Leaf Me Alone by Claw

[raw]
made by Claw for LD26 (JAM)
A 'minimalist' metroidvania (if there is such a thing). We tried to focus on the feel of the world and the ambience to make it seem like a nice place to wander around.

The game focuses on exploration, with some platforming and light puzzle elements.

Noteable influences:
Proteus, Fez, Melodisle, Zelda (Wind Waker) and Final Fantasy.

Code + art: Mark Foster (@ClawhammerMark)
Audio Effects and Music: David Fenn (@autotwitch)

This was the most fun I've had jamming, even though I was quite ill throughout. I always forget how awesome Ludum Dare is, looking forward to the next one already!

Mirror: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/49995129/games/LMA.swf

Ratings

Coolness 72% 3
Overall(Jam) 4.50 1
Audio(Jam) 4.55 1
Fun(Jam) 4.27 3
Graphics(Jam) 4.35 30
Humor(Jam) 3.14 79
Innovation(Jam) 3.38 138
Mood(Jam) 4.57 1
Theme(Jam) 3.51 191

Feedback

CNIAngel
30. Apr 2013 · 00:09 UTC
I love you
Split82
30. Apr 2013 · 00:11 UTC
Yes! Perfect in every single way.
AlanZucconi
30. Apr 2013 · 00:24 UTC
A short, lovely game.
I particularly enjoyed the music. It fits perfectly! :-)
And the character... well... it resemble the one from CHROMA. So this is another reason to love it! :-)
chrysiridia
30. Apr 2013 · 01:15 UTC
So cute! Also, please tell me the main character is a potato.
rainblade studios
30. Apr 2013 · 01:38 UTC
Very nice. Loved just jumping around, seeing the things. Great feel to it. I enjoyed watching the birds fly away.
Jan Marcano
30. Apr 2013 · 01:59 UTC
All my start are belong to you. 5/5. This game is so well done. I cannot praise you enough.

Your influences reflect in the game and I absolutely love them. You've got yourselves a new follower. I'm looking forward to more of your games
N427
30. Apr 2013 · 02:03 UTC
Incredible, just incredible! The atmosphere is wonderfully cheerful and the gameplay is great. 5/5
Colorvade
30. Apr 2013 · 02:26 UTC
This has some great atmosphere. First time I've given a 5 in mood.
Cory Martin
30. Apr 2013 · 02:54 UTC
Wind Waker and Fez are really good games to be inspired by. I really like it.
Andrio
30. Apr 2013 · 03:37 UTC
Claw, I am deeply and seriously in love with this.
Sakuyan
30. Apr 2013 · 03:50 UTC
I love this so much. But the Squirrel... what is it?! I must know!!!
danhett
30. Apr 2013 · 05:59 UTC
This warmed my blackened husk of a heart, outstanding work chaps.
MikePad
30. Apr 2013 · 09:58 UTC
Great work! I'm a fan of the mechanics and love the style of art. Big ups!
jijaweb
30. Apr 2013 · 10:33 UTC
It was like playing mini-Fez. I hope I made it to the end. Just made it to the final words...

GREAT WORK!
Wan & Almudys
30. Apr 2013 · 10:38 UTC
Great entry! This little gem will help waiting for the release of Chroma ;)
CrowbarSka
30. Apr 2013 · 11:09 UTC
Great little game. Nice use of spatial dynamics to create interesting obstacles.

