Compress(space)

Overall★★★★★★★★★★4.17
Fun★★★★★★★★★★3.97
Innovation★★★★★★★★★★4.56
Theme★★★★★★★★★★4.26
Mood★★★★★★★★★★3.45
Compress_space_banner.pngA puzzle-game where you can compress space:

*Fold space itself.*

*Cross vast distances in a single step.*

*Bypass obstacles in style.*

*Despair as your dimension defying powers are blocked by a single laser turret(I ran out of time).*

Controls:

*WASD* to move.

*LMB + drag left* to compress space into a space-fold

*LMB + drag right* on a space-fold to expand/restore it.

*R* to restart

Screenshot 2023-10-03 223132.png
Credits:

*Code/Level-Design/Game-Design:* B-DeshiDev.

*Art:* Monokai color scheme used as reference.

*Inspiration:* Gojo Satoru from Jujutsu Kaisen. The whole mechanic was inspired by a certain episode in the show.

Note:

I made this solo in 48 hours. There are bugs. The space compression mechanic was also not fully explored. If any of the in-game rules(e.g at most one simultaneous space fold allowed) seem disappointing, it's because the restrictions allowed me to actually finish this.

If the mechanic seems interesting, please let me know your thoughts below. I really want to make more puzzle games and would certainly like to continue this one.

Comments76

KGeib3 Oct 2023, 18:07
WOW, this game idea is incredible, I Loved the mechanic!!
LDJam user 299852
LDJam user 2998523 Oct 2023, 18:13
the concept is super interesting and the puzzles are cool! I feel the mechanic is a bit too restrictive though, as I've spent more time thinking in what I'm allowed to do rather than in how to solve the puzzle, but it's still very nice. Thanks for the game!
Apophatique3 Oct 2023, 18:13
The possibilities are enormous, a concept that could be pushed into a full game, plus all the feedback from the game is satisfying.
TavEVIl3 Oct 2023, 18:13
I really love the mechanics and the overall theme of this game.

Good work!
Kuchinashi
Kuchinashi3 Oct 2023, 18:17
Very interestring mechanic! Also pretty fit the theme.

When I'm playing some levels I really want to fold vertically XD
rsheepdv
rsheepdv3 Oct 2023, 18:17
Cool game! The dragging was really janky tho, a cursor showing you where you start the drag *before* you click would be nice.
Fahim Faysalauthor3 Oct 2023, 18:19
@selkieharbour Thanks. I agree that the current implementation of the mechanic is very limiting. I didn't have enough time to handle the edge cases. So I decided to limit it(only one spade-fold, can't fold across stuff) to have enough time to finish the game. I do plan on making an expanded version of the game after the jam to explore the mechanic fully.
LDJam user 299852
LDJam user 2998523 Oct 2023, 18:24
@fahim-faysal I'd say you made the right choice! it also looks quite a challenge to implement that mechanic. Prioritizing is always hard but even if the mechanic is limited it still feels solid.
Jiri Hysek
Jiri Hysek3 Oct 2023, 18:25
Not only the mechanic is brilliant, also level design is very smart! As for controls - expanding fold sometimes didn't work I guess I need to start draging from the right place. I'd appreciate a keyboard shortcut to cancel current fold. But it's just nitpicking. If you are thinking about expanding it, it would be cool to have more directions of folding. Top-down or maybe even diagonal or arbitrary angle, thaw would be mindblowing :) Also I sometimes fail to understand what part can be folded and what not.

Anyway, awesome game!
Abdul Zakkar
Abdul Zakkar3 Oct 2023, 18:27
Super cool mechanic! As others have mentioned, it's a big difficult to make an intended fold. It may help to have a "cursor" which locks on to where a fold would start. I also have to try multiple times to unfold, and it may help to just have a single click be used to unfold. Otherwise, I thought the graphics and puzzle design were really nice!
BrokenBridge3 Oct 2023, 18:32
Very cool mechanic and interpretation of the theme. The compressing feels a bit fiddly at times. But I eventually figured it out and could make it to the end. Overall a very nice entry.
Evanaellio
Evanaellio3 Oct 2023, 18:37
Great concept ! Sometimes the mouse click seem a bit unresponsive but other than that, very solid puzzle platformer. The mechanics works very well to create some great "aha" moments. Nice work !
Danyclockworker
Danyclockworker3 Oct 2023, 18:42
Great concept! The gameplay mechanics are both intuitive and challenging.
Tudvari
Tudvari3 Oct 2023, 20:08
Everything has been said by previous comments, so I won't waste our time... even though the folding controls were a bit annoying at times, the concept is so good that I didn't give up. Great concept, you should definitely make this into a full game! Keep it up! :)
LDJam user 248799
LDJam user 2487993 Oct 2023, 20:09
Great idea, I had fun! The final level was a great puzzle :thumbsup:

My only remark is the controls, they are very imprecise, analog jump is too complicated to predict, it frustrated me a lot :sweat_smile:

And for the fold, it takes me a little time to understand why I can or can't do it, maybe an highlight on the column where the mouse is (with a color representing if the fold is possible or not) may have help.

