LudumData

Barnacles by UltimateWalrus

[raw]
made by UltimateWalrus for LD24 (COMPO)
In "Barnacles" you are a predator fish. You must eat 20 "barnacles" each round. The game uses a genetic algorithm after each round to repopulate the play area. Depending on how you play, the barnacles will adapt and evolve in different ways to try and prevent you from eating them. There's also a sandbox mode where you can try and breed the barnacles to your liking!

Made in Multimedia Fusion 2 for Windows. I've removed the Flash version because unfortunately it's very slow.

Windows http://ultimatewalrus.com/games/barnacles/barnacles.exe
Source http://ultimatewalrus.com/games/barnacles/barnacles_source.mfa
Original URL https://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-24/?action=preview&uid=175

Feedback

pbdiode
28. Aug 2012 路 15:31 UTC
It did get slow pretty quick with the flash version, couldn't do much by the 3rd round.

Seemed like the barnacles got to evolve, but I couldn't! no way for me to eat the ones that puffed up.

Overall, great effort for what I was able to play!
90sml
29. Aug 2012 路 09:59 UTC
The idea is pretty fun, and the gameplay is nice. But the enemis spawned most of the time behind the text so it was kind of messy after a few levels.
I didn't find a quit menu for the windows version, that's a little bit annoying because i had to "Aft+F4" the game.
馃帳 UltimateWalrus
01. Sep 2012 路 20:17 UTC
Thanks for the comments guys. The idea behind the game is that the genetic algorithm adapts to your play style. If lots of them were puffing up, it may have been because you have difficulty eating those ones. If enemies were spawning behind the text it may have been because you had trouble getting them there.
If you want to get further, try intentionally eating the more powerful creatures (so they can't reproduce), rather than just taking the easy pickings.
frosty
11. Sep 2012 路 06:16 UTC
Really like the overall style!
RawBits
11. Sep 2012 路 21:21 UTC
This idea is nicely implemented. I like it. Only the fish needs the abbility to eat from right to left too. Maybe there are too much mutations going in one evolution.