Swotch by Ulydev

[raw]
made by Ulydev for LD31 (JAM)
Hello, everyone, my name's Ulysse Ramage. Creating games is my hobby, and as I'm 15, I hope to get better and better as I make them.

This is the first game I made during LD31. The second one is called " pOp ".

Swotch is a psychedelic arcade game about gravity switching. You control a block that needs to avoid the coming obstacles, using the arrow keys.

Left / Right or A / D : Move
Spacebar : Slow motion !

You can also use an Xbox 360 controller.

Collect the power ups (big squares) to fill your Slow-mo bar.

Gameplay video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bda2zNfefU

You will need Löve2D to play the Linux/Source version.
(The Linux/Source may be buggy, tell me if there are any problems)

Music by http://www.playonloop.com/

/! iOS and Android ports in progress !\

Ratings

Coolness 100% 1
Overall(Jam) 3.80 100
Fun(Jam) 4.12 13
Graphics(Jam) 3.58 357
Humor(Jam) 2.39 601
Innovation(Jam) 3.14 432
Mood(Jam) 3.50 199
Theme(Jam) 3.76 303

Feedback

ajopart
08. Dec 2014 · 20:03 UTC
Simple and fun. A shame I can rate your audio ;-) psychedelic music indeed. The game crashs each time I loose btw. Good job
RyanNielson
08. Dec 2014 · 20:10 UTC
This game is fantastic. Crazy amounts of polish, simple but fun gameplay, great music. All around this is one of my favourite submissions yet. Well done! This could actually make a decent little mobile game if you wanted to pursue that.
Stfan
08. Dec 2014 · 20:32 UTC
Nice game but kept crashing when I died (the error code was attempt to index global 'file' (a nil value))
Aomeas
08. Dec 2014 · 20:39 UTC
Pretty neat, but not so original, I only see the Gravitron from VVVVVV :/
Nice audio, though.
mactinite
08. Dec 2014 · 20:39 UTC
Really fun game! I was getting the same error as Stfan forcing me to close the window and rerun the .exe to play again.
frondeus
08. Dec 2014 · 20:48 UTC
Cool! But this bug is frustrating. Could you fix it? It can be very good game.
cbear_wallis
08. Dec 2014 · 20:55 UTC
This had a crazy terry cavanagh feel I almost thought he made it xD I love these kinds of twitch games ^_^ really good job :)
Andrea
08. Dec 2014 · 20:57 UTC
Crazy good game! Everything seems to be perfectly polished, from the title screen to the actual game. Too bad there's that error message when you die though :(
🎤 Ulydev
08. Dec 2014 · 21:03 UTC
Thank you guys for pointing the crash out ! I just fixed it, I hope it works well now ! I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience.

I wish a good luck to everyone !
Vandash
08. Dec 2014 · 21:21 UTC
Great gameplay feeling, my heart is beating faster now.
GeeItSomeLaldy
08. Dec 2014 · 21:34 UTC
What the hell did I just play? D:

That was fairly intense

I think I'll go have a lie down now.
runvs
08. Dec 2014 · 22:04 UTC
Wow, this one is addictive! simple but impresive visuals, a great aggressive soundtrack and easy controls. I will play this surely again. Is there the possibility do create a android version? could be grear on mobile phones!
🎤 Ulydev
08. Dec 2014 · 22:07 UTC
Sure ! I'll think about creating an iOS/Android version if the game is appreciated enough !
albertnez
08. Dec 2014 · 22:58 UTC
Reminds me of super gravitron, but this is indeed insane, polished effect, with great music. Love it!
Gwilym
09. Dec 2014 · 01:08 UTC
This game is the very definition of polish. An inspiration to all :D
Lynx
09. Dec 2014 · 02:11 UTC
My new favorite game! I wish I could rate the music as well but definitely so much fun. The only, ONLY thing I would change would be maybe instructions on how to activate the slow-down.