But well done, great concept!
DoomMustard
DoomMustard4 Oct 2023, 03:43
I love the idea, its interesting. but I cannot get the folding to work consistently
AncientEntity
AncientEntity4 Oct 2023, 04:42
Really unique idea, played through a bunch of the levels and enjoyed it. I found the compress/decompress a little finicky but besides that it was really good. Congrats!
Diralf
Diralf4 Oct 2023, 13:17
Oh god, this is the mechanics I wanted to play! I really like the visual style; it feels like playing on a retro monitor. The design of the menus, end credits, and text as code snippets looks cool.

At first, I wasn't sure where exactly to click to start folding, so I intuitively clicked slightly to the left, and the column I clicked on didn't fold. But I quickly got used to it. It wasn't entirely clear which tiles couldn't be folded either; it would be great to highlight them explicitly somehow.

Overall, it's beautiful, stylish, with interesting levels, and most importantly, a cool mechanic!
BangKerpow
BangKerpow5 Oct 2023, 00:15
This is really good but exactly where to click was hard to figure out.
n.feofentov
n.feofentov5 Oct 2023, 07:48
Neat idea! I wish there would be some kind of indication at what border the folding/unfolding will start if I press mouse button. During the game I kinda got used to place cursor to the right from where I want to fold, but it is still frustrating, as long as objects don't let you fold. Also button for instant unfold space would be nice (right mouse button e.g.). But still cool game!
Kaaleb5 Oct 2023, 08:11
Really great game and well executed !! Simple concept and feel a lot polish, the LD was great. The audio was just what it need to be. You get a cool concept, you could push more for a longger game !
LDJam user 372231
LDJam user 3722315 Oct 2023, 10:15
The game is so fun and interesting to play. I like how complex and thought out levels are. I also like this screen distortion effect, that reminds me of retro PC screens.
jotson
jotson6 Oct 2023, 15:21
i like the folding mechanic and the visuals are top notch. neat idea!
mcbombadev6 Oct 2023, 21:14
Very creative idea, and a good match for the theme! Great game for 48 hours. I saw you were considering adding more after the jam. That would be awesome to see!
Igor Fam6 Oct 2023, 22:11
I love everything about this! Gameplay, level design, graphics, sound effects... all of it is really amazing!
Lexyvil
Lexyvil6 Oct 2023, 22:32
Probably the most innovative game I've played this jam. Very unique puzzle game! Now I try to imagine a full version where you can fold in every direction.
benisu
benisu6 Oct 2023, 22:36
super original and cool mechanic! i just wish i could unfold more easily (maybe press RMB to unfold last fold?) levels are cool, and i think this idea has so much more potential with all the other directions that are currently can't be folded! all the level design possibilities...
quasilyte
quasilyte6 Oct 2023, 22:59
This is quite literally a mind boggling game (in a good sense). :D
Sometimes I found myself stuck on a level while trying to see the solution.
More often than not I found it by some trial and error.
I'm bad at puzzles in general, so this game is probably one of those I can't really "crack".
I should probably play more puzzle games to get better. :sweat_smile:

This game is quite complete for a jam entry, but the lack of music is noticeable.

It wound be more convenient to undo the compression operation. As some other people mentioned, a quicker unfolding can improve the UX.
LDJam user 245646
LDJam user 2456466 Oct 2023, 23:10
This is a really creative mechanic and is probably the game that uses the theme in the coolest way (at least so far). A bit too big brained for me, near the end I was just brute forcing possible solutions and it worked lmao. A bit finicky to undo your last step though (maybe a hotkey like how R is used to restart)
LDJam user 372515
LDJam user 3725156 Oct 2023, 23:22
Not enough levels!! I had a blast playing and I loved the simple yet polished art. I do wish there was maybe some coyote time and that the lines snapped to the mouses closest line instead of the top-left lines of the grid (if that makes sense). Overall great submission!
pascalbros6 Oct 2023, 23:26
Cool concept, please keep going, great job!
kleinzach6 Oct 2023, 23:48
Great mechanic. It felt like it could really be developed in many interesting ways. Its great to see something I've never seen before!
aevek
aevek7 Oct 2023, 00:26
Such a cool mechanic! It feels like folding a piece of paper to make different parts touch. There's some room for polish (I definitely agree with the suggestion about an unfold shortcut), but honestly my main complaint is that I want more levels! I was having fun and then it ended :(
chompdev
chompdev7 Oct 2023, 00:42
Loved playing this one! Easily one of favorite puzzle games from LD54. The presentation was fantastic and the UI and controls felt very intuitive. I really had to stop and think about how to solve some of the levels, and they were all satisfying to solve. Thanks for sharing this gem with us!
Charred Axolotl
Charred Axolotl7 Oct 2023, 01:11
Very good idea that was implemented well! My only real complaint is the layout for the controls. Using space for jump is awkward for me when I'm using A/D to move. My hand starts cramping really fast so I just had to shift back and forth from keyboard to mouse.
Lachlan James
Lachlan James7 Oct 2023, 02:44
This is really tight. Simple and effective presentation (surprised you opted out of graphics - still looks great), and the level design and emerging mechanics are fantastic. Great use of theme.

