Stain by KaiseanGames

[raw]
made by KaiseanGames for LD32 (COMPO)
[Please read the description to learn how to play:]

Colors are wonderful, especially when they become an unconventional weapon.

The goal of the game is to protect the tower from the boxes.

You draw colors on the board and that costs some coins. Earn coins by destroying the boxes. You can destroy the box by making it stay long enough on the color opposite from its own. For example, blue box will get damaged on the orange tile. However, it will also get damaged on the red, yellow and green, albeit it will be damaged more slowly. Look at the color wheel - the more distant the color (on the wheel), the greater the damage. There's also a catch - white does not do any damage. Work around it!



[Humor was not included due to my lack of it.]
[Sound/Music was not included due to lack of time, unfortunatelly.]

CONTROLS:
- Rotate camera with WASD and scroll
- Click the colors to select them
- Click and drag the tools to fine-tune them.
- There are 5 tools: Cell, Row, Column, Area, Board

- While in full-screen, you can exit by pressing ALT+F4 or ESC

Try to score as much as you can.


ADDITIONAL INFO:

[1] The fact that the white - the green's opposite on the wheel - does not damage the green box, does not mean that greens are immortal. Boxes ignore only adjacent colors (on the wheel). Everything else will damage the box, and the further the color on the wheel, the greater the damage.

[2] Sometimes the tower will descend too low. That's a known bug, although I'm not sure why it happens. In normal circumstances, it should survive 10 hits, but sometimes it survives longer than that. Strange bug, but nevertheless, eventually it will be destroyed and the game will be over.

[3] I'm aware that the game is very easy - there are several known strategies that will not allow boxes to reach your tower. I simply didn't have enough time to balance these things out. I gave players too much coins. Originally, colors would decay over time, returning to white which would solve these problems, but I simply didn't manage to implement that in time. Thanks for understanding. :)

[4] Linux&Max ports are not well tested. I've exported them, but I don't have a Mac or Linux, so I wasn't able to try.

UPDATE: I have updated the game with a crucial bug fix that was preventing people play. Some players, depending on their resolution and display mode, were not able to select colors. Since this is the main mechanic of the game, I fixed it in a few mins so people can play. I understood such bugs are allowed to be fixed. No gameplay changes were made.

Ratings

Coolness 100% 1
Overall 3.28 450
Fun 3.00 580
Graphics 3.17 471
Humor 1.87 909
Innovation 3.81 124
Mood 2.52 854
Theme 3.68 278

Feedback

Megalink
20. Apr 2015 路 01:43 UTC
Awesome Game!
OCTAPlatinum
20. Apr 2015 路 11:00 UTC
Cool Game
jormungandr
20. Apr 2015 路 11:00 UTC
The blocks can't reach your tower if you fill the board with one colour then make a 9x9 grid around the tower of the opposite colour
manabreak
20. Apr 2015 路 11:01 UTC
The idea here is pretty unique, I like it. It took me a little while to understand the concept, but in the end, it's a pretty nice little game. Could work as a mobile game too!
馃帳 KaiseanGames
20. Apr 2015 路 11:40 UTC
@jormungandr: Nice catch. Didn't try that. The original idea was a bit different - each color having different effects, but time did not allow to implement it. I tried to play with how much coins you get for each box, but there was simply not enough time to test for such scenario. Well done, you have broken the game :) Truth is, it really needs more testing and tuning.
Mimus
20. Apr 2015 路 16:00 UTC
Good game.
Marcellus
20. Apr 2015 路 16:16 UTC
Very nice take on the theme, I couldn't change the colors so I had to fill the board with red squares. I totally understood the idea and I really enjoyed it. Goncratulations !
TwiiK
20. Apr 2015 路 17:34 UTC
I liked it. Solid mechanics and the game felt polished. The only thing I didn't quite understand was what was supposed to be happening with the tower. It felt like it was just hiding under the game board after taking a few hits. :p
馃帳 KaiseanGames
20. Apr 2015 路 20:24 UTC
@TwiiK: it was some kind of a bug. The game should've ended as soon as it drops down below the board level. Never really understood why it didn't. ;)
shrapx
20. Apr 2015 路 20:30 UTC
I got 3963 on my first attempt ^_^ Its the first game i played that made me think on my feet. I like that!
Paulozz
20. Apr 2015 路 20:35 UTC
Good game, a bit easy, but very enjoyable, I love the look'n'feel.
I didn't understood what is the right strategy against green blocks (the oposite color is white).
I had to ctrl-at-del to quite while in fullscreen
Hectate
20. Apr 2015 路 21:02 UTC
I never could select a different color (stuck on red) but overall it seemed like a neat idea.
NSoul
20. Apr 2015 路 21:03 UTC
Rainbow defense!
https://i.imgur.com/TSl9wgf.png
馃帳 KaiseanGames
20. Apr 2015 路 21:07 UTC
@Hectate: Sometimes, the problem occurs because the windows is not in fullscreen, and sometimes it happens in fullscreen. Not sure what is the problem (probably some scaling stuff). You can always try again - sometimes it solves the problem.