I'm a big fan of twitch games and this style (hence my game) but yours is miles ahead of the rest! Well done!
Lynx
09. Dec 2014 · 02:12 UTC
Also, one more note, this is also a game I will be keeping on my computer after LD
PriorBlue
09. Dec 2014 · 08:42 UTC
Great work! Simple, but challenging gameplay and a cool interaction between graphic and sound.
charlesque
09. Dec 2014 · 10:22 UTC
Awesome game ! :)
Snuux
09. Dec 2014 · 15:13 UTC
Cool second game too! You are monster, that you make too games...!
coded_ninja
09. Dec 2014 · 16:24 UTC
Man this game is something hyper-good!!! All 5 stars! It's my favourite. If you make an Android version of this please send my a mail or something!
🎤 Ulydev
09. Dec 2014 · 16:31 UTC
Thank you guys for the awesome comments :D ! That really makes me feel good about my work !
nov1kk
09. Dec 2014 · 16:57 UTC
Wow! really nice game, its really fun, good music nice idea... your game is the best that i tested for now, good job man/woman :D!
hypnoticbytes
09. Dec 2014 · 17:44 UTC
Nice one. I love Terry's games and this one looks like Graviton but is even more amazing. Great job!
Harsay
09. Dec 2014 · 17:44 UTC
Simple well polished concept = tons of fun.
headchant
09. Dec 2014 · 18:48 UTC
Played this for 30 minutes at least! So good. Could be great on smartphones as well!
vrld
09. Dec 2014 · 20:38 UTC
Wow, this is the best entry I have played so far. Simple and very addictive mechanic, very well presented. A+++ WILL play again. Now.
rainshapes
09. Dec 2014 · 21:10 UTC
Wow, this is fantastic! Great graphics, music, and challenging yet addictive gameplay! Reminds me a lot of super gravitron in VVVVVV.
jpmit
09. Dec 2014 · 21:11 UTC
Good fun, nicely polished.
TheGreenTie
09. Dec 2014 · 22:23 UTC
Windows link won't work :/
Newt_
09. Dec 2014 · 22:23 UTC
Wow, very nice. Easily one of the most fun entries I've played!
Hammers
09. Dec 2014 · 22:26 UTC
Nice. This is my kind of game! Definitely getting a super gravitron vibe :P I really like the smooth intro and outro.
AinaSG
09. Dec 2014 · 22:27 UTC
Nice and fun. Not very original (gravitron) buuuuut +1 for LÖVE 2D.

Keeping it to read the source latter and improve my LÖVE skills.

Thanks and keep working!
hbocao
09. Dec 2014 · 22:30 UTC
Two great entries, man. Damn... very good job.
This one felt more polished. You really did great.
oh_andrej
09. Dec 2014 · 22:31 UTC
Whoa, that was a trip. Very polished and addicting in its simplicity. I appreciate how the trippy visuals don't hinder gameplay as is sometimes the case with games going for that style.
guimonpa
09. Dec 2014 · 22:34 UTC
This is tons of fun. Great visuals and the slowdown effect is awesome!

Also, how does one create two games in a single ludum dare? Nice job man.
flegmatical
09. Dec 2014 · 22:35 UTC
Loved this! Well done! Simple and fun. Really tight controls and audio/visuals. Missed a screen explaining the controls, as I didn't understand that spacebar was slo-mo without reading it here:) The guy (rude as he's known) who started the Löve project is a good friend of mine, I'll make sure to show him this.
🎤 Ulydev
09. Dec 2014 · 22:46 UTC
Thanks a lot for all the positive comments !

@flegmatical, I wanted to stay really minimalistic and didn't want to add any text excepted for the score/logo. Once you know left/right/spacebar, the controls are pretty intuitive though :)
The fact that you know rude is awesome ! That'd be awesome if you showed him !
ENDESGA
09. Dec 2014 · 23:14 UTC
Awesome game :) love it!
TriSquare
09. Dec 2014 · 23:57 UTC
Great work! Simple, but challenging gameplay and a cool interaction between graphic and sound.
internetspaulicy
10. Dec 2014 · 00:25 UTC
This is brilliantly simple. The music is awesome!
thopis
10. Dec 2014 · 02:26 UTC
Challenging and great color palette!+1Music
hitchh1k3r
10. Dec 2014 · 03:20 UTC
I liked the slowmo feature, I found super gravatron way too hard, but this is a game I can actually play. When it gets overwhelming you just slow it down. Good work on this game.
Tortoise
10. Dec 2014 · 03:24 UTC
Totally wasn't expecting the puzzle mechanic. I just wish there were more levels

