This is super cool, especially considering this is a first game AND for a game jam! Has a good message, and I really like the art style. Good interpretation of "cycles"
Music is on point, the aesthetic is cool and I like the contrast between the higher res background and the lower res foreground -- that makes things pop nicely. The one thing really lacking here for me is the gameplay. While I appreciate the message the game is aiming to convey, I think either more interactive and engaging gameplay or even railroaded gameplay could help pave the path toward that message and really flesh out what you're going for. Really solid first jam/game entry though!
What I find really masterful here is how you created a game, a feeling, and a message, all in a really tiny scope.
I'm torn on the aesthetic. I like how the disjointedness of it all creates a sense of alienation, but I still think it could be improved by having a bit more cohesiveness and a sense of place, like really walking through an environment rather than a billboard. If you wanted to take it further, that is, I understand about running out of time, my game is text, arrows, and squares, lol.
Thank you so much! You value what I wanted to be valued and that is really validating. I wanted to be able to speak to the mind, body, and soul here. I hear you on the art. I did intend for it to feel alienating, thank you for noticing, but I lucked into it. Hopefully next time, I'll be able to craft it. I think this game has gone as far as it's supposed to. It speaks truer with it's flaws than I think it would if it were cleaned up.
I was a bit confused at first how to play it, stuck on game over screen without knowing it. The game mechanic is simple once you understand how to play it. I liked the concept more then I liked the game if that makes any sense.
Oh, I love such unusual techniques in games! Although I don't think I know what makes a game antagonistic, I'm interested to see what you'll come up with.
This took me some time to understand, but I enjoyed what I got out of it. If not having a restart button and/or not clearly communicating the game's "fail state" were conscious decisions, I think they work well here. A simple concept executed really well.
Not providing a comprehensive tutorial was on purpose. The missing restart and dangling ending were just consequences of running out of time, but I think they work well here too. At least, well enough to do some experimenting in future projects. Thank you.
I really liked the aesthetics and vibe you achieved. It is simple in mechanic, and a little confusing, but I think it communicates the message you were aiming for. Not having a retry button made the experience a tad bit frustrating.
Also, I would suggest you clarify if the game has an ending / goal, because I tried several times but stopped cause I didn't know if it was just forever scaling the difficulty.
Oh, reading my comment now I got worried that the "clarify" sounded rough and like a demand. Sorry if that was the case :P I was aiming for something more "it should be clear in the game [...]"
Cool design. I mostly agree with the other commenters about a restart button. Having a restart button appear upon losing would also make it a bit clearer that the losing condition is final. Because the animation continued, I was wondering if the intent was to break away somehow. Nice use of Creative Commons images. It would be slick if the music looped more smoothly, though I don't think I've ever successfully gotten music looping smoothly, myself. Something in the playback system always seems to delay just long enough for it to be noticeable, though there must be a way. It'd also be cool if the page described what tools/tech you used to make the game... and maybe I should too on my game's page, haha. :)
I may be stubborn, but I'm actually starting to like the lack of a reset button.
Don't get me wrong, you're all definitely right, but it's a thorn in the side, and something about that makes me proud. You just sit with it. It's a bit of discomfort in what is arguably the most accommodating artistic medium. No other medium offers a tutorial in every piece. Why should we? Because we have an element of interactivity? Yes, but that can be exploited. I'd like to experiment more with stuff like this.
I made it in good ol' html, css, and javascript. Dirtiest code ever. Being that it's web based and will most certainly lag, it didn't make good sense to spend precious jam time perfecting the loop, but I agree, it would have been slick. I used the p5js library, only to use the draw function as a game clock, and all the animations are gifs.
Interesting game. I loved the aesthetic, it looked great. That said, I think the font of the text up top didn't really mesh with the rest of the game (which is understandable, it is a game jam after all). It also wasn't immediately clear to me that I had lost in the hood down scenario, so I was kind of confused as to what I had to do at that point. A restart button or some indicator would have been useful. The hood up lose scenario was more obvious to me and. In hindsight, I get what the hood down segment was going for, but I think the way the feet moved threw me off.
Thanks for the feedback. I agree with the endings. I can see how it could be unclear that the game has ended. However, I feel that adding any more ui elements would gamify the experience, no pun intended, and make it cheap and disposable. It's bad design, and it's inconvenient, but I think it's supposed to be the way that it is to tell the story that it does, or at the very least, I don't know that nothing would be lost in better design.
Yeah, I tried to temper some of my feedback about the UI/gameplay as I thought that would a smoother experience would undercut and perhaps trivialize the message.
Click the Pedestrian (orange jacket) to change their hood. If the Ghouls (background) are smiling make sure the hood is up. If they're frowning, make sure the hood is down.
I liked the message on this experience, and that it progresses into being more and more difficult to please the crowd. I feel the faces behind are a little unpolished, maybe a crowd of pixel characters like the pedestrian would be more consistent.
