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A jam submission

Detective HorseView game page

Absurdly short noir point-and-click adventure
Submitted by Perita — 48 minutes, 19 seconds before the deadline
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Detective Horse's itch.io page

Results

CriteriaRankScore*Raw Score
Presentation#34.3534.353
Enjoyment#83.6473.647
Overall#103.5153.515
Concept#123.5293.529
Use of the Limitation#292.5292.529

Ranked from 17 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.

Team members
Only me.

Software used
Inkscape, Audacity, and Haxe.

Use of the limitation
I went more for the theme than the limitation. But you could say that once you close the game everything is gone, so in essence everything is temporary. Does that work?

Cookies eaten
None.

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Comments

Submitted

Quite funny! 
The animations are very well done! The music fits very well for the style and feel of the game.

Developer(+1)

Thank you very much!

Submitted(+1)

(I am now in a rush to test as many games as possible to help, so please do not mind the cursory reviewing style.)

liminal note: I like how you explained your thought process on the game page and gave details. :) (I tend to do that too. I also see that we have Kevin MacLeod as a mutual friend. XD)

Do not belittle your sense of humour, I already felt this would be funny looking at the captures! (right from the start: "long face" pun? Like it XD)

Style is totally in line with the theme indeed (graphics including black and white, silhouette characters, font, music)! (As for the game jam, too bad this is not a criterion, but never mind!)

misspelling "breakthrought" -> "breakthrough"

"glue addiction" XD As I suspected, the game bring a smile to my face and an inner laugh. It’s great.

Even the simple dynamic showing of the controls feels nice (visual + sound). The game feels super meticulous.

You know what? Point-and-click + noir + humour reminds me of "Grim Fandango". Including the music.

"chocked the chicken": did you really mean "chock", or rather "choke"? (I am no native English speaker, but both exist.)

misprint "He may also" -> "He may also have"

"Nevermind." -> "Never mind."

Tried to get a bug and managed to do it. XD Clicked to go right, and then quickly on the fish: I get the dialogue once again, but in the following scene. (Several times in a row before finally stopping, weirdly.)

The puns are really delightful. XD (Glad to have a fair enough command of the English language to have grasped that joke on "ass" and "horse"!)

Back to the fish: meta-humour is always welcome for me. XD And you know what coincidence just happened? I have discovered the phrase "horse around" JUST yesterday through the Theme Slaughter Round of Ludum Dare 51. XD

Haha, really loved the goofy/absent-minded personality of the horse up to the end!

Takeaway: the style and writing were amazing. This is already really funny, but could really become a proper full point-and-click, with more gameplay and content. (By the way, I realize the "Sometimes it can be a small object." warning was moot? XD) Of course, the concept is super classic, but the writing and jokes are really the matter to focus on here; I guess you could still make the gameplay original, possibly even following the constraint, this time. ;)

You made me laugh, thank you!

Developer (1 edit)

(I am now in a rush to test as many games as possible to help, so please do not mind the cursory reviewing style.)

I thought i was putting a bit of effort in my comments to others, although at the end had to shorten them to be able to vote on all of them, like you did. However, your “cursory review” puts anything i wrote into shame.

I really appreciate the time and effort it took, and i will try to improve my reviews in upcoming jams.


I also see that we have Kevin MacLeod as a mutual friend.

He is a good composer, isn’t he?


Do not belittle your sense of humour, I already felt this would be funny looking at the captures!
[…]
"glue addiction" XD As I suspected, the game bring a smile to my face and an inner laugh. It’s great.
[…]
You know what? Point-and-click + noir + humour reminds me of "Grim Fandango". Including the music.

I was a bit afraid that it was going to come off “juvenile”, specially with the euphemisms that the fish guy uses. Also, it is not uncommon to hear people comment that i have a “weird sense of humor”, and not in the good way.

But i am glad that, from time to time, i am able to make others laugh, even if only slightly.


