code.

square_itSubmitted2 years ago(+1)

nice submission!

the feeling of magnetism is very well felt.

great idea, the controls are perfect! good game

Submitted

lrdazrlDeveloper2 years ago

Thanks for your nice words! It's really good to hear.

Sapient44Submitted2 years ago(+1)

There was a bit of a learning curve regarding learning the controls . After learning a bit the game is fun and can also be annoying a bit , don't play if you angry really really easily

Submitted

Treasure Hunter XXL

lrdazrlDeveloper2 years ago

Thanks for the comment!

If I can ask, what would you say is the most difficult part of the game / what creates most learning curve? Is it 1) how the balls/planets rotate around the orbit based on arrow keys, 2) how different colors interact with each other, or 3) something else?

Sapient44Submitted2 years ago(+1)

Well it might be a brain fart on the first part for me , that the way colors interacted wasn't really obvious at first since sometimes it was the both of the magnetic fields would make something shoot some of the colors at far higher speeds than expected (I know about elliptical orbits and stuff , still it sorta seemed like the same colors are attracting ) that kinda tripped me up for a bit.
Then the controls had a bit of learning curve since this kind of games isnt usually what i play (this was natural and expected to be honest ).
Once both clicked I got the high score.

HinmanLantern2 years ago(+1)

[My review looks like it's of a pre-final version, for future readers]: Very fun game, nice job! It was hard at first, but once I figured out the mechanics, I slowly got better and my scores gradually went up, which is a good sign for your game design. I kept playing it to try to get better scores on the leaderboard -- so the leaderboard absolutely worked to make me want to play more. This game has great potential, nice work.

Can anyone out there beat Starship111's score? :)

For refining it:

1. Once I play the game, the leaderboard button no longer works (it displays a popup window with a big dump of text, and the game freezes). If I wanted to see the leaderboard, I had to exit the game, re-enter, and push the leaderboard button before playing.

2. There are definitely times when the enemies come out of nowhere (seems to be from behind the orbit, though sometimes I never even see them) and end your game. There are also times when they come in so fast from the sides that there's no hope to react. I would suggest adjusting the range of entry points and starting speeds to decrease this -- as a player I want to feel the game is "fair" and that I have a chance to use my skill on each entry.

Nice job!!

lrdazrlDeveloper2 years ago (1 edit)

Hi! Thanks for trying the game. It is really good to hear that the game was fun to play!

Thanks for the improvement suggestions too! I managed to fix the problem with 2! All the elements come from outside of the screen and also their speed is lower to avoid situation in which is impossible to dodge. The bug with number 1 is more difficult and for now I have no idea on how to solve it. I'm using LootLocker service for leaderboard management (as suggested on the jam page) which I haven't used before. I have probably done something wrong with the setup but I'm afraid I might not be able to fix this before the jam time is over (only 2 hours left!)

I additionally, tried to make the game generally a bit easier at the beginning and also made an adjustment to scoring (player also gains point the longer they play even if they don't collect items). So there is some unfortunate inflation in you highscore. Sorry about that. But you can always try the game again to keep on top!

HinmanLantern2 years ago(+1)

Just tried it again and your changes definitely improved it-- it feels challenging but fair, nice work. I also couldn't let Starship111 go down like that.

lrdazrlDeveloper2 years ago

Good to hear! Hopefully Starship111 manages to handle the competition. Good luck!

Autonoma2 years ago(+1)

Really cool little game 🤗 I only got 40 😂
If I can help you with some comments so:

The arrows sometimes spawns on the middle, between the two planets, and I have no chance of reaction;

The arrows that comes from the sides, sometimes comes on a really high speed (maybe because the attraction), and I had no time to reaction too;

On the title screen, the first button after the "Play" button do not work ): It is the leaderboard?

But it was really fun anyway!

lrdazrlDeveloper2 years ago(+1)

Hi and thanks for your comments. I have now made some improvements to the game and the problems with your first two comments should be fixed. The last one is more difficult. The button is for leaderboard and for some reason it sometimes work but sometimes it doesn't! I have not yet found what's the problem with my LootLocker scripts.

They game should be a bit easier now if you would like to try it again later. And it's easier to score points too! So you would have a good chance to top your own highscore.

lrdazrlDeveloper2 years ago (3 edits)

The development is still in progress but a playable version of the game already exists. If you have time to try it already before the jam is over, I'm happy to hear feedback and ideas for improvements.

~~I will keep the page hidden until the jam development time is over but you can already access the game with~~ ~~password: SS18~~

Edit: I didn't wait until the jam time was over after all. The game is publicly visible now but some last day fixes and adjustments are still going on.