Kill chickens for better art! by loveapplegames

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

This entry is a bit different. We decided to do something unusual, out of our comfort zone. We did a non goal directed "toy" style game. You create art patterns by arranging objects according to certain rules. You can't really win or lose. If you manage to find space to place all the objects, the level finishes, and hopefully, you will have created something pretty as a side effect :-)

Click to place a set of objects. Flicker indicates there is a collision with other objects. After placement, the next set appears. The sets eventually repeat themselves. Each level ends when number of moves reaches zero. To break these rules, you need to sacrifice a chicken. Sometimes, killing chickens makes better art!

As you might have surmised, we didn't really feel like following the theme. So we added the chicken sacrifice as a joke!

Press the M key to go back to the menu!

This is also Val's first try at electronic music.

Boris: game concept, game, graphics Val: game concept, sound, music

ld43-grab4.png ld43-grab2.png ld43-grab1.png ld43-grab3.png

Ratings

Overall 363th 3.6⭐ 27🧑‍⚖️
Fun 360th 3.46⭐ 27🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 94th 3.833⭐ 26🧑‍⚖️
Theme 998th 2.3⭐ 27🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 503th 3.54⭐ 27🧑‍⚖️
Audio 311th 3.413⭐ 25🧑‍⚖️
Humor 546th 2.771⭐ 26🧑‍⚖️
Mood 625th 3.188⭐ 26🧑‍⚖️
Given 36🗳️ 8🗨️

Feedback

FireBug
04. Dec 2018 · 01:05 UTC
An interesting concept! It's nice to see something so different. I don't think I quite understood how the patterns work, but it was very satisfying to place them. ^_^

However, I didn't hear any audio while playing, despite having the audio button in the game turned on.
🎤 loveapplegames
04. Dec 2018 · 03:41 UTC
Thanks for your feedback, @firebug! The audio is there now :)
Conduit
07. Dec 2018 · 03:37 UTC
This is super interesting! I kind of seeing it fit the theme in the sense that you're constantly sacrificing one space for another. Even if I'm overthinking it, this is super cool!
Kaipi
08. Dec 2018 · 20:33 UTC
I liked the game, was really relaxing and interesting to play, the sounds where really good! i would loved to see more ways of making patterns or with other elements, nice job!
Mohrro
09. Dec 2018 · 00:30 UTC
Cool game! I liked its concept and approach of the theme.
PixelMeal
09. Dec 2018 · 00:34 UTC
I liked it! It was fun to explore the different types of rules. My favorites are pac-man, persian rug, and traffic. The music fit the game very well I thought.
g12345
11. Dec 2018 · 22:24 UTC
I didn't hear any music but this is still entertaining.

Also I'm not sure if there is something I can do to go back to the main menu, other than F5.

You made so many pixel graphics in 3 days? That's quite impressive (for me).
🎤 loveapplegames
12. Dec 2018 · 14:50 UTC
@g12345, thanks for your feedback! You can use the "M" key to go back to the menu. About the sound: What browser are you using? Do you see any errors in the Java console?
Yaen
14. Dec 2018 · 22:46 UTC
Wow that was surprisingly fun! Most levels didn't really pose a challenge, yet I still enjoyed just making patterns and seeing everything come together. I had trouble getting back to the menu at first too (when you're done it doesn't show the hotkey anymore so you don't know what it is and M is not really a typical menu-key).

The music gave it an interesting mood. Felt pretty cool to me.

I feel like the submission is just losely connected to the theme and the chicken-thing felt kind of tacked-on but that's fine, building patterns was still super fun and relaxing!
YYZ
14. Dec 2018 · 22:48 UTC
It's nice to play a different type of game like this one once in awhile.

In the start screen, I thought this would be a game where I can change the graphics because the text at the top is really jarring. I am referring to the flashy, rainbow text at the top. It seems to be really distracting and almost the kind of text that you see being used in clickbait advertisements. It looks very out of place in this game but perhaps that was the point and your intention? The text also overlaps with the audio speaker button at the top left. This one doesn't look like it should be intentional - consider changing the placement of that button so elements don't overlap. Additionally, the cursor graphic also seems to have some tiny but visible white pixels surrounding the black stroke of the pixels that look very obvious against dark backgrounds. This looks like an anti-aliasing issue possibly? But this is more minor.

I really liked the flourish level. The branches very cleverly align to adjacent branches and the placement of the
object encourages me to try out a spiral effect which is different from the previous levels. The game actually gets cooler the more I play and discover.

It's also super funny to see "59 chickens were harmed in the making of this artwork." I really enjoyed making artwork with this. I think it would be nice to have a Save as PNG option (without the UI & text) for those who are really invested in the game and want to use it to create some interesting wallpaper art XD. But of course, I understand this is a jam. Still, I would have loved a button that toggles the text and UI off so I can take a nice screenshot!

Thanks for the game and the fun it has brought :)
![Screenshot 2018-12-15 06.48.03.png](///raw/20d/02/z/1fad0.png)
I love games so I love the result I had with this pacman one. I think some of these results are wallpaper worthy.
g12345
14. Dec 2018 · 22:50 UTC
yes, i missed that M key because i only want to go back when i finished a level... and of course by then, that text was gone :stuck_out_tongue:

and no strange things in the javascript console, perhaps it's an old browser. no biggie.
egos
15. Dec 2018 · 02:04 UTC
really impressive i loved the concept of making art with game
Lot of different stage well polished and nice music

special mention for the chiken ;)

Great jobs !
Geckoo1337
21. Dec 2018 · 22:58 UTC
Strange gameplay - totally unusual. I love it. Well done ++
staxx6
22. Dec 2018 · 00:54 UTC
Not sure what I'm doing but nice new idea. 😁
HuvaaKoodia
23. Dec 2018 · 23:29 UTC
Toy might, in this case, be too reductionist. I would call this, based on some of the levels, a *packing challenge*; fitting in the required pieces trying to form tight groupings. Kind of like Tetris without the timing, and controls, and not at all like Tetris then.

Some of the levels are more difficult than others, trying not to score negative *chicken points* that is, and some are outright jokes (anything in a grid!). I don't mind those as variety, having a bit of playful fun every once in a while is refreshing in a world of *oh so* serious business (and jam projects). At times the resulting patters are also pretty, despite the low fidelity visuals.

There are a lot of extra rules you could add to each level to make the packing action trickier. For instance:

- In *Flourish* only allowing branches to be placed next to other branches, only allowing flowers at the ends of branches, not allowing leaves to be too close to other leaves, limiting the placement area to the screen, and adding in some obstacles, would complicate matters immensely increasing the challenged thus fun.
- In *Traffic* the cars could move (and why cannot I place a frog in there!)
- In *Pacman Yoke*, ghosts could actually chase pacman if placed too close and then pacman could eat the pellets and the whole thing could get out of hand if careless with the placements.
- There are a lot of possibilities for an extended version, I tell you!

The ambient, electronic music is strange; a great match for the equally strange concept and visuals.

An interesting project this; hard to rate it, but I'll try.

Overall: *Good (4.0)*
Fun: *Good (4.0)*
Innovation: *Great (4.5)*
Theme: *Non-existent (1.0)*
Graphics: *Above average (3.5)*
Audio: *Above average (3.5)*
Humor: *Good (4.0)*
Mood: *Good (4.0)*
sorlok
24. Dec 2018 · 00:18 UTC
+1 for innovation; very creative entry! I enjoyed the placement puzzle, although maybe adding the option to rotate the next Set would have helped?