LOW BATT

Overall★★★★★★★★★★3.84
Fun★★★★★★★★★★3.46
Innovation★★★★★★★★★★3.90
Theme★★★★★★★★★★3.66
Graphics★★★★★★★★★★3.49
Audio★★★★★★★★★★4.54
Mood★★★★★★★★★★4.04
Screen Shot 2017-07-30 at 9.49.12 AM 1.png

Windows / Mac / Linux


Source


Hold 'down' to charge. Enjoy!

Leave a comment, and I'll play and comment on your game too (unless it's Windows only or something). Looking forward to playing your games!

screenshot

Comments73

AdroitConceptions31 Jul 2017, 13:09
Congratulations on getting the Linux export correct (Universal)!

I really liked how the music reacted to what you were doing.
Wasn't supper clear on a win/loss condition however.
azsteak31 Jul 2017, 13:49
Don't understand what I'm doing. But it's still fun :D
Aterlamia
Aterlamia31 Jul 2017, 13:55
I loved the music / sound when you did the "special moves". Gave an overall good feeling however still not exactly sure what the goal was.
LeonLaci
LeonLaci31 Jul 2017, 15:01
This is not really a game but it was really fun. Good job!
jchaplin31 Jul 2017, 15:15
Fun and very nice music! Nice work!
jin47
jin4731 Jul 2017, 17:03
I think I have won, but I am not sure, maybe not. But that was really something! Nice music, I totally fell in the ambiance of this game. I did not really understand if there was another role to the different direction (maybe it is just for the music). Awesome job!
TolMera
TolMera31 Jul 2017, 20:55
Pretty cool overall, I really like the ending sound effect
marekkpie
marekkpie31 Jul 2017, 20:55
Nice music generator! Had fun playing it on stream!
simonhutchinson
simonhutchinsonauthor31 Jul 2017, 23:21
@jupiter-hadley, I love listening to the delight in your commentary! Thanks as always for all you do for Ludum Dare!
Maximiliam Berggren1 Aug 2017, 07:27
Thank you for playing my game first of all, gave that comment a
digitaldude555
digitaldude5551 Aug 2017, 18:42
Graphics.
Primitive shapes, but gotta give props to the animation. 2/5.

Theme.
Good take on the theme, I like that the window closes it self when you finish the game. 5/5.

Fun.
I did have fun with it, all I can say. 3/5.

Innovation.
Nothing really innovative here at all. 2/5.

Mood and Audio.
Both a 5/5 especially the audio is the best part of the game. Good job.
HoldMeImScared
HoldMeImScared1 Aug 2017, 18:53
You know, I kind of agree that it's not really a game. But that doesn't mean it's not a worthy LD entry :) It is a really simple, fun, and beautiful software toy - and shows off some of your dev (and music!) skills nicely. This could potentially serve as a good foundation for a game, but I mean, it doesn't necessarily need to. There's value in toys, too. Good work! Thank you so much for sharing this, I liked it a lot!
WillData
WillData1 Aug 2017, 19:05
I really enjoyed the atmosphere and it was a nice zen experience! I noticed the clock a bit too late though and wish I could have just stayed in that space a while longer without starting over
WillData
WillData1 Aug 2017, 19:05
I really enjoyed the atmosphere and it was a nice zen experience! I noticed the clock a bit too late though and wish I could have just stayed in that space a while longer without starting over
mango-malarkey1 Aug 2017, 19:06
I had no idea what I was doing. But I liked it! These kinds of entries are always my favorites!
Mr Marcgenesis
Mr Marcgenesis1 Aug 2017, 19:19
I feel like it is a game because I had FUN "playing" it. I am glad you did this for the LD39, it shows was kind of different things you can do with a theme. I would have never thought of a musical game. Props to you!
BORB
BORB1 Aug 2017, 23:58
This kind of abstract game design is really inspiring. Experiencing something that is just reduced to a synced connection between controls, visuals and music not only entertains but asks questions - is this thing a game? What is a game at all?

This isn't the first game to ask those questions, but doesn't fall into most obvious pitfalls of postmodern games - Low Batt most importantly feels fun and responsive and interesting, and that's what matters the most.

