LudumData

The Good Ship Higgs Boson by Jezzamon

[raw]
made by Jezzamon for LD23 (COMPO)
One Man. One Space Ship. One Higgs Boson particle generator.

Manipulate gravity to explore the limits of your world!

Controls:
ArrowKeys - Move
WASD keys - Change gravity
R - Reset Level


The concept behind the game is that you are in a space ship in the far-distant reaches of space, thousands of light years away from any planet. Compared to the 'massive' amount of space around you, your spaceship is indeed tiny! The ship is named after it's most advanced technology: A Higgs boson generator!


The 15 minute later one fixes a little bug at the end, and has a proper ending. Still... rate based on my 48 hour version, please. :D

Web (flash) http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2963538/HiggsBoson.swf
Web (DeviantArt) http://jezzamon.deviantart.com/#/d4xd0v9
Web (15 minute late version) http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2963538/HiggsBoson1.1.swf
Source http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2963538/LUDUMDARE.4.zip
Original URL https://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-23/?action=preview&uid=10217

Ratings

Coolness 100% 1
Overall 3.81 54
Audio 3.33 109
Fun 3.91 20
Graphics 3.15 301
Humor 3.21 95
Innovation 3.78 80
Mood 3.26 137
Theme 2.50 678

Feedback

Raptor85
24. Apr 2012 · 06:01 UTC
first off...
This game is AWESOME, the controls are fluid, the gameplay solid, and the shifting gravity is a neat effect. You should make a extended version of this, it would make a really good full length game.
only issue though..other than saying it's the "higgs boson" doing this i couldn't really connect it with the theme at all.
MrEvilGuy
24. Apr 2012 · 06:19 UTC
Wow. Those were a few top notch puzzles. You did an excellent job implementing the gravity shifts. If it was longer, I would have kept playing. Nonetheless, the ending was funny in a subtle way.
orgarus
24. Apr 2012 · 22:02 UTC
Awesome game and design! You take the most of 48 hours!!
I really like it!
Another one on my "play later" list!!
ratboy2713
24. Apr 2012 · 22:14 UTC
Loved it! Little disorienting at first, but once I got used to it it was awesome.

I wish there was a proper ending, I just went to an unwinnable level that says "this is the title screen." Was that intended?
Foxtacy
24. Apr 2012 · 23:59 UTC
<3 i love this!
🎤 Jezzamon
25. Apr 2012 · 02:03 UTC
mmn, the ending is a little annoying. I didn't intend to have it loop back to the title screen. I'll upload the version I made with a proper ending, which was 15 minutes late.
TyrusPeace
25. Apr 2012 · 06:10 UTC
Really cool and well done gameplay mechanic! I only wish there were more of it. The puzzles you did have had a very good balance of requiring experimentation without being annoying/repetitive, though.

Very nice work!
TenTonToon
25. Apr 2012 · 07:25 UTC
A very nice spin on the gravity-control "genre". There are some clever puzzles that take a little time to figure out, the graphics are cute and the controls superbly tight.
Congratulations!
Darkfrost
25. Apr 2012 · 10:54 UTC
Awesome little game! Simple gameplay, but gets really complex quickly, movement is fluid, feels nice, and is fun! Awesome little puzzle game, good job!
ziomorti
25. Apr 2012 · 10:58 UTC
Another cool gravity platform :D
Nice level design but I found the game a bit too easy.
Still, the game is awesome! Great job!
william_edwards
25. Apr 2012 · 11:01 UTC
LOVED IT!

Very playable and even replayable.

