This is a really cool concept! I love the atmosphere this game is dripping with and the idea of a rogue-like stealth game is something that I'm surprised isn't explored more often. The robot's AI is simple but works very well and the way the level is broken into distinct areas means that it's not impossible to escape which I like. The design and animation of the robots is also really solid and impressive that you managed to make it during the jam. Overall a really cool entry! I'd like to see where you take this project if you continue to work on it.
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A Better Future's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Audio | #69 | 3.545 | 3.545 |
| Game Design | #133 | 3.455 | 3.455 |
| Graphics | #138 | 3.636 | 3.636 |
| Overall | #159 | 3.265 | 3.265 |
| Theme | #174 | 3.182 | 3.182 |
| Fun | #244 | 3.045 | 3.045 |
| Innovation | #297 | 2.727 | 2.727 |
Ranked from 22 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 are the only person able to bring a new beginning to the world after it's apocalypse. By using the end of the world to bring about a new beginning, and a new chance for life to thrive the end becomes a new beginning.
Did you write all the code and made all the assets from scratch?
Code yes, I only made some of the models such as the robots, the scrap and the machines not in the factory-levels
Comments
I am so sorry, but I don't like this game. It's not fun to say this, and my goal is not to hurt you. I can clearly see you have put time and effort into the game, and you do clearly also knows something about how to make a game. If I didn't had a feeling you could have made something even better, I would in no way write this negative criticism of your game.
So what do I think is wrong with it. In my eyes the game is mostly put together with things you have found on the internet, plus a few things you have made yourself. In it self there is nothing wrong with this, but when you do this, I would expect you to have done something else that could have made the game amazing. But if I would have removed everything you have not made yourself, then there is a game about collecting scrap and avoiding some robots. Again, by it self this could be an okay idea. But when you first realizes that it does not matter when you getting killed, because when this happens the only consequence, is that the game restarts and you have at this point not lost any of the collected scrap. I had not played for very long before I begin to collect a few pieces of scrap and then I walked directly up to a robot to restate the game. This was of cause not very fun, and I could have chosen to play it another way, but nothing in the game made me really want to do that.
So what do I think is the reason it went wrong. I actorly believe you was really ambitious, and I think you wanted to make something amazing. You still knows that the time was limited, so you decided to go for a simple gameplay idea, and build the game world with things you could download from the internet. The idea sounds good, and you could have made an amazing game this way. But by downloading most of the meshes to the environment, you decided on making a pretty big map with a lot of details. To putting this together have taking a lot of time. When you then also have spent time on making some cool robots, machines and the crap, there is no longer much time to make some fun and interesting gameplay. And the sad part is that I nearly not saw any of the machines you have made.
How do I think you can do it better in the future. I think you shall keep being ambitious, but I will strongly recommend to start focusing more on the basics. A great rule is, if you start making a game that is fun without the visuals, sound effects and music, then you have a high chance of making a really fun game, especially when you also put all those other things into the game. I would also in game jams recommend to make smaller worlds with less details.
When all that is said, you have actually also made a lot of great things here. Let me here list some things you have done well:
- The train/factory level design is overall really detailed and well put together.
- The robots looks amazing, and your animations looks so cool. Their AI is pretty good for a jam game, but it was also really difficult to get rid of them when they first have seen you.
- The change in music when a robots sees you is also super cool and is working super well. Sadly the intense music did not seems to disappear when the robot no longer is behind you. But this is really a small issue.
- The controls is also good, but they are also pretty basic for a Unreal game. And again there is nothing wrong with it, so why change it.
Now I have only one more complain about this game, and it's that you are using Unreals eye automatic exposure. The issue here is that every time you look at the scraps lighting particles in a dark area, you are getting blinded and you can't then see anything for a long time.
I really hope that I haven't been to rough on you, but I just think you could have made something that was even better. When I see what you have made here, I really believe that you have the potential to make something that is really amazing.
