itch.io

"Eat things to get bigger so you can eat more things" is a genre I have a real soft spot for, and you've done a great job implementing it here!! Having the slime leave a trail behind it rather than attacking directly is a really interesting way of interacting with enemies; the creativity is much appreciated versus just having a "Press X to Attack" type of combat system. The art style is amazing as well, both the cutscenes and the actual gameplay. With a bit more variety (perhaps the "powers" idea Aimless Studios mentioned), I could definitely see this turning into a full game. Amazing work!!

Thank you so much for playing, and for all the positive feedback!! Falling off the edge of the world is a known issue, and the only reason it's present is because I added the climbing ability very late in development. In fact, you'll notice that the leftmost wall of the map is not climbable because I anticipated that players would try to climb it. The issue is that I selected all walls on the map, marked them as climbable, then remembered to remove the climbable status from the left most one...only to realize ten minutes after submitting that the rightmost wall needed the same treatment, haha.

Thanks for the compliments on writing and the liveliness of the world as well!! I believe these two actually support each other: because I didn't have much time for traditional content, I tried to fill space and time with the various characters you could interact with throughout the world. I wish I had a bit more time to polish the writing a bit, but I'm glad that it served its purpose!

By the way, I'm excited to try your game as well!! I can already tell you have good taste, seeing as your protagonist is also a little blob creature :)

This is such a cool concept, and one of my favorite things I've played thus far! It's already very fun single player, but I bet it would really shine in co-op, as it's a bit difficult trying to remember which buttons correspond to which side of the worm (especially as the orientation changes). Amazing work!! I think this has a ton of potential for a full release, and I'd love to see an expanded version if you're still interested in the idea after the jam :)

This was a really fun and unique take on the "Survivors-like" genre - most of those have you shooting or swinging your weapon, but I can't think of a single one that makes the weapon part of the arena! And I was really impressed by all the unique upgrades you were able to come up with for your control scheme. I think the only thing I would change/add would be an indicator of where the ice cube was when it goes off-screen, as it was a bit hard to navigate at times. I hope that you continue to expand this after the jam, because I think you have something really special here!!

This was a really great time!! I'm sad it doesn't have more ratings; this is such an inventive concept, and I could honestly see it going much farther than just a simple jam game. As expected, I am very bad at coming up with things to say, even if it's only for a fictional audience. But I think that's part of the fun! I really can't think of much I would change or improve, other than just adding more content. Outstanding work!!

This was really fun! It reminded me of two things: how much I like top-down racing games, and how bad I am at top-down racing games (haha). This is a pretty simple premise executed very well; I'm honestly struggling to come up with many points of improvement (though perhaps that's due to my inexperience with the genre). I absolutely love the style and characters (Charlie Chevron my beloved), the soundtrack's great, the driving felt good, the AI offered an appropriate level of challenge...really, just great work all around!!

It is really impressive to see what you were able to get done in such a short period. Unfortunately, I got to this a little late, so I don't have too much to say beyond what's already been said. Absolutely astounding presentation, but it's a bit hard to get a handle on what's going on, and the cutscenes (while great to watch) further lengthen the time between attempts. I hope I don't come across too negative here; I understand that these issues are likely the result of crunch and can be easily resolved. Overall, great work!

This is such an interesting submission! I don't think I've ever played anything quite like it. And the replay is a masterful touch that really ties the whole thing together (I didn't realize how funny it looked while I was playing, lol). 

The main thing I think could be improved is the camera control - it's a bit difficult to position the camera correctly *and* manage the player position at the same time. If the camera were placed in the algorithmically best position for the incoming projectiles automatically, then the player could focus on just moving their appendages (which seems to be the main focus here). I understand that this was likely infeasible during the jam; the only reason I bring it up is that it's pretty much the only major flaw encountered. Other than that, great job!!

I had a great time with your game! It was really impressive to see how much content you were able to fit in under the time constraints. With a bit of refinement on the controls (I also found it a bit difficult to "rewire my brain" to not hold one direction the whole time), I could see this being the basis of a really unique platformer! I honestly can't think of many things that I've played that have quite the same feel. I also loved the boss fight format, especially how the "timer" was essentially dictated by the length of the level. Overall, great work!!

