itch.io

Visually it looks great, it also sounds great. Folding space mechanic fairly straightforward in being able to grasp how it works with some uncertainty as to what ends up folded and what doesn't. Resulting in a lot of trial and error. Puzzles are fine -- I don't like puzzle games so I can't really comment; actually don't like 2D platformers either :p.

I think switching between WASD and SPACE for character movement, and then the mouse in order to fold space is awkward. I have no solution for you, it is what it is -- maybe a button to toggle between character movement with WASD to moving the folding space reticle with WASD. I mention this in that 2D puzzle platformers in order to do well on Steam need to be exceptional in all areas; otherwise they will not sell well. Can't have any sticking points or hope that players will overlook weak areas of your game. 

So with the controls being a bit awkward as you have one hand -- my right -- moving from space to the mouse in order to fold space, well that to me is awkward. Also, does this have controller support? Any 2D platformer should have controller support and be completely controllable with a controller. So in my opinion, your folding space mechanic would need to be handled with a controller as well.

Your core gameplay loop is broken. Carts only go as fast as the first one, it sets the pace for all the rest unless you have longer wait times between them. Liked being able to adjust their speeds as they were going around the track but again this is hampered by the speed being set by the first cart on the track as it goes around. Maybe if the work day were longer, you would have more time to pace out the carts, but, that could get boring as there is no management going on by that point.

I think I like the idea of having to get a quota of carts out per day, with you then having to manage their speeds manually as they go around the track. Lots of micro-managing of the carts to make sure they go fast when you need them to and slow when you need them to do that. How to effectively achieve this I'm not sure I have any ideas on, but, I do feel that perhaps the track is too long as is. Takes too long for those carts to do a complete loop.

Regardless there doesn't seem to be any negatives to having a huge line or not adequately meeting the needs of the customers. Wasn't even any negatives for carts hitting each other. In the end I was able to send most of them off on slow carts and still get 1338 satisfaction points with the customers happy.

Post-process effects like bloom would be a nice touch that elevates the graphics. I would change the graphics of the ships to feed into the bloom by having light borders instead of dark ones. Think tron. I would have bright particles for explosions, along with a shockwave effect when ships detonate -- with a nice juicy sound. You might consider screen shake for when the enemies explode near you; may or may not improve the juice of the game. The UI font is terrible, hard to read nor does it do anything to set the atmosphere of the game. It looks far too comical.

Shield mechanic should make the enemies flee, I literally had it on for too long and drove them off of the screen. Had to spend a lot of time dodging projectiles for them to finally appear back on the screen. This just wasn't fun. It is also too powerful the way it is, in that if just tanks all those hits and can be used to destroy enemy ships when they come to close. The shield needs a cooldown or some kind of limit where the gets depleted and then needs to be recharged over time, maybe via collectibles -- energy that is picked up from ships that have been destroyed.

The AI needs to be improved, in that all it does is charge at you when you are shooting and then flee once a shield is on. Lastly, shooting doesn't feel good, it lacks juice. You need better sound effects and probably particle effects to make it clear how impactful they are. I also think that the player shoots are too slow; maybe these get upgraded to being faster, but I was never presented with the option as those appear randomly. My feeling is that their base speed is too slow, they should be quicker than enemy bullets with the enemy ones slower so as to be easier to dodge.

There may be an issue with difficulty progression with the puzzles due to the environment being a large nonlinear puzzle to solve -- really it is a set of linear puzzles to solve, just gets confusing as to what order to do them in. Basically the first puzzles are easy to solve and then it ramps up steeply.

FYI I don't normally play these kind of games, I have very little patience for them and get very little enjoyment out of them; so I didn't play all the way through to the end once I was stumped by my way forward being too unclear as to what to do next -- I made it to Area 3, accidently fell into an area that I could not jump out of; no way to reset. 

Too many puzzles available without it being clear to me which needs solving first in order to progress further. That may be a me thing or you just have the difficulty ramping up too quickly. As far as content for a demo, I'd say you have that but you need to work on pacing as you are presented with too many puzzles to solve in order to determine their sequence of solution needed to progress.

As far as presentation, generally the visuals are fine. I would experiment with post-process effects like bloom and such in order to elevate the visuals without making the scene harder to read. A lack of sound is a hindrance as it fails to set a mood for the game or draw you in immersively -- simple set of sounds for footsteps, block moves, puzzle control interaction, ambient environment sound or music, would make the experience more enjoyable.

Thanks for playing the game and providing all your feedback. Really appreciate it and will use it to improve future builds!