Originally, I did want to polish the art. I always wanted the Ghouls to be more cartoony than the Pedestrian, but with the same production value. I also wanted to draw a beautiful city. As time ran out, I threw these sketches in as place holders to test the code, and found a random city picture. I liked the aesthetic so much that I swapped out the background for a cc timelapse, and submitted it. I know its not for everyone, but sometimes I like to see the process in the piece. This game has a vibe somewhere between b-game and mixtape.
Well you are right. It's the purpose of this jams to explore things you wouldn't normally. So the feeling would be different with other background art. Not necessarily better or worse.
Cool concept. It’s good that you experimented a lot for your first game rather than putting out a generic template game. I might suggest putting in instructions in the game itself (such as when you want your hood up or down). Also I’d recommend making the game over more clear that it’s a game over. Overall: good little game, but definitely needs a some improvements.
Thank you for the feedback. I left a lot of instructional text out to offer an in medias res experience. I like games that put players in a position of weakness and require them to discover the core mechanics. At this small a scope, providing little direction is one way of doing that, although not likely the one to render the most reliable result, which I'm okay with. Plus, if the game is frustrating, that's consistent with the theme. I only added instructions to the page because during a jam, a speculative game can be easily dismissed as an incomplete one.
It's simple, yet the mechanics of constantly going back and forth to appease the towering faces sends a powerful message and a feeling of getting caught between two extremes. I assume the game is endless, or is there actually a destination? There's no indication of progress, so I'm not sure.
Thank you. It's endless. I didn't include a progress mechanic because the Pedestrian could be walking anywhere. There's no goal to reach, time to beat, or princess to save. The walk is mundane. This is just a regular day.
Great game man, i really liked this! As salsadix mentioned also some really nice music in here. The only critique i might have is to have a restart button but tbh thats not really neccessary because you can just refresh the page :)
You should be really proud of your work, i look forward to what you make next. :D
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This is super cool, especially considering this is a first game AND for a game jam! Has a good message, and I really like the art style. Good interpretation of "cycles"
Music is on point, the aesthetic is cool and I like the contrast between the higher res background and the lower res foreground -- that makes things pop nicely. The one thing really lacking here for me is the gameplay. While I appreciate the message the game is aiming to convey, I think either more interactive and engaging gameplay or even railroaded gameplay could help pave the path toward that message and really flesh out what you're going for. Really solid first jam/game entry though!
Thank you so much! What's railroaded gameplay?
Like giving the player the illusion of choice, like, if you have an NPC who offers two dialog choices, but both lead to the same outcome.
What I find really masterful here is how you created a game, a feeling, and a message, all in a really tiny scope.
I'm torn on the aesthetic. I like how the disjointedness of it all creates a sense of alienation, but I still think it could be improved by having a bit more cohesiveness and a sense of place, like really walking through an environment rather than a billboard. If you wanted to take it further, that is, I understand about running out of time, my game is text, arrows, and squares, lol.
Would've liked to see a timer to compare scores.
Thank you so much! You value what I wanted to be valued and that is really validating. I wanted to be able to speak to the mind, body, and soul here. I hear you on the art. I did intend for it to feel alienating, thank you for noticing, but I lucked into it. Hopefully next time, I'll be able to craft it. I think this game has gone as far as it's supposed to. It speaks truer with it's flaws than I think it would if it were cleaned up.
I was a bit confused at first how to play it, stuck on game over screen without knowing it. The game mechanic is simple once you understand how to play it. I liked the concept more then I liked the game if that makes any sense.
Thank you. This is truly the highest of praises. For a jam game, I couldn't ask for more.
Really cool design and really thought-provoking concept and message. Thanks so much for making this game and sharing it with us! :D
Thank you so much!
If anyone else is interested, I'd love to explore unaccomodating/antagonistic design in gaming.
Oh, I love such unusual techniques in games! Although I don't think I know what makes a game antagonistic, I'm interested to see what you'll come up with.
This took me some time to understand, but I enjoyed what I got out of it. If not having a restart button and/or not clearly communicating the game's "fail state" were conscious decisions, I think they work well here. A simple concept executed really well.
Not providing a comprehensive tutorial was on purpose. The missing restart and dangling ending were just consequences of running out of time, but I think they work well here too. At least, well enough to do some experimenting in future projects. Thank you.
I really liked the aesthetics and vibe you achieved. It is simple in mechanic, and a little confusing, but I think it communicates the message you were aiming for. Not having a retry button made the experience a tad bit frustrating.
Also, I would suggest you clarify if the game has an ending / goal, because I tried several times but stopped cause I didn't know if it was just forever scaling the difficulty.
Oh yeah, and this music is dope :)
Thank you so much. It scales forever. There's no goal and no end.
Oh, reading my comment now I got worried that the "clarify" sounded rough and like a demand. Sorry if that was the case :P
I was aiming for something more "it should be clear in the game [...]"