Thank you for this. Best thing I've seen in LD39 so far.
PeachTreeOath
PeachTreeOath2 Aug 2017, 05:01
Really impressive stuff. I think I have a different interpretation of the game than everyone else, because it seemed like an actual game to me where you had you juggle your resource to progress. There's one thing I noticed in this game I don't see in other games all that much. Usually the fun is in the resource spending, like burning your turbo in a racing game, but gathering back your resources to get back to that state is less fun (with the exception of F-zero, those power zones are awesome and satisfying). You managed to connect the charging so well to how music normally does call and response...I felt it was just really organic gameplay. Great job!
mintarcade
mintarcade2 Aug 2017, 15:07
Very great concept. The idea is awesome and the gameplay is entertaining. I really like the colors and how they represent the energy levels. I really like how the game progresses, but I don't really understand what is the best way for it to grow. The audio is really impressive. I would really like to have some kind of scoring system. But overall, a really great game. :)
edmond002 Aug 2017, 15:52
It was an unexpected game but nonetheless it fit the theme. I liked he music that we generate as playing.
It is nice to have a countdown clock even if it is just a relaxing game.
Thanks to that, it give it a proper end rather than the player quitting when he begins to be bored.
elmismopancho
elmismopancho2 Aug 2017, 22:38
Very nice, the music, simple graphics, innovative mechanics. The only thing I would add is some kind of victory condition. Good job
celia14
celia143 Aug 2017, 00:21
Really cool graphics and audio! I did wish for more direction, but on the other hand it was fun to experiment and see different things happen. :)
Steve Johnson
Steve Johnson3 Aug 2017, 02:37
I love it when people take audio seriously and use simplistic graphics effectively. This is exactly the kind of thing I hope to see every LD. Great job.
Reiv
Reiv3 Aug 2017, 02:51
I liked the way you approched the theme. The gameplay is really interesting and unespected. I will remain with the existential question of this being a music generator or a game. Maybe both :) It was fun, all this cyclic idea of generete, waste and create something pleasent from it.
sketchycode3 Aug 2017, 03:13
This was really neat, and pretty unlike anything else I've played/rated this round. I would love maybe a more ambient chill track with some cooler (blues and greens, eg) colors. Great job!
Yirggzmb
Yirggzmb3 Aug 2017, 06:00
This was loads of fun! And kinda relaxing.
PietPtr3 Aug 2017, 14:56
Very interesting experience.., nice to see this kind of stuff pop up in the Ludum Dare instead of just games :)
gimbalock
gimbalock3 Aug 2017, 15:45
I like the simplicity of this (game). It looks good, it sounds awesome!
PhilStrahl
PhilStrahl3 Aug 2017, 17:15
Really enjoyed this game a lot once I kinda got it. The music was very nice and even with the very minimal options, I had a blast performing a little. The lack of any kind menu screen or intrusive UI was a huge bonus and overall it was a very soothing yet stimulating experience. Great job! Now make a bunch more songs and sell us the soundtrack! :)
gnerkus
gnerkus3 Aug 2017, 18:45
I wish it didn't have to end. I'll leave a comment and go check on my phone.

+++ Clean colours. Crisp UI. I don't know what I'm talking about; I just know I loved the graphics a lot.
+++ The chill music (supplemented by my poor efforts at conducting) was chill.
+++ The simplicity of the game.

This was a great game.
PS: I would love to be able to be able to hold more than one direction button at the same time for full-blown chaos.
simonhutchinson
simonhutchinsonauthor3 Aug 2017, 19:34
@gnerkus Thanks! You can do up along with left or right, but I decided not to allow left and right at the same time (and, of course, allowing down at the same time as anything kind of defeats the game a bit). Thanks for playing!
Local Minimum
Local Minimum3 Aug 2017, 20:45
Really nice audio atmosphere! As others have commented it was a bit unclear what made and didn't make the rightmost bar increase, but i did figure out how to increase it and upgrade all the way to where it disappeared. I get that it wasn't to focus, but some visual feedback on that mechanics to not distract from the mood with feelings of confusion. Why the rightmost bar disappeared wasn't clear either.
Angela He
Angela He4 Aug 2017, 01:48
That was honestly... so good. An almost out-of-body experience. I felt so soothed and calmed after it was all over, and I really needed that, thank you. I felt like I was on a journey the whole time, and when the last block faded out alongside the music, it was so cathartic, almost like 'you're done here. You can rest now.' It reminds me of Thomas was Alone in how emotional it can make the player with just simple graphics and a narrative.