Thanks so much for playing this one as well!! I've loved this concept from the moment I thought of it, and I've been quietly working on it behind the scenes off-and-on since its release. Unfortunately, there's not too much progress to share just yet; for much of the time, I was busy with work and a bit demotivated in general, as I felt like I couldn't make any progress in game development due to so much time being taken up by other activities. Luckily, my work situation has changed a bit recently such that I think I should have more time for game development, and with the motivation I've gotten from the positive feedback on Oorigenne, the future looks bright!

I'm planning to move forwards on both Oorigenne and ELLA-M in the near future; Oorigenne will probably be the primary focus given the recency and because it's part of an overarching plan I have for a game series, but I'm still going to put significant effort towards getting ELLA-M out and in the best state it can be. If you want to keep track of the development for each project, I do have a Discord server where I intend to post semi-frequent updates: https://discord.gg/qdWZ3mM5Mu. Absolutely no pressure at all to join; I just find this to be the best way of communicating progress without doing something fully public. Funnily enough, the whole reason that server even exists in the first place was to supply one interested party with development information about ELLA-M. That information is currently inaccessible because the "ella-m" channel basically just turned into us discussing our thoughts on various games and topics, so I turned it into a private chat channel, haha. However, I'd definitely repost the development updates publicly if you were interested :)

Also, thank you so much for the compliments on the writing and overall experience!! You don't know how grateful I am to know that my work has affected someone in that way. Given that this game has no traditional graphics or other mechanics, the writing was the primary focus here. There are only a few traditional "endings" (including a semi-secret one where ELLA-M takes a lil' nap) given that most of the dialogue was written between 1 AM and 5 AM, but I'm pretty proud of what I got accomplished overall. Fortunately (for the reader), there are no flat-out bad endings, though some may leave ELLA-M a bit less fulfilled than others. I don't want to give away too much about the overarching story, but I'll say that I don't think it will go the way that most are expecting. Anyways, thank you so much once again for playing, and I hope you'll stick around!!

Blobbert: “So…what do you like to do for fun?”

THE OORB, who possesses no mouth with which to reply: *assorted squishing noises*

Needless to say, I am honored to have my game be a part of this list and I believe the judges should factor its placement there heavily as they make their final deliberations.

…With that out of the way, thank you so much for playing my game, and for all of the positive feedback!! I tried my best to create a polished demo rather than a half-baked but more substantial experience as a way to communicate a more expansive vision, and I think it paid off. The primary issue is exactly what you mentioned: it’s pretty much over as soon as it begins. I’m planning to expand it into a moderately sized full release once the jam is over, so hopefully there’ll be something to look forward to in the future!

I’m not sure if you’re planning on continuing your game, but whatever the case, I’ll definitely watch you and your team’s careers with great interest. And perhaps one day, when everyone least expects it…crossover blob-based romance game. With a Steam release of Silksong-ian proportions.

Thank you so much for playing!! I’ve seen a few people say that they experienced crashes when skipping through the dialogue; I’ll have to do some stress testing on my end to see if I can get it to happen consistently, but thanks for letting me know because I genuinely had no idea it was more than a one time thing, haha. I will note that you getting booted at the end of the game was a poor attempt at creating an ending with minimal time, so if you’re referring to that, it actually was intentional, though not very well communicated.

Thanks for the compliment on the player physics as well! I owe a lot to the physics engine I used, but I also spent a lot of time configuring it to get things feeling like I wanted them to. I’m really happy to hear that you had a good time with it! I’m definitely planning to expand it in the future; that was the plan from the start, but I’ve had so many people ask to see more of the world that I feel even more excited now than before (which I hadn’t thought possible).

