itch.io

I have a soft spot for a good puzzle game and you have some clever and complex puzzle logic going on here.

Figured out what I needed to do and have been going at it for half an hour so far and not finished it yet.

I am going to enlist the help of my sister and replay tonight after she finishes work.

But I'll give a review here for the jam now since I played a good chunk.

I think it's pretty good given the small time constraints afforded by jam. I mean you took time to make a unique UI and build the complex puzzle so that's great.

Don't think anyone can question whether it fits both the theme and limitation, so that's nailed.

Special kudos for working in a team also. I always respect when people get together and get a game over the line, especially in such a small amount of time. Great work guys!

Thank you, yes it is the RM2K stuff. :)

Warning  that by following me your itch feed will get clogged but I do appreciate it and I'll follow you back and of course check your game out too.

Just a coincidence, I have not seen that video.

I think because there are so many billion people worldwide, the internet being so accessible and a lot of people wanting to express themselves by creating content then the chances of making something truly unique that has never been done before is very difficult with so much out there already.

If you are interested I am challenging myself to make 1 game per day in this engine to see how much I can do with so little time and pressure to make something different and playable each day.

As you alluded to in the other post you created on the actual game page, the game does actually end up trolling you but if you go to the wiki page link on the folklore that inspired the game then you will get why I made that somewhat questionable design choice. 

Either way, thank you for playing the game, I appreciate it :)

Thanks for playing and the insight :)

If you just keep playing the game and avoid the monster as long as you can, there will be a twist to the tale.

I don't want to give away too much because of spoilers :)

It depends what engine you are using these in.

If you are using the RPG Maker engines then try this:

Try holding the 'Shift' key as you are placing the tiles.

This is a mapping technique called 'Shift Mapping'. 

It basically alters how the autotiles are handled.

It's good to see you still making lots of games. Keep up the positive energy!

This is a real gamechanger!

As a third party, I can confirm the game is safe to play since I already downloaded and played. The reason it is .exe is RPG Maker VX Ace packs everything together upon deployment unlike MV/MZ that compresses all the data and asset files into a zip.

Some nice touches here.

Not made a project in 2k3 myself for a hot minute but you made some cool stuff like animated battlebacks and things that I didn't know were achievable in that engine.

Having played both Paradise Blue and more recently Dungeon Antiqua, I can for sure see the influences on your game here.

But I have to tell you, this game to me feels a lot harder than both those games and I got stuck at the start fighting too many OP monsters. Not only their levels, but 6 of them fighting my level 1 team was a bit overwhelming.

I may come back and have another go at some stage but this is a really cool old style RPG and I appreciate you making this.

Ah, that makes sense then.

Yes I understand this is not the final build but if you make a few minor changes and some QoL improvements, this game is shaping up nicely to be a true masterpiece.

I would buy the full game in a heartbeat, but unfortunately I am not in the best financial position at the moment but I can certainly wishlist and try support you in other ways.

Thanks for releasing this demo, I had a real good time!

Thanks very much for the answer!

I got that XP, Gold and stats initialized every rebirth and that was to be expected.

I could have sworn that all upgrades reverted to level 1 as well, but I may have read it wrong. I got the XP and Gold bonuses with the blessings and I am sure they reset to initial level, so I may have encountered a glitch there.

Regardless, I am very much having a great time with the game. I have reached level 20, and going to grind the demo some more now.

I do have a suggestion though - you should tag your game with stuff like 'souls-like', 'dark' and 'atmospheric' etc to drive more traffic to your game and grow your audience.

Played some more and really loving it.

The Reborn/Rebirth mechanic adds an interesting dynamic to the game.

Can I get clarification on this - as far as I could tell, Reborn cycles do not stack. As in it is only worth Rebirthing once as rewards do not roll over to the next cycle as I expected they would do.

Gorgeous graphics and UI - you've captured the dark, grim and grungy vibe very nicely indeed.

The gameplay, sense of progression and balance are all well done. I played for ~30mins for reference.

I couldn't see an option to save the game, so will have to start afresh for the next run.

Could be improved with the character facing each aberration they are currently attacking to add authenticity.

In the options - 'Languaje' needs to be changed to 'Language'.

'Rebirth' is a better word in context than 'Reborn' IMO.

Really good and enjoyable game. I am going back to play again later.

8.5/10

Thanks Neils4 for hosting the jam and I enjoyed making my game for it!

It's a real shame that itch doesn't notify you when someone you follow publicizes a game jam, since if you did host another jam I would for sure join up.

As for ideas I think maybe broaden the game type/flavor a little more since even though it was fun to make this type of game and experiment with new ideas I hadn't realized before, I am not sure if I would commit to making another one of these types of games.

Perhaps a more general Lovecraftian type experience on the theme with the creator free to make action/RPG/survival horror, text-based adventure game at their own will?

IDK what do you guys think?

The game is colorful and has similar vibes to the game 'OFF' that was created in RPG Maker 2003.

The font you used is bit heard to read, but on the other hand it is very quirky and I do like it - very unique and it fits the game well.

Cool game, I hope you keep making more games :)

Thanks for checking out the game :)

Love the chance to control a flying character, it makes a nice change from controlling a land based being or a geometry shape.

The 3D bee models are really good, as are all the other models.

I struggled with the controls a little and I feel if these were improved on a little, it would enhance the gaming experience overall.

Nice game jam game though - congratulations!

(Google translate English to Russian - apologies if anything sounds strange)

Мне очень нравится возможность управлять летающим персонажем, это приятное разнообразие по сравнению с управлением наземным существом или геометрической фигурой.

3D-модели пчел действительно хороши, как и все остальные модели.

У меня были небольшие трудности с управлением, и я думаю, что если бы его немного улучшили, это улучшило бы общий игровой процесс.