(By the way, in the last level you can just walk through the door without getting the key)
LukeZaz
10. Dec 2014 · 03:24 UTC
Really, really fun game. Just wish I could use slow-motion a bit more, as it can get rather hard.
Joe Williamson
10. Dec 2014 · 03:31 UTC
Fantastic game, great music, and very fun!
BtheDestroyer
10. Dec 2014 · 03:41 UTC
Gotta say, simplistic is a good way to go
Kitch
10. Dec 2014 · 04:01 UTC
Dang, really like this one. Fast replay, screenshake, audio effects and color scheme just really worked... Great Job! Thanks.
jrap
10. Dec 2014 · 06:20 UTC
Gorgeous. I scored 3091. I especially love the way the interface flows in and out of gameplay and high score screen. Reccomendation: play in darkness on a giant screen. the colors illuminate the room and produce a zen-like state of engagement with the game.
hexagore
10. Dec 2014 · 08:22 UTC
The simplicity of this game's design means it feel excellently polished, and as it's an easier version of Super Graviton it's a lot of fun, too. Can't rate the audio but because it works so well with the art style it gives top marks for mood.
Murchurl
10. Dec 2014 · 08:42 UTC
Interesting game! i think this'll be great for mobile devices! nice job
Sartemis Smart
10. Dec 2014 · 10:36 UTC
Great game ! You got the most important tip for a small game success, screenShake !
Jokes aside, really nice polish on a simple but really functional idea. The work on the audio and transitions between menu and game is really awesome. Keep it up !
Damdoshi
10. Dec 2014 · 11:35 UTC
Straightforward, fast, accurate, merciless. It is a great arcade game.

- - - - -

Direct, rapide, précis, implacable. C'est un super jeu d'arcade. Félicitations.
rabbit
10. Dec 2014 · 18:01 UTC
Dude holy shit.

I need this on my phone RIGHT NOW.
GreenyUk
10. Dec 2014 · 18:20 UTC
Won't play for me (Windows 8).

I get 'attempt to index a nil value'

Traceback
main.lua:360 in fucntion 'update'
[C]: in function 'xpcall'
🎤 Ulydev
10. Dec 2014 · 19:08 UTC
OMG, shame on me ! Thanks for pointing this out ! I just fixed it. :)
Trite Games
10. Dec 2014 · 19:43 UTC
Yeah slow motion effect! Nice approach on the theme and cool mechanics :) More big squares for more slowmo would be better I feel, just because it's sooo cool ;)
realbogart
10. Dec 2014 · 20:13 UTC
Cool! Reminded me of super hexagon with the graphics and instant death. I liked it
Rupert
10. Dec 2014 · 20:13 UTC
Great game, the music is nice and the gameplay is addicting. You could probably sell this as an mobile app :)
DvigubaiPiktas
10. Dec 2014 · 20:22 UTC
Game is simple, fun and addictive. Highlighting collision on death would be neat. Anyway, good job!
spitfire87
10. Dec 2014 · 22:36 UTC
Remind me a lot of Terry cavanagh's games. Despite being simple, it is very polished and it feels quite intense. 5/5 mood.
thiaguera
11. Dec 2014 · 02:06 UTC
WOW! Best game I've played so far. Very intense. The graphics are just the way they should be. The music is perfect.
madcapacity
11. Dec 2014 · 03:48 UTC
Great great submission! Was a lot of fun to play this!
ChuiGum
11. Dec 2014 · 05:59 UTC
Great innovation! Very original! Could definitely see this as a cool mobile game! Simple but cool graphics. I like how everything is always shaking, it makes it even more intense. And the music is just great. (You should let people rate Audio!)
🎤 Ulydev
11. Dec 2014 · 06:09 UTC
Thank you for your feedback, guys ! Unfortunately, I can't let people rate Audio because I just haven't made it.
TheMeorch
11. Dec 2014 · 06:36 UTC
This is lots of fun. Fantastic presentation all around, and a really addicting mechanic. I could see this finding great success on mobile -- tilt controls and tap to slow down maybe?
tcarter
11. Dec 2014 · 07:07 UTC
This game makes me want to rage against the machine, man.
Zimennik
11. Dec 2014 · 07:53 UTC
Idea from VVVVVV. But nice music.
kebabskal
11. Dec 2014 · 08:33 UTC
Love the aesthetics. The music made me want to play longer. I would have liked the game to be just a little bit easier. Part of it is that the gravity switching seems a little bit erratic. Sometimes the box go outside the screen before switching sometimes it feels like it switches as soon as one edge touch the edge of the screen. The slowmo feature didn't help me at all. Went away too quickly and I didn't have focus enough to engage it in time.

