itch.io

Fun little game, like a bonsai version of Crusader Kings!

Hey, thanks for playing!!

If you'd like a hint: Take the rope coil to the photo spot (in the same room).

Yuuuup. We did our best, but my gods, four days is not enough to make and balance a game.

Thank you for the QA and for the kind words about the aspects of the game we WERE able to finish- it's appreciated!
- Mal

...oh boy, yeah, getting photos with the OK button is NOT supposed to happen. As is a lot of the bugs you've mentioned- MP is supposed to be completely hidden/unused, the items are not supposed to be below the player, etc. etc. etc.

We had to completely rewrite the game from scratch over the last like four days of the jam because our original game file got corrupted. That explains some of the balancing issues and the utter lack of polish- the dang thing just isn't done. We're going to keep working on it and polishing up the mechanics in particular-- but thank you for the feedback on the mechanics!

Thanks for playing!

Thanks for your feedback! 

The font issues were *absolutely not* intentional- we're rolling out a hotfix now. Should be fixed by the time Hythrain gets to us, haha.

Combat systems, and tutorialization, are still definitely a WIP. However, the clean and less-than-ruined state of the *yellow* bathhouse is intentional. :)

Thank you again for the kind words, and for playing our game!

not yet but were gonna give it a look after work lol

ill keep an eye on naif dash then. its sick af

- lorcan

Hi, fellow RPGMaker dev! It's nice to see another one of us out here!  

So,  first bit of feedback: the splash art is fantastic, and the loading screen music is lovely. If I were making this game, I'd turn off "draw title" on the start screen and also remove the frame. You've got a really nice piece of splash art here, and it's a shame to cover it up with RPGMaker assets.

Second bit of feedback is also about the RPGMaker default assets-- I'm not one of those people who say "you should do everything possible to hide that your game is made in RPGMaker and if anyone can tell it's an RPGMaker game you're doing it wrong". But the different asset packs don't really cohere well. Your pixel art uses different sized pixels- like, look at the fourth gameplay screenshot. You've got big chunky pixels on the tank and the riot guys, tiny delicate pixels on the red eyed drone, and something in between on Flor and friends.  The art here's real inconsistent. The characters, backgrounds, and enemies don't look like they're from different worlds; they look like they're from completely different games.

I get why you're using RPGmaker default assets-- no shame in that-- but you might want to either search itch.io for different asset packs or get some bespoke art made specifically for your game. Right now, there isn't a sense of cohesion between the different parts of your game, and that's a shame.

As for storytelling: I like the wry sense of humour you've got going on, like the message you get when you try to go back to school after the intro cutscene. Flor and Azuli are immediately likeable, fun characters-- especially Flor. Who hasn't been a bored kid in school just wanting to play? The staff is also pompous in a really fun and enjoyable way. You've got some texture to your world here-- the fact that commoners and rich folks have to pay for different air sources is a nice touch.

But there's some inconsistencies in your tone in the first couple scenes. I get what you're going for here- you're trying to establish that this is a cyberpunk dystopia and set a darkly satirical tone. But it feels like some of the minor characters - especially Flor's teacher- don't have clear motivations for why they're saying and doing what they're doing. Does Flor's teacher love Big Brother the Supreme CEO? Is she conflicted and trying to teach her students things they shouldn't know? Is she lying  to herself and trying to convince herself she's okay with something she's not, or does she genuinely believe the propaganda? 

Similarly, I can't tell if you're going for "a serious story with a pinch of dark satire" or "all of this is too silly to take seriously"- some of the things the NPCs say in particular make me think you're going for the latter? The CEO destroying the entire biosphere, and the sun and moon, is so over-the-top evil that I can't think of this as a realistic story at all. But the music and visuals are giving "this is meant to be taken somewhat seriously".

 I enjoyed the time I spent with this game, and I think you have a story here that's worth telling. But I think you need to do an edit pass- for both your story and visuals- in the name of creative cohesion. How do you want this world to feel? How do you want your players to feel while exploring it? Do you want them to be laughing uncomfortably, do you want them to feel like this dystopia is oppressive? Do you want the upper levels of the dystopian city to feel sterile and cold? Elegant and cruel? Beautiful and full of life? Figure that stuff out, do an edit pass to emphasize what you want your players to feel, and get some art- bespoke, DLC, or Itch asset pack- that can really sell it. 

