itch.io

I've uploaded a separate version of the game, v0.3.1, which has a fix for a bug in the check_move function. Without this fix, the later levels are essentially unbeatable (unless you sort of cheat). Note that for fairness you should still rate based on the jam version, I just wanted to make this available for anyone who wants it with the fix:

https://zshandi.itch.io/code-crusader-v031

I've uploaded a separate version of the game, v0.3.1, which has a fix for a bug in the check_move function. Without this fix, the later levels are essentially unbeatable (unless you sort of cheat). Note that for fairness you should still rate based on the jam version, I just wanted to make this available for anyone who wants it with the fix:

https://zshandi.itch.io/code-crusader-v031

Also, I just worked out that you can use get_tree().root.get_child(0).current_level+1 to get the current level for use with goto_level function (the current_level value starts counting from 0 for first level, while goto_level starts from 1)

Thanks! I definitely would like to do more of a tutorial type things for beginners too, as it's currently more like it just leaves you on your own. I also will try to make improvements to the scripting so that it more closely matches actual GDScript. So be sure to follow for updates, and I'd also love to hear more feedback from you once you do play more!

Thanks! I really enjoyed working on this one, and will probably come back to it soon! There was a lot more we'd like to do with it, such as adding items and other mechanics, improved scripting functionality, and possibly eventually a multiplayer mode! So be sure to follow for future updates!

Also, if you didn't figure it out, we actually left it really open for more experienced users. You have access to any of the methods in the character node, so you can try challenging yourself to see how many ways you can find to break it!

Haha, I didn't realize it actually says when I submitted. We actually took the entire jam to make it. You can submit the game early, and then update the binaries on the itch page right up until the deadline.

I have a rule of thumb for jams to always get the itch page up and submit it as soon as we have something that's at least somewhat playable.

Thanks for the feedback! Yeah, sorry I meant to add a note in the description to note the differences with GDscript. I'll make sure to add that!

We would have added for as well if we had time. We thought the repeat would be a bit easier for beginners, and won't be too hard to learn that it's just "for i in range(n)". It was also easier to implement, and you can at least use while loop for everything for can do.

The only thing we're actually using the built-in gdscript interpreter for in terms of the execution is the interpretation of individual expressions, so we had to implement all the flow control ourselves. We could have maybe just inserted the code into a full script to execute that. However, this wouldn't have allowed us to show the code executing like we did.

Thanks again for the feedback and playing the game!

I agree 100% with everything you've said. And I personally don't think it's rambling at all with the paragraph separations, and considering if it were my game I'd appreciate the feedback.

I didn't even realize there was a second section to the staff until the stronger magic/monsters started appearing. And the forest flipping mechanic I didn't realize until near the end, especially since earlier on it just blended with the drawing new cards and as you said it seems like an easy grab to avoid damage.

The tutorial part at the beginning could definitely be expanded upon to explain these. Perhaps the difference in the 2 staff positions could be noted or reasserted after you unlock the first level 4 potion, since that's when it starts to make more difference due to the bottom being limited to 3.

I also thought at first once the gems all greyed out I'd be dead, not at all clear that it revives them with one less until after it's happened once, which really changes the strategies you might employ when almost at the end.

Great demo, very fun and addicting! (I spent a little too much time playing it when I had other things to do). Although some of the mechanics are not so obvious at first, once I understood them all I felt like I was really in control, and appreciated every mechanic.

I definitely second everything said in the other two comments, but I have a couple things to add as well.

Alchemy:

One of the biggest issues I had was with the fact that the alchemy requires exact levels of the ingredients, combined with there being no way to actually undo adding an ingredient (there's the minus, but that uses more rather than giving back). Early on, I had thought the levels didn't need to be exact, due to the fact that for the regular blue or red potions, it completely ignores the other color. This led to me, in later game, adding a bunch of ingredients to make the level 5 potion, only to realize I didn't have enough red/blue mushrooms to make it exact. To make matters worse, since there no "clear" option, I had to use even more ingredients to bring the levels back down after.

