April 26th-29th 2013 :: Theme: Minimalism
Ludum Dare 26 — April 26-29th, 2013
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Instructions :
Find the red cube to advance to the next level. Move with WASD-Keys and mouse, SPACE to jump. Try not to fall of the edge... ! Can you beat all 10 levels ? :)
Maybe it's impossible, maybe it's just unfair... or is it all too easy ? Tell me about it !
Some hints :
- The lights MOSTLY show you where the platforms end, watch them closely
- When you walk in complete darkness, it's USUALLY a good idea to walk in a STRAIGHT line. Then, when you see a light, you can NORMALLY walk toward it and see where it leads you
- If you fall down from the platfom, lights are turned on for a short moment so you can MAYBE learn something about the level's layout
If you are very desperate, maybe check this playthrough :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kEjD2vi9rQ&feature=youtu.be
Downloads and Links
Ratings
![]() | Coolness | 100% |
#299 | Theme | 3.81 |
#302 | Audio | 3.12 |
#386 | Mood | 3.11 |
#674 | Overall | 3.06 |
#690 | Humor | 2.05 |
#721 | Innovation | 2.92 |
#821 | Graphics | 2.69 |
#962 | Fun | 2.54 |
Comments
Hmm. Interesting idea but the execution fails a bit for me; feels first that I only need to see where's the next platform, and then the next... and then when I get to a point where I fall although I keep repeating that pattern, it feels frustrating since I think I didn't see any other way (?) - and the game seemed to restart to beginning at that point?
Hey guys, thank you for commenting!
@negativeview: Nice of you to call it a game, an art game even ! :)But I'm not sure if there is a target audience for this...
@tonic:I'm glag you at least like the idea! :) It's a rather hard game, but I'd say it's possible. Maybe I'll add some hints in the description to keep people from getting to frustrated...
Too much trial and error. Didnt feel like i got a fair chance of figuring out by myself. The music had a nice beat.
I need to defend your game :) your idea is really close to the first idea i got, but i fail myself to give it the minimalism you give to your project. i enjoy playing it and yes, it need polish but it's a LD game ! Congratulation :)
I enjoyed the concept of revealing as little to the player as possible to allow us to figure out the layout of the levels. There was some trial and error, but not so much so that I found it disheartening.
Hey yeah, it's kinda hard, but you want a challenge, don't you!?! There are some hints where to go... so okay, maybe the levels could need some playtesting, but, you know, LD and 48 hours and stuff... oh well. :)
@dray: Thanks a lot! Nice to see you are on my side !!! ;)
Interesting game, fits the theme well. Couldn't figure out if finding the path was simply trial and error, or there was some method. Music was great, really set the mood. Nice work -
It's an intriguing idea. I think you need to add some other elements. Maybe in a contest not called "minimalism"...
I enjoyed it. So I call that a win. Good job. Maybe some kind of temporary light that you can fire off once a level
Thank you all for your comments, guys.
It's always nice to hear what people think, no matter if is't positive or negative.
I enjoyed playing the game. It was hard at first though but you manage to see the path if that "side" of the light isn't cut off. I sometimes get lost in the middle tho lol. Try to add more elements the next time you continue this! I also enjoyed the music. Great game man
Fits the theme really well. I really did have minimal help to finish each level! :) One of those games that keeps me on edge - well done.
I loved the tension the darkness between the platform created. Even tho I could figure out how the levels were laid out from trial and error as well as seeing the bottom of the level when I fell down, it didn't feel deliberately, I didn't feel like I was getting better at the game which was what made me enjoy it less.
Other than that I really like the concept and you pretty much nailed the theme in my view.
Good job!
To be absolutely honest: I didn't really enjoy playing it. It's an error & try game, but you could have made it more interesting by adding some kind of light element. (example: a flashlight you can use for a short time) The audio was alright and so were the graphics. ;)
Good job with finishing your LD entry!
Just be honest y'all, I'll be honest, too : This game is to hard to be enjoyable, get over it! ;)
And thank you for any comment, I'll think about each and every one of them, I promise!!! I just won't be taking ALL the advice in, I guess that would just blow my mind...! ;)
Very nice game. I think it is very nice to make it so hard. It is playable and not to easy.