Do that, and you'll have something really special here.

ok - this game slaps.

im not great at rhythm games so i played on newbie. if theres mechanics that arent there in newbie i didnt see them. but the controls are responsive and the bullet patterns are fun. kinda reminds me of audiosurf, but without the 'yr own music' thang- its that kind of rhythm game

its fluid af and the music is good too- you got the controls as polished as you could. id love to get this on my phone.

this is like 4.5 out of 5 for me- i wish there was a lil more going on visually but like, its hard to do that without doin flashy FX and i cant play games like that.  still. ya did good. i have to be out the door in 45 minutes and i keep goin 'aaaaa just one more run'.

- lorcan

This is an incredibly charming little game, with an incredible sense of style-- especially considering how heavy the creative limitations you're working with are. I'm bad at precision platformers, so I couldn't get very far- just past the fool's trap- but I'd love to come back to this game when we've got a little more time.

- Mal

Ah, we can give you some pointers if you'd like- but that's really good feedback, thank you!

No problem! FOV is just fickle as hell, huh? 

It was a really fun little game and I would have enjoyed it without that wrinkle- I think you've got something really cool here!

-Mal

Hey, you're welcome! I *really* enjoyed this game, and it *was* super fun-- I just felt like I got thrown in the deep end pretty quickly.

"Power Struggle" was the level where the difficulty spiked a bit- those bottlenecks were really tricky to navigate!

- Mal

OK, the good first: The music in this game slaps, it's the right kind of jazzy and fun to make you feel hype to solve mazes. The graphics are also really fun, low-poly, reminiscent of a late-90s/early-00s FPS, but goofy instead of gritty.

Unfortunately, this is another game I can't play, because the FOV is so wide that it's making me seasick. I really want to enjoy it- maze solving is fun- but the way the camera moves is incredibly queasy. I'd recommend adding an FOV option in the settings - or a settings menu at all- to make it so that people who have motion sickness issues can play your game!

Understandable! I'm sorry for complaining!

You did good. This was seriously gut-wrenching. Props.

Hey, it's always great to see another RPGMaker horror dev here! This game looks so stylish and I can already tell it's up my alley. I'm enjoying the initial cyberpunk vibe.

So, very initial thoughts- I hate hate hate hate hate games with flashing lights; they're automatically inaccessible to me because I have chronic migraines. I'm pushing through because I want to see what this is about- it looks SO COOL- but if they're excessive or intense I *will* have to nope out without finishing the game. It'd be nice if you could have an accessibility mode where they're toned down or not included. 

I love the art style- your pixels are crisp, and your aesthetic is on point. It's surreal and dreamlike, and the stuff you're doing with the UI and the font design is SO impressive. As for stats, you're giving me ideas I could use for my own game-- I can already tell that there's some interesting mechanical shit going on. Honestly, it kinda reminds me of Suda's games- which I need to get around to playing.

...I am pushing through, but you were not kidding about the flashing lights. :(

I love the JJJBA-style Character Diagram that pops up when new characters are introduced-- wish the screen held on them a little longer!

The spooky bunnies are super cute, the ghost deer are appropriately creepy, and I absolutely love the environment design.  

Getting into the combat- I love the way everything looks, though James' sprite being cut off at the knees is a little awkward. The animations are STUNNING and the mechanics look fun - especially with the quirky alternate stats! Unfortunately, I can't give a good assessment of the combat, because... well...

The room after the first combat encounter is where I had to cut things off- you were not kidding about the flashing lights, and the flickering effect killed my ability to continue. I really, really, *really* want to play this game-- it's so stylish and cool! - but my ability to play is *heavily* compromised by the flashing lights and the flickering/glitch effects. If I keep going, I will hurt myself. 

I agree with most of the things that the SilverDaze dev said- it's pretentious, the dialogue is a little awkward, and there's a lot of surreal dark imagery- but from my POV those are all positives. I can see the Team Silent influence, the Black Tabby Games influence, and the SUDA influence in here, and it's used incredibly well- if you're a fan of any of those devs' work, I'd recommend checking this out.

From what I saw of the game, it's an easy 4/5, and the single point docked is because it was actively painful for me to keep playing. I'm following you- if you release an accessibility mode for this game, I will be ALL over it. But until then, I've gotta tap out.

- Mal

we couldnt get this one working- none of the blocks would drop

are there files we're missing or is it just one HTML file

-- lorcan

Hey, you're welcome! Like I said, it was the game I was most excited about - so I probably judged it a little more harshly than I would have otherwise!  And like I said: the pixel art is gorgeous. If I didn't know better, in battle, I'd say this *was* an FE game.

