LudumData

Shape Escape by legavroche

[raw]
made by legavroche for LD35 (JAM)
Hey guys, beginner game developer and first time Ludum Dare participant. The game I originally had in mind was much too large in scope given my current abilities. The original idea was something of a tetris game where the player had to transform to the correct piece to fit into the ground while avoiding enemies. I've cut back on the scope in hopes of just pushing something out.

Goal: Collect as many coins as possible before the ground crushes you! Every 10 coins will lower the ground by a set amount. As time progresses, the ground will elevate at increasing speeds.

Movement: A or left arrow to move left
D or right arrow to move right

Change forms: W or up arrow to change to balloon form
S or down arrow to change back to normal form

Please provide any feedback! I look forward to playing everyone else's entries to gain more insight and inspiration.
Windows https://legavroche.itch.io/shape-escape?secret=SMaMjmyaxtQEfrhD6Kitk3rso
OS/X https://legavroche.itch.io/shape-escape?secret=SMaMjmyaxtQEfrhD6Kitk3rso
Original URL https://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-35/?action=preview&uid=89201

Ratings

Coolness 52% 3
Overall(Jam) 3.12 652
Fun(Jam) 3.44 265
Graphics(Jam) 3.04 722

Feedback

Linver
18. Apr 2016 · 14:55 UTC
Nice sprites and controls.
Yes, no one will play to this game twice - possible content variation is one.. but if you will add different levels.. and objects - it can be a nice game.
Saiodin
19. Apr 2016 · 21:55 UTC
Easy concept, decent graphics, fun for a couple minutes. Gratz on your first time, keep it up!
WeaverDeveloper
21. Apr 2016 · 00:07 UTC
Haha, looks like the title I picked for my submission wasn't very original. A pretty neat game -- easy to get into.
d3garcia
21. Apr 2016 · 04:20 UTC
This is a very cool simple game, I love the idea! I hope you can take it to the next level
ginger9
21. Apr 2016 · 07:08 UTC
127
I agree with Linver.
LudumAnthony
21. Apr 2016 · 23:24 UTC
It was actually pretty fun once it became more difficult. Good job :)
mf1214
22. Apr 2016 · 00:00 UTC
Nice game! Simple but fun. Some more content would be nice though. Overall, good job!
dvdagames
22. Apr 2016 · 00:08 UTC
The beginning is a bit boring and then as you start getting to the point where the ground is near the top you start to feel like the coins aren't showing up fast enough to potentially stay alive. It seems as the ground's upward rate increases, the coin frequency should also increase. It might also be interesting to mix in some times where there is more than one coin that spawns so that the user has to start making choices. There's a sweet spot right around the ground being between 30-70% where the gameplay feels just right. If the slow build up were shortened, this section extended, and the ground pace slowed down again once you passed like 75% of the screen, I think it could increase the fun factor by maximizing the time spent in that sweet spot where you're really enjoying it.

Also, I really dig the wiard/ninja/blowfish sprite.
djfariel
22. Apr 2016 · 00:20 UTC
Nice little entry. Only complain is that instead of feeling like your success is based on your own skill, it feels far more dependent upon your luck with coin spawns.
FloatingGhost
22. Apr 2016 · 00:21 UTC
Pretty simplistic, but well done - the style is consistent and it all works - you've promise in you, young game dev <3
nlbi21
22. Apr 2016 · 01:24 UTC
Please add more things, I love the simplicity but there will be a way to add more changes the character ?. Good job.
El Cabaro
22. Apr 2016 · 01:52 UTC
I got 138! Pretty cool game but there's definitely a limit, you can't play forever. I could see this being an arcadey webgame with some music and enemies, maybe a couple more forms to shapehshift into. Cool game.
Marc F.
04. May 2016 · 15:44 UTC
Like the pixel style graphics. Simple but fun game! Solid entry.
Nanolotl
05. May 2016 · 07:33 UTC
Really fun
abcdef65g
05. May 2016 · 08:40 UTC
Fun game and good use of the theme! I think the floor moves really slowly at the beginning and too fast later on, so it goes from "This is easy" to "Is this Dark Souls 3!?" in a matter of seconds. I'd suggest changing the speed increase rate like dvdagames suggested, trying to maximize the time spent playing the game while it's not too easy or too difficult. It'll require some careful balancing, but I assure you it's worth it!

I also like the graphics. This is a solid entry for a first time LDer, so welcome aboard and hope you'll keep participating! Finishing a game is no small feat, so you should be proud of what you made!
Trasevol_Dog
05. May 2016 · 13:14 UTC
Very interesting concept!! Execution is ok but could have been better. In particular, I feel like you could have put more pressure onto the player by adding effects to the rising floor like some sort of background SFX or a continuous tiny screenshake... Very cool entry!! Did 97!
pixelpotions
06. May 2016 · 13:24 UTC
A very fun game with good mechanics, this has some great potential! I love the ninja! :D