Fire and Atlas by irock

[raw]
made by irock for LD 43 (JAM)

Fire and Atlas

Burn and replace your inaccurate maps in order to find the treasure on each screen.

Each map contains an X, marking the location of the treasure... supposedly. Before you dig, be sure to compare your map to the current screen and make sure nothing is amiss.

Controls

  • Arrow keys: Move
  • Z: Dig
  • X: View Atlas
  • Bump into objects to interact with them

Screenshots

SCREENS.png


Bugfix log

  • Fixed a bug where the "correct map" for one of the screens (starting screen) was inaccurate.
  • Fixed a bug where the "correct map" for one of the screens (2 to the left of start) was inaccurate.

Some things I'd like to do for a post-jam version

  • Lower the requirement for completing the game to 15 treasures, since getting all 24 can take some time.
  • Open chests and get a non-functional item, just for fun.
  • Make it so Z has to be held down in order to dig to guard against accidental button presses.
  • More polished ending.
  • Overworld music.

Ratings

Overall 65th 4.056⭐ 29🧑‍⚖️
Fun 203th 3.685⭐ 29🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 22th 4.161⭐ 30🧑‍⚖️
Theme 812th 3⭐ 29🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 125th 4.268⭐ 30🧑‍⚖️
Audio 155th 3.731⭐ 28🧑‍⚖️
Mood 278th 3.62⭐ 27🧑‍⚖️
Given 5🗳️ 5🗨️

Feedback

adventureislands
04. Dec 2018 · 03:50 UTC
Finished with 3 shovels remaining. The game is beautifully crafted, I love all the polish and clean pixel art. However it's going to be a very tough game if your memory is crap like mine, requiring lots of running back and forth unless you take screenshots. However I can't help but to praise the effort that went to this game and I love it's unique idea.
Shawn Moore
04. Dec 2018 · 05:37 UTC
The art style is great and everything has a nice polish to it. In fact, the super-polished pixel art is what made me immediately want to try your game :)

Giving more of a hint about how to play the game up front would go a long way. It took me a while -- going back to the the descriptions outside of the game -- to realize I'm supposed to look for "X marks the spot" and where the map does not match the territory. And once I did, it felt like it became more of a chore than a game. I think the way to fix that would be to interact with treasure somehow, even if it's just a little animation and/or sound effect (a classic example is like, what happens when you pick up a new item in Legend of Zelda), would be enough to make me want to do it more. Taking it further, having some sort of pressure -- like time or enemies -- would, I don't think the "10 digs and you're done" mechanic is enough.

I think with a little bit more time, this could become a really fun game! The sound, graphics, and polish are definitely all there.
xPheRe
04. Dec 2018 · 16:07 UTC
Lovely game, I saw it on twitter and run to play it, but I get tired at the 6th chest. Agreed with @shawn-moore, this can be a good funny game, it just needs a twist for engagement. Good job anyway!
rosypenguin
04. Dec 2018 · 18:37 UTC
Cool game concept and great polish with the art, animations, sounds, and transitions! It took some time to get the gist of the game but when I did I had a lot of fun with it. I do with the chests could open and provide a little more reward, maybe sometimes they can replenish some shovel points? Overall great work and great interpretation of the theme.
kantieno
04. Dec 2018 · 18:45 UTC
I really enjoyed this entry! The levels of polish on the map screen and burning of maps was very nice. The rest of the animations were satisfying and the sound worked well to tie it all together!

I made it with one shovel left, lost a few to thinking the maps wouldn't dare to lie about the existence of the entrance I just came from and lost the rest to plunging my shovel into the ground trying to open the map!

If you decided to work on this game more in the future I think it could work very well with some light puzzle mechanics and metroidvania style progression!

Overall this was a really nice entry, good job!
Plepletier
05. Dec 2018 · 00:04 UTC
I loved this game!!!! Really interesting and the pixel art is very very cute!!! Great job!!! I take long time to understand the theme of your game.
olsonmabob
05. Dec 2018 · 02:31 UTC
Wow this is super unique! Its a super good idea for a game jam as well, seems to fit perfectly in terms of scope and is still incredibly polished. Nice work!
Lexyvil
05. Dec 2018 · 02:38 UTC
I really love how moving around makes you just plop there. The game is fun~

Though it does get somewhat long backtracking often to re-check some of the areas. I would've love having a timer to make it challenge, but the fact there's none also makes it a relaxing game, which I enjoyed. The art is for sure my favourite aspect, and the gameplay is very innovative. It has a potential to be greater if more gameplay mechanics were added.
Coda Highland
05. Dec 2018 · 03:10 UTC
It doesn't really feel like that much of a "sacrifice" but the game is fantastic in and of itself!
pranjalbisht
05. Dec 2018 · 06:39 UTC
Ok, this entry is super polished! I'm sold on the memory game idea! Simple but great pixel art, great sound feedback. Great, solid grid movement too. Everything feels compact and solid. The use of theme is a bit questionable, though, but really, I enjoyed it so much.

I failed because I kept pressing z by mistake instead of x! But I'm going back to play and complete it!
TheOneThatNeverWas
05. Dec 2018 · 13:30 UTC
Very good and polished game! Really cool art and gameplay. Congratulations to the team
Reality Blind
05. Dec 2018 · 17:07 UTC
Great concept, your art is really pleasing and fits your concept perfectly, add a little background music and your overworld will be perfect ! 😄

Being tricked by the map when it shows you the right elements, but not the right amount of entrances is an amazing (and evil) idea !

My only complaint is that going back to the furnace can become a little tedious, but that's still a great game I added to my itch account 🙂
Johnsensei
06. Dec 2018 · 01:21 UTC
Great work on getting it finished. Since I saw it previewed at our local jam, I already had a good idea how to play. I'm getting better but still not very good. Would really liked to have heard some music that fit with the visual style, but I see you have that in your stretch goal list.
WFMG
06. Dec 2018 · 19:03 UTC
It took me a little bit to figure out how to play, but it's really clever! The graphics are very stylised and cohesive, the concept is very innovative, and the gameplay is quite fun. It might perhaps have done well with some music during gameplay as well, but that might also have been too lively.

The only real flaw I can think of is that the buttons for the map and the digging are right next to each other, and thus it's easy to hit the wrong one by accident, in the worst case ending your game without you really deserving it.

This is a brilliant take on the theme! You should be proud of your game! I wish I were this clever!
dob
07. Dec 2018 · 04:40 UTC
Interesting idea with the maps that could be right or wrong. It took me a bit to figure out what was going on, but I like the originality and the art. Very good work.
godsboss
07. Dec 2018 · 14:01 UTC
A really original game idea, great!
devharts
11. Dec 2018 · 04:35 UTC
Fun concept, the memory aspect was actually somewhat challenging! The visuals and sound effects seem really well polished as well. Nicely done :)
namnam
18. Dec 2018 · 14:49 UTC
Nice game, very original concept and way to see the theme. It's very neat, graphics and animation works well with the sound design and the concept. It would be great if the chest would give some object that make the game easiest (like a way to teleport or go faster) and if there was some character to interact. I love the idea of a game about cartography and i would love to see you continu this game.