LudumData

Save the potato! by loxo

[raw]
made by loxo for LD26 (COMPO)
This is my first ludum dare. Actually, I didn't want to participate this time, but the theme seemed simple :) I tried several ideas, but none was much fun to play. So this is the best I could come up in the last few hours, a simple idea and I'm sure not very original. If I had started this earlier, then I would have tried to add sound effects, music, better graphics and especially a better level generator with branching and dead ends.

The game is controlled by one key only, to keep it minimalistic. The SPACE BAR is used to switch the direction of the flying space potato

Web https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/kssmx767wivox0o/index.html
Source https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/kssmx767wivox0o/index.html
Original URL https://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-26/?action=preview&uid=23206

Ratings

Coolness 100% 1
Overall 2.84 905
Audio 1.52 1036
Fun 3.09 458
Graphics 2.34 1066
Humor 2.67 294
Innovation 2.68 884
Mood 2.43 984
Theme 3.72 381

Feedback

RealyUniqueName
29. Apr 2013 · 06:30 UTC
And still it's fun and challenging :)
Really enjoy the control scheme. Potato art is awesom
Zaszx
29. Apr 2013 · 06:31 UTC
Welcome to ludum dare! Nice one for a first ludum dare entry. Some basic sound effects could be nice.
Christopher Schulte
29. Apr 2013 · 06:31 UTC
I liked having no sound, fits the theme and setting (in space). I found the 3 second countdown at the start of each retry to break the flow really horribly. I would just start the retry maybe .2 seconds after death.
gilmore606
29. Apr 2013 · 06:31 UTC
Despite your sad story this is a pretty cool minimal game idea. It would benefit a lot from starting easy and ramping up.
Uhfgood
29. Apr 2013 · 06:32 UTC
Interesting. One of those infinite runner types (like Canabalt). You should continue to improve it.
Jaus_LXXIV
29. Apr 2013 · 06:32 UTC
Not bad, reminds me of a game I used to have on the TI-89. Drifter, I think it was called. Fits the theme and shows you can make a game with only one input :). Felt a little unresponsive though, it seemed like you switch direction when the spacebar comes back up. Might feel a bit better if it happened when you push it down.
shaircast
29. Apr 2013 · 06:32 UTC
Wow, there's so many potatoes in LD :)
Uhfgood
29. Apr 2013 · 06:33 UTC
3 humor stars for saying it was a flying space potato ;-)
Crefossus
29. Apr 2013 · 06:33 UTC
The controls could be more responsive or you need more control over the character. It's a little frustrating. Great minimalism though!
raincole
29. Apr 2013 · 06:37 UTC
Perhaps you can put a 'restart' button so that we don't need to break our F5? :)
Ludipe
29. Apr 2013 · 07:17 UTC
Nice game, very hard, my record is only 12 seconds. Damm you potato!
acronaut
29. Apr 2013 · 07:26 UTC
OMG this potato is tricky to control lol..
pretty challenging 'endless-scroller'.
good idea on minimal controls: just spacebar
jhrrsn
29. Apr 2013 · 09:18 UTC
Nice, simple, challenging game. Good job buddy!
omaromeir
29. Apr 2013 · 12:57 UTC
Cool idea, but it can be frustrating it should start easy though :p.
tcstyle
29. Apr 2013 · 17:53 UTC
Waah!?
Guess I killed my spacebar. Nice minimalistic reaction game. I liked it. Too difficult for me.
Jeremias
29. Apr 2013 · 20:00 UTC
Nice attempt and welcome to Ludum Dare! It's far too difficult and the cooldown is too long. Don't forget to upload the source code! :)
TheSheep
29. Apr 2013 · 20:19 UTC
A surprisingly fun game. Good job!
Yukon Wainczak
29. Apr 2013 · 23:18 UTC
Challenging, although I feel that the potato could take sharper turns.
Bloated Hippo
30. Apr 2013 · 06:47 UTC
I would like to see the potato change directions quicker, I noticed the spacebar delay thing. Also raincole, you can press space to restart.