And I can't not talk about the music :D That might be the greatest thing about this submission. Totally amazing and calming, and a totally new twist on music-making games for me - I can actually make the music in real time instead of making patterns on a synth pad.

re: is this a game? It definitely is. The only requirement is that the player influences what happens, and that's checked - not to mention the increasing difficulty, narrative, and other design choices :D
simonhutchinson
simonhutchinsonauthor4 Aug 2017, 16:15
Thanks @philstrahl! I love your reaction. Exactly what I had hoped for. I considered putting a version of the track up for download, but kind of the whole point is that you get to make your own track. Maybe I could add a feature to record your performance to disk for later listening.
TheFlyingKeyboard
TheFlyingKeyboard4 Aug 2017, 18:07
Really fun idea of gameplay, graphics are simple, but fun. Audio is very awesome and with graphics generates amazing mood. A tutorial at the beginning of the game would make it easier to understand.
eptwalabha
eptwalabha5 Aug 2017, 09:59
Nice game and nice concept, it fits very nicely with the theme. The music is awesome and reminds me of Bit trip runner.
I only played the Linux version, (so I speak only for this one), and I which the game asked me if I would like to play again instead of just shutting down.
Once again this is a very nice game, good job.
GanbareGamesKyle
GanbareGamesKyle5 Aug 2017, 17:00
There has to be a good idea somewhere in this game. Maybe I misunderstood something. All I could to was hold down until the meter filled up the mash the other arrow keys until the green bit of the meter was depleted. I don't know if I was supposed to hit the keys on beat but my strategy worked for me.
Xephrys
Xephrys5 Aug 2017, 23:52
Fun experience, more of a music simulation but still cheered me up for sure!
Gris
Gris6 Aug 2017, 09:09
This is an amazing entry. It creates a really cool mood with the super simple graphics and the responsive sounds. Congrats!
Peter Sheehan6 Aug 2017, 17:43
Really like the graphics, and the audio really sets a nice mood. I couldn't really tell what the goal of the game was, besides making things look cool. This made it feel more like a toy than an actual game.
LeviDSmith
LeviDSmith6 Aug 2017, 23:34
I liked how the squares moving was in time with the music. It took me a little while to figure out that I could only charge the meter up to green if I had green boxes. I was able to get all nine rows on my second playthrough.
christina-antoinette-neofotistou
omg what an emotional journey!!! I enjoyed every second of it, amazing timing, amazing mood, super responsive, great narrative with beginning, climax and end. You're making me reconsider game design
zenmumbler
zenmumbler7 Aug 2017, 21:58
This was the first game I tried this LD but forgot to review until now. More of a toy really, but a good one. Cool musical experiment with stylish presentation. Groovy.
askania_m7 Aug 2017, 23:16
I found your game the most interesting and unusual one because of music among all I´ve played this week. The music one can create playing and the idea of visualisation have got a perfect simbiosis. I really enjoyed it! You deserve a high rate
Pixel Game Wizard
Pixel Game Wizard8 Aug 2017, 02:56
It's a pretty cool game!

All I can say... prettyyyyyy cuuuuuuuubesssss! XD

Thanks for making and sharing!

