LudumData

Le Ver by GamerTaters

[raw]
made by GamerTaters for LD29 (JAM)
*** OVERVIEW ***
You are Remi. A depressed existentialist earthworm contemplating his life.

*** KEY DETAILS ***
- There is NO RESTART! Please refresh browser to play again!
- Use headphones for best experience!!!
- This game is BIG, so please be patient. We've created a cool experience for you to play through. (A very big file for a very small worm)

*** FEATURES ***
- Eat the truffles.
- Contemplate existence.
- Be a worm.

*** CONTROLS ***
W - To move forward
Space - To illuminate
Mouse - Look around

*** THE TEAM ***
Maria Diment - Texture Artist
Diego Henriquez - 3D Artist
Christian Potvin (@GamerTaters) - Code, Sound
Sean Toomey (@Hip2Me) - Code, Idea-haver

*** ASSET CREDITS ***
Font - La Belle Aurore (dafont.com)
Font - Type-Ra (dafont.com)
Music - "Raining" by Kai Engel (freemusicarchive.org)
Music - "Pompas de jabon" by Circus Marcus (freemusicarchive.org)
Sound - Various sourced from freesound.org

Music Links:
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kai_Engel/Calls_and_Echoes/04_-_Raining
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/CIRCUSMARCUS/In_Orbitas/Circus_Marcus_-_In_Orbitas_-_12_-_Pompas_de_jabon

*** TECHNICAL STUFF ***
- World is procedurally generated.
- Audio voice over queues are randomly generated.

*** BUILDS ***
- Web (Runs with some difficulty on slower machines)
- Windows
- Mac OS/X (Recommend not running full screen)
- Linux

*** BUG FIXES ***
- Fixed a minor bug involving truffle generation.
- Fixed a crash issue if game ran too long.
- Fixed a transition issue for one of the endings.
Web https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/80549395/Le%20Ver/Le%20Ver.html
Windows https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/80549395/Le%20Ver%20-%20Windows.zip
OS/X https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/80549395/Le%20Ver%20-%20Mac.zip
Linux https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/80549395/Le%20Ver%20-%20Linux.zip
Original URL https://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-29/?action=preview&uid=35352

Ratings

Coolness 100% 1
Overall(Jam) 3.70 92
Audio(Jam) 4.20 18
Fun(Jam) 2.79 480
Graphics(Jam) 4.00 143
Humor(Jam) 3.04 200
Innovation(Jam) 3.80 62
Mood(Jam) 4.19 25
Theme(Jam) 4.23 5

Feedback

ruerob
29. Apr 2014 · 08:32 UTC
At the word truffles you've got me. Nice work. That was a really good game.
stephan_h
29. Apr 2014 · 09:23 UTC
I like contemplating existence.
Why do I listen to my thoughts for an eternity and not recognize that I can already crawl? Why does this feel awkward when all I have to do is push forward? Does this ever end? What are those shiny drops that I swallow?
Why does this look so beautiful? Why do I feel so content and at peace?
Crowbeak
29. Apr 2014 · 09:34 UTC
:/ On the Mac version, at least, the mouse cursor doesn't disappear, which meant I kept having the start and menu bars pop up. I would also often move forward, but hitch on something and stop, which seemed really odd because I seemed to have no volume. I also have trouble with a non-inverted mouse.