P.S. I have played a bit of your game (not enough to rate just yet) but even my little taste was very, very fun. Expect to see some praise in your comments section soon haha

Thank you so much for leaving such a kind, thoughtful comment on my game!! I try my best to leave a fair amount of thoughts on each game I play, but WOW, you are much more in-depth and organized than I am. It genuinely makes me want to try harder when I write comments; this level of detail and dedication really means a lot to people because it shows that you genuinely care about their success. First off, I just want you to know how much I appreciate it!

I am very pleased to see that you picked up on the primary motivator for many things about this project (beyond the elements of necessity, which played a part in the minimalistic art style). My mind immediately went to many of the same ideas that I see in the submissions today - slipperiness and cool guys doing cool tricks. Competing head-to-head with all the talented people pursuing these themes would have been a tall task, especially as a solo developer. However, I thought that maybe, if I went "blue ocean" and zigged where everyone else zagged, I might stand a chance. It was definitely a risk, but it's one that I would be glad I took even if the reception had not been so positive, as this sort of game is much more suited to my tastes than the "infinitely replayable" style you often see in jams.

On the topic of positive reception: thanks for all the praise regarding the various aspects of the game! I was partially inspired by development advice I've heard for commercially released games - rather than creating a rough implementation of the whole game to validate the idea, make a really polished 10 to 30-minute "demo" that really sells what you're going for. Mine ended up much shorter due to time constraints, but I believe the same spirit is still there.

Much of the time went into getting the physics to feel both fun and "realistic" in regard to how it fits into the world. Sound design was a major part of this as well; I wanted to make really sure I could sell the idea of an alien creature in an even more alien world. While I think the fun aspects of the game and the mechanics could definitely use some improvement, I'm proud to say that the way everything feels (minus the bugs) is pretty much spot on to what I was imagining when I conceptualized the idea.

I also really appreciate the positive feedback on the writing; creating stories/worlds is my favorite part of making games, and while I didn't have time to make an actual narrative like I would have liked, I hoped that the character writing would provide a splash of color (ironic, considering the setting) and make the world feel more fleshed out than it truly was. I only had time for a single pass, so I'm glad to hear it turned out alright in the end!

I have been so honored and humbled to see all the people asking to see more of the world I'm creating, and I definitely plan to continue iterating on this idea. I haven't been able to stop thinking about this project since I first conceptualized it, and I'm very excited to see where it could go.

On the topic of your personal note: this is something I struggle with in real life as well (shocker, right?). In fact, it's taking everything in my power not to apologize for apologizing right now, haha. I typically have a much better handle on it, but I guess subconsciously I was just so worried I'd chosen the wrong path and somehow "cheated" my players out of a better game that I thought I needed to make up for it in some way. Thank you for your advice; I'm going to take it to heart.

Thank you so much for playing my game!! I'm very happy to hear that you're interested to learn more about the world, and that you're following Winlo's advice to "let someone else know". Given the limited time I had to create the demo, I had to lean hard on the dialogue to imply a much bigger world/universe than what was actually implemented. I wrote a lot more than what was featured in the demo, so rest assured that there *are* answers to all of these questions; you might just have to wait a bit to see what they are ;)

Thanks for the compliments on the movement as well! I spent a lot of time getting that right, and while I'm still not fully happy with it, I'm glad that the work seems to have paid off based on all the feedback thus far. As for the colors: there are several more that I had fully designed that did not make it in, and each would allow you to traverse the world in different ways and access new areas (similar to the current ones). I'm currently re-evaluating how this system will look in the full release, but whatever happens, expect some surprises!

Thanks again for all the feedback!!

Thanks for playing my game, and the compliments on the style!! If you got booted at the very end (after talking to Winlo)...that was actually intentional. I didn't have time to implement a traditional win screen (nor did I think it would really fit the vibe of the game/world overall), so I put a character there to act as a stand in for it. In fact, that's why he's called "WIN"-lo in the first place, haha! I definitely think I could have made that clearer, though, given more time.