*DID* absolutely annihilate my eardrums when I cranked my headphones up trying to see if I could hear music, and then touched a wall :x
JKazuk7 Oct 2023, 03:35
Brilliant! I love it
CodeRaurus
CodeRaurus7 Oct 2023, 06:54
Great puzzle game. Lovely visual effects on the compression. The sound effect was kind of loud for my taste.
It would be cool to see more levels and perhaps even vertical folding.

Good job.
LDJam user 314224
LDJam user 3142247 Oct 2023, 09:05
Grat Job ! I love this concept !
Very grat idea for use of theme ! And very good game
Good job team !
AGK
AGK7 Oct 2023, 10:16
This game is clever. The visuals look really clean! I mean the only thing for me is the folding the space controls was slightly annoying. But the game still impressed me!
katamary
katamary7 Oct 2023, 12:23
Amazing puzzle game! I spent a lot of time to solve some puzzles but it was fun!
tanis
tanis7 Oct 2023, 14:13
Very cool mechanic. I would have liked some background music though. The puzzles are really challenging, well done!
Constance
Constance7 Oct 2023, 16:19
Super cool and creative mechanic, I had a lot of fun playing the game! I thought it would be easy at first but it turns out to be really complicated and challenging later on. The simple graphics and post processing effects really brought the game to life. The sound is also great and suitable, it would have been nicer with a main theme music of some sort. Regardless, you did a great job on implementing this complex concept in such a small amount of time, gg!
QYQ7 Oct 2023, 16:28
This level is so cool.I spend much time to finish it.So impression!Leave a deep impression on me!
woergbi
woergbi7 Oct 2023, 17:31
Great idea! It makes for a really nice puzzle game. I really enjoyed playing it!
Fahim Faysalauthor7 Oct 2023, 17:53
@aevek Actually, the folding controls were inspired by a game called paper trails. So you're right on the mark!
Papaver
Papaver7 Oct 2023, 19:05
Very cool and original game! Very well done :clap:
I enjoyed it very much. I wish there were more levels! :heart:

I didn't find the levels very challenging, except for one jump in the last level. That's always tricky, combining a puzzle game with challenging mechanics.

For the controls I would have liked to be able to use up/W for jump. I also would like a button to just undo the fold I made, so I don't have to drag it back.

Overall, very good job, and I hope to see more levels in the future!
SID37
SID377 Oct 2023, 21:40
A very nice game, especially the stylization of ASCII art and the CRT monitor shader looks nice
LDJam user 246128
LDJam user 2461288 Oct 2023, 01:23
Incredibly polished, effective and well done. Especially for a solo game in 48 hours, damn! Great work!
Nanamaki
Nanamaki8 Oct 2023, 08:14
I LOVE THIS!! I love the mechanic and the incredibly well-made puzzles! There's nothing to criticize for me. Having so much fun playing it! Great work!
LDJam user 377116
LDJam user 3771168 Oct 2023, 15:04
Super cool concept! reminds me a lot of ascii portal! The error messages were a bit obstrusive but i really enjoyed the level progression. Also very pretty screen space effects!
milq
milq8 Oct 2023, 18:46
An incredible adaptation for a video game from a series! The theme seems exceptionally well-aligned with what was requested! It's true that certain aspects of the game need polishing, but overall, it is highly recommendable! Spectacular! Congratulations!
Christian Witt Martin8 Oct 2023, 19:03
Not only an exceptionally innovative concept, but also exceptionally fun. Great work! With more time I'm sure this game could be expanded upon and be a great project.
LDJam user 338234
LDJam user 3382348 Oct 2023, 19:22
I love how the levels & title screen look & tie in with the theme along with the title. The presentation feels really exciting and satisfying, as if as the player you're manipulating code itself. I think a bit of extra explanation regarding what you're able to do would be very beneficial, along with an easier way to undo the space compression.
Had a great time with this game and if you intend to work more on it I think it will be spectacular!
HagamosVideojuegos
HagamosVideojuegos9 Oct 2023, 21:49
Funny and good mechanics for this theme! A lot of levels for a jam!