Cool design. I mostly agree with the other commenters about a restart button. Having a restart button appear upon losing would also make it a bit clearer that the losing condition is final. Because the animation continued, I was wondering if the intent was to break away somehow. Nice use of Creative Commons images. It would be slick if the music looped more smoothly, though I don't think I've ever successfully gotten music looping smoothly, myself. Something in the playback system always seems to delay just long enough for it to be noticeable, though there must be a way. It'd also be cool if the page described what tools/tech you used to make the game... and maybe I should too on my game's page, haha. :)
I may be stubborn, but I'm actually starting to like the lack of a reset button.
Don't get me wrong, you're all definitely right, but it's a thorn in the side, and something about that makes me proud. You just sit with it. It's a bit of discomfort in what is arguably the most accommodating artistic medium. No other medium offers a tutorial in every piece. Why should we? Because we have an element of interactivity? Yes, but that can be exploited. I'd like to experiment more with stuff like this.
I made it in good ol' html, css, and javascript. Dirtiest code ever. Being that it's web based and will most certainly lag, it didn't make good sense to spend precious jam time perfecting the loop, but I agree, it would have been slick. I used the p5js library, only to use the draw function as a game clock, and all the animations are gifs.
Interesting game. I loved the aesthetic, it looked great. That said, I think the font of the text up top didn't really mesh with the rest of the game (which is understandable, it is a game jam after all). It also wasn't immediately clear to me that I had lost in the hood down scenario, so I was kind of confused as to what I had to do at that point. A restart button or some indicator would have been useful. The hood up lose scenario was more obvious to me and. In hindsight, I get what the hood down segment was going for, but I think the way the feet moved threw me off.
Thanks for the feedback. I agree with the endings. I can see how it could be unclear that the game has ended. However, I feel that adding any more ui elements would gamify the experience, no pun intended, and make it cheap and disposable. It's bad design, and it's inconvenient, but I think it's supposed to be the way that it is to tell the story that it does, or at the very least, I don't know that nothing would be lost in better design.
Yeah, I tried to temper some of my feedback about the UI/gameplay as I thought that would a smoother experience would undercut and perhaps trivialize the message.
Also, I'm really glad someone else likes the aesthetic. Thank you for that.
I am very confuzzled to how I am supposed to play.
Click the Pedestrian (orange jacket) to change their hood. If the Ghouls (background) are smiling make sure the hood is up. If they're frowning, make sure the hood is down.
ah ok I'll try it again
I liked the message on this experience, and that it progresses into being more and more difficult to please the crowd. I feel the faces behind are a little unpolished, maybe a crowd of pixel characters like the pedestrian would be more consistent.
Originally, I did want to polish the art. I always wanted the Ghouls to be more cartoony than the Pedestrian, but with the same production value. I also wanted to draw a beautiful city. As time ran out, I threw these sketches in as place holders to test the code, and found a random city picture. I liked the aesthetic so much that I swapped out the background for a cc timelapse, and submitted it. I know its not for everyone, but sometimes I like to see the process in the piece. This game has a vibe somewhere between b-game and mixtape.
Well you are right. It's the purpose of this jams to explore things you wouldn't normally. So the feeling would be different with other background art. Not necessarily better or worse.
Cool concept. It’s good that you experimented a lot for your first game rather than putting out a generic template game. I might suggest putting in instructions in the game itself (such as when you want your hood up or down). Also I’d recommend making the game over more clear that it’s a game over. Overall: good little game, but definitely needs a some improvements.
Thank you for the feedback. I left a lot of instructional text out to offer an in medias res experience. I like games that put players in a position of weakness and require them to discover the core mechanics. At this small a scope, providing little direction is one way of doing that, although not likely the one to render the most reliable result, which I'm okay with. Plus, if the game is frustrating, that's consistent with the theme. I only added instructions to the page because during a jam, a speculative game can be easily dismissed as an incomplete one.
It's simple, yet the mechanics of constantly going back and forth to appease the towering faces sends a powerful message and a feeling of getting caught between two extremes. I assume the game is endless, or is there actually a destination? There's no indication of progress, so I'm not sure.
Thank you. It's endless. I didn't include a progress mechanic because the Pedestrian could be walking anywhere. There's no goal to reach, time to beat, or princess to save. The walk is mundane. This is just a regular day.
My only comment about this is that it would have been nice to have a restart button. :o
Agreed. Thank you.
Great game man, i really liked this! As salsadix mentioned also some really nice music in here. The only critique i might have is to have a restart button but tbh thats not really neccessary because you can just refresh the page :)
You should be really proud of your work, i look forward to what you make next. :D
Thank you. I really appreciate it. Maybe we'll both be in the bootleg jam with @Salsadix.
Yeah looking forward to it! 😄
I like where you went with this game, you have an interesting concept and those are some good tunes! Good work!
Thanks man. I really appreciate it.