I *think* I've completed it but the game hasn't explicitly told me that, so I'm leaving it running in the background in case there's more :)
FredericRP
30. Apr 2013 · 11:12 UTC
Very well done !
Jubjub.
30. Apr 2013 · 11:42 UTC
I just finished the game, and I have to say it's the best I've played so far. I loved everything about it, the gliding mechanic, the flowers and the mood were all top notch.
EdoMiyamoto
30. Apr 2013 · 14:41 UTC
This is the most Perfect entry i saw on other a hundred, mine included as well ! You guys rock!
Hyaku
30. Apr 2013 · 15:42 UTC
Just fisished. And i love it!
HackThePanda
30. Apr 2013 · 18:49 UTC
Absolutely marvelous, really nice job :D
3.14
30. Apr 2013 · 19:05 UTC
Great game! Reminds me of the original Knytt games.
Pixelulsar
30. Apr 2013 · 19:44 UTC
Nice game!
I liked the gliding mechanic and the atmosphere was great.
geepit
30. Apr 2013 · 20:41 UTC
Simply fantastic! Every aspect was amazing. Loved it
NightShadow0
30. Apr 2013 · 20:43 UTC
Beautiful game, loved it!
LeafMeAlone
01. May 2013 · 03:34 UTC
Was this game named after me? haha I use LeafMeAlone for almost everything I do! Game wasn't too shabby either :)
OddballDave
01. May 2013 · 09:45 UTC
Great work Mark. And great work on the audio Dave. This one has got the best music of the entries I've played so far.
plash
01. May 2013 · 20:47 UTC
Awesome stuff. Definitely feeling the FEZ in this.
Tifu
02. May 2013 · 10:56 UTC
Awesome. I really like the abilities the little guy finds, they're not the standard set of things you find in most metroidvanias, and it's all real adorable :3
DrGeraud
03. May 2013 · 01:21 UTC
Guys, I just fall in love with your game.
I can't believe there is so much great games created during this LD, just WOAW.
jackspinoza
03. May 2013 · 02:34 UTC
just incredible, one of the nicest games I've played. love love love. It sucked me in and gave me a cuddle. super. I'm going to share it with my little sisters and all my chums. Thanks for this game, so accomplished. 5/5 all over the place. great stuff.
evilseanbot
03. May 2013 · 10:30 UTC
I loved this game a lot.

My only caveat is that I thought the next goal is a little too unclear after you grab the first star, but other than that I thought the game was absolutely fantastic.
matthias_zarzecki
03. May 2013 · 22:01 UTC
Well, this is amazingly lovely. Nice work! :D
epaik
04. May 2013 · 01:24 UTC
so good
Ithildin
05. May 2013 · 18:55 UTC
This is one of the most polished games I've found so far. Graphics and music are beautiful, and so is gameplay (I'm still exploring after the first leave, though). Congratulations! =)
brxtr
06. May 2013 · 10:02 UTC
A very pleasant experience. The pixel art is cute and the audio is fitting and nice. Some of the platforming is a little tedious, although I really like the leaf and how it is used mechanically.
SuperlevelSebastian
06. May 2013 · 12:21 UTC
I don't want to type anything else, just: <33333
Andy West
09. May 2013 · 04:31 UTC
Absolutely amazing. I can't believe how good this is.
savethejets1
09. May 2013 · 05:28 UTC
Amazing... This _is_ the best Ludum Dare game I've ever played in all the ludum dares I've taken part in. Great work!
euwaku
09. May 2013 · 06:07 UTC
Maybe one of the best entries I could test so far. You could amply feel the Fez influence, but I still loved it. Congratulations :)
stevejohnson
09. May 2013 · 06:31 UTC
A few rough spots and finicky bits with the vertical air jets. But holy cow, what a fun experience!
naufr4g0
09. May 2013 · 07:26 UTC
Amazing game! :D
I love game mechanics and all sounds (music & sfx).
It reminds me a lot of Knytt series with its delightful atmosphere.
TurboDindon
09. May 2013 · 08:10 UTC
Beautiful and poetic game. It look like a minimalist-2D-FEZ.
Wonderful atmosphere and music.