The cosmic horror element is a new addition and I'm still working on how best to portray this in the demo along with the rest of the game. It may be that it won't come across with the demo at all but definitely is double downed in the full game. The plan is to have you be the bad guy in the game and not have that change -- it's one of the marketing points of difference for the game. 

I'll have another look at movement speed and sprinting to address concerns regarding pacing; not sure I can improve much as it really is a pacing issue to do with the tunnel section of the game -- which everyone remarks about. The issue with the menus feeling glitchy has to do with implementing controller support in Unity. Not sure how much I can improve it, but I will give it a go. Not sure what the on exit bug could be with it hanging, doesn't do that for me and I feel if anything it is a Unity issue and may be solved by using a newer version of Unity -- maybe. One of those things where I can't do much about it as it has to do with the engine and not my game code.

Again, thanks for playing. Glad to hear that you mostly enjoyed it. Will definitely watch the VODs when I get the chance to.

QUESTION: What did you rate my submission not having been able to play it?

Pretty sure you can just ignore that. It just doesn't know the software creator so thinks it is suspicious. There is no malware or viruses being detected.

FYI others have downloaded it and had no issues. This is just a YOU problem to solve.

https://itch.io/jam/feedback-quest-8-indiegames-x-indie-streamers/rate/1704229#c...

FYI: new build of the game up, adds TAB quick exit of inventory even if something is being viewed like a map. Also tweaks gun mechanics. Lots of bug fixes, etc.

Thanks for all your frank feedback. Sounds like you had a horrible time; and you hated absolutely everything. If you get the chance it would be great if you could provide a link to the VOD as it often provides more context to written feedback; though yours is pretty clear with some interesting design suggestions. Not sure I'll implement them all at this point -- some of the UI stuff is a pain to do in Unity and have controller support -- but I will consider your suggestions. The gun mechanics definitely will get a rework, and inventory quick-exit will be added. Sorry for that game ending bug, thought I fixed it but evidently I have not.

Thanks for playing and all the frank feedback!

It seems the gun mechanics are a sticking point for people so I'll see what I can do to tweak that, along with the other areas of the game you listed regarding menus and using them. Was already aware of it but having to look at that code and get it all to work again after changes fills me with apprehension. But it is clear from feedback that it needs to get done.

Again, thanks for playing and all the feedback you gave; really appreciate it. Will watch the VOD once I am able to.

Thanks for playing the game and all your feedback. It is very encouraging to hear, especially when you've played your game over and over again and nothing surprises you anymore. Definitely will look at making the tunnels more tense an experience, but it is what it is by this point unfortunately. Regardless, great to hear that you liked it so much and I will definitely watch the VOD of you playing it as soon as I get the chance too.

Liked the stylized graphics for the sheep and ribbons. Would help if more of the art matched each other, like for instance the grass texture wasn't a photo but something stylised as well. But overall it still worked and looked good.

Sound was minimal but still effective at giving you feedback along with the visual prompts as you gained in scoring. Music would have been nice but I didn't really miss it not being there.

Tutorial at start was kind of helpful but there may need to be more helpful prompts as the player plays the game rather than front loading it.

Hit some failure page that told me to reload the page. I took that as my cue to stop playing the game.

Overall though I found it somewhat confusing at first -- kind of a game you need to play to get better at and learn all there is to it -- I still found it a fun enjoyable kind of breeding sheep management game. Kind of a browser game you could play to kill some time whilst at work or school.

Thanks for playing the demo. Really appreciate all the feedback and it seems like you genuinely had fun playing it; definitely needed to hear that!

The issue with the map as viewed from the inventory and not being able to quickly exit to the game world I'll definitely see about fixing. Might weight for more feedback about the shooting mechanics before seeing what I can do differently there to improve it. I'll also look at making the island map more varied, it was one of the first things I did so there is scope for improvement via a revisit.

Again, thanks for playing and writing up all your feedback!

Not really, I'm no UI expert. But, you are lumping all your UI stuff into the 1 corner of your game, you could move stuff to the other corners of the screen so that it isn't all cluttered into the same corner. After doing this you then need to decide whether the scale of these items needs tweaking if it still is too large and blocks too much screen real-estate. You have to strike a balance of UI readability and it not getting in the way of the player playing your game because too much of the screen is blocked by it. You have to also decide what does and does not need to be communicated by the UI. But I would say first step is moving stuff into the other corners of the screen to see how it improves, then tweaking screen UI element sizes. Doing that should likely be enough to improve things. 

Thanks, hopefully that will help me figure out what's going on.