On the topic of bugs, there are several that I know of right now: being able to climb up the right side of the stage and jump into the void with the green powers, as well as some sorting issues surrounding the one-way platforms' implementation. Please let me know if the bug you experienced was different from these; that would be really helpful as I work to improve it! No worries if you can't remember it, though :)

Thank you so much for playing, and for all the positive feedback!! The writing + atmosphere was definitely the main focus, so I'm very glad to hear that you enjoyed that aspect. The right wall being climbable is a known issue, and a great example of why you shouldn't implement core gameplay features 30 minutes before submission (haha). The funny thing is, I *knew* it would be an issue and made the far left wall (at the ending section) non-climbable, but it completely slipped my mind to do it on the right as well.

I love hearing that you think the idea has potential! The consensus thus far seems to be that people (generally) like what's here and are disappointed to find it ends so quickly. I was enthusiastic about the project *before* the feedback, and seeing the reception has only got me all the more motivated. I definitely plan to continue updating it after the jam!

I've also been interested in trying your game ever since I saw "BP Pellington". I'm not even typically a fan of the top-down racing genre, but with names like that, it must be good. I have a few others on my list first, but I plan to try your game out soon. Thanks again for playing!!

I don’t typically play games in this genre, but you’ve executed everything so well here that I can’t help but have a great time with it! Everything about this game oozes personality; I especially love all the little powerup animations and the way that they speed up over time. The amount of stuff that you were able to implement in such a short time is seriously impressive. I definitely think a more fleshed out tutorial would go a long way here, but other than that I’m having a hard time coming up with any criticisms. Great idea and even better execution!!

I really liked your game! The song was amazing, and the art style (*especially* the main character) reminds me of mid-2000s edutainment games, which is so very unique and charming. I also encountered the "no hitbox" bug that some other people did, but I was more grateful than frustrated because it allowed me to put the song on loop haha. The pulsation of the screen was a bit disorienting, but I honestly think that added to the overall experience. And the upgrade system was very interesting and fun to progress through as well...needless to say, great work to both you and your wife! Definitely let me know if you choose to expand it :)

I had a great time playing your game! It reminded me a little bit of games like diep.io; taking a simple gameplay loop and adding an upgrade/progression path is a tried and true formula, and it works extremely well here! I also really like the ricochet mechanics and would be interested to see what you could do with arena design to capitalize on it. Great work!

Thank you so much for playing my game!! I've been very surprised (and happy!) about how many positive comments that I've gotten about the art style. I'm solo with no artist, so the style was chosen 100% as a necessity rather than as just a design decision. I've grown more fond of it over time, though, and I think I'll try to stick with it as I work on this project in the future. And yeah, the physics system carried the aesthetics of the main character a LOT: I wasn't even going to pursue this project due to the complexity of implementing soft bodies like I wanted to, but I found an engine that replicated the effect I wanted exactly.

I'm glad that you enjoyed the movement! That's by far what I spent the most time on. There's a lot of stuff I didn't get to implement, and a lot of stuff that *is* in there but never comes up (ex. you can use the force of impact from landing on the ground to give yourself a little height boost if you time your jumps right). Unfortunately, I didn't get to explore much of this in the time provided. Thanks for the compliment on the level design as well! You touched on the exact balance I was trying to strike; it's currently pretty underdeveloped for my liking, but I'm glad you enjoyed it even in its current state!

I'm very interested to play your game, by the way. It seems like such a cool and inventive concept! I've had my eye on it for a while, I just need to find the time to move my setup somewhere more isolated (no way I'm letting my family hear me embarrass myself trying to come up with things to talk about, haha).

Thanks again for playing!! Sample is definitely the right term here; I think with even just one extra day, I would have been able to make something much more substantial, but alas...anyways, I'm glad you got at least some enjoyment out of it even in such an incomplete state! I loved Bulbo's Belief System, so the comparison here means a lot to me as well.

I'm excited to continue working on it, and it's very nice to see that you see a lot of potential here as well. Also, I think your final sentence touches upon an interesting point: two people given the exact same starting point and resources would go on to make entirely different games from each other solely based on their individual tastes and personalities. I think that's part of what makes jams (and game development in general) so interesting. Each time you play a game, you're getting a little peek into the mind of the person that made it.

