Shepherd and Dog by obachuka

[raw]
made by obachuka for LD 41 (JAM)

This is a cross between Pac-Man and Pikmin (real-time strategy). I wrote a blog post about the Pac-Man mechanics if you're interested.

Your sheep had been grazing all day, and now it's time to guide them back home. Sheep naturally like to flock together. They will follow the shepherd and run away from the dog.

shepherd.gif

But watch out for wolves! They will target separated sheep.

watch_out.gif

This game was created in C++ using the SDL2 and Box2D libraries. All other code is from scratch, so I didn't have enough time to add in audio, sorry!

Design and programming by obachuka

Art by tomatatoro

Post-Jam Fixes: * Alt-F4 and clicking the 'X' button now closes the window * Added Ubuntu build, improved web performance, prevented the webpage from scrolling when pressing arrow keys on the web version, and fixed an uninitialized memory bug

Ratings

Overall 504th 3.524⭐ 43🧑‍⚖️
Fun 331th 3.573⭐ 43🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 677th 3.244⭐ 43🧑‍⚖️
Theme 982th 2.963⭐ 42🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 258th 4.012⭐ 43🧑‍⚖️
Humor 421th 3.143⭐ 37🧑‍⚖️
Mood 480th 3.408⭐ 40🧑‍⚖️
Given 41🗳️ 31🗨️

Feedback

HomoLudens
24. Apr 2018 · 04:53 UTC
Lovely looking game. Congrats on the c++ side of things.
nuclearfriend
24. Apr 2018 · 04:56 UTC
This is pretty cute and neat, was a bit tricky to get the hang of but overall nice concept and well executed. :) Wish there was some music/sound!
Judy Kim
24. Apr 2018 · 05:03 UTC
I didn't get to actually play it since I don't have a PC, but it looks really great -- the animations are very satisfying to look at and the colors are nice :)
joemid
24. Apr 2018 · 05:07 UTC
This game is awesome! Love the concept, design and controls. Played with keyboard- will come back to play again with controller. Fantastic character design! Thanks for the game!!!
🎤 obachuka
24. Apr 2018 · 05:11 UTC
Thanks everyone!

@nuclearfriend Yeah I regret not getting around to sound. I really wanted to make some dog noises!

@judy-kim If you don't have a PC, it's playable on the web browser (Chrome). Same link.
YuukiMakoto
24. Apr 2018 · 05:59 UTC
The Character Design is perfect. Maybe you can use some different halo on the sheep so player can know how they are influenced by shepherd or dog.
Judy Kim
24. Apr 2018 · 06:02 UTC
@obachuka Thank you! :) Hm, I got stuck in a corner for a while and the movement felt a little fast to me, but I guess that adds to the excitement of the game too in a way. I got pretty into the game and really freaked out when the wolf came after my sheep haha! I really like it overall, glad I got to try :)
🎤 obachuka
24. Apr 2018 · 06:20 UTC
@YuukiMakoto That's a legit good idea. I'll definitely do that or something similar to make it more clear if I decide to continue the game after the jam.

@judy-kim I get stuck sometimes too X_X I used Box2D for the physics, but I didn't use it properly so it's my fault if it feels clunky, I just rushed my code too much haha. Yeah I get scared too when a wolf comes after my sheep!
Dekobii
24. Apr 2018 · 09:31 UTC
Nice game! like the reference to dont starve! game felt like it had a steep learning curve with the two inputs. Really cute graphics creating a nice clean experience!
YANIV
24. Apr 2018 · 11:09 UTC
good game=)
jchaplin
24. Apr 2018 · 17:53 UTC
Nice concept! Love it!
Dudum Lare
24. Apr 2018 · 18:09 UTC
Wow!! I'm so impressed, I had such a fun time playing this game. The art is amaaaazing, I love it. There's only one thing I'll have to complain about and that's the lack of music. Besides that this is the game I've rated highest so far and I really think you deserve it! It's obvious you put a lot of hard work into this because it's so well polished!

Thank you so much for this experience and good luck in the future! Have an awesome day, and I hope to see you in the next jam!

// Isak from @liquidbrain
helpcomputer
24. Apr 2018 · 18:33 UTC
This is difficult at first but gets easier once you get used to the wolf behaviour. I like the concept and the art is very nice. Well done!
Sengi
24. Apr 2018 · 18:34 UTC
Also as @dekobii I had don't starve vibes!)

Interesting way to play, and stylish graphics, I love how it looks pretty and simple at the same time. It seems like you are a good team, hope to see more from you soon!

(c++? man, respect on this one)
GameDevMumin
24. Apr 2018 · 18:37 UTC
Wonderfull art! Playing with those wolfs was funny ;D Just add sounds and it will be great.
nidup
24. Apr 2018 · 18:39 UTC
Super cool entry, lovely graphics & animations with a very unique style, playing 2 characters in the same time makes it even more enjoyable. Controls could be improved a bit, i got stuck a couple of time in the fence, and a wolf bounced out of the game once :stuck_out_tongue: but yeah, it's game jam mode, bugs included, keep up the (very) good work :rocket:
Rayne
24. Apr 2018 · 19:27 UTC
I love this, oh my god.
I need a post-jam version. I'd definitely play this on my phone or something.
The design is amazing, the color palette is cute and it has a nice challenging gameplay
Good work, 5 stars
lo-x
24. Apr 2018 · 19:51 UTC
Finally someone who has created a game in C++ from scratch just like I did! That game seem easy at first glance but really isn't... controlling both characters at the same time is tricky. I'll cheat and ask my little sister this weekend to help me haha. Graphisms are cool, they fit the theme of the game and would be nice for younger audience! The only thing is that you can go to the next level even if you lost. That was great for me to be able to test your game further, but in a non-jam situation I guess it would not behave like that. Good job! Keep polishing it up!
🎤 obachuka
24. Apr 2018 · 19:59 UTC
Thanks for the feedback everyone, it feels great to know you like our game! To be honest, I haven't played Don't Starve, so I don't know what reference we made...