Nice game. Great art (and sound) would have been more impactful with animation for your character, even if you did single frames for each action - one for idle, one for move, one for jump. I'm surprised you've used python, been a while since I've come across a game done in python. As the other commentator said, you should consider something like Godot for a 2D platformer.

Nice metroidvania game. Liked the art and animations. Nice axe mechanic to make the gameplay stand out. With the default window that opens, the UI is far too large. Found the enemies not sticking to one side too challenging as they race about avoiding hits. Perhaps make them slower or stick to one side of the player to make them easier to kill. But, maybe this is just me.

Really liked your game even tho it wasn't a metroidvania. I have no issue with the AI art at the start even tho everyone else apparently does. It gave me an Office Space (1999 Mike Judge film) vibe. Thought the prologue was really well done. I would like to see this project at least prototype the metroidvania aspect. Think a metroidvania set in an office or the corporate world would set it apart from the rest, especially if it has humour to it like the prologue. Maybe do that for the next MVM super edition..?

Nice platformer, especially if it's your first game as the other commentator noted! Good range of mechanics with competent enemies. Didn't like that you couldn't attack whilst jumping. Also, I'm not a fan of having space for jump. The issue is that I always find moving right (W) and jumping (Space) awkward as I use my thumb for both. Not sure there is a fix for it as it is more to do with how I play and possibly not an issue for most players. But good job overall! 

Do you remember what the error said when you tried to run it? Might help me trackdown the cause of it.

Weird, you're the second one to report a similar issue. Not sure what is going on as it is a Unity 3D thing and so far impossible for me to replicate.

Did you extract the folder from the zip file or did you try and run the game whilst it was still compressed inside of the zip file?

Windows will let you open the zip file like a folder and browse the contents, you can even run the exe, but it will fail.

Thanks for rating the game regardless and the positive feedback based on the video.

Thanks for playing and for the detailed feedback. Really appreciate it.

I agree the stamina is not clear or well implemented yet, which has been raised by others. I find it frustrating myself. I also feel the tunnels are just not fun yet -- too large to explore and no story stuff in there yet. Combat could use some additional work too. 

The amulet you're supposed to put on, and once you do you can speak to the skull in that room (unless it is missing). Seems this isn't clear, perhaps I need to force equip the amulet once you pick it up.

I'll try and give your submission a play before the voting ends. Unfortunately I am going through a lot of personal stuff at the moment and it's hindering what I can do around this jam. But again, thanks for playing and for the detailed feedback.

Thanks for playing and for the kind words. Not sure how much you played but it does at least loosely fit the definition of a Metroidvania according to the wikipedia page linked to for the jam. It could be stronger to that effect, and hope to make it more so in the future.

Thanks for the feedback! You can actually sprint in the game, but it is tied to stamina. Don't think I've made the entire thing a clear as it could be. Combat is a bit clunky but bit stuck on how to make it better for the moment.

What kind of error? Did it say something specific? When did it happen -- did the game launch at all?

Oh, and thanks for the positive comment! Wish you could play it too.

Thanks for the quick reply!

Ok, I'll have a look at what the regulations are for itch to be sure. I'll try and replace the censor bars by at least removing nipples or putting on coverings. Not sure I will get around to it as I'm kinda burnt out on pixel art and need to start implement the content in game, along with, finishing off updating and adding code -- I'm a one-man team at the moment.

So the censored version of the ones that would be problematic (I think):

So I'm working on a pixel-art game that will make use of Tarot cards, but reimagined for the game. I've completed a fair number of them and wanted to clarify what constitutes nudity as far as this jam is concerned. They aren't lewd but artistic, but I wanted to clarify by showing censored versions of what I mean below -- I'll do it in a follow up post in case the censored version need to be removed.

FYI If they would be problematic in their original form, then I can endeavor to not make use of them for the Jam and use others instead, or, I can just use the CENSORED versions. However, I would prefer the original as it has a clear artistic intent and meaning to them being that way.

EDIT: so that you understand the context of their use, they are to be used in an old project I am working on for the jam: https://bjicorp.itch.io/as-above

Thanks for the positive feedback!

I thought the deal with Twitch is that if it isn't extreme, and the point of the game is not NSFW content in that it is something that appears in the game but is not the point of the game. And in this case it is artistic photos that are very pixelated that appear on the wall. That Twitch isn't going to have a problem with it. Anyway I've been meaning to implement a system that replaces such textures used with kittens and puppies if you would prefer for things like streaming. It's probably getting to a point where that is necessary.