Overall, I guess what I'm trying to say is I really appreciate the feedback, and I hope you'll check it out again once there's something a bit more substantial here :)

in my containment chamber. straight up "blobbing it". and by "it", haha, well. let's justr say. My Blobbert

(Sorry, I've always wanted to use that copypasta) Such and fun and genuinely inventive game!! One of my favorites from the jam thus far. I had a real Portal-esque a-ha moment when I stopped visually checking which keys I needed to press and began to navigate more on feel. At times, I even forgot I was using a keyboard at all, which is a testament to how intuitive and well-designed this control scheme is. I encountered a few bugs (and like another user, a crash at the end of the game), but I understand that this is virtually unavoidable under such time constraints.

The one place I think it could use a teeny bit of work is on the communication with the player (mainly through visual/level design). I was stuck on the fish tank section for quite some time because I did not notice the hole in the ceiling, which seemed to kind of blend in with the surrounding walls + page. Additionally, and I fully admit that I may have missed something, but I did not know that Blobbert's goop was flammable until messing around a bit in the final room. I thought the fire would kill me, so I avoided it and likely skipped what was supposed to be the tutorial section for the mechanic.

I hope I'm not making this seem like a bigger deal than it is; these are seriously minor issues in an otherwise outstanding game. Absolutely amazing work to everyone involved!

Thanks so much for playing!! The minimalistic style was more a practical choice than an artistic one, given that I'm solo and have zero artistic ability (haha). I'm glad it worked for you! The sound design was very fun to work with as well; I've touched on it a bit in other comments, so I won't talk about it at length here, but it was a very fun learning experience, and I'm glad it turned out as well as it did. The visual effects for the main character are actually a product of the physics system I used (QuarkPhysics by erayzesen), so I can't take any credit there.

As for some of the issues you mentioned: the level design was one of the last things implemented, and basically just consisted of me cloning the floor platform and placing it at various angles around the game world haha. The pit section was a pretty ham-fisted way of implementing the original idea I had for the world to change as you progressed as a result of your interactions with it; I immediately wished I hadn't included it about 15 minutes after submitting when one of my family members played through it and was confused by the exact same thing. I apologize for any wasted time at that section :)

As for "Z"...the one and only reason for that is that the only dialogue-based game I've played on PC is Undertale, which uses "Z" for all interactions. I use exclusively arrow keys, so I never stopped to consider how inconvenient it would be to use Z if you opted for WASD controls. And it would have been so easy to also include "E" or "Q" in addition...I have no logical/design explanation here, it was just a complete and total brain fart lol

Anyways, thanks again for playing, and for both the critique and encouragement!! It's very helpful to see where other people experience issues, as the way I interact with the game is much, much different than the way other people do (which I think goes for most projects).

Left a rating a couple of days ago but didn't get a chance to leave a comment till now... I love this concept so much! Funnily enough, I was originally working on a mouse-based battle system extremely similar to this one (minus all the cool visual effects) before the project grew out of scope and I moved to something else. I didn't get very far, but I got far enough to say that I really like your implementation, and I also love how the bullet patterns are designed in such a way that they encourage different types of movement for different enemies. Combine that with the art and music and the tightness of the gameplay loop... I think you have something really special here, and I'd love to see it expanded if you decide to work on this in the future. Amazing work to everyone involved!!

The initial system actually had you painting the ground itself, which would add color to the world and allow you to place effects at precise locations for use in the future and allow you to place effects next to each other for a kind of “combined” effect (i.e. speed paint next to bounce paint allows you to keep momentum and launch further). Though I’ve never played it myself, the original intention was for an almost “Animal Well”-like system of discrete “tools” (the paints) that you could use and combine in various situations to come up with your own solutions.

The “mixing paints” idea you had was also a consideration after I realized that the above would not be feasible with the time on hand. I had intended it to straight up combine the effects, as they were designed in such a way that most would combine without issue. But then I realized I wouldn’t even have time for all the base powers, much less the combined ones lol.

