Puppy Shelter by increpare

[raw]
made by increpare for LD22 (COMPO)
the post-compo version has a longer ending.

Ratings

Coolness 74% 3
Overall 3.65 30
Audio 2.43 275
Community 2.89 177
Fun 3.18 77
Graphics 3.02 210
Humor 3.41 30
Innovation 3.57 45
Mood 3.05 132
Theme 3.39 120

Feedback

SonnyBone
19. Dec 2011 路 06:59 UTC
THIS IS THE SADDEST GAME I'VE EVER PLAYED... THAT STILL MANAGED TO BE HILARIOUS! Great use of theme!
mcc
19. Dec 2011 路 07:45 UTC
Aww mean :(

The puzzle concept here is very clever, simple but original and sets up a lot of interesting situations. I guess one could say that about basically all of Stephen's games. I liked the smiling/frowning puppies as a way of providing feedback on puzzle progress a lot.

I did have some confusion figuring out how to interact with this one exactly. Part of the problem is on my first playthrough I accidentally triggered the level editor, as a result failed to notice click&drag worked because I was focusing on the editor features, and also having activated the level editor was unable to complete any of the levels. Even once I figured out dragging worked, I didn't realize you could "swap" puppies until near the end.

What's the deal with the #3/swirly block?
馃帳 increpare
19. Dec 2011 路 08:45 UTC
oh, oops. *kills editor*

the #3 block that isn't used in game is just a movable wall. couldn't find much justification for it.
binary_girl
19. Dec 2011 路 15:03 UTC
i like the puzzleness of it all..sad for puppies tho :(
matthias_zarzecki
19. Dec 2011 路 18:23 UTC
Well, this was unnecessary cruel :-)

I like the puzzle-aspect. they're just complicated enough so you can't quite master it, and even if you think there still is room for experimentation.
Ishisoft
19. Dec 2011 路 19:48 UTC
Nice puzzle mechanic. Took me about 6-7 levels to get to grips with it; I think I got caught up on "a puppy is happy if moving one square won't leave it alone" and forgot that the puppy should also be next to another puppy to start with. I felt it got easier, but also more interesting, once there were all three types of puppy in the puzzles. Good use of writing to provide a bit of interest and context, something I should adopt.
volando
19. Dec 2011 路 22:21 UTC
pretty cool
ryantouk
19. Dec 2011 路 22:32 UTC
Another great increpare puzzler, more dark increpare humor... unfortunately I didn't submit and can't rate this time. Well done.

Totally off-topic and nerdy... but moving the dogs around Level #14 made me think of semiconductors... "it's not the electrons; it's the holes between them"... sorry :)
kibertoad
19. Dec 2011 路 22:36 UTC
Wow, it actually has gameplay in it :). Good job overall, although it has a rather weird use of theme...
marudziik
19. Dec 2011 路 23:15 UTC
You're a horrible, horrible person, mister. An I like this game, dammit! :)
Great puzzle game.
ladron
20. Dec 2011 路 02:00 UTC
Clever. I got stuck on the neutral dogs, though :(
Matt Rix
20. Dec 2011 路 03:41 UTC
Great puzzle mechanic, and the "put the dogs down" part is hilarious. Really solid game, and it ties the theme in perfectly. Sound was minimal, but even that single sound at the start of the levels really fit in.
Dark Acre Jack
20. Dec 2011 路 03:49 UTC
It was okay, kind of wish there was something I could do about the puppies being put down, like if it depended on how many moves it took to complete a board.
eigenbom
20. Dec 2011 路 04:43 UTC
Nice one increpare, but as always, you make me sad ...
deepnight
20. Dec 2011 路 14:05 UTC
Very clever puzzle :) I'm a real fan of your work : great gameplay, as always.

I've played it til the end, expecting for a trick to actually make puppies adopted. I even tried to hit every single key of my keyboard during the open phase to make something happen... Is there any actual way to have puppies adopted? For spoiler free, you can mail me at ld AT deepnight.net ^^
waynebeam
20. Dec 2011 路 16:38 UTC
that was awesome. great puzzles. the pacing was good too. built up really well. the face on the puppies too...heartbreaking everytime
Draknek
20. Dec 2011 路 19:33 UTC
Love the twist. I wish the puppies would whine as you put them down, might make me feel guiltier.
Danik
20. Dec 2011 路 20:53 UTC
Very clever puzzle concept, I liked it a lot!
I found it intuitive after a few levels, the last few were kind of easy when I got the hang of it. I would have enjoyed a little more challenge.
eld
20. Dec 2011 路 23:05 UTC
Clever puzzling, poor puppies, giving their life for humor!
magicrat
21. Dec 2011 路 06:21 UTC
interesting game mechanic, a bit confusing to understand at first but nothing too difficult, also the dark humor added that extra touch
cobhc6
21. Dec 2011 路 14:44 UTC
I liked how putting puppies down made them unhappy, very clever design.
hipon
21. Dec 2011 路 21:06 UTC
awesome game, great puzzle, all you need is just great music to make this perfect
jeffz
22. Dec 2011 路 03:33 UTC
original, I like it.
Randomasta
22. Dec 2011 路 08:38 UTC
much easier than your usual stuff
davidwparker
22. Dec 2011 路 15:52 UTC
Funny puzzler. Epicly sad though. Good job
Shigor
23. Dec 2011 路 16:49 UTC
I'm a sad puppy :/
Cell
23. Dec 2011 路 19:28 UTC
It somewhat reminds me of an game by conway. (Gol?)
Tifu
24. Dec 2011 路 17:06 UTC
You are evil, and this is awesome :D
Cosr
25. Dec 2011 路 03:18 UTC
Funny and depressing at the same time. Nicely dark humour, with a jab of truth. Good puzzles done with only a few simple mechanics.

It's a little tedious having to euthanise each puppy after every level, rather than having a button that put them all down, particularly in the later levels with more puppies. It wasn't so bad once I figured out you could just hold the mouse button and drag over all of them, but that took me a while.
tcstyle
25. Dec 2011 路 09:36 UTC
Great puzzle concept. But why to click every puppy at the end of the level. Seems to be an unnecessary mechanic.
angrygeometry
25. Dec 2011 路 15:09 UTC
cool puzzles but pretty unnecessarily cruel
Tom 7
25. Dec 2011 路 20:49 UTC
Good puzzles as usual. :) I played through them all!
ScreamRawr
28. Dec 2011 路 19:36 UTC
I agree with Tifu... Evil and awesome... Great job!
shuanDang
31. Dec 2011 路 05:01 UTC
Why can't I save any of the puppies? =(
whilefun
31. Dec 2011 路 20:29 UTC
not bad, but the cruelty would have been way more effective had you given the player some method to save some puppies. Having no power or choice just makes it a necessary and boring mechanic. Give me the power to save some puppies however, and not all puppies, and I'd feel more guilty as I have to choose which puppies to put down.
Dan C
05. Jan 2012 路 19:49 UTC
I love this. Small, neat, and perfectly put together.

Extra community stars awarded for organising CB2 Indies :)
Sos
06. Jan 2012 路 18:40 UTC
Pure evil. My favourite part is slaying the puppies tho.
lukka5
17. Apr 2012 路 02:20 UTC
really awesome game