Great game! I liked all about it! But you shouldn't restart the music on every level, it's great, just keep it playing ;)
Thanks guys!
So it's not too easy and the music should keep on playing... I'll remember that ! XD!
Wow, that's a good idea, your game gave me the creeps. The three first levels are safe and easy but after I got that feeling I was playing my life walking in the dark! Have you heard of the game collective One Life remains? they did that game : http://oneliferemains.com/game.php?game=pale , that exploits the lightning as a mechanics in a different manner
@glbs: No, haven't hear of them, but I'll check it out! Also, nice to have given you the creeps with such a simple game! ;) I just LOVE when I create some sort of feeling in people, b it good or bad... If you feel something, it's a success!!!
I definitely felt something. i'd call it hardcore frustration. It's quite nice and i liked the music but that kind of die and retry makes me angry when i play, so i just don't. But i think it's well made.
Hmmm... somehow I missunderstood "challenge the player" for "torture the player"...
My evil ways know no bounds...
HAHAHAHAHAHAhahahaha.... :)
@AnnaGavaldaKedavra : As you know, I'm happy when you feel anything, so you probably should't say that... You don't want to make me happy, do you ?!? ;)
Any kind of HARDCORE feeling makes me double happy! XD
This fits the theme very well, even dying is a minimal experience. The levels only have more lightspots and become harder, no change of scenery, no applause at the end of a level. This should rate high (if not highest) on Theme.
The downside is, that because it is SO minimal, it does not give me a sense of accomplishment so after trying a lot of times (I found the hints too difficult) I'm inclined to give up (imagine that, a civil servant who doesn't like unrewarding repetitive work).
But any more sensory rewards would lessen the minimal experience.
And I like the music.
The game sure fits the theme. I like the music.
Core idea is pretty nice but it is probably a tad too difficult. I would add more hints during the game progress.
Level design is also interesting but I would redo it to better match the difficulty curve.
I liked the concept. I managed to get to level 5.
Thanks for the comments guys, it's really nice of you to play up to level 5... but I must say that level 9 is my peronal favorite :)
I made a poem about your game:
"dark, light, music, red, fall, again, get, dark, light? fall, level 5"
Good stuff, concise and unnerving.
I wanted to unnerve you, I wanted to unnerve you, I wanted to unnerve you, I wanted to unnerve you, I wanted to unnerve you, I wanted to unnerve you, I wanted to unnerve you, that's all I ever wanted ... !!! YEAHHHHHHHHH !!!!!
Maybe we should all just add comments in form of a poem or a haiku, or maybe a limmerick... you know a GEDICHT or someting ?!?
I like it. Maybe when i died, i could go to beginning the level, instead to go back to menu. Great Job.
It's interesting how it plays with the player's expectations and subverting it in the later levels. But at Level 9 I had to quit, just a too big level, I just got lost all the time.
I liked the subtle clues about where to go next (you could just barely see some edges, etc). The last level I made it to (5 I think, wasn't paying too close attention) tried to trick you into doubling back but I could see the other light by looking at an angle. I like how you first think it's going to be a real lame minimal game (oh, find the cube that's RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!) and then it turns out to have some depth.
I like it. Fits the theme well and the music is great :D Good job!
Thanks for the comments guys!
I should be getting great ratings on the theme from what I see here ! XD
@marnaouf : Cool that you like it, and how it gets louder... But actually, it doesn't, at least I didn't want it to get any louder. That's rather strange... Oo
Fits well with the theme, but yeah I agree with other people that it is kind of frustrating to play! I think it might be fun if there was some type of audio feedback to let you know if you were about to fall off the platform and then add a timer so that you can't take forever on each level. Then again - that is a different game from what you built.
Great game. I decided since you played my game, I might as well play yours. I see why people think it's hard. I guess I'm pro at these kinds of games haha.
@nimblegorilla : Yes, that's a different game. I wanted it to be as minimal as possible for now. Who knows what the future brings ? :)
@kingsman142 : It's not just what people think, it IS hard! Or would you say it's easy? :)
This is by far, THE BEST game I have played this LD. This game met the theme exactly. I love how it simple it was. KEEP. IT. UP. 10/10!