later edit

I meant to comment on the quality of the game, and the audio too. I was probably a little tired and a bit giddy at my initial experience. XD I was impressed at how fun this was to play with, and it was visually and acoustically a treat.
pcmaster8 Aug 2017, 06:35
Dude, this was immense! Finally a rhythm/music game. Slick. Incredible presentation.
Phobos001
Phobos0018 Aug 2017, 19:06
Now THAT was awesome! It was short and sweet, very well made, and is beaming with charm. My favorite musical addition was holding RIGHT. I don't have anything bad to say about this fun little game. You did a fantastic job sir!
automatonvx
automatonvx8 Aug 2017, 19:16
fun experience, the minimalist but stylish visuals fit nicely too.
Erkberg
Erkberg8 Aug 2017, 19:51
Less of a game, but more of a rhythmic experience, and a great one at that. Nice minimalistic presentation and awesome audio! Don't really know what else to say, enjoyed it quite a bit, good job overall!
gamepopper
gamepopper10 Aug 2017, 12:22
A really good minimalist concept. I like how smooth the rotations are and how everything fits to the beat, I enjoyed seeing which directions made what sound. Very good music and instrument samples indeed. Great work!
shiitman
shiitman10 Aug 2017, 19:24
Beautiful visual effects and audio, very interesting conceptual game.
kr4ft3r
kr4ft3r11 Aug 2017, 19:26
It is awesome how screenshot and description tell you nothing but the game turns out to be quite a sensory trip, won't be giving any more spoilers I recommend anyone reading this to download & try with headphones. Good job man.
klianc0911 Aug 2017, 19:49
Really fascinating game. Some hint, or audiovisual cue, that the other buttons do nothing while holding "down", would have been nice. I tried all combinations of buttons while holding "down", for like half a minute before I realized I had to release "down". The text made me assume, that I should always hold down "down". But eventually I got it, and got an awesome experience.
simonhutchinson
simonhutchinsonauthor11 Aug 2017, 21:44
@kr4ft3r Thanks! I'm glad to hear that someone appreciated my Spartan presentation. I figured the less I gave away the better the experience!
Estebe12 Aug 2017, 14:53
Not sure what I'm to make of this. It was a nice audio-visual experience however.
Still, was I playing a game or using a music program?
These sort of things always makes me question, what makes a game? So at the very least, you've made me philosophical!
Ellian
Ellian13 Aug 2017, 12:10
Wow, that was a very weird experience - but in the coolest way! I love short audio experiences and that was a good one :D
I could barely even tell the actual "goal", I just felt good playing around. Awesome!

Love how some squares are just a little bit off sync with the others, so the whole thing feels more alive.
Pandanym
Pandanym14 Aug 2017, 19:50
My god, what an experience, I loved it to death
Belga54
Belga5415 Aug 2017, 15:09
This game have a really great experience ! The atmosphere and the audio is soo nice ! Good work on the sounds. The gameplay was great and the graphics was simple but cool. Great entry !
Rikoclon16 Aug 2017, 03:29
I didn't know what to expect at all, but I'm thoroughly impressed! This is extremely well done and it hits on a lot of the things I look for in a game! Great concept, simple mechanics, graphics, and animations, but a perfect fit with swiftness, with sweet audio! This is the coolest compo I've come across for sure! I was honestly hoping that after fin it would say hold down to charge, so I just played it like three times in a row. Outstanding entry!
gonutz
gonutz16 Aug 2017, 16:21
Wow, that was awesome! I don't really know what just happened, I have never before played a rhythm or music-centric game, this was really nice! Well done!

It was just an overall greate experience, I felt powerful to create this music, although I of course don't really create it. This has to be what those first person shooters mean to boys, this was cool!

Thank you for this and keep up the good work!
Fran Segura
Fran Segura16 Aug 2017, 17:38
Man, what a great entry! I loved your minimalistic take on the theme, with simple shapes and sound you created a rich and fulfilling experience. Amazing work, congrats!
IndieAlchemist
IndieAlchemist17 Aug 2017, 15:23
Wow! The music and the mood are astounding! I like how you used the theme. Great job!
mikethewayne18 Aug 2017, 07:56
Amazing experience, brilliant music, no matter how you play the game it sounds amazing. Brilliant entry!
gonutz
gonutz18 Aug 2017, 15:01
@simonhutchinson Thanks for the great feedback! So you got it to work on OS X? That is cool news, can you tell me what you did exactly so that I can update my github instructions?
simonhutchinson
simonhutchinsonauthor18 Aug 2017, 16:03
@gonutz I actually just hopped on another computer at school, hitting up a bunch of Windows games I wanted to catch up on. I'm not sure about the OSX stuff, but it stands to reason that your instructions might work. I might give that a try at some point when I have more time to figure things out! Good luck!
Natrium729
Natrium72918 Aug 2017, 20:58
Well, I'm not sure what I just played, but I enjoyed! It was kind of soothing, and the music is really good! The experience was nice!
Coauctor19 Aug 2017, 11:03
I did not get the goal if there was one, but it's cool and relaxing to charge the batteries listening to the rhythm. Increasing the number of batteries was oddly satisfying too. Thanks for the experience!
BloodJohn
BloodJohn19 Aug 2017, 19:07
wow. pretty rithm game! sound nad effects amazing. simple, but addictive. nice work!
sparewizard
sparewizard20 Aug 2017, 13:56
I like the procedural music feel of this one, how more sounds keep being added in addition to the notes you are playing.

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