Now, this discussion has got me wondering if there’s a way to combine the two systems. Hmmm…definitely lots to think about. Thanks for this! Never would have considered it without your ideas/brainstorming :)

Thank you so much for playing!! I had originally intended for 7 color effects for all of the main colors of the rainbow (ROY-G-BIV) that were all unlocked in a Metroidvania-esque style, so we are definitely in agreement that that system could use some expansion. In fact, the originally intended paint system extended far beyond (and dare I say, was much more unique and flexible than) the simple “powerup” system present in the current version. I’d definitely love to explore all the things I could do with it given the chance to make a full release. Additionally, your comment about the game seeming like the start of something is the consensus of pretty much everyone whose played it, which is pretty good evidence that there’s a lot of room for expansion here :)

Thanks for the complements on the movement and sound design as well! I had to learn a lot about soft bodies and implement a lot of “character controller” things that are typically handled by the engine due to my use of a custom physics implementation, and I’m very lucky that I was able to settle on a final product that felt relatively good to play. I believe it could still use some refinement, but in my opinion it works well for the purposes of the jam. I’m also particularly proud of the sound design; I have literally zero experience with it, and was fortunate enough to  find/create a group of SFX that worked shockingly well to convey the alien world and the “gooey” properties of the player character. The movie WALL-E (and a documentary in its sound design) was a big help here as they discuss how to use unconventional sounds to “sell” certain effects with no real world equivalent.

…Perhaps that’s too much information, but I like sharing (and oversharing) about my process in the hopes that it will be helpful to other developers who might come by this thread. Thanks again for playing and for the positive feedback!!

Apologies for the late reply! Paradoxically, the nicer/more impactful the reply is to me, the longer it takes me to write because I’m afraid I won’t be able to adequately convey how grateful I am.

And even with that extra time I still don’t think I can do it justice! I guess I’ll try to explain where I’m coming from. I don’t join jams to win or compete in the same way that (I assume) many others do; my goal is always to take the theme, use it to force me to come up with a unique narrative or setting idea that I wouldn’t have considered otherwise, then try to make something as impactful as possible. In my eyes, if I receive even one comment like this, I’ve succeeded at what I set out to do.

I have a similar view on the role of games as experiences; my favorite games and genres extend beyond just being fun to play and lean much more heavily into having a lasting impact on the player (and perhaps even the way that they interact with the world around them). This is not to minimize the role of fun or the people that design games solely for this purpose; that is a very, very important part of the equation, and I realize that my focus is firmly in the minority here.   However, in my eyes, the most successful games are those that reach through the screen and pull the player into a new world/narrative with such force that that person is forever changed. I don’t claim to have done this with Oorigenne, but I hope to at least have gotten a couple steps closer towards this (admittedly lofty) goal.

I also wanted to let you know that you actually caused me to see my own game in a new light. Your interpretation of the player character’s malleability in contrast to the more rigid shapes of the other characters extends beyond my simple  “well duh yeah Oorbi is not from their universe”. Though unintentional, this interpretation actually fits well with the role of the Oorbs’ in the game’s universe as agents of creation and change. And this is yet again why I love comments like this, because people engaging deeply with a work (mine or otherwise) offers so many interesting new perspectives that I’d likely never explore on my own.

I so, so wish that I could respond to each of your points/compliments in turn, but I don’t want to make this post too much longer than it already is, so I’ll try to wrap things up relatively soon. Firstly, I’m incredibly happy that you played my game, and even more happy that you enjoyed it and it had an impact on you. Secondly, if you’d ever like to talk further about any of this stuff, please don’t hesitate to reach out on Discord. Thirdly, thank you so much for posting about this game in the server - it is extremely heartwarming to see that you feel so strongly as to publicly endorse it, and if I can give other people this same experience based on your comment, I would be overjoyed.

And fourthly, about the possibility of a future release, while I don’t have much to share on it at the moment…I don’t think you’ll have much to worry about on that front ;)

This is the part where I reveal that “TIME CONSTRAINTS” is actually the literal name of the overarching villain of the game who has absolutely no relation to the concept of having limited time available to perform a task (jk lol. Unless…?)

