Zipfile here. The executable is for Windows, but it’s written in Python so you can probably figure out how to run it on other platforms.
My kids seem to enjoy playing the game, so that’s sufficient for me to stop. If I get any great ideas in the next 5 hours and 54 minutes, I’ll re-upload, but as it is, my first LD attempt is complete!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What’s with the weird game name?
A. It rhymes with how I mispronounce Ludum Dare.
*Update 29 minutes before end: new binary, new screenshot. Tiles now have gradient to look a little less sucky.*
Might be an interesting game, if you have to match for example 4-letter words (real words)... Teaching kids to read, really... For me it was too easy... for kids, it's probably great...
This has potential to be a decent puzzler, but it's way too easy. There would actually be some challenge to it if the player was required to switch between matching letters and matching colours, but you can ignore the letters and just match colours really fast. The wall never got anywhere near the bottom.
You mention the "not fun" component a lot. I believe it is the hardest part of the compo. Coding is just like solving a problem, but actually getting the ideas that make the game fun... I can't do it. I suppose it comes with practice. I still salute the effort, and hope you will try again next time!
When I first started playing this, I thought it was going to be at least a bit hard, because I assumed it was going to be like a match-4 with two different match mechanics, and blocks doesn't move when you remove them. But then I discovered that blocks doesn't have to touch to be candidates for a match, and it suddenly got way too easy. You can basically just keep matching colours and not care about anything else, and you'll keep the wall all the way at the top of the screen, waiting for it to give enough new blocks so you can match again. Maybe it starts going faster after a while, but it didn't seem like it did and I wasn't having much fun since there wasn't any challenge, so that's where I quit.
So uh, I guess the high pain threshold or forgiving mind that the readme mentions is due to slow repetitive unchallening tedium? (Wow, that was negative. I'm sorry.)
I see it's your first LD though, so well done on completing a game in 48 hours =)
Fun but a bit too easy. Since you can pick any tile, and match color or letter, there's too many combinations and it devolves into how fast you can click. If there were more a bit more constraints such as only picking exposed tiles or something this would be really fun. Also if the unconnected tiles would "rise" or break off like the 'X' it would be more interesting.
Seemed pretty polished but was a bit bland without a theme. Adding some simple theme and GFX could really spice this up.
Great job completing something playable (that's more than I can say), you've got the makings of a great puzzle game here
I got over 1000 points before I had to give my mouse hand and clicker finger a break. :)
Congrats on finishing a playable game in your first 48hrs. Seems after reading your post mortem you picked your goals and stuck to them fairly well. As noted it is a bit easy and low on the fun but you knew that. :)
I thought it moved a bit slowly for my taste and as others have pointed out there is low motivation to match numbers and not color. I did keep trying some various combinations to see if there were different bonus moves but not sure I saw anything.
When I first started playing, I thought it was challenging since I only used the blocks on the bottom row. Once I realized I can pick any of the visible blocks, it became too easy, and thus boring.
Comments14
For me it was too easy... for kids, it's probably great...
I suppose it comes with practice. I still salute the effort, and hope you will try again next time!
So uh, I guess the high pain threshold or forgiving mind that the readme mentions is due to slow repetitive unchallening tedium? (Wow, that was negative. I'm sorry.)
I see it's your first LD though, so well done on completing a game in 48 hours =)
Seemed pretty polished but was a bit bland without a theme. Adding some simple theme and GFX could really spice this up.
Great job completing something playable (that's more than I can say), you've got the makings of a great puzzle game here
Congrats on finishing a playable game in your first 48hrs. Seems after reading your post mortem you picked your goals and stuck to them fairly well. As noted it is a bit easy and low on the fun but you knew that. :)
I thought it moved a bit slowly for my taste and as others have pointed out there is low motivation to match numbers and not color. I did keep trying some various combinations to see if there were different bonus moves but not sure I saw anything.
Two simple changes that I think would helped:
1. Don't use letters. It sort of screamed "word game" when it wasn't, shapes, or animal icons would have been better.
2. Cosmo system. Maybe consider a full match (shape + color) a "tetris" of sorts and raise the a multiplier for each one...