I could easily imagine this being an iphone game where you use phone tilt to change gravity.
Oreganik
25. Apr 2012 · 15:53 UTC
Fantastic puzzle design and controls. I can't believe this is a 48 hour game!
nilstastic
25. Apr 2012 · 19:07 UTC
As you probably already know this game is great! Liked the puzzles a lot, and the graphics and audio made it all come together very nicely. Good job!
triplefox
25. Apr 2012 · 23:31 UTC
Nicely done. Something to shoot for if you do a follow-up or a similar game: More polished graphics. Make an autotiler or something, or use full-screen pixel backgrounds. Bigger, more animated sprites, particles. etc.
Shadow
25. Apr 2012 · 23:55 UTC
Amazing game! a few glitches with the dialogs but overall a solid entry. Congratulations dude.
sharbelfs
26. Apr 2012 · 02:44 UTC
Great game, loved it!!
Jigxor
26. Apr 2012 · 02:51 UTC
Really awesome game! The mechanic was very unique and a lot of fun to play with. I found myself turning my head once or twice! The music was very good and the graphics were nice too.

I really enjoyed this game a lot. Great job! :)
quixotic-project
26. Apr 2012 · 10:49 UTC
Cool gameplay and overall very nice composition of music, gameplay and graphics. The controls feel very good and was a lot of fun to play!

Do you know VVVVVV by Terry Cavanagh? It reminds me a bit of it.
SidetrackGames
26. Apr 2012 · 21:53 UTC
Nice and fluid controls, as well as solid puzzles. I like how its really bending conventional control/input methods :)
Casino Jack
26. Apr 2012 · 23:28 UTC
Fantastic entry - I had to play it through twice just to see the original and new ending. Please make it into a full game!
Rabbits...
27. Apr 2012 · 01:00 UTC
great gravity game...(Alliteration!)...seriously...good job
Fireblend
27. Apr 2012 · 03:33 UTC
Awesome entry! Great mood with the dialogue, controls are fantastic and the gravity-modifying mechanic is impressive. Thanks for making this!
schizofunky
27. Apr 2012 · 12:28 UTC
Great game mechanics :D
caranha
27. Apr 2012 · 13:18 UTC
Although quite simple, this entry has a lot of polish. I like the details on the sprite, like the eyes going up and down during the jump. The level design is also quite clever -- I wanted a few more levels where you influenced the blocks with the gravity.

Thanks for the cool game!
Chaoseed
27. Apr 2012 · 19:37 UTC
Pretty fun. Needs more levels. ;)

What I liked most, however, was the music. Awesome NES-like feel, reminded me of Metroid. Great stuff!
mimshwright
28. Apr 2012 · 01:47 UTC
Nice work! Great level design.
scgrn
28. Apr 2012 · 05:53 UTC
Absolutely great! Tight controls, just the right amount of polish, and my brain likes what this game did to it.
nornagon
29. Apr 2012 · 01:34 UTC
Awesome :) It was kind of hard to tell which levels you could change gravity left/right on. Neat puzzle concept though!
SusanTheCat
29. Apr 2012 · 02:44 UTC
This game is SOOOOO awesome! And I hate jumping games! The story was cute and fun. The music was perfect. The puzzles just the right level for me.
Oye Beto
29. Apr 2012 · 09:13 UTC
- You managed to make a good number of levels.
- I liked the music because it has a space vibe on it.
- I enjoyed playing the whole game.
Muu? (lanoiadimuu)
29. Apr 2012 · 16:31 UTC
It reminded me of VVVVVV, with the ablity to move gravity in four different directions and the puzzlies. Awesome background music too!
Rectifier
30. Apr 2012 · 17:05 UTC
A nicely executed puzzle-platformer.

My biggest gripe in these kinds of games is where the turn the puzzle level to "super-frustrating", because I'm not very good at those. Thankfully, this didn't have any of that!
jimmypaulin
30. Apr 2012 · 19:26 UTC
One of the best puzzle entries I've yet come across - excellent controls, how on earth you got all those puzzles in 48h I have no idea, really good job! The text messages add so much to the context and feel. Great stuff
mooosh
01. May 2012 · 02:38 UTC
really good work! the gameplay is tight, and the way you introduced the core mechanic is absolutely perfect. the puzzle designs are excellent as well. I can tell this isn't your first puzzle platform game (at least I hope it isn't ;~;)
gritfish
01. May 2012 · 11:55 UTC
God - that ending glitch left me with the biggest "Wait.. What? Did I miss something? Is this a new game+ thing?" reaction...