All this added up to me stopping reading the subtitles early on, and by the time I realized that, I had already missed so much that there was no point in continuing the game.
DMinsky
29. Apr 2014 · 09:43 UTC
Very well narrative! Nice job.
bob_fish
29. Apr 2014 · 12:19 UTC
This was amazing. A really good game!
monaarc
29. Apr 2014 · 12:36 UTC
So great t be a worm !!! :) good game
SecondDimension
29. Apr 2014 · 12:45 UTC
Really liked the narrative and music, who would have thought an earth worm would be so deep.
littleball
29. Apr 2014 · 12:47 UTC
Really nice style, I could get lost in this...
dartsdev
29. Apr 2014 · 12:53 UTC
Amazing game, nice atmosphere, the materials were a bit shiney but nice for the time spent. Got a bit boring after a while. Found myself questioning everything.
Bekokstover
29. Apr 2014 · 12:54 UTC
This is my very favorite game jam game, maybe in my top 3 jam games ever. The mood is perfect, the theme is well incorporated, the pacing is great, and the length of play is superb. The voice over is fantastic, and very appropriate. Thank you for this! (P.S. I would have paid money for this experience. Not kidding.)
baboum
29. Apr 2014 · 12:58 UTC
Clearly one of the most innovative experiences of this LD. The narration and the music are great, and really made me feel sad. I really liked this idea. Great job!
Clinthoney
29. Apr 2014 · 13:05 UTC
Loved it. The voice acting made it 100% better even though it was in a different languag.
Doubstract
29. Apr 2014 · 13:21 UTC
OMG! I love intro and graphics! Amazing work!
morganbengtsson
29. Apr 2014 · 19:17 UTC
Original idea and very well executed. A bit unclear what the goal is, though that may be the point, thoughtful.
blahoink
29. Apr 2014 · 19:23 UTC
fantastic narrative and mod with some amazing atmosphere. keep going with this, seriously.
Kaoin
29. Apr 2014 · 19:24 UTC
Interesting narrative and awesome music! On the gameplay side it was mildly fun to play, I would have liked the illuminate to last a bit longer, it was a bit frustrating that I couldn't see where more than half the time(which might be intended?) and found it difficult to discern which parts of my surroundings I could go through which caused some unfavorable backtracking. Overall I really felt like a worm, good job!
NoorStudios
29. Apr 2014 · 19:50 UTC
Very unique game. Love the graphics, music, atmosphere, narration and mechanics. would be great with some sense of purpose, but then again that is what the worm thinks too.
mimic
29. Apr 2014 · 21:12 UTC
Worm, I am.
TheLastBanana
29. Apr 2014 · 23:06 UTC
Man, that worm totally depressed me. Fantastic mood.
🎤 GamerTaters
30. Apr 2014 · 00:42 UTC
Thanks for the great feedback! We had a lot of fun putting this game together. It makes us really happy to see people enjoying the game. There are definitely more things we we're hoping to put in the game, but we simply ran out of time (other endings, more context sensitive audio/voiceovers, general gameplay tweaking, etc...).

@Crowbeak: Sorry for the trouble with the mac version. I can only recommend playing it windowed to avoid mac toolbar issues. Providing an inverted mouse control option is a great idea. Thank you!

@Kaoin: Striking that balance between too much and too little light is tough. We'll definitely keep it in mind. We like it dark, but it might be a little too dark.

@Everyone: Thanks for playing our game!!! :)
nonentheless
30. Apr 2014 · 11:07 UTC
Really nice atmosphere you got here with this audio. Nice job.
Thorig
30. Apr 2014 · 11:51 UTC
Sorry, this is not my cup of tea. It is just a matter of taste.
Recon
30. Apr 2014 · 12:01 UTC
Great game! Wonderful graphics, and good narration! Little slow gameplay, but good philosophical interpretation.
Techblogogy
30. Apr 2014 · 13:01 UTC
F***ING amazing!
Mekuri
30. Apr 2014 · 19:07 UTC
Nice mood, and nice narration. Not much gameplay, but then again, in games like these it isn't about the gameplay, but about the experience! - Nice job.
okeedokeben
30. Apr 2014 · 19:41 UTC
Beautiful game!
BoneDaddy
01. May 2014 · 00:39 UTC
Very good! I loved this. A very cool experience. Also I love worm games LOL! The noisy camera effect was very good. Great music and narration. At first when I saw the shiny dirt surrounding me I was hoping there'd be a creepy twist that he was like on the inside of a human or something. But I guess it's for the best that didn't happen...
timtipgames
01. May 2014 · 13:48 UTC
Awesome atmosphere and great narrative. Also very impressed when I learned that the world is procedurally generated. Good job!
Kerdelos
01. May 2014 · 14:38 UTC
When I saw the game on Tim's twitch I first thought it was happening in a human muscle haha
iambored2006
01. May 2014 · 16:59 UTC
I find it interesting that I didn't even think of the theme until actually rating the game. I guess I was so engrossed in the narration. The Nietzsche quote was very fitting.
elliottd
02. May 2014 · 00:30 UTC
The narration did a great job of keeping me in the game. the movement system was interesting. The super shininess made everything look like it was made of silly putty. Very nice entry.
ceosol
02. May 2014 · 11:52 UTC
I felt like I was watching one of the many existential French films. This will definitely win some of the categories.
Crefossus
02. May 2014 · 23:37 UTC
Really like the mood, lighting, and overall feel of the game. The writing is excellent and art is well done (a couple of seams here and there. Could give the player more choice, feels like your'e on rails a bit.
Rad Star
03. May 2014 · 10:57 UTC
Really poetic and original game. Nice interpretatin of the theme. Good job!
IL_yoshioka
03. May 2014 · 14:28 UTC
Narrative and wide world are awesome!
Snoother
03. May 2014 · 16:37 UTC
"A depressed existentialist earthworm contemplating his life." My God, I think I'm love: that is just such a brilliant theme. Loved the music and voiceover and the cosily weird mood that creates; the graphics were sublime too. A really great entry, congrats.
Sparrow
03. May 2014 · 20:25 UTC
Wow, truly an experience. I enjoyed it very much worth the wait for to load. Graphics were awesome and the music and voice over set a very good mood for the game. I would've loved being able to shoot light faster because it's very difficult to navigate sometimes. Good job guys!
KuGrou
04. May 2014 · 00:51 UTC
Really good use of lighting and narration to set the mood.
sP0CkEr2
04. May 2014 · 05:00 UTC
I always knew worms were French - really nice game - great job!
Oddly Shaped Pixels
04. May 2014 · 11:51 UTC
Nice atmoshpere but could't get used to the controls. Mouse pointer kept on exiting the frame so it was really tedious moving around...
pinkmonkeyhead
04. May 2014 · 19:01 UTC
Thats really impressive!!
Amazing graphics, the level design creates a goos mood and the narration also.
My only complain is about the way the player moves
Beside that, incredible entry
recursor
05. May 2014 · 00:13 UTC
Great job on making the movement feel like an earthworm.
Calvin Pacheco
05. May 2014 · 00:19 UTC
this narrative is perfect, you feel the atmosphere of the game. I'm really impressed about this introduction.
JoshOS
05. May 2014 · 12:46 UTC
Overall a very impressive entry! However this doesn't strike me as a 'game', rather, an interactive story.

