B.E.E - Brave Explorer Evangeline

by pentaworks

co-authored: @rentem, @wolfhead, @xparker

Overall★★★★★★★★★★3.10

Fun★★★★★★★★★★2.71

Innovation★★★★★★★★★★3.04

Theme★★★★★★★★★★3.73

Graphics★★★★★★★★★★3.13

Humor★★★★★★★★★★2.54

Mood★★★★★★★★★★3.15

B.E.E - Brave Explorer Evangeline

Be a bee. A brave bee... a very brave bee.
Meet Evangeline - the bravest of bees.

How to play

Zoom around in the endless, procedurally generated world and collect nectar.

Controls

There are many ways to control Evangeline.

Keys	Action
W / S	Forward / Backward
A / D	Strive left / right
Q / E	Roll left / right
R / F	Up / Down
Arrow up / down	Pitch forward / backward
Arrow left / right	Yaw forward / backward
Space	Speed boost

Alternatively, you can use the mouse to control pitch and yaw.

Or use the touchpads? (if not visible => check the options page)

What to do

* Collect nectar to get faster.
* Bring back 10 nectar to your home.
* (rinse and repeat)

Conditions

There are none - we ran out of time.

Death is hinted at in one case.

Winning is not possible as the only thing in live that is certain, is death.

Key features

* Procedurally generated map (no limit set)
* Awesome effect sounds (not the background / ambience though - these were stolen)
* Somewhat playable (maybe even on mobile through browser)
* Neverending *"fun"*?

Screenshots

Known issues

* Not all items have colliders (Bumblebee)
* Boost can be used while not moving (on purpose, trust us :D)

Changelog

Date	Version	Description
08.10.2024	LDJam	Original LDJam version
08.10.2024	1.1.0	Post-Jam release (Jam remains unchanged) update with a lot of changes like mouse capturing, map smoothening, extra effects and minor fixes (Credits for example).
25.10.2024	1.2.0	Loads of changes - Terrain stitching, optimized generation, revamped menus, inverted controls, fixed issues with hazards.. and most notibly.. the SKYBOX!

Genres: adventure

Tools: Unity

Comments41

zbrogdom8 Oct 2024, 08:57

It's an enjoyable and relaxing game.

oliver_day8 Oct 2024, 09:16

Nice graphics (I found it a bit hard to use the controls though - the bee kept veering when turning).

Iaroslavik8 Oct 2024, 09:52

Good job 😌

DressOrc8 Oct 2024, 10:29

super relaxing and nice, though it doesnt really feel like a game as such

OccamsLaser8 Oct 2024, 10:35

Fun little thematic game. IDK if Unity offers mousegrab, but I assume it does, and that might make using the mouse as one of the inputs easier. I didn't have too much trouble with WASD+arrow keys though. I liked how I had to fly up the bell shaped flowers to get the pollen and the menu sound effects.

LDJam user 3775468 Oct 2024, 10:36

Fellow bee enjoyers nice :D
Love the sound when colliding with something adds some comedy to stumbling trough the world and crashing in to things.

Locking the mouse like in an FPS would help controlling things with the mouse.

LDJam user 2362568 Oct 2024, 10:38

Cool, a fellow bee game. Pretty good flight controls, I did struggle a bit because the mouse didn't lock into the game window though.

LDJam user 2333478 Oct 2024, 10:42

@zbrogdom @oliver-day @iaroslavik @dressorc Thanks for playing :heart:

@occamslaser We didn't look into it to be honest.. but im certain it does. We mostly used keyboard.

@kanagg @cheeks We'll try to improve. We usually have an updated version on itch (though we feel the original JamVersion should be rated).

DanielLochner8 Oct 2024, 10:42

This was fun! Thanks for submitting to the jam! We also created a movement-based collectathon style game! :)

Haoro8 Oct 2024, 10:53

Nice controls, if there was a timer and an end the first time we bring back 10 extract, it would be fun to try hard to get a better timer xD
Good job!

LDJam user 2333478 Oct 2024, 11:05

@daniellochner Thanks for playing. Yours seems to be a bit more refined though :wink:

@haoro *taking notes* What a silly idea :wink: *added to ToDo*

Custodi8 Oct 2024, 11:23

Relaxing game loop with intresting core mechanic of flight
Control are really tough, it was really hard to deal with it)

Jack123428 Oct 2024, 15:31

A good game about the challenging and routine days of a little bee.

Kirass8 Oct 2024, 18:27

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/56/need-for-snailmidght

LDJam user 2333478 Oct 2024, 19:57

@custodi Thanks for your feedback. There are various sets if input that are available. The most used (from our view) is the keyboard though.

@jack12342 Thanks for playing and enjoying the game :blush:

@kirass Sadly no feedback other than a link to a game that you didnt compete with? Thanks anyways for writing a comment.

kristirose889 Oct 2024, 12:52

What a cute little game! I enjoyed my time with it! I liked the controls, I thought they were fun! There is a slight learning curve, but it was satisfying when I got the hang of it. Great job!

daria-toni9 Oct 2024, 15:52

The controls are a bit wonky, but I got used to it after a couple of minutes! The world is a bit empty, but I really appreciate the procedural terrain generation, it's just a cool feature imo. This could be a good game if you add some simple tasks to it. The music is funny.

By the way, I played the web version and the main menu there is a bit... crazy XD

LDJam user 2333479 Oct 2024, 18:06

@kristirose88 much appreciated :blush:

@daria-toni True, especially the mouse in the Jam version (due to not being captured). The Post-Jam version has now
captured the mouse for easier playing.
We have an ever exanding (like the world) ToDo-list of things that would be great.