@Paulozz: Opposite colors damage the boxes the most, but the further the color, the more damage it does. So, for green - red and purple damage it too.
PeculiarCarrot
20. Apr 2015 路 21:30 UTC
The concept is great, and I would love to see this expanded upon. Great work overall!
LegacyCrono
20. Apr 2015 路 23:16 UTC
Cool concept, but I feel that it's one of those cases where the idea is great, but it doesn't quite work in practice. As @jormungandr said it's easy to survive. I'm not sure what you could change to make it more challenging without making it impossible.

The visual is quite nice. Only problem I found is that the color picker didn't work for me while on fullscreen.
Mixer
21. Apr 2015 路 10:25 UTC
Interesting concept, although it could have used an ingame tutorial. Still, very good.
joe40001
21. Apr 2015 路 10:27 UTC
Fun and clever. It would be interesting if you allowed for an overhead option. I'll probably try to come back to this one to get a better score.
TideS
21. Apr 2015 路 10:30 UTC
Awesome for compo entry!
wintermute
21. Apr 2015 路 10:31 UTC
Nice interpretation of the theme.
paps
21. Apr 2015 路 12:49 UTC
Nice game. Like the concept. Too bad you didn't have time for the music.
RyanNielson
22. Apr 2015 路 02:07 UTC
Neat idea, can't say I've ever seen colour used this way in a game. The board looks pretty after a while as well. Well done.
gillyadrien
23. Apr 2015 路 06:36 UTC
Very fun game. Would be perfect on a mobile device, too.
Awesome work!
Benjamin
23. Apr 2015 路 06:41 UTC
Fun mechanic.
For your next LD plz have a look at tools like bfxr or labchirp, some sfx would greatly improve your game with just 1-2h of work.

I read your additional infos and here are my ideas for balance :

- keep an ammo counter for each colors ( maxed at 10-12 )
- refill color when a colored monster walk on a white square
> this way full colored level will leave player with few ressources
> painting at start will be easy, as everything color refill quickly

- make lvl2 monsters delete the color when they leave a square.
- make lvl3 2x2 monsters with more hp
- make lvl4 2x2 monsters with more hp + delete hability
> just add difficulty as time pass by spawning more dangerous ennemies.
zorfmorf
23. Apr 2015 路 06:41 UTC
Very polished and was really fun!

By the way: Linux version works great.
Robotic-Brain
23. Apr 2015 路 06:43 UTC
Nice concept!
After some balancing this will be great.
(my score actually overflowed with a rainbow board xD)
http://imgur.com/0nScOkR
馃帳 KaiseanGames
23. Apr 2015 路 07:31 UTC
@Benjamin: thanks for suggestions. You made me think about expanding on the idea. I didn't mean to do anything more with it but now I'm considering the option.
馃帳 KaiseanGames
23. Apr 2015 路 07:33 UTC
@robotic-brain: thanks. Since balancing factors are way off and don'thave a maximum bound. So it went awry. :-) it really does need a balance update :-)
elpaulo
23. Apr 2015 路 17:28 UTC
I'm blocked with red color here, don't know why.
Nice 3d engine and coherence.
HuvaaKoodia
23. Apr 2015 路 21:42 UTC
You said it yourself, more design, balancing and testing are required. I agree with the assessment.

