Tidal by Travis Spuller
Tidal - get it? it's a pun
Tidal combines a classic puzzle platformer with the camera of a third person RPG camera. The 2D platformer has become 1D! In order to make the game playable, the game uses shadows and a 3D perspective camera to assist you with the platformer.
The setting takes place on a seaside dock where rumors of treasure lay at the end of the pier. The plunder can be yours but you have to maneuver your way through the horribly built dock system. You will have to learn patience in this game because the tides can come and assist you on your journey. Low tide offers safe passage, while high tide can give you a boost to hard to reach places. You will soon find it will take grit, but the award is what makes it all worth it. Good luck, and make sure to bring me back some of that plunder!
How to play:
Make your way through the docs without falling into the water. Be careful of the tides!
[UPDATED] Controls:
W / S - move forward and back
HOLD E - Speed up day cycle
SPACE - jump
Tips:
Barrels float - they can keep you safe or help you get to higher platforms
Don't place barrels on each other during high tide. You'll likely push both barrels away
Be careful of not pushing barrels off their dock, you may need it as a boost to get higher
It's best to push one barrel at a time and not have two or three back to back
Look at the shadow cast by the daylight. It will show you a 2D layout of the puzzle
Not all docks are above sea level
[Updated] There are now 2 checkpoints - you're welcome
Speedrun - 3:08s
https://youtu.be/RdzRjzgqU7w
Please, I love feedback. This is my third LD event and I find every comment helps me improve.
Check out my other games and apps on my website listed under my portfolio. Can't wait to play all your games as well :)
Ratings
| Overall | 268th | 3.5⭐ | 24🧑⚖️ |
| Fun | 402th | 3.182⭐ | 24🧑⚖️ |
| Innovation | 394th | 3.286⭐ | 23🧑⚖️ |
| Theme | 494th | 3.262⭐ | 23🧑⚖️ |
| Graphics | 56th | 4.095⭐ | 23🧑⚖️ |
| Audio | 261th | 3.095⭐ | 23🧑⚖️ |
| Mood | 225th | 3.3⭐ | 22🧑⚖️ |
| Given | 19🗳️ | 31🗨️ |
Sadly I couldn't master the barrel jump, so I didn't get to see much of the game.
One suggestion I'd like to make is to make sure you are prototyping out your levels or sections of challenges before, during and after creation. The more you run through your game, the more you'll find tricky spots where players might get stuck. In a production game, you can watch playtesters to see where they get stuck, but for a jam, you have to become the tester. The longer the weekend and more tired you grow, your exhaustion becomes a tool to help you emphasize with players.
Doing lots of tests of your levels would let you know where to add helpful UI like an indication of how to use shadows to time jumps or how to use barrels. It would also help you identify whether the control schema is easy to use. I found using a and d confusing and wanted to use w or up to move forward. If the camera were rotated 90 degrees it would have been fine, but my brain is mapped to think of the top of the monitor as up not right, so it added extra difficulty to the levels that didn't need to be there.
Overall the game as a lot of potentials. I wish I was better at the mechanics so I could have seen more of the level.
@saoi-games Thanks for the suggestions. If I were to work it up again, I'd add UI displays explaining how to accomplish more simple puzzles. Sort of like a tutorial, and add a check point at the end so you don't have to go through it all again. I went with A and D so that it was suppose to begin as a side view, and then change to an up and down view. But I couldn't get the camera transition down so the whole game became top down.
@RadioactiveRambo This has been my favorite game made so far. If I think of more clever games, I may release a more polished version later, but I'm in the middle of so many other projects in the middle. LD games are great to keep your skills fresh. Thanks for the compliments.. helps boost my self esteem.
@jk5000 Look at my comment to Saoi. I thought I was going to be clever, but it ended to be my biggest complaint. I'll probs switch it later. Thanks for the review :)
@Fabian Pohl Thanks, it was a compo challenge, so it was just me. Thanks for the review
Keep the reviews coming!
Still, I have not been able pass after the second barrel, If I push it forward, it does not help me reach the next rock, and I can't push it backwards to jump onto the higher level (it just won't move). Tried a few times with the same result...
In any case, good work! It looks like a nice concept! Let me know if that issue gets fixed (or if it was me just not knowing what to do :P)
Keep up the good work people!
But the game definitely suffer from a crazy difficulty ... You should have made the jump sections easier and focus on the puzzles more, you were on to something !
Hey thanks for all the feed back. I've taken it all into consideration and with some the quick fixes, I went ahead did. I also made puzzles easier. I just want people to be able to do all of it and enjoy everything I worked on :)
**Please download the original version if you have not scored the game, the updates were done after the alotted time**
-Keep barrel floating above tide (seems to only work in downloaded version, still issues in web)
-Made the high tiered puzzles easier -- I hope
-Uploaded an explainer video @nardandas, @mAnimal
**-CHANGED THE CONTROLS!** @saoi-games, @radioactiverambo, @jk5000, @royur **THERE, YOU HAPPY?! :) **
-Added R to respawn when dead @Bentekiller
-Removed some planks of docks that are on high tiers to better see through
-Tried to fix weird collisions on the docks that prevented barrels from sliding. If the problem persists, please comment to let me know @multiplexor
-Made night cycle shorter by about 1/2 and day cycle when shadows are good about 20% longer
-Added another checkpoint, and change the font color
**MORE UPDATES TO COME**
@gamedevbynight Hey, thanks alot. I'm still trying to find an art style. I only do 3d games so I'm pretty limited I feel :)
@Bentekiller I didn't think about that feature, about making it see through. I really wanted the shadows to play a more active role in the gameplay, but it's difficult with the day/night cycle. I think I will implement a see-through dock when I do another update. Thanks!
@olivier-millochau Hopefully it's not too hard anymore :| thanks for the feedback :)