- SEPHY (@sephyka)
galman
09. May 2013 · 09:10 UTC
Perfect game! I'll be really happy if this game will win :D Well done! Btw, there's an invisible block in the end..
numpad
09. May 2013 · 09:31 UTC
That is so great! The music and sounds were awesome and the floating mechanic. Wow!
Awesome work!
timtipgames
09. May 2013 · 09:36 UTC
Love it. Especially the music.
tcstyle
09. May 2013 · 11:31 UTC
Beautiful game, nice mechanics. The level design could be streamlined a bit. Didn't like the end.
Sestren
09. May 2013 · 12:45 UTC
The sound was superb and the gameplay was fun and engaging. Excellent job!
dector
09. May 2013 · 13:40 UTC
Very cute game!
danielcmessias
09. May 2013 · 15:11 UTC
Beautiful game! Love it!
MinionStudios
09. May 2013 · 15:33 UTC
Love this game, so well done!
stqn
09. May 2013 · 18:35 UTC
Nice game, but jerky scrolling and I abandonned after trying like 10 times to reach the squirrel on his throne (?). Doesn't seem very theme-ish.
goerp
09. May 2013 · 19:59 UTC
By now, I cannot add anything that hasn't been said above.
Just a magnificent game and the soundtrack, the best I've heard so far.
shawn42
10. May 2013 · 02:00 UTC
Beautifully done. I felt like the character had just a little too much momentum. It took me a while to compensate for it.

I wouldn't be surprised if this game wins in the overall category.
ethankennerly
10. May 2013 · 05:09 UTC
The light graphics and lilting ambient sounds and music enchanted me. If you continue to develop this, I felt some difficulty getting to the next platform from the first blowing flower.
wallmasterr
10. May 2013 · 09:54 UTC
awesome little game , couldnt figure out what to do after the 2nd ability thoug, i went back and collected some white cubes but then got lost. Nice animations and music, overall grate.
nilstastic
10. May 2013 · 10:58 UTC
Pros: Nice moody feeling, good music and good graphics (and animations)!
Cons: A bit low fps? (have a computer that should be able to handle it)
Jeremias
10. May 2013 · 17:45 UTC
One of the best games I played so far. Really. Playing this was just like meditation :D

Great sounds, great music, lovely graphics, small puzzles with the right difficulty. Just great.
ohsqueezy
11. May 2013 · 09:10 UTC
Super duper! From start to finish! Cute and vivacious!
BarrensZeppelin
12. May 2013 · 15:24 UTC
How do you get to the squirrel? :c
BarrensZeppelin
12. May 2013 · 20:59 UTC
Ah I figured it out with help from the dev. ^_^

Such an adorable game, I can't but love it. The graphics and sound creates a very cutesy aesthetic which just makes you wanna squeal. Simply baffling.

