Magniverse by Erifdex

made by Erifdex for LD23 (COMPO)

Collect resources to expand the size of your home planet in this minimalistic space game.

I'm afraid I didn't have time to implement a "how to play" screen in anywhere, so here are the instructions:

You control the entire game using just the mouse.
AIM: Make your planet as big as possible without dying.
BUT HOW?: By ramming into enemy ships, you can destroy them, leaving resources to pickup. These resources will expand the size of your planet (The numbered circle). However, your health will also decrease with impact. To replenish health, just head back to your planet.

The music also cuts and repeats weirdly halfway through... I have absolutely no idea why, but it sounds okay, I guess.

Web	http://www.kongregate.com/games/Xedfire/magniverse
Source	http://www.mediafire.com/?3szuxxntduso1c9
Original URL	https://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-23/?action=preview&uid=4431

Ratings

Coolness	24%	955
Overall	2.69	613

Audio	2.88	269
Fun	2.19	746
Graphics	2.69	542
Innovation	2.94	425
Mood	3.21	158
Theme	3.06	419

Feedback

vilya

24. Apr 2012 · 16:41 UTC

I liked the minimalist look, but I couldn't really figure out what was going on. I wasn't clear if I was controlling the planet directly or some sort of crosshairs (and, if the latter, how to get the enemies to run into my planet).

Codexus

25. Apr 2012 · 19:19 UTC

I like the radar.

zdanielz

25. Apr 2012 · 19:20 UTC

Kind of weird controls, and I must say I did not get the game play - was not sure what I was supposed to do, or what was the goal.. :( Nice look, and audio was quite good - reminds me of one my older LD games (HOME).

Jiddo

25. Apr 2012 · 19:27 UTC

I really liked the UI in this game, but it's a shame that it wasn't properly explained anywhere. As far as i could figure it out the white dot points towards your home planet, the red dots are enemies and the color of the little character thingy represents its speed. So the player actually controls the UI in some sense, really clever!

The controls were the worst enemy of this game. The idea behind the mouse clicking has some merit, but picking up resources was kind of a hassle without direct control.

spilth

26. Apr 2012 · 00:47 UTC

It was tought for me to figure out what was going on and the controls seem weird to me. I liked the music (very fitting) and the radar is cool. I think some sprite replacement would help solidify what's going in the game.

Super Soul

27. Apr 2012 · 01:54 UTC

Pretty fun. Appreciate trying a different control scheme, kind of frustrating though. Not sure if although different it distracts from the rest of the game instead of enhancing it.

🎤 Erifdex

29. Apr 2012 · 10:10 UTC

Thanks everyone! I really am very sorry about the lack of a proper explanation of what you're actually meant to do - it's my fault for starting late! Anyway, thanks again for the constructive comments, maybe I'll make a post-compo version sometime.

Nidjo123

30. Apr 2012 · 09:10 UTC

Great overall! Only thing that bothers me is that you constantly have to click... But I also like the "non-standard" approach to controls.

Jeffalisk

30. Apr 2012 · 09:37 UTC

Love that graphics style, but not a fan of the control scheme - would have preferred to be able to move using the keyboard.

Also felt there wasn't much risk involved when returning to the home planet fully restores health as many times as you like.

Some good ideas here though, and very stylish to look at.

castor

07. May 2012 · 16:51 UTC

Really nice idea. I would have liked to control it with directional keys. Very cool sound and theme.

azurenimbus

10. May 2012 · 17:31 UTC

Thought this was nicely put together, and very elegant. You did a good job.

There wasn't much keeping me from playing it after the first minutes, though. Maybe you could build upon the main idea to create a more rewarding experience.