Coin Diver by VDZ

[raw]
made by VDZ for LD29 (COMPO)
(Updated on May 2nd, 2014; for judging, please use the original version (first three links). The update fixes the collision issues, significantly improving gameplay.)

In Coin Diver, you dive into the sea to collect coins.
Press left and right to rotate, and Z or space to swim.
As you spend time underwater, you will run out of air.
Find an air pocket to refill your air before you drown!
Furthermore, your temperature will drop slowly; if it reaches
0%, you will die of hypothermia. Try to surface before this happens.

If you return to the surface alive, your score is doubled.
Collect multiple coins before refilling your air for bonus points.



This game is Windows-only.



Controls:

Left/Right/A/D - Rotate your character
Z/Space/W/Up - Swim

R - Restart
F or Alt-Enter - Toggle fullscreen mode
Escape - Quit the game



The high score list can also be viewed inside a browser:
http://vdzserver.org/php/coindiver/scores.php



Some tips:

- Play the game with sound enabled. The music will let you know when you're about to drown.

- Pay attention to the background color and the music; you'll be able to tell how deep you are.

- Don't just mash the swim button. Using the button more conservatively allows you to steer more precisely.



This game is public domain. Feel free to do whatever you want with it.

Ratings

Coolness 41% 1669
Overall 3.42 328
Audio 3.70 78
Fun 3.67 119
Graphics 2.42 1034
Innovation 3.08 544
Mood 3.10 457
Theme 3.63 235

Feedback

Tifu
28. Apr 2014 · 14:44 UTC
Score: 240 =D
Really fun game, good challenge. Had to try a few times to surface with a decent score :) Music alerting to your oxygen levels is a really good touch.
You do seem to stick to walls a little, not sure if intended or not though.
thx4nothing
28. Apr 2014 · 17:15 UTC
It is a fun and challenging game. With some improvements it could be addicting :D
igwb
28. Apr 2014 · 17:15 UTC
Quite enjoyable, I love the music and the swimming animation.
It's fun to play and the temperature adds the little interesting aspect that prevents the game from getting boring.
I can confirm that you stick on corners though. That's the only thing that realy bothers me since it cost me a few lifes beeing stuck right on the edge to an airbubble, not able to get there.
ccglp
28. Apr 2014 · 17:22 UTC
Score: More than 100 (Don't remember xD)
I play it a bit, it's fun, and the idea is pretty good, one of the best I play this far
Strandmullen
28. Apr 2014 · 17:26 UTC
This game was amazing! I could almost feel the adrenaline rush when the music increased in volume as I was about to run out of air. The online ranking system was also great. Look for Strandmullen at 110 points :)
goerp
28. Apr 2014 · 18:00 UTC
At first I thought it was like other games I have seen on Ludum Dare, but after playing this for a while I realised this had a playability I had not seen in previous versions.
The game is addictive and a gives you the 'just one more try' feeling.

And nice (and functional) music of course!
TheLastBanana
29. Apr 2014 · 23:55 UTC
Great use of music and an interesting control scheme. I didn't love how you stick to walls, but it was otherwise fun to play.
nonentheless
30. Apr 2014 · 17:39 UTC
I'd be in heaven if I could surface for air, buy better swimming equipment and dive again. For hours :)
Balint197
30. Apr 2014 · 20:33 UTC
I'm fourth! :D I enjoyed your game, the change in music volume was a really nice touch!
Garris
02. May 2014 · 00:41 UTC
Good game! The controls are nice, the graphics look consistent, the music is good, and there's a lot of incentive to keep trying even when you die a watery death.
🎤 VDZ
02. May 2014 · 11:17 UTC
I've updated the game to fix the collision issues (sticking to walls). The original version remains up for judging, but if you just want to play, you can download version 2 by clicking the 'Post-LD version' link.
🎤 VDZ
02. May 2014 · 13:36 UTC
In other news, fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck: http://i.xomf.com/cybdj.png
alvarop
02. May 2014 · 18:13 UTC
I wish this game had some animations / better graphics to help the immersion. The gameplay and the idea on themselves are great already. You should keep it working on it!
Manuel Magalhães
02. May 2014 · 22:53 UTC
Nice game. Controls feel great and the music is good.
phi
03. May 2014 · 19:50 UTC
The online ranking is a really nice touch. I don't get why the score is doubled in the end though...
The point of the game is easily understandable and all the features are nicely implemented. I personally feel like the player movement is a bit too rigid, but all in all I love the game.
Sparrow
03. May 2014 · 19:56 UTC
Very addictive, still can't beat your highscore. I will keep trying to get it of course. The most problems I had were caused by the collision which you fixed in v2. The only thing you might want to change is the graphics like was said in the irc channel. Rest is very good.
🎤 VDZ
03. May 2014 · 20:17 UTC
@phi
The score is only doubled in the end if you reach the surface. If you drown, your score still counts, but it'll be only half of the score you'd have gotten from reaching the surface with that score. (It is also a viable strategy to abandon the idea of resurfacing altogether to spend more time deeper in the ocean, where you can collect more points.)
Alex Rose
04. May 2014 · 23:38 UTC
I'm just wildly incompetent at this game, I drowned going in a loop on my way to the surface, if I'd just been a little quicker I would've had a fairly decent score, but alas, I'm terrible.

Controlled really fluidly, fit the theme really well and the soundtrack was awesome too, I really like how the music changes as you go deeper, and the visuals too, you manage to make it look really sweet even just using single colour backgrounds.

Another great game, I look forward to your future ones.
Snoother
15. May 2014 · 20:52 UTC
Loving the way for music builds powerfully alongside the gameplay. The controls could feel a bit more underwater-y, if that makes sense, and the wall-sticking issue mentioned previously needs to be fixed. The graphics could probably be embellished a bit too.

But overall it was really addictive and had a quick pace that, as I said, was amplified by the music pretty much perfectly. Good work.
jsmars
16. May 2014 · 18:41 UTC
Really fun game you made here and nice music! With some polish, graphics and effects this would be completely awesome! You should check out my game I've got online highscores too! :) http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-29/?action=preview&uid=3933