Small tweaks and you have a winner :D
hundredhundred
11. Dec 2014 · 13:35 UTC
hectic game. swotch is simple addictive and fun, but eye hurting after awhile ahaha. i was playing it at night with my lights turned off and i thought i was gonna give me seizure, but i kept playing because it was so fun ahaha great entry!, i'd like to see more content added to this game!
the-arrival
11. Dec 2014 · 15:00 UTC
it reminds me of super hexagon. Great addicting game.
nuno
11. Dec 2014 · 15:07 UTC
Dude why did you opt out of Audio? Its great!! Greetings from another Löver :D
Arkrothe
11. Dec 2014 · 17:54 UTC
Quite like super gravitron, but your presentation and controls are way better!
metalchouchen
11. Dec 2014 · 18:32 UTC
I really like the game loop. Between the title, the game, and the game over. Nice art for this type of game also. Good job!
vidarn
11. Dec 2014 · 22:35 UTC
This is a really great submission! I thought it was great fun. I really like these types of games that are quick to restart and unforgiving. It really feels like challenge.

I really like the style, music and graphics fit very well together with the gameplay. Also like all the extra effects to add to shakiness. I thought about extra gameplay mechanics, such as power ups or extra lives but then decided that adding such features would not make it as elegant which your game very much is. Everything looks very crisp!

Very fun game! This is one I will keep on my computer.

// Written by Peter (ludumdare.com/compo/author/Macint/)
// Vidar's teammate in this Jam.
skulioskarsson
11. Dec 2014 · 23:16 UTC
Very interesting
ynots
12. Dec 2014 · 09:17 UTC
great game ...lol
Windmill Games
12. Dec 2014 · 13:13 UTC
Simplistic and well executed game, impressive that you had time to make 2 good games!
indie4fun
13. Dec 2014 · 13:22 UTC
Fun and simple. Nice graphic style, perfect for this kind of game. A shame we can't rate the music, I think is great!
Grindstorm
13. Dec 2014 · 16:48 UTC
Simple, fun, also the mood itself gave the humor :) wished you added sound to it, but it was a fun game.
Incredible Ape
13. Dec 2014 · 18:51 UTC
This game is... bizarrely similar to our entry! Not surprising seeing a lot of gravitron influence in this theme.

Very nice work on the presentation! Really dug the colors/sounds/etc.
klianc09
13. Dec 2014 · 20:55 UTC
It's a lot of fun playing this. Just perfectly intense. Wish the slow-mo held longer, as it is now, it didn't help me much.

My best was 4200 something.
NickMakesGames
14. Dec 2014 · 00:59 UTC
great work! Very reminiscent of Super Gravitron, but with a slightly trippier vibe.
I also like the inclusion of power-ups, although I felt it was a bit un-intuitive to represent them as just a larger version of your primary obstacle.
6DownStudios
14. Dec 2014 · 03:47 UTC
Woof. Nice. Very Bit Trip. :) Maybe a mode that's a tad less seizure-inducing? Naw, just kiddin', I dig it. :D
Omiya Games
14. Dec 2014 · 05:03 UTC
Absolutely addicting. Best game I've played so far. You may want to increase the difficulty sooner, but I otherwise felt it was well balanced. Awesome job.

Reminds me a lot of Super Hexagon, too.
peterthehe
14. Dec 2014 · 12:49 UTC
Intense. Great Work
farwyler
14. Dec 2014 · 22:29 UTC
Fantastic!
Ludipe
14. Dec 2014 · 23:27 UTC
Simple but really fun, this game needs highscores or a "share button" to compete with your friends. Good job!
GFM
15. Dec 2014 · 01:19 UTC
Couldn't get the gamepad to work. 'y' moved left and 'd-pad up' activated bullet time... but that was it...