I get that this is intentional to require exact amounts, but perhaps either make it exact for all or none of them, or at least allow an undo option in case it's misunderstood. As Kamoo suggested, having a tutorial here would help too.

One other thing I was thinking was that it felt like I didn't have a lot of freedom to experiment with different "deck" combinations, since everything is only ever upgrading the cards already there. That's one aspect I really love about deck building games.

Progression:

I understand that the progression is intended to make it more challenging and avoid grinding. However, there are a couple issues I had with it.

First, the fact that you can't replay a level is a little frustrating. This can easily make it such that if you make mistakes early on, these compound later, making it very difficult to catch up. It's not very friendly to people who take a bit to get used to the mechanics.

Second, per my above frustration, the mushrooms from early on are essentially required for the later potion levels to get them to match exactly. Since you only are pushed deeper, and don't find the mushrooms later, you will be screwed over if you didn't save some mushrooms early on.

Other Minor Things:

After completing the demo, I couldn't help but feel like I could have gotten a better outcome had I made it deeper into the last section, Though there was no obvious indication if this were the case, so perhaps there could be an indication there was nothing you could have done to change that outcome, or if there was invite you to try again?

Last minor thing, which you'd probably update for the final release anyway: It would be good if the characters had different images for different expressions depending on the mood. Since this is a demo though, I totally understand it not being fully polished with things like that. One thing in particular I noticed was at one point Twig said Lizard was in her cloak, but in the image he was still sitting on her staff.

Great little puzzle game! I loved the look and feel, and the mechanics were introduced well and gradually. Very interesting that something which might seem like a glitch was taken to be an important mechanic! Probably my favorite I've played so far.

Unfortunately, however, I couldn't get past level 14, which it seems is something others encountered as well. It was mentioned about "controls" and "skill", but I think the main issue here is that there are primarily skill-based levels in what at first appears to be a puzzle game. The controls are fine for the puzzling, and people who make to the higher levels are likely quite skilled at solving puzzles, just not so much at tricky button combos with precise timing.

I think it would work very well if you cut the parts that are dependent on quick, repetitive, intricate, and/or precisely timed button presses. These include level 9, 12, and 14 (and possibly others later on). For level 14, I think it would work if you just moved the heart to the center horizontally, while keeping it where it is vertically. For level 9, if you just cut the need to hit "D" again after jumping and pressing "A", it would be much easier but still retain the same spirit. For level 12, it would help if you moved the heart a bit closer or further down (while still requiring use of the pushing), or even had another platform grow out of the bottom-right corner to catch you as you fall that would be good.

I remember Mark actually mentioning that he had the same problem with Mind Over Magnet, so ended up cutting the skill-based parts. 

Other than that, though, I really liked it :)

Nice game, and interesting take on the theme!

The main feedback I have is that it would be good if the fire was a separate button from the other 2 interactions (say, fire is left-click, while water or village is right-click). I found myself getting frustrated at accidentally clicking trees when I meant to click tribe / water, which is especially easy to do when zoomed out more (which is also when accidental loss feels worse).

Being able to temporarily zoom back in on specific areas might also help with this (say using mouse wheel).

The other thing is that it wasn't clear to me at first the rules for making the water. I realized after that "downhill" in the description meant literally toward the bottom of the screen, but perhaps there would be a way to make this more clear in the game? (or at least say "downhill / toward bottom of the screen" in the description)

Thanks! Yeah, we wanted to have the ball be kind of like the balls from Super Monkey Ball, which I can see does contrast a bit with the flat checker backgrounds. And yeah we didn't have time to make custom buttons, but will probably have that in the next update :)

Thanks, we wanted to make it as smooth as possible. I don't think you need to shrink quickly for that one, just have to find the right spot :)

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks, and glad you liked it! I think I know which level you're talking about, and I definitely agree we could improve on it. We'll probably post an update after the jam with improved controls and other improvements!

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. Scroll wheel definitely seems like the most intuitive control for zooming/scaling.