@dudum-lare Yeah not adding in music/sound is my biggest regret. It's a shame too, because both of us are musicians, and we love music!

@Sengi Thanks! We're brothers actually. Yeah C++ was tough and slow progress, I'll try using Unreal or Unity next time haha.

@nidup Yeah you're right the controls are a bit clunky. I was using Box2D for the first time, and I already made a lot of progress before I realized I wasn't supposed to use so many small boxes for the map :P

@Rayne Thanks, I want to continue this game too, but my future is uncertain at the moment (job hunting). One day though!
🎤 obachuka
24. Apr 2018 · 20:17 UTC
@lo-x Yess, C++ dev high-five! I guess I just like the control. No yea, the skip button is only there because of the jam. It's come in handy when a streamer played my game and they got stuck.
Jon_Nova
24. Apr 2018 · 20:31 UTC
Nice game !!! The art is simple but very well made.
PeachTreeOath
25. Apr 2018 · 02:29 UTC
+1 points for doggo butt

Even though this jam is meant to draw out unique ideas, lots of people managed to still overlap on ideas by having the same trains of thought. I don't think I'll see a dupe of your idea though, it's unique in this sea of card-game/farming-game hybrids. I thought it was a good tweak to the Pikmin formula. Tbh I would've liked the shepherd and dog to have maybe one more unique aspect between them because I felt like I was more just moving a blob with 2 ends carefully like I Am Bread. With that said it's a very challenging herding game with a lot of tension since the wolves are so vicious so you have to be pretty careful with your positioning to make it through. Nice job!
pkenney
25. Apr 2018 · 02:47 UTC
Wow art is off-the-charts charming here, and the dog and wolf both ooze personality. The controls are nice and responsive, giving vibrant life to the nice art.

I struggled with the levels as I progressed, because WOWZErs those wolves don't mess around, and the way they could go through shrubs but the dog couldn't left me feeling cornered a lot!

I guess it's that way on the nature shows, too. Animal life looks cute but there is a brutality to the reality of it all.

Very nice entry here, great work.
🎤 obachuka
25. Apr 2018 · 04:27 UTC
@PeachTreeOath Haha that dog butt is turning out very popular. I haven't played I Am Bread, but I know what you mean, and you're totally right. Actually I was thinking of giving a unique action to both the shepherd and the dog, but you know, ran out of time as per usual. I was thinking if you hold down the shoulder button, the shepherd would stand still and move sheep around him, kind of like how Olimar can choose which side the Pikmin will stand. For the dog, I was thinking something like a bite that could stun the wolves, not too sure. Again, wasn't able to design or try it out.


@pkenney Yeah those wolves are nasty. I added a timer to make the wolves back off every once in a while, just like the ghosts in the original Pac-Man, but it might be too slow for such a fast-paced game.
Funny that you mention nature shows. When I was testing the wolves, I made a level with just a bunch of sheep and wolves and nothing else. The sheep clumped together but the wolves pressured them until one broke off and all the wolves started chasing it. The sheep ran for its dear life but the wolves eventually caught up. It was kinda sad, and reminded me of something David Attenborough would narrate.
hypp
25. Apr 2018 · 19:00 UTC
This was quite nice! I liked the fact that you controlled both the shepard and the dog.
Darby Costello
25. Apr 2018 · 19:23 UTC
I feel like a lot of thought went into this game. Beyond the smart design, the art and characters really gel, making this feel like a full-blown indie title. Controlling two characters simultaneously is always going to be tricky, but I'm sure a lot of players are far up to the task than I was. Audio's great, maybe could've done with some music. But other than that, gorgeous game. Really great!
Carvster
25. Apr 2018 · 19:30 UTC
Tricky little game but quite fun, quite a steep learning curve to master it, slightly annoying that the wolves run through the terrain and keep nomming my sheep!
Goplite
25. Apr 2018 · 19:32 UTC
Aww, look at those wolves, I really like the art style, simple but cute and expressive. It's a bit hard for me though, controlling two objects with two hands was always difficult for me, but I love the style of puzzles.
ctran13
25. Apr 2018 · 19:36 UTC
This is super adorable! It's a tough one to play, but it's a fantastic concept, and a whole lot of fun. Great job
MathijsVissers
25. Apr 2018 · 19:44 UTC
This is really cool, digging those crazy wolves, great animations. Gameplay feels very fluid, it's a bit weird to get used to playing with two characters at the same time, but it works. Awesome job!
kovareka
25. Apr 2018 · 20:09 UTC
Awesome art! Especially this dog. :) It is difficult to manage two characters simultaneously, but it's funny. Good concept!
Swarrly
25. Apr 2018 · 20:13 UTC
The controls took a while to get used to. This game was way fun though.
arzi
26. Apr 2018 · 16:07 UTC
Cute and quite fun, but gets difficult fast. Controlling two characters at once is always so mind bending!
Fiote
26. Apr 2018 · 16:17 UTC
Saw it on elysia's stream. Cute and fun! Love how two players can play together :)
LooksLikeSomething
09. May 2018 · 16:35 UTC
My first reaction was "aww that's cute!"
Really love the graphics!
I had fun playing it, and a hard time controlling both characters simultaneously, haha