LudumData

Fishbowl by auto_suggestion

[raw]
made by auto_suggestion for LD28 (COMPO)
This is a game about making (sometimes permanent) choices. Many games that I have played involve making a choice to stay in the confines of what you can see, or to venture into the unknown. From my personal experience, many modern games do not allow you to venture far from a linear path. In this game, I've (hopefully) emphasized on this choice.

If you have any comments or find any bugs, tweet at me @ayyang9.

SIDE NOTES
- I programmed this thing from scratch using LibGDX, a Java library. I used some code structures from what I've learned using LibGDX in the past, but all the code came straight from my head.
- I did assets with Adobe Photoshop CS6.
- I didn't have time to add sounds, music, or any substantial fluff. It's more barebones than I would have liked.
- There's not enough level design, I know! I spent the majority of my dev time on the engine and art.
- Sorry I didn't have time to package anything but an executable jar. You'll need the latest version of Java installed. You can run the same jar across Mac/PC/Linux though.

PS first completed Ludum Dare, managed to make it to the compo! Back to studying for finals :\

EDIT: Post mortem write-up on my blog! Check it out: http://ayyang.com/blog/2013/ludum-dare-28-post-mortem/
Windows https://www.dropbox.com/s/3tdot63wly3b0dt/yog1key-0.1.jar
OS/X https://www.dropbox.com/s/3tdot63wly3b0dt/yog1key-0.1.jar
Linux https://www.dropbox.com/s/3tdot63wly3b0dt/yog1key-0.1.jar
Source https://www.dropbox.com/sh/a837nmxjczvpbqj/_lvOp3cuNA
Original URL https://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-28/?action=preview&uid=24942

Ratings

Coolness 64% 3
Overall 3.08 436
Fun 2.89 471
Graphics 3.73 154
Humor 2.68 323
Innovation 2.84 548
Mood 3.21 220
Theme 3.22 306

Feedback

MatrixBai
16. Dec 2013 · 05:39 UTC
Nice game. I stuck after get the fish bowl.
RhysD
16. Dec 2013 · 05:41 UTC
Cool concept of having to choose between the exit or a shiny coin! You could definitely expand on the idea by introducing some other difficult choices into the mix. Good job :)

Art was also quite pleasing!
laaph
16. Dec 2013 · 05:59 UTC
Took me a while to figure out that "E" also means, "go through the door".
Tyro
16. Dec 2013 · 06:03 UTC
Pretty art. Also, "Fishbowl engage!"
cdgugler
16. Dec 2013 · 06:03 UTC
I really liked the concept, and congrats on your first Ludum Dare. It was mine too :)
y2bd
16. Dec 2013 · 06:08 UTC
I'm stylin' in my fishbowl hat, ya dig?
dalbinblue
16. Dec 2013 · 06:09 UTC
I'm a little conflicted here. I'm not sure if you were making a satirical jab at linear games and the fallacy of choice, or a legitimate game that forces you to make permanent permanent decisions. The stem of the confusion is that it is possible to get all the coins and get to all the rooms (unless there is something hidden I missed). I would have thought there would have been some sort of trade-off where it would not be possible to get everything.

Toning the metaphor analysis down though you have a solid game engine and a nice art style so props for your first LD entry.
Hyde Wyvern
16. Dec 2013 · 06:11 UTC
Interesting!with some sound it would have been perfect
0x0961h
16. Dec 2013 · 07:02 UTC
At first I was like "Okay, I suffocated :c", but then I was like "fishbowl engage!" :D

Great work, pretty graphics and absolutely YOGO-gameplay. :)
onemoar
16. Dec 2013 · 07:48 UTC
Got three coins, neat!
McDonaldsWizard
18. Dec 2013 · 00:31 UTC
The art feels really consistent. and I definitely like the fishbowl feature. I wish it did something more than just be a hat though. Plus you can spam E to go through open doors if they are already unlocked
🎤 auto_suggestion
18. Dec 2013 · 01:31 UTC
@McDonaldsWizard Oh, it's more than just a hat ;)
Radnen
18. Dec 2013 · 01:57 UTC
A short fun and sweet game. Loved it. :)
rnlf
18. Dec 2013 · 19:05 UTC
Yay, I got all 3 coins :-)

I might have needed a reset key a few times, had to restart the whole game every time. But sweet art and nice concept!
viinnyk
19. Dec 2013 · 06:39 UTC
I loved how it looked and felt to play, but I'm not sure what my objective was or if I could win. Still, the use of theme was superb and I liked the message/moral I picked up
lubos
19. Dec 2013 · 18:41 UTC
Very enjoyable. Actually had fun playing this. Congrats on your first LD:)
WhoaConstrictor
19. Dec 2013 · 19:15 UTC
Neat concept. I was able to acquire two of the three coins. Art is stylized and clean. Good work!
Dry Tree
20. Dec 2013 · 21:48 UTC
Really great work - especially for a first Ludum Dare! Having to tap E again to go through an open door was odd, it took me a while to figure that out. It says "you only get one key" ... except for that time when I was carrying three ;) Lovely graphics and great use of colour.
Blue Glaucus
21. Dec 2013 · 00:26 UTC
It's simple, but enjoyable for what it is.
dkilford
21. Dec 2013 · 11:59 UTC
Good first entry, your first is always the most difficult. In terms of feedback what you had was good, you just needed a more content.

Being able to do more basically just comes with practice, but starting with a premade engine does definitely help a lot more. I hope you keep on practicing and entering!
jonask
21. Dec 2013 · 14:34 UTC
Fun and too short
Maple
21. Dec 2013 · 15:05 UTC
I really liked the clean pixels, and also the space room. I managed to get all 3 coins on my second try (I would've liked a retry key instead of exiting the game). This game is motivating me to go back and try making another (strictly) top-down game (probably exploration)! Though small, I loved the sense of exploration I got from this. I can imagine a full-scale game that requires you to make much big final decisions like in this game. Also, congratulations on your first LD entry! I hope to see more games from you here at LD in the future!
Alex Higgins
21. Dec 2013 · 20:11 UTC
I really like what you're trying to do, in terms of the permanence of choice and nonlinearity, but at the end of the day, it feels like a puzzle game with only one desirable objective (get all the coins) and one solution. Either to stick to the correct linear path, or you fall off and have to restart. Nonlinearity and permanence are much more meaningful when there is no clearly optimal choice.
Fishbowl hat is super cute though.
Giovanni Cappellotto
23. Dec 2013 · 00:06 UTC
Really nice concept! I also made something about choice, check out Loop Desert entry!
iiechapman
28. Dec 2013 · 01:08 UTC
Pixel graphics are great. The movement is good too. I liked that the first time a played I used the key on to get the coin and not the door to get out! haha, great job!
mcapraro
29. Dec 2013 · 15:52 UTC
really nice looking entry, great job and congrats on your first LD! i like the concept a lot of having to make these really obvious decisions - what to use the key on? i can see it getting more complex as the game goes and really becoming challenging.
Cake&Code
02. Jan 2014 · 09:14 UTC
Interesting game! I lost on the first playthrough since I neglected door and went straight for the money (wonder what that says about me :P) but after that I picked up on the pacing of the game where I explored everything before I engaged on the cages. It was brief, but I think you did a great job for your first LD! :) (You should totally do a post-mortem for GameCraft ;D)
bvanschooten
05. Jan 2014 · 10:09 UTC
Graphics look good. This is a very promising start for a bigger game. I didn't find it exactly non-linear though, rather it seemed to me like those old-fashioned games where you get stuck when you make one bad choice.