itch.io

I really enjoyed the concept of this game—falling asleep during that crunch period of a game jam is super relatable, haha! The visuals of the game really took my breath away when I first entered the dream world; the pixelated 3D visuals were just absolutely incredible, I loved the look and feel of them so much!

They also did a wonderful job of capturing that fuzzy, difficult to fully discern feeling that a dream gives you, I think it was an incredibly clever touch. I had a lot of fun exploring the scenery, walking around each level and taking in the sights, I think one of my favorites was the painting that had a duplicate of it next to it, but the duplicate had sunglasses and its tongue sticking out? It really nailed that dreamy, surreal feeling, I loved it!

I had a little trouble with the platforming, it felt like the speed when jumping would be a bit inconsistent, and the jumps were a little precise, especially with the smaller objects I had to jump on in a later level—and I had a couple moments with the larger platforms where I'd either barely make the jump, or barely miss it, and slip off the side of it and fall off, having to try again from the beginning. That could just be a "me" issue, though—I'm admittedly not the best at platforming.

With everything said and done, my main issues with the game aren't particularly significant and could just be a matter of personal taste. I really enjoyed the game, the atmosphere and feel to it was so fascinating to me, I feel like I'll definitely be coming back to it to walk around the levels and recapture the feeling of that dreamlike atmosphere once again! Excellent job!

Hey, thank you so much for playing my game, and for your insightful commentary! I'll be keeping that in mind going forward with any future game projects—we didn't have much time to test My Beloved Ridley, but that's definitely a great point with the dialogue boxes.

I originally wanted them to instead be on a timer and disappear after a set amount of time, but the deadline crept on us pretty quick and we weren't able to do all the fine-tuning we wanted to do, haha.

1. Hi there! What's your name? Want to introduce yourself?

Hey! I'm Simon. Before I started getting into game development, I focused primarily on digital artwork! I ended up easing into pixel art a few years back, and it gradually drew me closer and closer to game development. I realized making a game was a big dream of mine, so here I am, trying to learn the ropes so I can hopefully make something awesome in the future!

2. Did you participate in the last jam we held? If so, what do you plan on doing better this time? If not, what's your reason for joining?

I didn't! I hadn't discovered this jam in time to join the prior event—but I'm excited to participate in the summer jam! I've been trying to join game jams so I can learn more about making games and utilize the knowledge and skills I develop later on, and this seems like a really cool and fun jam to participate in!

3. What games are your favorites? Did any of them inspire you, or made you want to make your own?

Some of my favorite games are Final Fantasy VII, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Um Jammer Lammy, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky!

They've all played some part in making me want to make games—Final Fantasy VII has made me want to try my hand at a JRPG in the distant future, while Symphony of the Night was what made me form the idea for my primary big passion project, a Metroidvania game.

The unifying factor between them all are the vivid, evocative feelings they inspire in me. Whether it's the simple satisfaction of "getting into the groove" in Um Jammer Lammy, or the iconic and emotional scenes in Final Fantasy VII or Explorers of Sky, all of these games have made me really feel something, and in turn, they've made me want to make games that inspire that kind of emotion in others!

4. Do you have experience with game development? What did you do/with what engine?

Very little! I've done artwork in a team for two games made for two separate jams (Character sprites for a short visual novel, game sprites and concept artwork for a short Metroidvania), and solo development where I created original artwork, writing, and programming for a visual novel made with Ren'Py. I'm still very much a novice with the program, though.

5. Tell us about something you're passionate about!

I am very passionate about making characters and telling stories—I love putting a heart and soul into a character regardless of how prominent or "important" they may be to a narrative. There are so many people with countless different experiences and personal stories out there in the world, and I think it breathes so much life into your creations to reflect that through acknowledging the rich inner world of everyone you run into.

6. What are your goals for this game jam?

I think it'd be awesome to make something with a new engine, maybe Godot (which I am trying to learn as a "main" engine) or RPG Maker! I'm not sure how practical it would be for the scope of this jam, but getting some experience with developing a Metroidvania would be awesome, haha.

If I can't make something outside of Ren'Py/with a different program, I'm hoping to at least get more "advanced" with how I utilize it—maybe making a visual novel with branching paths, or multiple short routes! Even just learning some more snazzy effects would be great, haha.

So wholesome and cute, it makes my heart flutter! The letter writing mechanic is incredibly fun and creative, a perfect fit for the format of a short and sweet game! Would definitely recommend anyone that hasn't already go and give it a play—it'll bring a smile to your face for sure!

Incredibly well-made, I absolutely adore the cute premise and clever puzzles! I'm not the best at puzzle games or much of a puzzle gamer, but this had me hooked and determined to see it through to the end—and I'm so glad I did!

Thank you very much for giving my game a try! I had so much fun coming up with all the dialogue and designs for everybody, so I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the writing and artwork! I'd love to build on the demo and fully flesh out the concept when I have the time :)

Hi there, sorry for the trouble! I'm a bit of a perfectionist so I'd prefer to keep this under a password for the time being—if you'd like to give it a look, you can use this password: whatintheworld

I hope that helps! Feel free to let me know if it gives you any other issues!