That said, it's a great VVVVVV-inspired puzzler. I pretty much speed-ran it through a second time JUST to see the real ending.

Others have commented on the lack of connection to the theme. I think you could have pulled it off if you'd just showed the exterior of the ship (or your position in it) at the start, and during some levels.
deejorg
01. May 2012 · 12:52 UTC
Really nice game.
I enjoyed the level design.
JonathanG
01. May 2012 · 21:10 UTC
This is good! I really like the gravity changing mechanic, although for some of the rooms it felt like I was solving puzzles by fluke rather than thinking it through properly. Otherwise it controls nicely, has simple but effective graphics and sound. Shame the ending is a bit of an anticlimax, and comes so soon.
envy3d
05. May 2012 · 08:26 UTC
Great art! The movement and gravity felt really well done. I liked that the keys always worked from the player's perspective and not the characters.
RobProductions
05. May 2012 · 13:56 UTC
Nice! I loved the puzzles but the ending didn't really seem to fit. Looks like the entire puzzle you implying it was a robot like from Portal, and it turned out to be just another random dude messing with you. I think you should've fought the thing making the voice at the end.

But otherwise great job!
bompo
07. May 2012 · 19:25 UTC
Nice puzzle mechanic. Needs more levels!
matt
07. May 2012 · 19:41 UTC
Short and sweet. Great job.
KevinWorkman
08. May 2012 · 00:21 UTC
This is really well done. It's pretty perfect, and with more levels and variety this could be a really addicting full game. Great job.
recursor
08. May 2012 · 00:23 UTC
This is quite the polished game and the puzzles are well done also. Nice!
Keirua
08. May 2012 · 11:41 UTC
Awesome. The gameplay reminds me a lot of VVVVVV. It's more difficult (4 directions), but opens the way for many things : more puzzle, finish the level with the smallest amount of movements/time, and so on. Please keep improving it !
Too bad the game is so short !
castor
08. May 2012 · 19:06 UTC
Well done on a great game. I enjoyed it to the end.
tcstyle
08. May 2012 · 19:24 UTC
Great idea! The game mechanics are great. This makes an awesome puzzle game. I liked the retro tune. The graphics could be a little more compelling.
naufr4g0
08. May 2012 · 21:01 UTC
Nice game here!
Levels are well designed and some puzzles required a bit to figure out how to pass. :)
angelk
09. May 2012 · 01:20 UTC
well designed levels, nice controls, the levels are really frustrating :)
azurenimbus
10. May 2012 · 00:33 UTC
Fucking awesome game. At first I thought "AGAIN with the gravity mechanics?!" We've seen so many of these in recent years, yet your take on it is very refreshing and nicely crafted. I haven't played it to the end, but saved it for after the voting period.
Evil Sandwich Studios
10. May 2012 · 09:08 UTC
I loved VVVVV and your game reminded me of it a lot. The level design is was very good, for a 48h game they weren't all trivial and very good.
I really laughed a lot with the final level, after you beat the game.
Pacifist Games
11. May 2012 · 11:05 UTC
Nice game mechanic, nice music, funny dialogue. A very well rounded entry!
MinerCraftGuy
12. May 2012 · 01:25 UTC
Solid gameplay, good choice of music/effects
orangepascal
13. May 2012 · 07:29 UTC
loved it!
onehandclap
13. May 2012 · 08:39 UTC
This is as devious as it's fun. What a great job you did! =)
🎤 Jezzamon
12. Jun 2012 · 07:44 UTC
Oh yeah, actually I hadn't played VVVVVV until after the entry, so it's funny (still cool) that people thought my game was like it.