The enemies are actually all hitscan, so their attacks are just raycasts. There is a delay as to where they will shoot. So if the timing is right you can "dodge" attacks. I'm considering replacing it by having them fire projectiles instead. So I might do that when I update the enemy AI to give them a bit of a cooldown before they attack -- to aid with stealth gameplay; should potentially make them a little less aggressive.

Anyway thanks for playing!

Without a voting period, there is no incentive for people to play and provide feedback on the games. So far I've had 1 person provide me with feedback when I'd usually get at least several.

I know the voting is kinda BS anyway, but I tend to enter jams so as to get feedback from people, and that usually comes from the voting period -- how you get rated for categories via voting is usually helpful. Plus, I believe you can have categories like: fun, design, aesthetics, originality, etc. You don't need to have ultra specific areas tied to your jam or some theme that people can vote and provide feedback on. You can use the voting categories to get an impression of how your game comes across to people and where your weak areas may be.

Thanks for playing and the feedback!

I'm moving it towards being a bit of an immersive sim (stealth) game. Those systems are kind of half baked at the moment, as I haven't overhauled the enemy AI yet. But you can actually sneak around and what you do is either more or less stealthy. The light actually affects how you are detected too -- you can currently shoot most of them out. So the idea with the start is first playing sneaky and attacking enemies from behind where you get a damage bonus if you are close enough. There is also an SMG nearby, if you run and open a secret door. 

But having said all that, I do recognize that a lot is not being adequately communicated yet about the gameplay, and some of the mechanics may need to change -- like being able to shoot whilst leaning. The start of the level is likely more difficult than it should be as it is basically the second of what will likely be three levels. Plus, I have played it so much I know all the secrets and stuff so it is very easy for me.

Anyway, I'll give your game a play once voting begins and give you some feedback.

I'm still waiting on someone running the jam to comment on this, otherwise I will be submitting my existing project once I've finished my update work.

Can I keep going with my last Metroidvania Month Jam Entry?

I can assume that this is a no, but I'd like to keep working on my last Metroidvania Month jam submission: As Above.

I've reached a point where I have a couple of projects I wish to continue working on, I'm not interested in coming up with any more for the time being. I don't care about winning jams, I just use them to force me to work on projects and to get feedback on projects. It would be great to just be able to keep on working on my last Metroidvania Month jam project, as there is still a lot to do to get it to a point of it being a complete demo.

My case for this is based on this rule:

3. Incomplete games are accepted, I would like to see them evolve if it's a project that you'll continue. So don't stress to make a complete game! But your submission should be playable.

I have not submitted the project to any other jam other than the last Metroidvania Month jam, and just want to continue on the project as part of another Metroidvania Month jam as I didn't manage to get a complete demo of what I was aiming for done in the jam timeframe.

Pretty sure I had weapons and couldn't attack until in range...

Wow, some dickhead rated my submission 1 star for one area, and 2 stars for everything else. If you're reading this: thanks DICKHEAD! I'm sure your game was utter rubbish.

for everyone else that reads this: I'm just so sick of these idiots you have to put up with in jams.

You can only attack when next to an enemy. You should be able to attack whenever and see the attack animation and result. That way you can figure out weapons prior to having to use them.

Nice retro aesthetics. Would have preferred the character sprite just hard flipped rather than had a transition. This is kinda part of a greater issue arising from it using grid-based movement, in that if I try and line up the next move and I am too early, regardless if just by a little bit, that move is ignored. So it ends up not feeling responsive to player input. I also think that you should be able to attack whenever you want, not just when an enemy is near. This allows the player to test how it all works along with get a feel for it. For example, did not know the axe is thrown and never returns. You have to go pick it up whilst effectively being unarmed. Personally, I think it should be thrown but once it hits something or goes as far as it can, it just returns instantly back to the player -- that's kinda how old games handled it, like Gauntlet. Still fun pixel-art dungeon crawler!

Interesting use of AI generated art along with TTS. Definitely something to put into a portfolio, but I wouldn't want to play it long. Clicking through lots of TTS speech is not fun, though technically interesting -- the generic TTS voice doesn't add to the game's atmosphere. But the real issue is navigating your menus. Nothing made it clear that X was the button needed to select options. I was pressing all manner of buttons before I figured that one out. Also, when navigating the world via choices, nothing lets you know that you have progressed to a new area. It always looks the same, nothing lets you know that you have indeed gone someplace else until you press X and bring up the options of where to go. The combat needs more work for feedback too. But as I said, this is an interesting project to have in your portfolio, some things just need to be made much clearer.

No, not yet -- will add gore decals and such in the future; tho I'm not aiming to be Brutal Wolfenstein in gameplay. Thanks for playing!