That aside, this game looks awesome. It super simple, but you made it feel so polished and fun.
Lynx
15. Dec 2014 · 06:35 UTC
Honestly still my favorite game this LD! I happily downloaded and kept Swotch on my laptop and played against a buddy of mine Sat afternoon trying out-do each other's scores
Slothmachine
15. Dec 2014 · 09:42 UTC
Yes! Simple, beautiful and fun! Well polished and I love what you did with music! Awesome!
🎤 Ulydev
15. Dec 2014 · 15:41 UTC
Thank you guys for your comments ! You're awesome ! :D
GeorgeBroussard
15. Dec 2014 · 17:10 UTC
Awesome. Perfect mobile style game imo. Great soundtrack and vfx. Exciting and fun game. Think the large power ups should be different. Perhaps green, vs red for smaller boxes (danger?). Great game. Very well done.
Insality
15. Dec 2014 · 18:01 UTC
ooh, it was perfect. I looove music games and fantastic minimalisti graphics here :D
asobitech
16. Dec 2014 · 09:13 UTC
Excellent work dude.
elvaq
16. Dec 2014 · 19:35 UTC
Obviously it's just Gravitron with another feature bolted on but your execution is really great. Nice visuals and well-suited music. Will be very curious to see what you make in the future!
puppetmaster
16. Dec 2014 · 23:08 UTC
Very powerful game! :-) I love simple ui design!

Fantastic!
Bonobo Games & Mechanic Moon
17. Dec 2014 · 06:14 UTC
Simple, addictive game. The best.
XTremEive
17. Dec 2014 · 19:29 UTC
Pretty dope, that's all I can say. It's about the trip and intensity. Liked it, keep it up!
fierysquirrel
18. Dec 2014 · 05:11 UTC
Nice music and graphics, inspiration: Super Hexagon? haha very nice!
Riocide
18. Dec 2014 · 12:28 UTC
10/10 well done!
apiotrw
18. Dec 2014 · 12:47 UTC
Really well made, minimalistic game
m_math
18. Dec 2014 · 17:09 UTC
Ulydev, i love your game. you did a great job.well play
Simon
18. Dec 2014 · 20:50 UTC
This is very well done. It's fun to play and very unique!
FistBumpGames
19. Dec 2014 · 11:19 UTC
Really cool game! like the music, the art, the feeling! a highscore system would have made this game even better!
broknecho
19. Dec 2014 · 15:37 UTC
Excellent! Great job. super fun entry.
Dietrich Epp
19. Dec 2014 · 21:49 UTC
Fun! I just wish the difficulty ramped up a little more slowly.
Gamepopper
20. Dec 2014 · 23:04 UTC
Really good game! Has a similar vibe to Super Hexagon, hope the ports do well (and if you can release it to Windows Phone, please do so I can play it on the go!)

Only gripe is the big blocks, I didn't know you could collide into them like the others. Maybe you could invert its colour to show that it's different so it can tell the player something significant about it.
SuperDisk
21. Dec 2014 · 04:59 UTC
Pretty neat, but it almost seems like you just substituted shaking and graphics effects instead of making it have any substantive gameplay.

The sounds were pretty cool, though.
alyphen
21. Dec 2014 · 12:48 UTC
Simple and addictive. I think this would do well as a mobile game with tilt support.
The music fitted great, and the graphics were simple but again, fit well.
Ideas for expansion:
Perhaps add different modes/difficulties that could keep a player hooked for longer. After a couple of minutes I'd already experienced everything the game had.
gameattack
21. Dec 2014 · 15:22 UTC
Great Game! If you add some others songs and few other other obstacles. I ll buy your game on iOS!
Instant Noodles
21. Dec 2014 · 19:14 UTC
AWESOME !!! this is the kind of that i love !
Simple and fun
Steven Colling
21. Dec 2014 · 19:31 UTC
Wow. Simple, fun and addictive like Maverick Bird. Just awesome.
efux
26. Dec 2014 · 16:04 UTC
Nice entry. It is quite addicing. Keep up your work, this is impressive with only 15 years. =D
PigeonsFromOuterSpace
27. Dec 2014 · 10:34 UTC
Really great game especially for something done in 48 hours. I love graphics astethics, but music is nice too (it adds a lot of energy to the game). For me it would be a great game even if done by someone twice of your age so keep up a good work :)
kardamom
16. Jan 2015 · 07:46 UTC
Love it! The audio works just great with the gameplay. Wish I could handle audio the same way.