I am super excited to be part of my second ludum dare! i was hoping to be ready for the compo but it wasn't in the cards this month. i did manage to get something together, even if its just one level!
i hope to expand this if time permits...
it's silly but i hope you like it!
UPDATE: wow! thanks for all the awesome comments and critiques, it's really helpful and encouraging and proves what a great community LD has. Some questions that have come up:
1. i had really hoped to make more levels, so it is a really short game :) i do have ideas for obstacles, powerups, etc and hope to get there with a released game.
2. the leaf was meant as a bonus/secondary goal. so as you bump the ground to get the walnut into the hole, you could get the walnut to bump into and collect the leaf (there would be a leaf counter) and some levels would have more leaves to get. at the end of each level, that would give you additional points.
3. @local minimum: great idea about bumping the ground to release the walnut! i will definitely add that in a release version of this game
I like your interpretation of the theme. Instead of simply being beneath the surface, you made being beneath the surface a gameplay element. Also, your graphics are top notch.
This was really great surprise! Im thinking it has a little bug, when you make the bumpy ground right on the beginning and then press go, the walnut rolls into the hole every time. :)
Quite a cool idea! It seems to only have a single level, right? It is also a bit hard to get the bumps to be smooth enough for the nut to roll over, but I enjoyed solving that little challenge. Well done :)
Absolutely love it. Animation is slick. Physics is amazing, I love your theme rendition! Only complaint I have is that the game is too short and too easy. But good job overall!
Great animation, good interpretation of theme. Nice mecanics.
But I don't understand the rule :/ Do I have to take the leaf then get the nut in the hole ? or do I need to avoid the hole ? Because there is nothing written when I get the nut in the hole, and I can't manage to avoid the hole when I take the leaf...
About control : you should add a key (enter?) to release the nut. Good work, want to see more !
I'm on to you -- you like animals! I remember your bowerbirds from last time.
This vole has much better play-feel and nice animations going. I really liked the way the ground got bent. It did take me a little while to actually figure out the way the game worked, but while at it I discovered some minor things you could adjust:
First off, the leaf -- I'm not understanding it's purpose, and it get a bit weird that I can knock ground so it comes below the surface yet still I can't catch it.
Second, if I knock the surface (btw I want a thud-sound for that) in the very left end of the knock-able area I can make ground discontinuous, so you probably want to extend the flex-region at least one step outside the knock-able region.
Then, instead of the "go!" button, (because it is annoying to have a to switch between keyboard and mouse, make a special knock-area under the nut that will just dislodge it.
When the nut is rolling, there's a loose condition when nut doesn't reach/pass the hole which lacks logic for game to detect it (zero speed nut).
The win seems to be lacking as well.
Hope you enjoyed the comments, I sure enjoyed the game! And yeah, you and your son should put links in your descriptions to each other!
Astonishing, even thought it's only one level it is a very good game mechanic. Sweet graphics and silly is good! Also good job for being an awesome dad! <3
Excellent art and animation. It was fun to play. LOVED the mechanic or moving the dirt around. Is there just the one level? Great effort. Make more levels and add some more elements. I think you the potential for a real nice puzzle game here.
I didn't get the leaf to be a secondary objective, as getting the walnut itself seemed too easy. I played it a couple of times, once thinking it had changed as I'd pressed space once unnoticed so there was an unwanted ramp. New levels could include some of those so it'd be harder.
Also, having the possibility to repeat an attempt without having to make the ramp all anew would be nice. If only you'd not get the three stars (it does feel like a game that would work with the three stars kind of level system).
Definitely an innovative mechanical concept and a clever take on the theme. At times, the controls were a bit clunky and imprecise. But the graphics are really nice; same goes for the music. Yes, as you say, it definitely needs to be expanded on, and I look forward to seeing what you do with it.
Looks really awesome! That animation and the colors you used are sweet :D ( it was really fun to make a hole on the left side, get up there and get the walnut, even tho it was a bug hahaha ) are u gonna make more of this ? Would be great to play on mobile too !
Very nice game!. Graphics are cool and I love the vole animation. Maybe you could add some sound effects but keeping them low so you don't break the ambientation.
I think it could be a great mobile game. Good job.
The animation is good and the background music is too, but that rolling noise for the walnut got annoying really quickly!
It took me a while to realise that I could still bump the ground after the walnut had been released - I assumed once you pressed go you just had to wait and see. That might just be me being dumb (wouldn't be the first time!) but maybe that's worth mentioning somewhere?
Comments55
I love it :) Please build on it more, because I wanna play more! :D
The animations are delightful and the palette is very pleasant.
Really nice presentation and sound though
It seems to only have a single level, right?
It is also a bit hard to get the bumps to be smooth enough for the nut to roll over, but I enjoyed solving that little challenge. Well done :)
But I don't understand the rule :/
Do I have to take the leaf then get the nut in the hole ? or do I need to avoid the hole ? Because there is nothing written when I get the nut in the hole, and I can't manage to avoid the hole when I take the leaf...
About control : you should add a key (enter?) to release the nut.
Good work, want to see more !
This vole has much better play-feel and nice animations going. I really liked the way the ground got bent. It did take me a little while to actually figure out the way the game worked, but while at it I discovered some minor things you could adjust:
First off, the leaf -- I'm not understanding it's purpose, and it get a bit weird that I can knock ground so it comes below the surface yet still I can't catch it.
Second, if I knock the surface (btw I want a thud-sound for that) in the very left end of the knock-able area I can make ground discontinuous, so you probably want to extend the flex-region at least one step outside the knock-able region.
Then, instead of the "go!" button, (because it is annoying to have a to switch between keyboard and mouse, make a special knock-area under the nut that will just dislodge it.
When the nut is rolling, there's a loose condition when nut doesn't reach/pass the hole which lacks logic for game to detect it (zero speed nut).
The win seems to be lacking as well.
Hope you enjoyed the comments, I sure enjoyed the game! And yeah, you and your son should put links in your descriptions to each other!
Good game, and good use of theme.
Also, having the possibility to repeat an attempt without having to make the ramp all anew would be nice. If only you'd not get the three stars (it does feel like a game that would work with the three stars kind of level system).
I think it could be a great mobile game. Good job.
It took me a while to realise that I could still bump the ground after the walnut had been released - I assumed once you pressed go you just had to wait and see. That might just be me being dumb (wouldn't be the first time!) but maybe that's worth mentioning somewhere?