Drop Up by Shadow Dreamer

[raw]
made by Shadow Dreamer for LD29 (JAM)
OBS:

-There is no readme file for the desktop version, so the instructions are here.

-To reset your save, press "r" while in the Title Screen.

-Mute the music with "m" (if the game is not paused).
_____________________________________

Alright. So this is my submission for the Ludum Dare 29 Jam.
The game is pretty simple, here are some instructions:

You can jump between the white and the black dimension by using either "z" & "x", or the left and the right arrow keys.

Pause with "p", restart a level with "r".

You can also return to the title by pressing "t", when the game is paused.

Everything is made by me, including the music, and even the art, if one can call it that. I used a program called "Stencyl" to make this game.


This is in no way a unique or super original game, but I think it's okay.

Judge for youself; enjoy!

Ratings

Coolness 39% 1718
Overall(Jam) 3.52 174
Audio(Jam) 3.57 150
Fun(Jam) 3.48 122
Graphics(Jam) 2.78 591
Innovation(Jam) 3.87 38
Mood(Jam) 3.55 165
Theme(Jam) 3.43 241

Feedback

ceosol
29. Apr 2014 路 02:21 UTC
I think the spike detection is set a tad too high, but otherwise really fun. I think the music fits a sort of melancholy - black and white - mood. Too bad the theme wasn't contrast, this would have fit perfectly, but interesting take on beneath the surface.
馃帳 Shadow Dreamer
29. Apr 2014 路 09:46 UTC
Thanks, ceosol! Yeah, the spike detection might be a bith sensitive, but I'm glad you liked it anyway! I figured I should compose pretty dark music, since the mood isn't really that happy in the game :p

Would the theme have been contrast, this would indeed have been a fitting game. Then again, I probably never would have thought of making this game, if that'd been the case... The first thing that popped into my mind when I saw the theme was to have a character that did something "beneath" the original one :)

Again, thanks for playing! I'll try your game out as soon as I have time!
Photon
29. Apr 2014 路 21:06 UTC
Nice idea, but it felt a bit slow for me and I didn't care so much for some of the twitchy reflexes it required (the super quick back-forth-back-forth sections). Maybe that's just me though. Its actually deceptively devious in how some of its puzzles are set-up and how you have to manage your momentum.

Overall, pretty good even if a little tedious.
Aaants
30. Apr 2014 路 11:49 UTC
Nice job but I think a speed increase would make it even better :)
馃帳 Shadow Dreamer
30. Apr 2014 路 16:59 UTC
Thanks, both of you. I think you might be right about the speed increase. Too much, and I would have to completely redo the levels, but I think that increasing the speed just a little would've actually made this game easier!
It's too late now though, but I'll think about it if I ever make something similar!

I have to admit that I made the game too difficult, especially considering the reflexes and/or practice needed for some levels XD
sam101
01. May 2014 路 15:11 UTC
Nice gameplay ideas, I liked the music, the game is pretty good (a bit frustrating quite quickly however), and the mood is clearly set. The metaphorical take on the theme is good ( Pretty nice execution, congrats !
馃帳 Shadow Dreamer
02. May 2014 路 00:02 UTC
Thanks, Sam! I agree with you about how frustrating this can get. Also, since the movement is a bit slow, failing will mean a greater punishment, which isn't always that fun...
I'm glad you like most of the aspects! I'll make sure to check your game out whenever I get time ;)
Simon
02. May 2014 路 10:27 UTC
Very well done! It reminded me of vvvvvvv
馃帳 Shadow Dreamer
02. May 2014 路 14:23 UTC
Thank you Simon :D
I can see how this reminded you of "VVVVVV" for sure!
Personally, this reminds me of "SHIFT" :3
mogwai
02. May 2014 路 15:10 UTC
Really fun and innovative game. Feels polished with nice music.
FGM
02. May 2014 路 16:05 UTC
Interesting idea. Music fit into the game nicely. Couldn't get passed that one level though.
v3games
02. May 2014 路 16:06 UTC
Took a while before it got even slightly challenging, but was an entertaining little puzzle game once it did. Good work.
Mnemusyne
02. May 2014 路 16:08 UTC
Good twist to this mechanic.
Ball could move a little quicker to give the illusion of faster progress.
馃帳 Shadow Dreamer
02. May 2014 路 16:11 UTC
Thanks, you guys :p

@FGM, which level? Ahhh, my bad for not giving them numbers.

@v3games, wow, you're one of the better gamers I guess. Most people have said that this game got far too challenging far too fast :p

I feel the ball should've been slightly faster too. Thanks for the comments and for the reviews!
joe40001
05. May 2014 路 20:55 UTC
I like the game a lot but you need to do more than fade to black at the end, that's a bit anti-climatic, and it made me play the level like 10 times to try to see if there was a secret ending.

Otherwise very fun/challengthing, hitboxes are a tiny bit too tall big would be my only complaint. Like when you are about to hit spikes and press switch it feels like it checks collision for the next frame it would render then checks for switch then switches, you should be checking collision on the frame you are on not the one you are just about to render. Still very good game. Just needed a small ending and it would have been amazing, still very very good though.
馃帳 Shadow Dreamer
06. May 2014 路 23:18 UTC
@joe40001

I'm glad to see you liked it :D
And thanks for playing all the way to the end o.O!

And yes, I definitely would've wanted to include more stuff in the end! But I couldn't do it in the 30 minutes I had left, sadly :(

Behind that black box there actually IS a secret level, that is very simple. There's no reward for beating it though :( Well, on Newgrounds you get an extra medal. The only thing that happens is that you're sent back to the main menu once you beat it.

I have an interesting idea too, which I'd like to do sometime long after the competition. I'd like to include a whole other set of levels for those who beat the secret level. The gravity would be reversed, and it'll be all about getting back up again! :D
After that I'd have a proper ending too :3

The hitbox is too big, but the issue is slightly larger than that. To begin with, I only used rectangles as hitboxes for the spikes. I never had time to fix that... I almost think I should've quickly made the rectangles a bit smaller :/

The speed should probably be tweaked a bit too :p

Thanks a lot for your comment!
Satyre
14. May 2014 路 06:24 UTC
I like it. The only difficult part are the spikes when the white ball falls, but with some effort i was able to handle it. The music and slow paced gameplay fit nicely together. Is there a deeper message to the game? I had a feeling that there is one.
馃帳 Shadow Dreamer
14. May 2014 路 09:43 UTC
@Satyre

Thanks for playing my game XD!
As for the deeper message, there really isn't too much of one. I would actually have wanted to add a second (secret) part of the game, where you go back up again, with a more proper ending :p
I didn't have time though, so I figured I'd end the game with a black screen, as every level only gets darker. I guess my main idea was this:
In the game, the character clearly has a desire to go deeper and deeper, but for every time the ball succeeds, it also gets darker. In the end, its desire has lead to nothing but darkness.
Metaphorically, you could see this as a way of saying not to become too obsessed with something, whatever it is, as the obsession might swallow you completely and ruin all other aspects of your life :3