Thank you so much for playing!! Your complaint is a common one, and a sentiment I share as well: the amount and depth of content on display here is pretty lacking. It’s more like a taste of something larger (perhaps much larger) rather than gameplay that stands very well on its own. As I’ve touched on elsewhere, this was a deliberate and unfortunate decision I was forced to make. I had a very clear vision of where I wanted the game to go and what I wanted it to look like, but not enough time to implement everything. It likely would have been more successful (and arguably smarter) to alter the vision for the purposes of the jam, but I felt so excited by the idea of the original that I decided to focus on atmosphere and personality.

On that note, thank you very much for the compliment on the personality! I’ve mentioned in the Bigmode Discord that SPM was one of my big inspirations, particularly in the writing department. It’s one of my favorite games of all time (my first ever “story game”, as a matter of fact), and I’ve always been a bit bummed that there’s not much in the same vein in terms of platformers with a strong emphasis on dialogue and narrative. I don’t think I have the skills to match it quite yet, but to even be compared to it is a big deal for me haha.

Thanks again for playing, and for the kind words!! I’m excited to try out your game btw, been eyeing it for a while lol

First off, thank you for playing! If you're talking about the abrupt cut back to the title after talking to the final character...yeah, that's unfortunately intentional. I didn't have time to implement a proper ending, and I had intended to fade back to the title screen after talking to that character...but I ended up finished that section with like 8 minutes to go, so I just immediately restarted the game instead. Apologies for the confusion!

Thanks for the compliment on the vibes/feel! I've mentioned it elsewhere, but adequately conveying the vibes of my initial vision was my primary goal once I realized I wasn't going to have enough time to implement everything that I wanted. I'm really glad that (at least based on the comments I've received thus far) I was mostly successful! Getting the player controller feeling right was also a high priority, and I'm glad that shone through as well.  Definitely check out some of the people mentioned in the credits of the game, as much of the vibes/aesthetics can be attributed to them (namely, the base physics system and music).

Anyways, this is getting long (who would have guessed?), so I'll end it here and just say thanks once again, and I hope this game had a positive impact on you! I'll be sure to check out your submission soon :)

Thanks again for playing! I really appreciate the honest style with which you provide critiques. As I believe you mentioned on stream, I can definitely tell it's coming from a love for the craft and a respect for your fellow developers :)

I'm also very glad that the main complaint thus far seems to be that it is too short and that people wanted to explore more; putting 3/4 of the content on the chopping block was a very tough decision, but given the feedback, it seems like there might be a decent bit of interest in an expanded version. Anyways, thanks again for the feedback! It means a lot coming from another blob-type game developer lol

I had a great time with this one!! Someone else mentioned that it reminded them of Punch Out, and I think that's what makes this one so fun: it's a simple set of mechanics executed extremely well, which is exactly the same idea behind many of the NES classics. Everything beyond the game design is great too! I loved the music, and the art is an obvious high point as well. The keyframe animation style is also very stylish and unique! Honestly, I don't have much critique for this one...amazing work!!

Words can't describe how much I love this comment (however, this will not stop me from writing a novel-length response). I am so, so glad that you enjoyed it, but I'm even more glad that you realized what the intention was here. While I don't think I'm quite capable of a 10/10 game just yet, I was definitely trying to make this seem like a small slice of something much larger. To hear you say you loved it means the world to me, because the main reason I make games is to try against all odds to give people the same type of experiences that made me fall in love with games in the first place.

Also, very glad to hear you liked the dialogue (shoutout to my GOAT Wally). That was definitely a major focus, along with controls and SFX to create the type of atmosphere I was going for. I hope to eventually expand out from this little slice into something much more substantial, so if you still find yourself wanting more, there may be something to look forward to in the future (no timeline yet though).

...okay I did say I was going to write a novel but this is getting ridiculous so I'll just end it and say thank you so much for this comment and for playing my game!!

