LudumData

UniSwarm by ChaseC

[raw]
made by ChaseC for LD28 (COMPO)
A minimalistic RTS centered on destroying your enemy's home planet while protecting your own.

How to Play:

Your home planet is the red circle on the map.
Click and hold it to release units that can move to other planets and attack the enemy.

Left click to select units, and right or middle click (the mouse wheel) to direct them.
You can click and drag with any mouse button to select multiple units.

(Edit: Selected units now change color)

You can capture a new home planet, but only if you remove all units from your previous one.

The white number in the middle of each planet is how many units that planet has in reserve.

The planets grow and shrink, so try to pick a large one to generate the most units.
Web [HTML5] http://chasecummings.me/ludum/main.html
Source https://github.com/Chase-C/UniSwarm
Original URL https://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-28/?action=preview&uid=24952

Ratings

Coolness 100% 1
Overall 3.21 331
Audio 1.37 768
Fun 3.00 389
Graphics 3.00 451
Humor 1.56 758
Innovation 3.08 371
Mood 2.65 573
Theme 2.37 783

Feedback

tklovert
16. Dec 2013 · 05:43 UTC
Not really sure why, but I just lose every time :(.

Good concept though.
cdgugler
16. Dec 2013 · 05:44 UTC
I like it! Minimal and creative.
zacaj
16. Dec 2013 · 05:44 UTC
I don't have a middle mouse button :(
funselektor
16. Dec 2013 · 06:10 UTC
Well-polished. I really like this style. One gripe is that I had no idea when units were selected, but I figured it out eventually
conormn
16. Dec 2013 · 06:19 UTC
Animation is neat, but hard not to compare it to Eufloria.
Elforama
16. Dec 2013 · 06:20 UTC
I really liked this, it reminded me a lot of "Eufloria". Good job.
apwolf
16. Dec 2013 · 07:02 UTC
Really cool game and I like the clean look!
zzzev
16. Dec 2013 · 07:05 UTC
Really like the look and minimalism, but it's difficult to figure out how to succeed. I understand the basic mechanic, but building on early progress is very hard. Love the general gameplay though, just need a bit more direction, I think.
Kettlecorn
16. Dec 2013 · 08:02 UTC
This is really cool! I love the simplicity, and with a little refinement I can see this having a ton of depth!

I feel that the theme may be a limiter here, and that perhaps moving beyond it could make the game better.
redhotvengeance
16. Dec 2013 · 08:23 UTC
I like this. Super minimalist, and kept my attention. Cool idea.
ErikU
16. Dec 2013 · 08:33 UTC
An intriguing concept. Has a bit of a learning curve, and I still don't think I fully understand it, but after failing a few times, it begins to make sense. I agree with the above that the selection could be more clear. I do like this game play style though, and winning was rewarding. Nice job.
turnA
16. Dec 2013 · 10:08 UTC
Love the simplistic approach. The control a bit confusing at first (not used to use my right click mouse button on laptop), but I get it after reading your explanation here.
ThatGuy
16. Dec 2013 · 10:47 UTC
Really cool take on the node/planet growth genre. Gotta say that the AI is pretty tough to beat, I've only one one out of four games so far, nice work! Sound, game restart, and maybe some particle effects would make this a great game.
Fadobo
16. Dec 2013 · 12:57 UTC
I thought I knew how the game is going to be in the beginning, but the "you only get one"-homeplanet thing really made it a whole new experience. Also very well executed. Awesome!
LatFoued
16. Dec 2013 · 13:37 UTC
The concept and graphics are very good, but i lost a couple times till i understood what to do. More instruction are necessary i think.
burgerdare
16. Dec 2013 · 14:58 UTC
very reminiscent of galcon, but the simple aesthetic is pleasing enough to set it apart.
arrogant.gamer
16. Dec 2013 · 15:28 UTC
It took me three or four plays to really understand how this works, but it was engaging enough that I enjoyed exploring.

I can pull units out of the red dot, but I shouldn't pull them all out. If I send units to nearby dots, my rate of supply increases. I want to create a big swarm, and eliminate the blue player.