Well done! Take a candy! :candy:
LDJam user 206001
LDJam user 20600111 Oct 2023, 00:58
I know it's very innovative but I had a lot of difficulty, so I couldn't have much fun.
Ategon
Ategon11 Oct 2023, 01:23
Hey, I’m the host of the Ludum Dare score chasers tournament for this jam

Wanted to ask for score chasers if you were fine with me playing some gameplay of your game in the background in the waiting period / intermission. In the waiting period its going to cycle between gameplay of a bunch of different games in the background (with music from games in the jam playing as well)
Flashlight13
Flashlight1314 Oct 2023, 22:46
Fantastic idea! The only regret I have is that this game is too short :)

Please add more puzzles and continue supporting it!
TPace
TPace16 Oct 2023, 00:08
This game has a lot of depth, please keep expanding it! Replay and restart buttons would be really helpful btw
PSV Games Studio
PSV Games Studio16 Oct 2023, 01:13
Very interesting and innovative mechanics! Good job!
Vitaslayer
Vitaslayer17 Oct 2023, 06:47
A very interesting puzzle with an unusual mechanic. I wish there were more levels. The only thing I didn't like was that the sounds were a bit too loud.
Strega
Strega17 Oct 2023, 08:02
Nice puzzle platformer! Great use of post processing to create a polished feeling. The controls felt tight and the platforming felt good. I would have liked a quick key to instant expand the folded space rather than clicking and dragging again. Great job!
digital bacon
digital bacon17 Oct 2023, 10:29
Very fun puzzle game! Mechanics are inventive, and love the semi-retro graphics. The chromatic aberration effect is very cool. Excellent work!
LDJam user 300020
LDJam user 30002017 Oct 2023, 17:22
the concept is nice and it is easy to control. As far as folding space goes, it takes me a little while to understand, like the difference between the white purple, and red lines. Agree that the error messages were a bit obtrusive. Maybe you can create a terminal dialog box to put the text in. The graphics are great, It looks like the player is manipulating the code itself.

https://ldj.am/$374960!Try this if you like puzzle game💗:)
LDJam user 371030
LDJam user 37103017 Oct 2023, 19:15
Cool looking game and a really interesting mechanic! Solid game! I would've liked more levels but I understand you also had *limited time*, not just accommodated for the... *limited space* :D. Great job! Amazing aesthetics and I like the shader.

A few things that could be improved:
- would be great to have *undo* of the last-collapsed space, since anyway you have to undo it manually every time
- it can be confusing where you can drag from (and to where at most), especially initially; e.g. the 3rd level took me the most time ; there probably are
- the sounds - even though they are cute and retro, they are a bit too much; I always suggest softer sounds and I stand to that again

Overall, a pretty cool and innovative mech : )) .. develop that, make sure players will be able to wrap their head around it and you got a banger!
Kazuma17 Oct 2023, 19:44
It's a pretty interesting game, I liked it.
Tetracold
Tetracold17 Oct 2023, 20:59
Very creative!!

I really, really like how the theme is used, very clever!

The aesthetic is minimal but very clean and well done!
Oddy enough ! think the lack of music actually kinda adds to the overall mood and aesthetic

it was very fun playing though this, the mechanic is intuitive and easy to use.
I think this has potential to create some awesome puzzles, especially if it's more expanded on, with more obstacles and maybe even vertical use of the mechanic!

very satisfied with what I played, I would love to potentially see this turned into a full game
LDJam user 11093
LDJam user 1109317 Oct 2023, 21:17
Very interesting puzzle mechanism, I would like to see more 🙂👍
abcdef65g
abcdef65g18 Oct 2023, 07:50
Really solid, innovative game! The aesthetic feel is great, and folding space is fun and made for cool puzzles. I would like to see you continue this project with more mechanics, less limitations, and way more puzzles!

Gojo Satoru would be proud!
Roroto Sic
Roroto Sic19 Oct 2023, 10:56
a great idea ! well done !
Matootsy
Matootsy19 Oct 2023, 18:06
Wow. It's just...perfect! Incredible concept. The best game I have tested until now. It fit perfectly the theme. I really like the clean execution. The mechanic is really incredible. You find something! This idea has a great potential. Maybe a little bit polish for the progression, but it's already very good. Congratulation!

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