The main thing you need to implement is outside forces that change the state of the battle field. Enemies and gradual decay have already been suggested, both valid approaches. I'll throw in a few ideas:

-Color spreading. Colors will take over adjacent tiles with a certain probability and delay based on their location on the color wheel.
- Color bombs. A bomb appears on the a random tile, which explodes if even a single enemy reaches it, coloring nearby tiles a single color. It'll disappear after a lengthy period. Or an enemy appears with a bomb on top of it which will explode if the enemy isn't dealt with soon enough.
-Plain old randomization. Some of the tiles start flashing at times and change color.
- Global color effects. All the tiles will invert color for a time and then revert back.

I have no idea how these and other ideas balance out, but I'll leave that to you.

Cheers!
Huo-cuo
24. Apr 2015 路 05:56 UTC
Very nice and clean game. Liked the concept.
xplicitone
24. Apr 2015 路 19:44 UTC
I love the tower defense concept and the look and feel. I just couldn't select any other color but Red, like others have mentioned.
Drauthius
25. Apr 2015 路 12:17 UTC
Nice use of colours! The wheel helps finding the right colour to use. I was a bit confused what the different numbers meant though. I read your blog post, and you managed to get a lot done in very little time. Well done!
Zeriver
26. Apr 2015 路 14:59 UTC
Awesome game, really entertaining gameplay and neat idea. I also like graphics. Cool game in overall.
IamAcoconut
26. Apr 2015 路 17:20 UTC
The game has a really cool concept! Sometimes I when I clicked on boxes to change their color it wouldn't work. Still, the display is nice and neat, and its very innovative! Nice job!
Martin Vilcans
26. Apr 2015 路 21:39 UTC
Interesting base for a puzzle game. It would need more work to become really interesting though, and I'm sure you have plenty of ideas for that. Oh, and it looks good!
lizard455
26. Apr 2015 路 21:45 UTC
Pretty fun game :D
Try to beat my high score of -2147356987 haha
Pietro Ferrantelli
27. Apr 2015 路 16:33 UTC
Very clever compo entry. Unique concept and really fun execution. You did a great job overall.
rburema
03. May 2015 路 12:02 UTC
thoughts:
- I really like this approach to the theme :-)
- [POSSIBLE SPOILERS]
... on the other hand, it gets really easy once you realize the penalty for 'not the exact opposing color' is really low. For example: one I had the 'cash', I painted most of the area purple with the big brush, then splattered in some yellows with the 1x1. I noticed almost no opponents touched the tower any more. Went for tea: score over a million. Went to the bathroom, didn't see the green tower any more and figured I was close to dying, and within two minutes my top score was reported: over 733-million. (So I assume there is an increasing multiplier if you don't touch anything... my bathroom breaks aren't /that/ long...) This isn't bragging by the way, just try it yourself and you'll see :-)
An easy fix would be to tweak the amount of damage (or even 'healing' from a 'close enough' color?). Or else some sort of 'eraser' block, so 'lazy' people like me can't game (hah) the system forever.
- Also, a not completely unrelated nitpick... if your score goes quite high then the last digit may start to be displayed on the bottom, depending on the total width of the printed score.
Steven Colling
04. May 2015 路 09:02 UTC
Very interesting mechanic! You already stated the problems (like being too easy), but nonetheless I hope you take the time for a post-compo version with sound effects and balancing. Was fun to play ;D
sP0CkEr2
06. May 2015 路 03:37 UTC
that was different - nice gameplay - great game!
Demy
08. May 2015 路 05:18 UTC
Nice game, good idea with colors.
ruerob
08. May 2015 路 07:26 UTC
Nice little game! It's a pitty you hadn't got enough time for music and sounds. The graphics are good and gameplay is fun! I like your game very much! Thank you for this!
ThirdMoon
08. May 2015 路 12:47 UTC
Brilliant Game! very funny!! =)
sebasRez
08. May 2015 路 12:59 UTC
Super innovation points, this was really interesting. And it looks like you have learned a lot from the experience which is the best thing that could ever happen. It was a bit hard to understand without reading the info here but the presentation is excellent.
srakowski
09. May 2015 路 23:22 UTC
Really cool tower defense concept. Takes a while to understand, but otherwise really fantastic game for 48hrs :)
Xanjos
11. May 2015 路 01:30 UTC
Takes a couple of plays to get used to but I really like the concept of using the opposite colour on the wheel to inflict maximum damage.
resty
11. May 2015 路 13:12 UTC
Idea is fun. and it looks good. Some audio will make it better.

I think that you need some feedback to learn the mechanism. It's not that obvious.

Overall, it's awesome.