Interesting game! You know what would be cool? If there were infrequently flashing lights all over the level which illuminated the dark paths. Infrequent and out-of-sync, so you have to rely on memory to make it through. Or maybe audio cues to give you a hint on when you're about to fall off. At the moment it's a bit too trial-and-error-y - nice to see something different though!
@MrBlade : Thanks a lot, but I think there are much better games around. Keep playing...!!! :)
@noddy2006 : Maybe it's a bit too minimal, but it was supposed to be like that. My idea for post compo would be to make the game a bit horror style, setting is a dark cave where sometimes lightning flashes through holes in the ceiling, showing off the layout of the level shortly. And of course, there would be monsters lurking in the dark... :)
@Martin_Monosys I would have to say it's easy. Maybe I didn't get far enough to experience the hard part, but I got rather far into the game.
@kingsman142 : What level did you get ? Anything above level 5 is not easy in my book... :) My favorite is level 9!!!
@Dir3kt : Hmmmm, maybe, maybe not... :) And, did you enjoy it ?!?
I was very frustrated at first but enjoyed it once I figured it out. Great atmosphere.
The mood is great here, but the gameplay is frustrating, like walking around an unfamiliar room in the dark. I like the uncertainty and fear, but after a couple of blind falls, it got to be not so fun - you were asked to make potentially fatal decisions with no knowledge or real clues, which is more random and stressful than fun. You say the light can show the way - maybe my monitor gamma was too low, but lots of places got totally black before I could detect the edge of a platform. Great graphics, mood, and sound, though.
A little weird and while I can't say I liked it, I can appreciate the thought you put behind its concept.
found it quite hard (but im prob an eejit hehe) ..i dont know why but the mouse sensitivity on unity games for me are always sooo high they are almost always unplayable :( good job tho man :)
Thanks for commenting and rating, guys, feedback of any form means a lot to me... So for next time, I must remember to somehow reduce the sensibility of the mouse... which is strange as i really like it the way it is, but we'll see! ;)
Just want to share this from MrPocketPac on GAMEJOLT :
"What you have created there martin is pure evil, you need to lock that up, the world isn't ready for that. ;-)" That sums it up pretty nice, I guess!!! XD
Oouch ! Level one is ok...but after it's become pretty hard. But if it's the frustration that you want make, it works perfectly :-)
@Sylvain.p : I didn't, but looking back, I think I like what I did... It just happened, and maybe next LD, I can use it as a trademark !!! XD
Anyway, level 2 and 3 are easy too, and even 4 is not that hard... 5 maybe is, 6,7 and 8 are evil, 9 is cool and 10 is kinda boring... ;)
The first 5 levels were good, but then it did get frustrating. You have some interesting mechanics there, but it is hard to keep the motivation while increasing the difficulty. Some flying light sources would have done the job by enlightening the platforms while floating over them.
@kddekadenz : Yeah, I guess the right level of difficulty is hard to achive in the given time, but this is something I must work on more the next time... My respect goes to the people who actually have the endurance to play all 10 levels... XD!
Nice! It felt very tense playing this, charging through the dark hoping I wouldn't fall to my death... It did feel a bit too much like trial-and-error once the paths involved changes of direction in the dark. And I thought the music didn't need to restart every level (I couldn't really get into it!)
Good effort!
i like the idea -- very cool -- nice effort -- i liked the drum beat too
Really enjoyed the use of minimalistic lighting. I made it to level 5 a couple of times before rage-quitting
I don't know why, but I was unable to get this to run in the plugin or to download. It might just be GameJolt, so I'll try again later...
@Cambrian_Man : Yes, there was a problem on GAMEJOLT apparently, but I just checked and now it loaded without problems! :) Please try again, it should work now!
I checked again and the server appears to be down again ... :(
Not good... but I can't help it, it's a problem in GAMEJOLT.
But at least, you can always watch the video :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kEjD2vi9rQ&feature=youtu.be
Cool game. Nice idea, innovative and simple. Congratulatios!
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This game wasn't fun to me, but I still call it a game. It's nerve wracking walking through the dark areas. It's very visceral. I think that it totally deserves praise, but strays very far into "art game" land where I normally don't stray. Not sure what I would change as I'm not your target audience.