If you need playtesters in the future, hit me up- I really want to see this game kick the ass I can tell it kicks.

Also I just realized we should be signing off on these- you can usually tell who's writing from the grammar, but this is a team account, lol.

- Mal

This is another game that I can't play because it costs money.  I get that game dev is hard and expensive, but it'd be nice if you had sent a free demo or a vertical slice so that everyone could give feedback.

This was probably something I did wrong, but I couldn't get the controls working- the little dog just would not move, no matter what I did. I tried both sets of arrow keys, with and without number lock on. 

Maybe the problem is the web version? I can see other people were able to play it. If anyone has any answers, please lmk- this looks fun and cute and I want to play it!

Okay, after a hotfix has been applied, I'm playing the game For Real This Time, here are my thoughts:

1) The Nokia vibes are strong with this one. The controls are incredibly awkward, the pixels are simplistic, and that's rather the point- it does exactly what you want it to do. I love the aesthetic SO MUCH.

2) I stepped on the floating sparkling particles my first playthrough. Oh my goodness, I love your choice of colour palette and the music- it's so nostalgic, really evokes the kind of games you're emulating.

3) I unfortunately tabbed through the text box where the snake tells you what to do too quickly and missed that information! I think I might have softlocked myself- there's only one way to continue, and it's through the locked door. 

This is a really cool game, and figuring it out yourself is part of the mystery- but I am confused about how to proceed, and might need to start over.  You said in your first comment that this is your first game ever? It's *incredibly* well-done. Simple and elegant.

- Mal

...I can't rate this game on the usual metrics, because this wasn't a fun experience. I had to nope out during the first storyline- after reading the first set of messages, even!- because I am a trans man and reading this was absolutely crushing.  It's gonna stick with me all day.

I rated it 5/5 on all counts, though, because this is really good at being what it is- it's just something that I cannot engage with emotionally right now.

https://itch.io/post/9531344

Left you a review. I'm sorry for the length and criticism, but I really like the concept you've got here!

This was the game I was most excited about when I saw it on the jam page- I love tactical RPGs and oldschool Fire Emblem, so this was a must-play for me!

 I like the Slay-the-Spire style map, and the events are interesting-- in the final game, giving them art of their own might be cool. The pixel portraits are *gorgeous*. It might help if you colour-coded the units- it was a little hard to keep track of who was who- but I understand that you wanted them all to have a uniform. The pixel art on the overworld is also really good- it's expressive and beautifully animated.

The pre-combat UI could use a tutorial on the control box- I wasn't sure how to get it working. It'd also be nice if the enemy range was a toggle rather than a click-and-hold.

Mechanically, this is an old-school Fire Emblem game, all right, for better and for worse.  You've got a very similar stat spread, random level-ups, a grid map with enemies, the works.  I immediately understood what was going on and the UI was really easy to navigate.  I'd quibble that "wait" should be under "item"- my muscle memory screwed me over at least once there- but that's a quibble.  However, the controls felt janky- other people have made the same complaints, so I'll pass over them.

...Honestly, the biggest issue I had with the game is that I think you could use another tutorialization pass and another balance pass.

There are a lot of mechanics that are just not clear- in particular, the way the "rogue" portion of the game works isn't well-explained, and I wasn't sure if you borrowed the weapon triangle from Fire Emblem so I wasn't sure whether Lances Beat Swords And Swords Beat Axes. I found myself making poor tactical choices because I wasn't *quite* sure how the mechanics worked. In the final version, maybe have a scripted tutorial mode that always plays out the same way- like the start of XCOM: Enemy Unknown? Finally, I didn't understand how to end the battle- I kept getting waves of enemies coming in, and it seemed to just end abruptly. If you're going to crib from classic FE, "get your Lord to the end of the map" might be a clearer objective.

The balance also feels... off. Some of that might be the RNG aspect of the game. But I had one character who was just destroying the enemy, to the point where he won an entire battle on his own, and then most of my other characters crumpled like tissues, regardless of class. I also started out with two lancers, two archers, and a healer-- which means that if the Weapon Triangle is a thing, I would have been creamed if we ran into a single axeman. It'd be nice if you clarified, a) is this game impossible sometimes on purpose, and b) are there ways to tip the scales in your favour?

I didn't get a good sense of the story, if there is one- but it's a roguelike, so the mechanics are what's important here. And mechanically, you've got a good base. I could tell this game COULD be a lot of fun- but because of the control issues and the lack of tutorialization, I found myself more frustrated than enjoying myself. Which is a shame, because you've got something really special here-- it just needs some polish and explanation. 