Excellent job! ~
Taro Omiya
13. May 2013 · 05:24 UTC
Definitely a Windwaker-like mini-Metroidvania. Had a lot of fun!
Fadobo
13. May 2013 · 07:52 UTC
Lovely Experience!
atraxgames
13. May 2013 · 10:44 UTC
Beautiful and perfect under every aspect.
Sylvain.p
14. May 2013 · 04:32 UTC
Well polished, and very long game for a LD.
michail
15. May 2013 · 17:10 UTC
Absolutely beautiful!
Ryusui
16. May 2013 · 04:52 UTC
Simply beautiful. I just wish there was a bit more resolution. Loved the Squirrel King, BTW. XD
martijn
18. May 2013 · 08:28 UTC
Definitaly a windwaker vibe. Pretty fun to play actually.
lorancou
18. May 2013 · 16:50 UTC
Cute but a bit too hard for me. I lose patience quickly with platformers, got stuck inside the tree with the blowing flowers... I wish the jumps were a bit easier. But congrats on the mood!
Alprog
19. May 2013 · 11:20 UTC
Best level design, that I seen on competition and organic tips about control. So beautiful, so cute, so indie way. Must play.
Hiku
19. May 2013 · 12:14 UTC
Love.
Roupette
19. May 2013 · 14:37 UTC
So cute ! I want to plane again !
Xanjos
19. May 2013 · 16:27 UTC
Really good atmosphere, excellent music, nice graphics plus an amazing world to explore. Some of the platforming elements were hard but the mechanics were done so well. An absolutely amazing game overall.
deathray
19. May 2013 · 19:10 UTC
Adorable! I got frustrated with the platforming while inside the tree, but I loved the atmosphere and the animation of the main character.
Dining Philosopher
19. May 2013 · 19:38 UTC
Awesome! :)
alts
20. May 2013 · 05:24 UTC
This is a really polished and beautiful game. Doesn't feel particularly on-theme, but well done anyway.
Rafael Sales
20. May 2013 · 22:39 UTC
Fantastic game! One of the best entries! Marvelous art, sound and mood. Congratulations!
SnoringFrog
20. May 2013 · 23:26 UTC
Adorable game, beautiful sounds. Got stuck looking for the third star, but that's because I had completely overlooked the existence of the area where it was located. Great work.
GeorgeBroussard
21. May 2013 · 00:15 UTC
Awesome game. I think I finished it? Got a message, exited the 3-gem room and the game reset? Pretty great job. Music is perfection. Can I contact you for music? :) Art great, and the game mechanics are solid. Only issue I had was getting enough momentum from the 3 jump pads in the squirrel room to get up top. Took me forever to find the magic momentum spot.
Evil Cult
21. May 2013 · 05:13 UTC
Lovely. Finished the game and also found the owl! I found it a bit too hard to find the third star/gem though. One thing I might want to see is the ability to press down to clip back through platforms. Great entry, and grats on the score!
xdegtyarev
21. May 2013 · 06:39 UTC
Awesome games, i'm happy it's first place!
Infin8
21. May 2013 · 09:06 UTC
Awesome! Seems Kinda hard though, all the jumps are always on the edge from the start.
Adipson
21. May 2013 · 13:59 UTC
congratulations !
Andrew Shouldice
21. May 2013 · 14:36 UTC
This is delightful! Well done and congratulations!
sharpnova
21. May 2013 · 19:44 UTC
Could have been a flawless game. But after I got the ability to drop chestnuts and make my own float flowers, I was completely lost. I searched the area for about half an hour. Finally I decided to backtrack and returned to the inside of the tree. I made my way up to the top of the tree and dropped down to the left side to see what was down there. There was a ledge at the bottom.

No way to suicide.

No way to restart the area.

No way to get back up.

Forced to end game and lose progress.

I'm not sure the logic on how one should rate a game that is otherwise pleasant but impossible to complete due to low intelligence on the part of the creator.

I'm going to give it a 5/10.
Beldarak
22. May 2013 · 02:22 UTC
Plain awesome. I'm glad you won ;)
Gravity Games
22. May 2013 · 04:46 UTC
...wow. I'm absolutely astonished. HOW THE HECK DID YOU MAKE A GAME SO GOOD IN 48 HOURS? I MUST KNOW!

...but seriously, I'm really glad you won, you definitely deserved it. I really loved the Fez atmosphere I got from it, heck, this game pretty much already feels professional, you should make a post-mortem and put it on Steam or something!
Wan &amp; Almudys
22. May 2013 · 10:44 UTC
Congrats on winning despite your low intelligence ;)
mes
22. May 2013 · 12:46 UTC
that ending... lmao
mpalenque
23. May 2013 · 06:52 UTC
hey!!
,mirror!
the dropbox is not working, too much traffic! too popular for dropbox!
🎤 Claw
23. May 2013 · 07:33 UTC
Re-uploaded it, you can play here: http://iamclaw.com/?page_id=250
ShawnFeatherly
25. May 2013 · 23:20 UTC
Two spoilers/walkthrough tips for those stuck:
1. The objective of the game has to do with the door that you start the game next to.
2. The spinning flowers give you momentum if you continue floating by more than one.
Coil_Whine
09. Nov 2013 · 05:48 UTC
It's... beautiful.