Lucid Journey by Purplescape
Journey to solve a series of visions. Use the mouse to play.
This game is abstract. There is a way to complete all 18 levels, but you will have to experiment to figure out how. The level titles are hints.
Post-Compo Version - Please just rate the original version
Adds extra hints, increases player and object speeds, switches the first level with an easier one, and some graphic changes. Try it out if you'd like, it is more user friendly.
Now updated with easier object movement, a hint button, and some more graphic changes.
Created by Purplescape
Music by dactylopus
This game is abstract. There is a way to complete all 18 levels, but you will have to experiment to figure out how. The level titles are hints.
Post-Compo Version - Please just rate the original version
Adds extra hints, increases player and object speeds, switches the first level with an easier one, and some graphic changes. Try it out if you'd like, it is more user friendly.
Now updated with easier object movement, a hint button, and some more graphic changes.
Created by Purplescape
Music by dactylopus
Ratings
| Coolness | 100% | 1 |
| Overall(Jam) | 2.96 | 361 |
| Audio(Jam) | 2.94 | 258 |
| Fun(Jam) | 2.50 | 452 |
| Graphics(Jam) | 3.13 | 325 |
| Humor(Jam) | 1.79 | 438 |
| Innovation(Jam) | 3.31 | 149 |
| Mood(Jam) | 3.35 | 138 |
| Theme(Jam) | 3.13 | 270 |
lordjosephdeburg you need to move the rock to the right on the other side of the pond. The idea is that it blocks the wind from making the water ripples.
Here's where I think the game took a bit of an odd route for how you labeled it. It essentially boils down to similar issues some point and click games tend to have, and that issue is completely relying on player trial and error to solve the puzzles the game presents. Now the game is supposed to be abstract, but I think in reality it's pretty far from that. The gameplay isn't very abstract at all, it has very concrete ways of solving the puzzles and there's no other way to go about it. Dressing up the game with surreal art doesn't make the game itself abstract.
Now, all that picky word selection stuff aside, the game just isn't ultimately very rewarding as an experience. There's either a very obvious solution or there isn't. And when there isn't an obvious solution it quickly becomes a frustrating affair figuring out what to do.
As a plus though the art and music weren't bad and provided the nice sort of surreal/ambient thing I think you were going for. My main suggestion is trying to get the way you play the game similar to the way you experience the other parts of the experience. Best of luck to you in your future projects!
hogjed, I certainly see what you mean about it not hitting the marks properly. It was supposed to be like dreams that require some interpretation, or a recurring dream that you do differently each time and finally "solve". The titles were hints but ultimately too vague to help as much as I thought.
I understand that the gameplay isn't abstract in that there is a definite solution to the puzzle. It was supposed to be abstract in that you have to think about what you are seeing in a somewhat abstract way to solve the puzzle. For example, you see closed flowers and a moon, and the level is titled "Bloom". You might first think to click on the flowers to make them bloom or try moving the moon to touch the flowers, but you in fact have to raise the moon because the flowers bloom at the moon's rise. In the post-compo version that level's title has been changed to "Moonrise" with the added hint below of "Shine light on the flowers." I wonder if this makes it easier to play but takes away some of the abstract thinking and interpretation you had to do before.
Thank you all for taking the time to provide feedback as it helps me to understand what the game feels like from an outside perspective.
I like the way the game was made
plus, have a mysterious atmosphere
(sorry my bad english)
I played through the post-compo version, and got as far as the pulse level (which never responded in the way I expected, in either version) on the compo version.
I think your use of a series of very simple puzzles / games is PERFECT for Ludum Dare! Although, I do agree with what Morusque said about the controls.
For instance, I have to attempt the eclipse level a few times but it doesn't feel like it was my fault for not getting it the first couple of times, so as a player, I feel like I'm being punished unfairly.
I appreciate the changes you made post-compo and I'm VERY impressed with what you finished during the jam!
Overall - AWESOME!
I've updated the post-compo version to include easier object movement and a hint button.
Jedi, thank you for your detailed feedback. I added a glow to the pillars so that the color isn't as important now. I think you're right about the hints being too obvious sometimes, so I moved the hints to a hint button that you can press if you're wondering what to do. With the updated controls, you should now be able to simply drag the moon to the sun in the eclipse level.
only trouble is finding the borders of active zones. other then that one of the most polished game experiences I've seen in this jam.