I'm sorry for the long and harsh review - like I said, I was really excited about this game, and I really want to like it!  I'm gonna follow you and keep tabs on this game-- it's got good bones, and with a little extra polish, I think I'd enjoy it a lot.

-- Mal

So this game can best be summed up as "what if Dorfromantik had stakes". Which is not a bad thing, to be clear! It's  just taking a lot from the same creative inspirations.

 It's a pretty meditative puzzle-management experience, with cool low-poly art that reminds me of an oldschool RTS. You connect buildings to each other to send power and workers to different parts of the map. The controls are super intuitive- you could play this game just as easily on mobile as on PC- and it's really aesthetically pleasing.

I only have two pieces of criticism. First, the difficulty spikes after the tutorial. The tutorial holds your hand pretty thoroughly through most of the game's mechanics, and then the first proper level is immediately a good bit harder. You could use a couple simpler puzzles to ease people into things. 

Second: the music makes it a bit hard to think. The drone is meant to be ambient, but - at least partly because we're working on a game with horror elements- I kept expecting to have something jump out at me! Something with a little more texture might hit the calmer mood you're intending.

Here's the only feedback I can give: I can't play this game, because you're charging for it. 

I understand that games cost money to make and all, but we can't drop $10 for every game in this jam. It would have been courteous to enter a free demo- level 1 or a vertical slice or something.

Thank you so much! We're glad you enjoyed the game! 

There's going to be an updated demo in a couple weeks with some of the Game Jam Jank removed, so keep an eye out for that!

Hi, all-- we recently made a game demo for a game jam, and we'd like to update/iterate on it to make a full game.

We're pretty new to itch.io, and we're not sure what the community norms are for this kind of big update. Does one update the demo page, add new files and such? Does one make a new game and leave the old one up?

Thanks!

I played through this once and liked it. Definitely enjoyed the narrative- it was tense, sad, regretful, and the choices you had to make genuinely felt meaningful.

There were a couple errors in your game, starting on the "Home-team went disturbingly quiet after that" page. You might wanna run a spellcheck, too.

Overall, I liked it- clean up some of the game jam jank and you've got something solid here.

This has stuck with me ever since I saw it for the first time. Thank you for making it.

~Mal

Yknow what, that's absolutely fair criticism. Thank you for giving it. 

We were definitely trying for that old-school RPG feel-- but we may have overdone it somewhat.

There's a bug in the game where - regardless of what language you select- the main gameplay is in Spanish. I can't rate this game without being able to read it.

I *really* want to see more of this game. I really like the historiography theme, and Warlord Hardrada is a *fascinating* and compelling character, even without knowing most of what went on.

I think I'd be leaving a higher rating for some of the categories (especially mechanics) if I could see how they played out-- but without being able to see how these systems work out in practice, I can't give a higher score. 

This was one of the best games, mechanically, in the jam.  Very few other games even tried to get across something about the characters' personality through their mechanics-- there was a lot of IF in this jam. You did something tricky and you executed it beautifully.

I genuinely wish there was a longer narrative here, and I probably would have rated things like 'most compelling character' higher if there was-- I've *done* some mobile game dev and I know how hard it is to get across character interactions in such a tight space.

I said this already on the itch.io page, but I love the world  you've teased and want to see more of it! Amy is absolutely precious and the postapocalyptic setting is intriguing.

This was absolutely precious from beginning to end. I loved Tory and Emma, I loved how convincing you made this odd couple, and I loved the bonding over art and anime! 

This game was incredible. Tense, suspenseful, and frightening. I got a bad ending (was too friendly with the Widow and she decided to help me with my suitcase)- but I don't think a game's ever managed to make me feel *this* kind of anxiety before. Props.

Are you looking for writers, or are you good on that front?

Hi! I've professionally written traditional fiction for the past ten years; I'm interested in getting into game writing and looking to build a portfolio. 

My short story "The Captain's Sphere" was published in Crossed Genres and runner-up for the 2016 Tiptree award. I've published several other short stories and a novel. 

I'm happy to write on the grand scale or the small scale, happy to work on jams or long-term projects, and- as long as I can add your game to my portfolio- happy to work on free or paid projects. 

Need item descriptions, enemy barks, character dialogue, audiologs, or even game documentation? I'm your man!

Contact me here, on Twitter @malcolmschmitz, or on Discord @earlgraytay#7765 !