Good luck and I am sorry if I was to rough.
Submitted
This is the endHello! Thank you for your detailed reply!
First of all, you are not too rough. This is the kind of feedback that I value the most as a game designer, and I am very happy that you took the time to write such a well written review. You make some really strong points, all of which I agree with myself! I would like to address some of the things you've written, not as a way of defending myself, but more to explain my thoughts behind my choices perhaps!
But you know, you don't have to read it if you don't care ;)
Your first nail on the head is that yes, I get way too ambitious when making games, and they often go way out of scope. This is no exception.
I will say, the thing's I bought online was the level assets, and then I downloaded the sound effects and music. The scope of the game was already very big on the Monday, so I was in fact panicking a little bit about how to get the level done in time (and yes, this should have been the point of returning to the notebook and do something else). The level I used in the game is not done by me at all. It's actually the default level that came with the pack (with a few minor tweaks to block off exits that I didn't want). But you are definitely right in that if you scrap that from the game you are left with a very very basic game.
As for no consequences for getting caught, It was a hard decision to make. I knew that the AI was hard, so it felt bad for me to punish the player for losing to an AI that was hard to escape from. They're slightly faster than the player, and they were supposed to be easier to get rid of (but I have no idea why haha) so rather have you lose everything I just gave the scrap collected a penalty (something that I realized I should've communicated more clearly).
The exposure thing is a rookie mistake :S I haven't used the light system much. I would've spent more time on many things but I work a full time job so I only had like 2-4 hours per day to work.
Once again, thank you so much for your review. I will carry this with me to the next game jam. Not a lot of people spend this time on game jam games and I am honoured that you did that for mine. Thank you.
What the graphics broooo!!
I rated your game :)
Here is my game plz rate this- https://itch.io/jam/brackeys-9/rate/1933204
Submitted
CuRu BenThe game is extremely well made, especially for a 1 week jam, i also created a 3D game myself so i know the extra effort to get it right. The gameplay is good, pack with suspense and the enemy really give you a feeling that you are getting chased by something powerful and scary.
While i love the atmosphere, but i think its better to tone down the light and fog effect, in dark place my whole screen literally turned black and i cant see anything, the dense light fog also obsucre my vision, not to mention by PC could barely run it at 15 fps i guess lol/
Despite that, i still manage to enjoy it alot, keep up the good work
Great game, I really enjoyed it everything about it was good, although when i collected scrap and got caught it said i got less other than that is was fun!
Submitted
The End Of The NarratorNot bad! I encountered problems with lighting, automatic exposure settings rendering me frequently blind~
Submitted
Vegetable is AliveExcellent game! i couldn't fully test the stealth mechanic, but seems pretty nicely done.
Submitted
Truck-Kun Isekai CollectorHaha I know, the original size was 1.5 GB before I had to start cutting stuff out. I tried to optimize a little bit but I didn't notice the size until I packaged the project.... 1 hour before submission time. I could definitely have re-used some more materials and deleted some un-used ones for sure!
The entire reason I submitted 1 minute before deadline was becuase I tried to cut down the size as much I could, lesson learned I suppose XD
But thank you for saying that!
I liked the apocalyptic atmosphere of the game! It can be better If the camera moves more smoothly(because of motion sickness.)
+) Robots are so scary and my favorite place is home sweet homee
Submitted
Tie The RopeReally nice stealth game. Was a nice challenge to go through and try to get scrap. There was a couple bugs with the game giving me less scrap than it was supposed to + being able to build the same thing over and over but the overall game was great and the motivation to keep doing runs was there. Music and the art was great
Submitted
Chrono HorizonBruh, The game is fantastic. Fur the lights did you used Lumen? They are really good.
Submitted
Wait I was there two seconds agoIts a really cool game! I loved the audio and atmosphere. The only thing that seems a little bugged is sometimes the tutorial messages will be displayed on top of one another. Otherwise, I thought it was a great game!
Submitted
Hushed Casket
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