itch.io

oh man i heard an earlier version of this - your work paid off. its so good now. not the kind of thing id listen to but the whole thing comes together real well. i like the erbane, you got it to the point where its not repetitive anymore. and theres so much texture here. nice job

so i like the sizzly electric sound at 0:07 and the wet noises. this is a really good ambient orchestral piece thats kind of in the same genre i was goin for. is that a theremin or a fucked up flute? i cant tell but it slaps. and then the HARP. and the STRINGS. and the reverb back and forth between em! and the rattling machine noises at like 2:45 and the storm outside. i could feel the electricity on my skin lmao.

honestly- hear me out- this reminds me of some of the homestuck music. the really cool experimental jazz shit from the felt album. its the way you play with time with the reverb and with reversing (?) some of the instrument sounds. i really fuckin liked what you did here.

this one gets 5 stars from me bro. you killed this prompt.

ok. so. i liked this a lot and if you rated it bad because of the intro you should go back and give this another chance. BUT. 

your intro is grating and not in the good way. up til 0:26 this song is fuckin unlistenable. you could cut that down by like 2/3s and still get the same effect and you could get rid of it 100% and have a damn good song. maybe grab a sample quote from some asshole talkin about how greed is good or somethin instead.

i stuck with it and im glad i did because AFTER THAT its not bad. your bassline is sick af and i like the drum fills youve got goin on. i like the shit you have goin on with the synth and the drums at the 2:00 mark. 

the guitar shit yr doin at 2:18 is very persona 3 and i like it a lot. same with the synths at like 2:45. idk what it is about it it just has persona vibes to me.

i can tell this was supposed to have lyrics - your lead is definitely missing. if you want to keep workin on this, put the lyrics in there, and seriously man get rid of that intro. 

this reminds me of the frostpunk ost- and thats a compliment. love the huge drum roll at 1:30 and the progression of ideas. you do sick shit with the contrast between the flutes and the low percussion

i cant think of anything id do different with this its just a really well done orchestral arrangement and it gets the jam concept 100%

musically i like this. the orchestral synths are good, the build is really good, its a good song
BUT

i wasnt really gettin the factory or the storm colossus from this. it didnt really feel like you wrote this to the prompt it felt like you wrote this for somethin else and then submitted it to the jam because this was the composing jam that was going

ok im definitely hearin the mick gordon in here. definitely sounds 2 rip and tear until it is done. i could believe you used a lawnmower on a colander or somethin like mick does

yr way too hard on yrself about the guitar. you have fucked up that guitar so good oh my god. at like 2:56 holy shit that is fuckin SICK as HELL and the rhythm guitar is good the whole fuckin way through. some of the guitar playin almost reminds me of smt 3. its so fuckin good. 

i really like the decrescendo at 1:35 and the sizzly synths (?) right after. and the build at like 3:25 + the mechanical scream. holy shit. holy fucking shit. 

this is an easy 5/5 for me. no notes. keep doin what yr doin. 

ok so youve definitely got some chrono trigger/final fantasy vi/majoras mask vibes with this one. i love how dark and moody it is, i love the atmosphere you got goin on, i love the low THUDS at the end of the loop... 

if youre goin for vgm, is this area music or encounter music or cutscene music

if its area music maybe slow it down a little more and tone down the wind sounds a hair- fade em in and out maybe. they get grating after the first twenty times. this could get repetitive real fast if yr doin some caves of narshe shit with it.

if its encounter music you could make the tempo faster and the low drone build up to somethin. maybe throw a drum solo in there. 

if its cutscene music you dont gotta change anything its a great ambient soundtrack and its creepy as hell. id think about how snes dialog bloops would interact with it- like would they be out of sync or distracting or whatever.

oh this fucks. this fucks so hard. i really like the slow build of the synths and then the industrial sounds in the back. it kinda reminds me of a less angry portal ost, or limbo like everyone was sayin

i only have one (1) beef with it and its the OTHER thing everyone was sayin- theres not enough bass. when i listened to this on my computer it blew out my speakers because there were too many high pitches and nothin to anchor them. even with my good sennheiser headphones it blew them out a little bit unless i turned the volume way down. 

its good and i like it but you need some lower pitches and maybe to listen to it louder when you master it

this is definitely unique- a lot of people went with a more melancholy vibe for this and you went with something more upbeat. i like that a lot. the vocoded machine samples give it a real fun vibe, its kind of muppety. (thats a compliment). these feel like silly little guy dwarves-  like somethin out of lost vikings. 

it did feel a little... aimless? im not sure where it was supposed to go musically and it didnt feel like you were going for ambient. if you had a little more time to tighten this up id think about chord progressions and shit. 

but its FUN. its FUN and its got a lot of momentum even if that momentum aint goin anywhere. id listen to this again outside the jam.

i like this a lot. your mix of techno and orchestral stuff is really good and the time signature switch FUCKS. 

its definitely cinematic- i could see this goin over a cutscene in a portal game or a half life game. and that ostinato oh my GOD.

some of the cinematic stuff- like the big orchestral hits and the choir- makes it sound a little less unique than it could? which -- some of that is the genre its like calling a rock song derivative for having a distortion guitar. but the choir especially didnt do it for me. 

you got something really cool here though. its definitely giving 'factory'.

- lorcan

There's branching paths! Several clues are right for each step; we warn about the ones that you're most likely to miss, but you can beat the game without ever picking up all the clues.

We got informed by a couple people that the end sequence was badly borked; we JUST pushed a hotfix. Redownload the game and try now?

...Huh, I was almost positive that I put in a message warning you that you don't have enough clues if you go into the end sequence without certain information (the play, the journal, and I think the knife?) I'm going to have to go do a QA pass tomorrow, I think. *sigh*

Thank you for saying such nice things, though! 

Oh, I wanted to like this one so badly, the music is very good and the art direction is fun. But on my computer, the window renders to be about the size of three postage stamps. It's very hard to play a game like this on such a small screen. :(

I'd love to play this one, but I can't seem to figure out how to get a lobby going. Is it multiplayer only?

Oh, this was such a fun concept, and I really loved the mechanical twist you guys put on this one! From the graphics I was expecting something a bit Pokemon-esque, and boy, was I wrong. 

The music is lovely- it's PERFECT for a puzzle game, it's so soft and meditative, and the ambience!

The tab key seems to have stopped working for me on the level with the three boulders, and I'm not sure why- but this was a really fun and charming experience, and I might visit it again.

-Mal

Hey, is there any way I could download this to PC rather than play it in browser? The "SUBMISSION TO THIS JAM" button is getting in the way of the game's UI. :(

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

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!