I got a "Fin" message before I feel I was at the end? The worm was still speaking, and I was about two movements away from another collectible pink blob, I never reached it and the screen faded out.

This is more artistic than a game and so I will grade it on that kind of premise.

The graphics were good, but the bump-mapping (I assume that's what's used) gives all the mud a very wet look. The textures didn't nicely wrap around the mud, but rather have some texture alignment issues that you'd expect to see on older games; however I know this isn't an easy task and to fiddle with finer details like this in the time constraints would have been difficult.

The music, if originally composed, we perfect for the cause. It had a French feel to it, and was very moody, setting the intended depressed feel to the game. The vocal work, I say the same. Depressing. Which makes the mood go straight up.

The thought of being a worm to fit the theme Beneath the surface is undeniably simple, yet, perfect!

Right, I'm gonna go cheer myself up now. :P
Rick Hoppmann
05. May 2014 · 16:05 UTC
Cool take on the theme! The style of the game is quite unique, good job on the textures!
The melodiousness of French worked great in combination with the subtitles! :)

All in all an artsy game with a great mood about deep thoughts.
conormn
06. May 2014 · 02:22 UTC
Lovely piece. Tip of the hat :)
jacklehamster
08. May 2014 · 22:48 UTC
What a delightful and interesting experience, and nice narration. I was wondering if there was going to be any end to this, but I managed to stick until the end. Nice strange artsy entry.
shadow64
11. May 2014 · 01:37 UTC
Sorry it's taken me so long to rate this. The game was interesting. I liked your take on the theme and your use of narrative, visuals, and sound to create a perfectly executed mood.

I think by its very nature existentialism is a little bit of a hard sell. You wanted to convey a feeling of loneliness and pointlessness and you did, but I don't know if I can say that was fun. Innovative, absolutely, but I don't know about fun.

I think this was a very solid entry for 72 hours and you obviously put a ton of hard work into this. Very nicely done and thanks for sharing and playing/rating my game.

Take care! :D
kristof
14. May 2014 · 13:16 UTC
Good atmosphere. Nice music and graphics. I played to the end, but I must say, that the game bored me pretty quickly. Another minor technical complaint: I played on OS/X. The game did not "capture" my mouse cursor. So I constantly opened up the dock and task bar.
Besides these complaints, you managed to make a very good entry!
whendricso
14. May 2014 · 16:58 UTC
A game about a worm. Very stylzed. Really liked this one a lot :D
mortus
14. May 2014 · 19:09 UTC
I'm speechless. You've done a great job. I actually played it twice to see if there were other endings and I was shocked when I realized that the monologue is somewhat random each time. I wasn't bored even once during my two full plays, just... sad? Anyway, even while I don't think it's much of a game, it's certainly a beautiful interactive movie, experience, art if you wish. Will recommend this game to everyone I know, great job!

Funny thing I've thought of. I don't think it would be so immersive for me if I could understand French.
iambored2006
19. May 2014 · 04:55 UTC
Hey! I mentioned your game in this post- http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/2014/05/18/10-games-that-resonated-with-me/ , along with some feedback. I'd love to hear what you have to say!
TeamFlare
19. May 2014 · 23:55 UTC
very nice to be a worm :)