And I don't like the countdown after restarting. Otherwise, great use of double theme! :)
goerp
30. Apr 2013 · 09:53 UTC
For a few hours and a first try very good. I actually like the graphics.
Minimal game control with just the space, so fits the theme.
You suggestion of different routes and dead ends could be good.
'Save the potato' will probably be seen more (I know my game is about that).
Linus Lindberg
30. Apr 2013 · 12:05 UTC
Wow, The one button control made what could have been an incredibly boring concept really fun and engaging.. I'm hooked! Would have been better with music though!
PPLo
30. Apr 2013 · 19:32 UTC
Can't beat 20 secondes! Good game, simple but efficient.
Rabbits...
30. Apr 2013 · 23:37 UTC
I liked the noize background and minimalistic controls.
Ragzouken
01. May 2013 · 12:55 UTC
Tough game!
whilefun
01. May 2013 · 13:01 UTC
Pretty neat idea, and very challenging! I can do about as well in this game as super hexagon...haha...only about 13.9 seconds! Some audio would have added a lot to this entry. Good job :)
xandy
01. May 2013 · 14:19 UTC
cool first game :) it works fine in firefox but in chrome "26.0.1410.64 m" you can't see the game when it's running :(
GetFun
01. May 2013 · 21:14 UTC
18:55 :-(
michail
01. May 2013 · 21:51 UTC
Very addictive! I managed to stay alive over 30 seconds, but it wasn't easy :)
StMatn
01. May 2013 · 22:20 UTC
I liked playing your game! It reminds me of the good old "fly the copter". With a procedurally generated level and sone sfx your entry could even be as much fun as this classical coffebreak-timewaster. Nice work!
tankete
02. May 2013 · 19:25 UTC
Fun! I wish the downtime between game over, countdown, and go was faster. With weak times like mine i was waiting more than playing. 16.57
foul
02. May 2013 · 19:45 UTC
This game is perfect ! (except the 'a bit' lagging space)
I thought I used the space key in a minimalistic way in my game.. but your implementation beat my illusions :D
my score is only 24.28 by the way :p
Jellycakes
02. May 2013 · 20:30 UTC
Nice! I like the procedural level and the simple mechanics. Frustrating but still keeps you playing. Good job!
rujo
03. May 2013 · 08:14 UTC
the idea is nice and the visual very minimalist, but i think it needed a little more time for improvements.
still a nice entry!
also potato
amodo
05. May 2013 · 11:14 UTC
I like this very much. As simple as it is, I had to give it a few tries, probably *because* of the simplicity. Good jerb.
SmilingCat
06. May 2013 · 02:27 UTC
Interesting, congrats on your first LD entry. Good job!
Maple
06. May 2013 · 13:03 UTC
I got ~95 seconds after a couple of tries. You said you didn't think this was too original but I actually think the opposite. I haven't seen a game that works like this! Maybe I just live under a rock or something, but yeah, I actually thought it was pretty innovative. A good first entry.
Cyboot
06. May 2013 · 19:36 UTC
Nice and and fun to play. And fitting to the theme

My Highscore was ca. 23 sec
lorancou
07. May 2013 · 12:06 UTC
10.29

You should add a high score …

Fun and challenging by the way
YSelf Tool
07. May 2013 · 14:58 UTC
Hard... Yey!
HTML5... Yey!
Random maps and sounds would be nice.
HuvaaKoodia
07. May 2013 · 18:51 UTC
When it comes to fun this is my favorite so far.
Because of the fixed level layout it became extremely addicting trying to get into the zone by memorizing the past and reacting to the new.

A few alternative ideas concerning the mechanic popped into mind while playing (just don't change the game, ok):

-The potato could bounce from vertical walls, and only smash into horizontal ones.

-Rather than flying in the middle the potato could travel on the side of the passage and pressing space would just reverse gravity.
simvig
08. May 2013 · 19:32 UTC
I really like the control scheme. Totally minimalistic and totally works.
Rafael Sales
08. May 2013 · 20:54 UTC
Cool idea. I liked the minimalist controls and hard level design. Good job. Keep making games!
lightnarcissus
10. May 2013 · 04:06 UTC
Pretty decent,fellow first-timer! :)
I think you did a good job sticking to the theme and I think the lack of sound added to that fact.
yellowlemming
10. May 2013 · 20:36 UTC
very nice fun and challenging game, music would make it better and the potato felt a little unresponsive as in it was slightly slow to react
KEFIR
20. May 2013 · 11:45 UTC
It was really fun. A bit too hardcore imo.. My reocrd is 16 :)
ArtWithoutPrediction
28. May 2013 · 15:54 UTC
I need to get back and play this sometime.