В целом, отличная игра, созданная на геймджеме — поздравляю!

(Переводчик Google Translate с английского на русский — извините, если что-то звучит странно)

This is a really cool and fun concept you have working here and is nicely executed too.

The level design is vibrant, colorful and seems to be teeming with life and things to explore at every turn.

I like all the various interactions but I'm not quite sure what all the stats other than Hunger and Thirst do?

Nonetheless, this is a solid entry with very few bugs and embraces game jam theme in a clever and unconventional way - awesome job :)

Really cute game with a fantastic concept.

You should for sure expand upon it post jam, the potential is all there.

Great work with some inventive physics based puzzles.

I also loved the minimal look - it seemed to fit with the game's vibe in general.

Nice to see some turn-based combat sprinkled here and there too; there wasn't really any other game I encountered in the jam that had that so it was a nice surprise.

Overall cool game but for sure next time try include a web build if possible so you get more ratings/feedback.

I really love the concept and it has a clever gameplay mechanic.

It's almost an anti-platformer in the sense that unlike Mario or Sonic which encourage fast gameplay, here it's patience and diligence; not rushing through the level at breakneck speed that reaps the best rewards. Very refreshing in a way.

Just needed a few more traps, variations and a bit more detail in the level design and this would be top tier for me.

Nonetheless, a super cool browser game which I hope you expand upon post jam. It's really got all the bells and whistles already it just needs more of them.

The illustrations on the cards are very nicely done indeed.

Would have been great to have been finished but there's enough gameplay there to constitute a fair play and rating, but I would have loved a bit more gameplay and a little more explanation as to what's going on at the start.

Cool game though and I love the game's name - definitely on theme :)

I thought the art style was really captivating and I especially like the protagonist sprite, it's quirky and unique.

This is a good game for a jam and a very good game for a first try.

On the strength of this alone I do believe you should consider changing your profile name because 100% you CAN. Unless it's there to be sarcastic or tongue in cheek of course :)

Thanks for the feedback and happy you picked up on the DS vibes.

Next time I do plan to address visual contrast issues, especially with the level design and also the text :)

Thanks so much for playing and the feedback.

I am glad you became absorbed in this dark world. Typical full playthrough is well over an hour for your first time to reach the ending :)

If that were to come true it would be a great honor for me since there are so many amazing games in this game jam - yours included :)

Almost illegally addictive game...

I loved everything - the graphics, the sounds, the fluidity of the gameplay. 

I played a while and managed to get 38558 Score with 3965 bits recovered.

Thanks for making this super enjoyable game.

The only one category I scored low marks on is the theme but everything else was high stars.

PS - Would love a retro chiptune thrown in as background music to improve on an already great experience :)

Brings back memories of early gaming days of yesteryear.

I do love the Mario 2 floaty hover physics and you also have some neat stuff going on with the different mechanics and switching between palettes.

Might just be my touchpad, but for me the firing was inconsistent and unreliable at times but I may come back for another try with my USB mouse and hope it plays better with that.

Regardless, a cool entry. Good job :)

Really good interpretation of the theme!

Gameplay was simple and easy to pick up which is a big plus for me.

I would have played more if enemies were not allowed to appear on top of a stationary player, but for sure this game is super addictive!

Going to have to be honest and say these type of games are not really my cup of tea - BUT... I do really love the aesthetic of the game and the filter used looked great.

Ludicrously addictive and fun turn based card game.

The gameplay feels fresh and there is enough in there to keep it tense and interesting.

Could have used a few more attacking options - both for the player and the enemy, but I think overall you did a good job balancing this for a short game jam.

Very enjoyable game, amazing work :)

Great concept, I like the gameplay a lot.

Visually the game is very impressive with a lush and varied level design.

I did once fall off a cliff and get softlocked behind a tree, so some of the collision detection could do with a tweak post jam.

Other than that, great effort - awesome submission :)

Really awesome, I can't believe you made this in RPG Maker - it looks fantastic.

Early demo I know but I think maybe tone down the frequency of the sound effects when any enemy hits you - I felt like I was in an old woman's cattery when I got cornered by the hell kitties :)

But it has an amazing scope for potential with a bit more work .

I love it when people explore different concepts in RM and dare to venture out of the template - awesome job guys :)

Great to see another clicker game in the jam!

It's one of my guilty pleasures, so of course I had to hit the $1M before I moved on!

Admittedly I did hit the boring rock mostly and found that it was better value for the buck to keep pumping the multipliers.

I only shifted to messing with the booster packs after my multiplier hit 1k and then it was just as a distraction whilst the idle bonuses did the heavy lifting.

My only critique is that although the cards were nicely done, the rock could have been more interesting.

Awesome game overall, really enjoyed my time here.

Now if you'll excuse me I'll go enjoy that retirement. And... maybe rip some booster packs to pass the time :)

The graphics are very cute and the HUD/UI is nice and neat.

It has good potential but the gameplay does need more refinement and fleshing out post jam. 

Good work nonetheless :)

Very charming and easy to pick up.

The dialogue was interesting and the game had a real cozy vibe overall.

The character gave me big Deltarune vibes, so that was cute.

Very fun game and everything worked well together, no complaints. 

You even bullseyed the theme. Great work :)

The birds eye perspective of the game really ramps the tension up a lot, I think that was a great design choice on your part.

As others have mentioned, the game does have some bugs but after reading their comments I didn't find any more surplus to what they found so I won't go over old ground here now.

I think the game has great potential and if you work on the bugs post jam this game will really shine :)

Thanks for playing!

The numbers did bother me too but the workaround I tried didn't look good and I ended up running out of time in the jam to fix it.

Thanks very much and yes - the DS feel to the game is indeed what I was going for so it makes me happy that you picked up on those vibes :)