Elegant! I love abstract RTS games, though they often boil down to exactly this kind of gameplay. I don't think this is the only way to abstract an RTS, though: I wonder what else could be made!
Move127
16. Dec 2013 · 15:40 UTC
Very similar to Eufloria, but still a fantastic game.
Atmospherium
16. Dec 2013 · 17:22 UTC
Nice work on this. It took a couple playthroughs to get the hang of what I was supposed to do, but the game was really enjoyable once I got the basics down. The minimalist visuals on this were perfect. Good luck!
Cheshyr
16. Dec 2013 · 18:52 UTC
interesting mechanics. never quite got the hang of it, but i liked the swarming.
Zhrack
16. Dec 2013 · 18:53 UTC
Nice and minimalistic! I like it!
sprawl
16. Dec 2013 · 18:57 UTC
I think the fact that you can only have one planet adds little twist to this genre. I really enjoyed it.
Tyro
16. Dec 2013 · 19:04 UTC
Fun and creative game. I continuously lost, but it didn't seem unfair or anything. Well done!
CaptainKraft
16. Dec 2013 · 19:31 UTC
This game is great. I learned what was going on very quickly and it was a pleasure managing my units and figuring out which planets I should inhabit. Very well done
PyroSneak
16. Dec 2013 · 20:01 UTC
Very good, spent way too much time playing it lol
ob6160
16. Dec 2013 · 20:03 UTC
Hard to figure out at first but really fun after I got the hang of it :)
ENDESGA
16. Dec 2013 · 20:15 UTC
Cool concept, idea is solid, and gameplay is great!
Reminds me of a game I used to play when I was younger... It's also a bit like OSMOS! :D
Very nice :)
cbear_wallis
16. Dec 2013 · 20:38 UTC
I love the aesthetic and the movement on screen. It's very calming to play. I think some ambient music would make this really cool! ^_^ <3
joekinglake
16. Dec 2013 · 20:58 UTC
Really like this, the mechanic is really interesting and it feels really smooth. Could definitely use some sound effects & music. Great job!
Mnemusyne
16. Dec 2013 · 21:29 UTC
Very simple game. I have to say I'm not the biggest fan of this gameplay and I've seen it many times already.
Anachron
16. Dec 2013 · 21:56 UTC
Fun new take on a classic formula!
Eric
16. Dec 2013 · 22:54 UTC
I like it but the controls are hard to get down at first, but after trying for a few minutes i got it!
YsenGrimm
16. Dec 2013 · 23:03 UTC
Reminds me a lot of Eufloria, which is an interesting concept but with your own little touch. Keep up the good work.
Capitals
16. Dec 2013 · 23:16 UTC
Good Concept, the aim isn't very clear. Why would you attack a grey tile? Ohhhh, I realize now! It would be great if the AI captured other planets.
jprogman
16. Dec 2013 · 23:17 UTC
I couldn't understand the motive, but I do love the concept. Nice work!
🎤 ChaseC
16. Dec 2013 · 23:27 UTC
The AI can actually capture planets, but there's a bug preventing it from doing so in some cases.
Giovanni Cappellotto
16. Dec 2013 · 23:36 UTC
Nice concept. I like graphic minimalism but I miss some sounds and music.
KunoNoOni
16. Dec 2013 · 23:50 UTC
Wow! That was one slick game! Good Job. Won on my second try.
yapshuter63
17. Dec 2013 · 00:59 UTC
Fun, but a bit hard.
SoundGuy
17. Dec 2013 · 01:13 UTC
very nice! but also very hard. took me a while to get it. I've seen similar games before.
zconnelly13
17. Dec 2013 · 01:49 UTC
I really loved this game! I enjoy the minimalistic design and although it took a while to get the hang of the strategy I really enjoyed it :)
hnjslater
17. Dec 2013 · 02:06 UTC
Really interesting idea, just not quite compelling enough yet. Definitely a good postcompo....?
j_stirk
17. Dec 2013 · 02:08 UTC
Challenging and pretty. Selecting units floating in space seemed a bit clunky, and I think it needs a bit more of an explanation to really grok how to play.
@Micle2000
17. Dec 2013 · 02:18 UTC
Very nice graphics / fun game!
van noctar
17. Dec 2013 · 03:41 UTC
It's a good multi agent system!! But i lose everytime
Zambini
17. Dec 2013 · 04:13 UTC
Nice use of minimalism.
It's a little unclear what's happening behind the scenes (why numbers go up or down) but overall a very smooth game. Nice use of swarming.
ambi
17. Dec 2013 · 05:23 UTC
Very interesting, minimal. Also very difficult to win, it seems. A solid strategy game.
Spelchan
17. Dec 2013 · 05:52 UTC
Interesting strategy game but I didn't care for the controls.
fued
17. Dec 2013 · 09:03 UTC
fun idea, i dont like the single planet thing tho
Daniel Debert
17. Dec 2013 · 10:03 UTC
I liked it very much. But it should be more polished.
finefin
17. Dec 2013 · 11:17 UTC
good galcon clone
Venks
17. Dec 2013 · 11:18 UTC
I really love RTS games. Always nice to see more of these around. This game plays a lot like Mushroom Wars which I'm not exactly the best at. My timing of unit positioning is pretty bad, but I love how easy it is to pick up and play.
ashen
17. Dec 2013 · 11:53 UTC
Nice strategic game. The flocking units where fun to watch move in large armies to attack planets. Very clean and clear graphic style.
raisedmedia
17. Dec 2013 · 12:15 UTC
These types of games are always fun to me, however I found this one confusing. Was hard to tell if I was selecting or directing.
MaTX
17. Dec 2013 · 12:22 UTC
Not an original concept, but still nicely executed.