I'm sad that this one doesn't have more ratings! Such a fun idea and the execution is immaculate across the board (i.e. art, music, SFX, user interface design and clarity). I would absolutely love to see this expanded with more puzzles if you guys continue working on it - I used to play a lot of first person puzzle games like this back in the day on CoolMathGames, and I'll always have a soft spot for the genre. The handwashing puzzle was incredibly clever btw, loved that part. Amazing work overall!

I didn't really know what to expect from a slinky-type game, but WOW this was really fun!! It honestly reminds me of Goat Simulator in a weird way, likely because of the sandbox level design and wacky controls. I honestly feel like this could work great as a full release, even with only the mechanics that you have here: the world design is so incredibly strong across the board that I almost can't believe it was made in less than two weeks. I also love the fact that the idea was created because you misread the theme lol. Outstanding job!!

This was so much fun to play! I definitely think I spent the most time on your submission out of all the games I've rated thus far. It's such an inventive and clever mechanic that I could honestly see a full game made out of this with minimal changes. In fact, I sometimes forgot that I was even playing a jam submission at all!

I don't have too much of an issue with the paint disappearing quickly, and I really appreciate that the ammo is effectively infinite with a cooldown; I felt that it gave me a lot more freedom compared to if I had to pick up recharge packs or something. The only thing that I think is a genuine design issue is the fact that the "afterimage" of the player that the time travel mechanics works with is not included in the camera, which makes it hard to time certain actions when you get going really fast.

Overall though, that's a minor blemish on an otherwise awesome game. Amazing work!!

Thank you so much for playing! I'm not much of an artist, so I'm glad that the minimalist style seems to have hit well enough with most people. And to be honest, I was kind of worried that the connection between my game and slick would be tenuous at best. I just knew that I wanted to do something different from the typical interpretations. I'm glad you liked it!!

P.S. Spring Theory is a killer subtitle lol

I liked this a lot! Running over the zombies and whacking them with the barrel of the tank felt great, and I can tell a lot of work went into the effects in order to bring that feeling to life. I honestly had more success using the barrel as a club than I did shooting with it, haha. I also really like the aesthetics and the little details you added, like the treads leaving a path in the snow behind you. 

I'm not very good at mouse and keyboard controls, so getting around was a bit of a struggle, but as other people said, I think that adds to the fun (to a point). I know it's a skill issue, but it was a bit frustrating to feel like I couldn't really control where I was going. If you continue working on this project, perhaps you could add a tutorial stage that makes sure players have the basics down before letting them get into the rest of the action?

That's a pretty minor blemish, though; otherwise, great work!

This is the first game I've rated thus far, but I honestly don't see anything topping this for me. It's like you reached into my brain and crafted a game specifically for my tastes lol. So, so funny and the writing was amazing overall.

I love the effect where the music becomes clearer when you walk into the club (though a fade in would have really sold it, I understand this wouldn't be high on the list of priorities given time constraints), the DJ interjections, the art, the manga section, the bathroom sound clip...honestly, I could write an essay about all the little details that I appreciate about this game, but I'll try to keep it short and just say I love everything about it. If this team ends up releasing anything in the future, I'll be there day one lol

Thank you so much for playing, and for the encouragement!! I wish I would have had more time to flesh things out as well. Once I realized that my time was going to be severely limited, I had a choice to make: a small slice of my vision for the full game, or a less polished but more substantial experience that focused on gameplay over atmosphere/story. I’m a writer at heart, so I chose the former, but time will tell whether that was the right decision. Thanks again for the kind words!

Yay! I'm very glad it worked :D

Thanks so much for the positive feedback! I'm glad you liked the dialogue; as I've explained in other messages, I tried to make sure that the writing was as polished as I could make it given the lack of content elsewhere. I completely agree on the dialogue skipping (and generally faster dialogue scrolling across the board) would have gone a long way to helping things feel smoother. Unfortunately, that sort of nuanced refinement is the first thing to go during crunch time...

Anyways, thanks again for playing!! I'm working right now, but I'll plan to check your game out when I get a break :)