Your Life Is Currency

Overall★★★★★★★★★★3.22
Fun★★★★★★★★★★3.19
Innovation★★★★★★★★★★2.78
Theme★★★★★★★★★★3.56
Graphics★★★★★★★★★★2.58
Audio★★★★★★★★★★2.33
Humor★★★★★★★★★★1.94
Mood★★★★★★★★★★2.64
A top down shooter where you can use your HP to upgrade yourself through mutations. The game lasts until you die, and has a functional score and leaderboard system (Leaderboards are local, not online). This is my second attempt at making a Ludum Dare game, and I would love any feedback you all have.

I used Unity to make the game, Visual Studio Code as my IDE, Marmoset Hexels 3 to make the art, and Beepbox to make the music.

screenshot
Tools: BeepBox

Comments17

David Markham29 Apr 2019, 18:20
Great work! Pretty polished game. I liked the mutation mechanic
cogcomp
cogcomp29 Apr 2019, 20:00
Nice mutation mechanism!
ShakierHeart5329 Apr 2019, 21:21
Great game man, loved the mutation stuff, a creative idea
FedorL29 Apr 2019, 21:27
Cant find linux binaries in the linux build archive, probably a broken link?
AdmiralSpaceKrakenauthor29 Apr 2019, 21:37
@fedorl I didn't realize that I had to make a separate build for Linux, sorry. Also, the site won't let me update it now (because the time is up), so I can't fix it now.
Dooda
Dooda29 Apr 2019, 21:43
Really fun game, and the mutation is a very neat mechanic
Attala
Attala30 Apr 2019, 21:57
This game kind of sucked me in :) I liked it. After a while I got tired of the music but well done!
sreal30 Apr 2019, 23:49
Great game. Buying upgrade is a nice idea.
Nebrazif
Nebrazif1 May 2019, 22:02
I like the game, the upgrade mutation system is really nice !
OddSocks
OddSocks1 May 2019, 23:49
Really enjoyed this game. The mutation mechanic was a stroke of genius! Plus it’s a Compo, so double congrats!
fashionbatman
fashionbatman1 May 2019, 23:51
Nice design on the mutation mechanic, I had a fun time playing this. Good job!
mikelovesrobots2 May 2019, 01:36
The mac link points to a windows build. :shrug:
AdmiralSpaceKrakenauthor2 May 2019, 01:46
@mikelovesrobots It seems I made that mistake again. I didn't realize I had to make separate builds for each operating system, and at this point Ludum Dare won't let me add new builds to the site.
MasterProject
MasterProject2 May 2019, 02:15
Great game! Everything seemed quite polished, and I loved the simple yet effective strategy behind each choice.
The music did get tiresome after a while, though.
SundanceKid
SundanceKid2 May 2019, 04:35
Nice little game, I like the simple gameplay with the neat mutations mechanic. Well done :)
Beastiebeastie4 May 2019, 17:41
A great, fun and simple game. Loved how you can customise your character at the beginning using health points and then the choices coming up again at random points with the 'mutations'. Brilliant implementation of the theme of life as currency. Would be nice if the player character and ememies looked a little more slimey.
LuckyFeathers4 May 2019, 19:41
Pretty cool. You have a game which feels very complete, which is rare for game jams. Often people get too ambitious and don't manage to complete the game, and that shows! Yours feels like you've done what you planned to do, which is great. There's even a highscore list! There are a few minor design decisions I'd like to change to improve the user experience.

1. There's not really any feedback to the damage. I'd love to have a sound effect and maybe have the character flash upon taking damage. A health bar would also help the player actually notice that damage is being dealt.
2. The mutation upgrade after each round is a bit annoying because I have to use the mouse, which means I have to move my right hand away from the arrow keys. Then the round starts immediately, and I have to get my hand back quickly. Here you could either have a quick countdown before each round starts (a "3,2,1, GO!" type of thing) or have a hotkey to purchase upgrades. Q and E for example.
3. The music loop is a bit short. This may be a bit unfair, but there are so many of these 8-bit soundtracks in Ludum Dare that every time I hear it I shiver. I understand not everyone is a music composer (I'm terrible at it as well!), but at least try to make it a bit longer so it gets less repetitive.

Anyway, I really like your game. Sure, there are games with better graphical fidelity and all that, but what I really like is your game design and what parts you have focused on. I think that if you keep making video games you're going to make a bestseller some day! Good luck next Ludum Dare! :)

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