I love the graphics. Good job.
SenorDiablo
17. Dec 2013 · 12:30 UTC
awesome, fun and inspiring
wdebowicz
17. Dec 2013 · 12:44 UTC
Simple and fun, I like it :-)
rnlf
17. Dec 2013 · 13:04 UTC
I don't fully understand the rules, I guess. I send my units to a new homeplanet, but either they just keep circling it and do nothing, or they crash into it and I lose.

It's a fun game and I like the clean, minimalist art style.
Before Light
17. Dec 2013 · 13:32 UTC
I liked how minimalistic it is.
Managore
17. Dec 2013 · 14:19 UTC
A nice minimalistic take on a classic game type.
howieV (binarygirl)
17. Dec 2013 · 14:32 UTC
i like the cleanness of it ..good job
alcorrius
17. Dec 2013 · 16:06 UTC
Nice game! I really like it, but can't win =\
bionicsheep
17. Dec 2013 · 16:33 UTC
interesting! :)
Nikteddy92
17. Dec 2013 · 17:30 UTC
I find it a little bit hard
oskardevelopment
17. Dec 2013 · 17:32 UTC
Really lovely esthetics for this kind of strategy game. I got stuck playing it for a while. Cheers and good luck! :)
omaha
17. Dec 2013 · 19:43 UTC
This could really benefit from a brief tutorial at the beginning that offers some guidance into game play mechanics
archaeometrician
17. Dec 2013 · 20:57 UTC
Nice game ! Cool gameplay, I like strategic game !
Kimau
17. Dec 2013 · 21:02 UTC
This looks and feels like a direct lift of PhilHassey's Galcon which he originally created for LD8 - Swarms.
http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/2007/11/26/galcon/
Coblynau
17. Dec 2013 · 21:03 UTC
Interesting concept!
_zulli
17. Dec 2013 · 22:55 UTC
Great concept! I loved playing it! Really addicting! :D
It's hard to find out how to play and how to win, but when you get it, the game gets better! Better instructions would be nice :)
Great job!!