We are aware of the menu issue but it's unreliable to reproduce. might be related to screen resolution vs available area (of itch.io).

kanity9 Oct 2024, 22:14

It's a cute idea to play as a bee, I like it

Dominic Graziano10 Oct 2024, 01:10

i had fun flying around though on the web version my mouse wasn't taken over by the game so steering was tricky... otherwise enjoyed it.

Pete Valeo10 Oct 2024, 05:28

Love the feel and execution of this! Didn't have a ton of idea what the objectives were, but the movement mechanics were enjoyable enough that it didn't even matter. The visual style was great as well - simple, but effective. And even though the scale was small compared to human size, it felt grand and spacious. The music was good as well - strong 2010s synthwave energy and I am here for it!
Job well done!

FrontiersEnd10 Oct 2024, 05:29

Had some trouble with the controls, especially the mouse, fun though. Liked the music

LDJam user 35765610 Oct 2024, 05:38

Nice! The environment and flight felt good. The controls felt odd to me, though. I haven't done much with 3D, so I'm afraid I wouldn't be of much help at the moment...

Enad9610 Oct 2024, 10:50

oh we buzzin

Tiberiusuciu10 Oct 2024, 16:02

Took me a little while for me to realize I wasn't letting go of the "Q" key :joy: I spinning for minutes :see_no_evil:

Fun game! :smile:

Obidiix-MinusInfinity10 Oct 2024, 16:05

The controls were much better than I thought they would be, tho the mouse wasn't locked to the center of the screen, which made the camera turn into a weird angle I was unable to properly change. Also, I was kind of lost on what should have I done to progress, great concept nonetheless

Pachino5511 Oct 2024, 00:58

Very Cool!

hotdog11 Oct 2024, 10:46

very cute :) I found it quite hard to control

M1FEX12 Oct 2024, 08:06

W Bee Game

zoglu12 Oct 2024, 13:08

Awesome, I love being a bee ^_^

Renier13 Oct 2024, 02:13

Cool idea and fun flight controls! well done! loved the style too

Rentem13 Oct 2024, 11:59

@enad96 @pachino55 @m1fex @zoglu @renier Thanks for playing and commenting :blush:

@kanity Thanks we did try to do something else for credits, but due to a bug it was a bit rushed :sweat_smile:

@pete-valeo Thanks for the feedback

@dominic-graziano @frontiersend @nimbushead @hotdog @obidiix-minusinfinity Thank you for your Feedback. Jep, the mouse can use some overhaul. In the updated version we use mouse locking which makes it better.

@tiberiusuciu Strange, something like this would never happen to me, when testing some key setting out :see_no_evil: :sweat_smile: Thanks for playing

Master-YEET13 Oct 2024, 13:55

At the moment the game is really relax because there is not really an objective or threat, but I enjoyed controlling our bee friend. I know it is mostly due to the time limit, but if you guys would bring this game farther, it would great to have some sort of objective, time limit, enemy chasing you and/or some use to the nectar you collect to build stuff if you want to keep it cozy.

wl6414 Oct 2024, 08:28

I enjoyed the controls after getting the hang of them! Really cute game ^^ esp Evangeline, the flower types, and the buzz noisings 💤💤. Constructively I do think a periodic sound over chronic (during the player movement) would help ear fatigue. And having longer boosts that felt substantial, or something specific/measurable to use them for (eg getting to the next flower). Figured I'd mention those anyway, knowing there isn't so much time for the jam, so be proud of what you've done in the time you had!

GreenPig14 Oct 2024, 17:27

I had a great time with your game! The graphics are adorable, and the flight mechanics felt satisfying once I got the hang of them. I can see how a more defined objective or some sort of challenge could enhance the gameplay. Locking the mouse for better control was a smart move in the updated version. It would also be nice to have some audio variety during movement to avoid ear fatigue. Overall, it’s a relaxing experience that I really enjoyed—great job!

ditam15 Oct 2024, 17:21

Ouch, the semi-inverted flight controls were a mind-bender for sure! (up-down reversed but left-right maintained) Beautiful graphics though and a cute concept.

LDJam user 23334716 Oct 2024, 11:25

First of - Thanks for playing :blush:

@master-yeet Yep - Time... we lost over 24h on terrain generation and (even worse) 6+h on IL2CPP linker :expressionless: Though the terrain was worth it, the linker certainly not. A chasing enemy is noted in our ToDos.

@wl64
@greenpig
We planned on having Evangeline being able to land thus stopping the buzzing. Alas, it was not (yet) to be :slight_frown:.

@ditam Inverted Y-Axis is done - hopefully in the post-jam version by the end of the week.

ping7816 Oct 2024, 15:19

By far the best credit screen in any Ludum Dare ever, those 6+ hours were not totally wasted. Oh, and the game is an unbeelievable addition, too.

Vodzik21 Oct 2024, 21:03

Fun concept but i think that this kindo of flight controls is strange for insect. It behaves more like spaceship in your case :D I also made a flying insect for my game and I used more like helicopter approach.

I like sounds and graphics. Good Job!

LDJam user 23334722 Oct 2024, 20:30

@ping78 No, they were not. And the horrible thing is.. the fix was one line of code... And thanks for your kind words.

@vodzik True, the controls are more like an aircraft in general. But we figured that more players are used to this layout.

Hengen24 Oct 2024, 07:28

fun game, i agree with the others saying to lock the mouse, but it wasn't a big issue when i decided to just use the keyboard controls. Other than that, I enjoyed the graphics and music, and felt the game was "comfy" without an objective or threat, but maybe thats just me.

Anyways, I always find it fun to see how other people interpreted a similar idea! I also made a bee game so i know your struggles lol! 🐝🐝🐝

good job!

Other games by @pentaworks

jam

S.L.O.P. - Signals lost on planets

★3.02

★2.55

M.I.N.E - Massive Indifferent Neverending Exploitation

★2.80

LD57