Style is totally in line with the theme indeed (graphics including black and white, silhouette characters, font, music)! (As for the game jam, too bad this is not a criterion, but never mind!)

I think the presentation category covers part of it, and i am surprised on how high i ranked in this regard, given how well others did. Thank you.

misspelling "breakthrought" -> "breakthrough" [and other mistakes below]

I knew i’d better pass the text through a spell-checker, but did not have time for that either. I have corrected them. Thanks.


"chocked the chicken": did you really mean "chock", or rather "choke"? (I am no native English speaker, but both exist.)

I meant “choke”. I am also not a native English speaker, but as far as i know “choking the chicken” is one of these euphemisms i was referring to before. I intended to be a double entendre that the fishy guy was using to mock the lack of details from the detective (“do you know anything about a dead chicken?”), but Detective Horse, as always, did not get it and assumed he was answering in earnest.


Even the simple dynamic showing of the controls feels nice (visual + sound). The game feels super meticulous.

Thank you for saying so. I like to think that i put quite an effort to details, mostly at the beginning when i still did not feel the pressure of time. But what i think i do and what i really do is not always the same thing.


And you know what coincidence just happened? I have discovered the phrase "horse around" JUST yesterday […]

Just in time, then! I also like when i start to see everywhere else phrases that i learned.


Tried to get a bug and managed to do it. XD Clicked to go right, and then quickly on the fish: I get the dialogue once again, but in the following scene. (Several times in a row before finally stopping, weirdly.)

I also found this bug, but half an hour or so before the deadline and had no time to fix it in time. Thanks for reporting it.


(By the way, I realize the "Sometimes it can be a small object." warning was moot? XD)

I was referring to the scene with the whisky shot: I was afraid that the hitbox was a little too small and people would not know what to do once i suddenly gave them control without instructions.


Of course, the concept is super classic, but the writing and jokes are really the matter to focus on here; I guess you could still make the gameplay original, possibly even following the constraint, this time.

I am not sure whether I can make something original, but I would be extremely happy to be able to finish a classic point-and-click adventure game that i can call my own. And, to be honest, i thought this jam’s limitation was too “loose” to really be called “limitation”, so i don’t think i will attempt to include it, if i continue this game.

I want to thank you again for such a detailed comment, and specially for playing my little game! I really appreciate it!

Submitted(+1)

There wasn't really a clear story or any game mechanics, but it's definitely a cool proof of concept! It would be interesting to see what you could implement with more time. The art style and dialogue were both very good, you should continue building on it!

Developer

I am also intrigued to see whether i can really make it “a proper game” with more time. Let’s see what i am able to do.

Thank you for playing!

Submitted

Very liked the music and the realization, sad that very short :( 

But I liked the game. 

Developer

Yes, it is a shame i did not have time to put in more content.

But i am glad that you enjoyed it nonetheless. Thank you for playing!

Submitted

Such a crisp and polished art style! The writing made me laugh, had me hooked from the dropped glass. Does make you wonder how a horse is meant to get a drink around here!

Developer

Thank you for playing and for your nice comment. I really appreciate it.

Submitted

Wow, this is cool concept!! And beatifull art!

Developer

I’m more than glad that you liked the art!

Thank you for playing!

Submitted

I'm so impressed by the excellent noir atmosphere! The art, lines, and music are so in line! SO COOL!

Developer

Thank you very much for saying so! I’m glad you liked it!

Submitted

I really loved the art style, the walking bass line made the atmosphere really work. I genuinely want to see this continued!

Developer

Thank you for your comment!

I really wish i could find the time to continue it; let’s see if i can manage.

Submitted

Well, that was funny. Very fishy indeed! Love the art a lot. Are you gonna keep working on this game? If so, that would be nice. Would love to know about the fishy cat.

Developer

I would like to continue, if time allows it, yes.

Thank you for your nice words, and for playing the game!

Submitted

Hey man no matter how much you did, this game made me giggle and i enjoyed till it lasted. Try to complete it. I'm sure it will be great

Developer

I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for playing!