If you have time rate my game too! :)) I would really appreciate it! :)
philhassey
17. Dec 2013 · 23:11 UTC
Nifty!
recursor
17. Dec 2013 · 23:17 UTC
Fun concept. It reminds me of Galcon though I don't really see a stong use of the theme in this one.
rincewind_cz
17. Dec 2013 · 23:21 UTC
Nice and simple :-) I had difficulties to understand how to play but after reading the manual I've got it (and when I clicked back on the tab I've just won, by doing nothing).
Raiyumi
17. Dec 2013 · 23:25 UTC
Pretty slick. Love the concept.
Toureiro
17. Dec 2013 · 23:30 UTC
Really liked the concept. I just wish it worked for me. Couldn't get more units.
DavidErosa
18. Dec 2013 · 00:04 UTC
Really clean game, I realized a match later that my home planet was the red one, not the blue. I kept wondering why the little b*stards didn't follow my orders... xD Thanks for the game!
Fervir
18. Dec 2013 · 00:26 UTC
This game is very interesting.
I feel like there's a lot of places you could go with this game.
ChronusZ
18. Dec 2013 · 00:51 UTC
The whole time I played this, I had no idea what I was doing, but I still loved it :D
GaTechGrad
18. Dec 2013 · 02:00 UTC
Really nice fly effects. Reminds me a lot of Eufloria.
MatrixBai
18. Dec 2013 · 08:32 UTC
Good job, like the clean graphic style.
phi6
18. Dec 2013 · 09:39 UTC
I love the concept, kind of like Galcon but building units is a nice twist on the idea. I found unclear why a planet I was surrounding wasn't turning pink though and I always end up dying. Possibly I'm just not very good at the game!
Diptoman
18. Dec 2013 · 10:34 UTC
Utterly confusing at first, took quite some time to get used to, but after that it was fun! Though I could not succeed. :/
Sylence
18. Dec 2013 · 12:37 UTC
Very nice game. I like the minimalistic look :)
Jhelle
18. Dec 2013 · 13:21 UTC
Technically impressive and nice colors :) but this very same concept has been done many times before. Still wellmade and enjoyable.
daredevildave
18. Dec 2013 · 13:55 UTC
I couldn't quite figure out the mechanics, why planets get big and small. So I just ran around trying to conquer the blue planet. I won at least once!.
aviktorov
18. Dec 2013 · 17:20 UTC
Simple yet fun. Controls are confusing but when you figure out how to play it right you can win easily. Great game!
ColdBrain
18. Dec 2013 · 17:52 UTC
Simple and beauty. I'm impressed!
Almax27
18. Dec 2013 · 18:07 UTC
Minimal, addictive, fun. Excellent work :D
Daniel X. Moore
18. Dec 2013 · 18:12 UTC
Seems like a really cool idea, but I had a hard time figuring out what caused my units to win or lose in combats with other swarms. I also had a hard time knowing which planets were better than others and what the number in the gray meant.
The Evil Cult
18. Dec 2013 · 18:39 UTC
Fun concept, quite similar to Galcon fusion. Feels to be lacking a little depth though, and luck can really mess you up. Still, good job :)
30dogs
18. Dec 2013 · 19:05 UTC
Plays a lot like Auralux, but with a much fast pace, which I like. Check out that game if you haven't.
FrozenCow
18. Dec 2013 · 22:46 UTC
Cool game. Reminded me of Galcon Fusion, but the tactics are very different. I liked the style a lot.
Mechatodzilla
18. Dec 2013 · 23:34 UTC
It's cool what you created here. It didn't always run smoothly but I think something really fun could come from it.
javifugitivo
19. Dec 2013 · 03:57 UTC
Very creative!
henrykun
19. Dec 2013 · 13:36 UTC
Minimal an very nice concept. I like the graphics a lot.
crockid5
19. Dec 2013 · 23:30 UTC
I don't see how it fits the theme.
CatOnMars
20. Dec 2013 · 10:47 UTC
Nice concept and addictive gameplay. Liked this one.
glovecat
20. Dec 2013 · 22:59 UTC
Really cool! I love the concept. RTS are not my favourite kind of game, but it keeps me playing, Good job!
MaxguN
20. Dec 2013 · 23:52 UTC
I like the idea for this game but i also keep loosing. I lose units way too quickly when fighting, dunno why. Selection is a bit difficult.
gre
24. Dec 2013 · 12:18 UTC
Very interesting game mecanism. The take on the theme was not obvious but it is a good minimal game.
zkenshin
25. Dec 2013 · 04:10 UTC
A bit hard, but fun. Nice entry. :)
Andreas Brandt
26. Dec 2013 · 19:01 UTC
super difficult, a lot of fun, gratz
Techblogogy
04. Jan 2014 · 18:42 UTC
Had a lot of fun playing it. At first was a bit confused, but in the end figured it out. Nice game.