Sometimes all a monster wants is a casual walk through the woods,if only everyone could leave them alone. This is a simple card game, work your way through the story deck of cards using your own deck and harnessing the tools at any monsters disposal, being Scary, Spooky or Cuddly.
First Game Jam of any kind here and lacked the software know how to add music, so enjoy the silence.
Sorry I didn't explain better in game but seeing comments I have written the below tutorial. I realized to late i hadn't explained it well enough but felt altering the game to do so wouldn't have been in the spirit of the compo.
Also there should of been a game end screen but something was obviously wrong in the code and again I felt patching it out wasn't in the spirit of LD. :)
*Tutorial*
Your Hand is the 5 cards at the top of the screen, each one can do one of 2 things.
1)Increase/Decrease Your Stats
2)Give you an ability to played at a later time
On the bottom row you will see 1 card and 2 sets of stats. This is your encounter card, on it are the details of your current encounter. The stats on your left are the levels you will need of each stat (scary/spooky/cuddly) to pass the encounter. The stats on your right are your current levels.
The encounter deck also contains action cards that you won't need any levels to bypass but will have an effect.
Turns.
Each turn you can play one card, ability cards don't happen instantly but give you that ability to play at a later point by clicking the buttons to the left of your. When you have played your card click the 'End Turn' button. if you meet the criteria needed for an encounter a new card will be drawn.
Abilities.
At any point in your turn you can play, Roar,Creepy Laugh or Teddy Bear by pressing the buttons next to your hand. until the end of turn it will change the related criteria needed to 0. You may play more than 1 each turn if you wish.
Endgame
The game will end when you have completed the Story Deck, there is a card counter next to the encounter card letting you know your process.
*update*
I wrote a post mortem about my LD33 experience here
It also contains a link to an updated version that takes into account all the below feedback, it is not meant to replace my entry for the compo, just trying to follow up on any promise people had seen :)
Seems to be about reading the middle card and guessing which stats you need based on what it says, then just picking the cards at the top that give you those stats. At least, I think that was the idea. It's what seemed to get me ahead.
Overall I found this game had great promise but poor execution and found it a little difficult to comprehend and play, I didn't expect to find many card games for this theme but glad that someone gave it a go in such an innovative way, I found this a really cool take on the theme with all the different cards and everything, the visual style was nice even for a card game, Some of the cards you could play were quite funny but I think the thing that tanked the mood was no audio, I would have loved a sort of funny or bright and bubbly soundtrack for this game but no audio isn't that horrible but I do really think that it helps. Great concept poor execution but well done overall.
i wrote the rather brief guide on the left after making the whole game and knowing exactly what i was talking about but without stopping to think wether other people would know what i was talking about, i could of explained it better but thanks for playing
A very interesting idea; I'm not sure if there's any strategy except keep playing cards until you get your stats up, and I think the ability cards don't work, but it seems very promising and may turn out to be a fun multiplayer card game! For example, you could have a game where you try to scare your opponent's humans with your monster before they do the same to yours...
I think there's an interesting game here, but I don't get it. Maybe the instructions are a little bit confuse, sory. If you're going to improve someday make the instructions as you play. And the link for the game is wrong, because it says "Web" but takes you to a desktop game download. You need to change that. Thaks!!
I found this game to be rather interesting, a lot of potential for complex play, but I can't help but feel it didn't provide too much in terms of actual gameplay. An intriguing concept, but perhaps too complex too fully form in only 48 hours.
I commend you for taking on a logic-heavy game! Numbers, man.
It was difficult to play, which I'll blame on my inexperience with the genre. A tutorial or guide would have been nice but it's understandable to omit that given the time constraint.
Good effort for a first time entry. Lots of positives in the game and a lot you can probably take away and improve on. The main problem I found was how difficult I found it to play. Remember, what seems blatantly obvious to you will be alien to everyone else.
Once I understood the game it was pretty fun. Didn't seem like you could lose ever since all cards are net gain, especially since you can't go negative stats. definitely could of used a tutorial but a cool gimmick for sure!
The people who are saying it's hard to understand are crazy, it's not hard at all to figure out if you actually try. :)
Lack of a defeat condition makes this a little too easy, but the concept is neat and with some more mechanical complexity I could see it being a cool multiplayer game.
It took me a couple tries to understand how to play the game, but once I did, it was pretty fun. I think some audio would have been nice for the different cards and I don't know if this was purposeful or not, but it didn't seem like your stats could go into the negatives. Overall a pretty fun game and very original because it's the only card game that I've seen.
I can see what you were going for. It was a little confusing at first but I figured it out about 1/4 the way through. Some suggestions would be to have the card text be related to the story of a monster walking through the forest and keep some kind of score based on completing the story in as fewer moves.
As others have said, it was really difficult to understand exactly what to do, even after reading the instruction in game. The idea is really solid, and some tutorializing (either overtly or otherwise) would go a long way. However, 48 hours doesn't leave a lot of time for that kind of thing.
I was also going to mention something about the harshness of the red color, but I see the post-compo version is much easier to look at. Great first entry, keep going!
After 8 minutes of playing or so I finally understood what to do - and after that the fun started :) You have a solid basement, now you can add more art, integrate tutorial and expand the game.
Comments23
And the link for the game is wrong, because it says "Web" but takes you to a desktop game download. You need to change that.
Thaks!!
It was difficult to play, which I'll blame on my inexperience with the genre. A tutorial or guide would have been nice but it's understandable to omit that given the time constraint.
Hope to see you in LD34
Lack of a defeat condition makes this a little too easy, but the concept is neat and with some more mechanical complexity I could see it being a cool multiplayer game.
Note: You are allowed to fix bugs (end screen not showing), but not add new features. See "Additional Notes" on http://ludumdare.com/compo/rules/ :)
I was also going to mention something about the harshness of the red color, but I see the post-compo version is much easier to look at. Great first entry, keep going!
Gameplay was pretty good! Only thing what i really don't liked was graphics...
All in all, little ugly, but pretty neat and innovative game!
You have a solid basement, now you can add more art, integrate tutorial and expand the game.
The video reviews of the games I played:https://youtu.be/gAPMEoLs5yA
Your game is at 45:49