Invasion of the Planet Snatchers!

by icefox
Overall★★★★★★★★★★2.73
Fun★★★★★★★★★★2.60
Innovation★★★★★★★★★★3.62
Theme★★★★★★★★★★3.07
Graphics★★★★★★★★★★2.17
Audio★★★★★★★★★★2.21
Humor★★★★★★★★★★2.74
Mood★★★★★★★★★★2.41
Coolness★★★★★★★★★★60%
INVASION OF THE PLANET SNATCHERS!

A silly game based on a REALLY silly take on the theme, so hopefully it makes up in charm what it might lack in technical polish. Oh, and there's no actual win condition... Just have fun rampaging around!

Start main.exe or run main.py if you have python and pygame installed. Instructions are on the title screen.

This is my first submission to the Ludum Dare and there are bunches of things I would wish to do better in this game. There are a few bugs with geometry, the draw order is inconsistent, and I only got to implement about half of what I wanted.

But still, it works! Great success! :-)

Technical notes:
* Tested on Python 2.7 and Pygame 1.9, on Linux and Windows XP and 7
* It does all the drawing and junk in software, so it actually needs a fairly powerful CPU to run at full speed. I didn't really try to optimize it. Works fine on my Phenom II, didn't run so fine on my Atom netbook...

screenshot

Comments20

icefox
icefoxauthor23 Apr 2012, 02:14
I have reliable reports that the Linux version also works on Mac if you have pygame installed.

Additionally, I made a screencast of me programming this game, which is worth watching if only for the sweet music I dug up:
spacerumpus23 Apr 2012, 07:35
neat! I like the two mechanics you have going here. I tried to capture planets after cruising around with the planet thruster but couldnt seem to do it. On another playthrough i was close to planets at the beginning and could capture them right away. Cool concept, but maybe a handy reminder of the controls would be useful? Also, the background's lack of detail meant it was hard to get oriented but i suppose the X/Y solves this.

Cool game.
DoktorAce23 Apr 2012, 08:45
Can't run cause I have mac :(
triplefox
triplefox23 Apr 2012, 08:48
Nice prototype! If the invasion and piloting parts were both a little more fleshed out with some content(e.g. orbital defenses), it could be a really fun game.
Raptor8523 Apr 2012, 14:52
no idea what's going on but i killed some people and i'm fairly sure i stole a planet before i went spiraling out of control. It's a cool idea, and good for 48 hours, a little more time and it could actually be a pretty good game.
Cosmologicon
Cosmologicon24 Apr 2012, 02:19
Interesting mechanics, really creative. I found the engine really hard to control, since it kept rotating after you let up on the keys. I think I wound up in deep space with no way to figure out how to get back. It would have been nice to have some indication of where all the unconquered planets are.
schnerble
schnerble24 Apr 2012, 08:48
Very original :) Quite fun too! I had to give it several goes before I figured out what to do though. Might've been handy to have the controls on the main screen, or a tutorial, or such.
Jiddo25 Apr 2012, 20:55
Haha really silly game, but attaching a bunch of planets to your home planet, making them all spin out of control and going on a killing spree (with a sword!) on you captured planets is a dizzying yet kind of awesome experience. A fine example of an incomplete prototype which is made fun due to its brokenness :)
jplur
jplur28 Apr 2012, 03:44
Really interesting, I'd like to see this with some goals and the ability to zoom in and out
KhaoTom
KhaoTom28 Apr 2012, 04:03
Solid and innovative entry. Nicely done!
vigrid30 Apr 2012, 22:14
Ummm... I couldn't grasp the mechanics nor the controls. It would be probably better to understand if the thruster would stop spinning once you depressed a direction key.
jfroco6 May 2012, 18:35
Interesting. I really liked the idea of invading other planets. Good use of sounds.
robcozzens
robcozzens10 May 2012, 09:00
I would try it if you had a Web or OSX version.
CherryNukaCola
CherryNukaCola10 May 2012, 09:43
What I saw was nice - but I couldn't seem to do anything besides walk around, jump and swing my sword...?
TobiasNL10 May 2012, 11:03
Didn't find the gameplay that fun. I just started slashing the lads and jumped to some other planets which were placed in each other. The warping was kinda vague. I did like the slashing though, and the gfx did their thing as well!
davidwparker10 May 2012, 14:45
Sorry, I can't play as I don't have Windows|Linux.
Lawrence Esswood10 May 2012, 15:57
Got me a few planets, sent us spinning into oblivion XD. Nearly had a seisure. AWESOME!
asfdfdfd10 May 2012, 16:03
Hard to figure out what is going on.
tcstyle10 May 2012, 20:26
Took me a while to figure out what's this about. Very interesting ideam but what's the point in capturing and moving around those planets?
maxman4313 May 2012, 03:01
I would try this is you had a web version. Looks interesting.

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