BirdBrain by CosmicCrystalGames

[raw]
made by CosmicCrystalGames for LD 40 (JAM)

https://youtu.be/zO30C7Wenlk

BirdBrain is a 2D Flapformer in which you must locate and recover magic lamps through winding maze-like stages! You have a dash and slam attack at your disposal but you will need to use seeds to progress through the labyrinths! Watch out though! The more seeds you carry, the harder it is to survive! Try your best to navigate the mazes, defeat the bosses and win the game!

  • Unique puzzle-platforming and shoot 'em up based gameplay!
  • 4 labyrinthine stages to navigate through!​
  • 4 deadly guardians to defeat!
  • A cute and relaxing atmosphere!
  • Gamepad support!
  • Made in 72 hours for the Ludum Dare 40 Jam!

// UPDATE v1.1 //

Made a small update post-jam to fix a few small issues and do a tiny bit of optimization. In particular, the file size is now less than half the previous build! The update includes:

  • Fixed autotiling errors;
  • Camera and screenshake fix;
  • Gamepad input crash on game over fix;
  • Difficulty balancing;
  • Music/sound optimization.

This update brings the game a little closer to my original vision and should provide a better overall experience for players!

// SCREENSHOTS //

SCREENSHOT

SCREENSHOT

SCREENSHOT

SCREENSHOT

SCREENSHOT

Ratings

Overall 155th 3.875⭐ 22🧑‍⚖️
Fun 123th 3.875⭐ 22🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 486th 3.25⭐ 22🧑‍⚖️
Theme 670th 3.316⭐ 21🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 193th 4.15⭐ 22🧑‍⚖️
Humor 450th 3.176⭐ 19🧑‍⚖️
Mood 243th 3.684⭐ 21🧑‍⚖️
Given 25🗳️ 7🗨️

Feedback

sayomgwtf
05. Dec 2017 · 04:59 UTC
I found you on Twitter and I was waiting so bad for you to upload this cuteness! It did not disappoint, what a fun addictive pixely thing <3 Loved it :)
Xacur
05. Dec 2017 · 23:52 UTC
Really good game. I love the pixel art in this and the mechanic for movement feels great.
disperse
09. Dec 2017 · 03:36 UTC
Wow! I am super impressed that you were able to complete multiple levels with distinct enemy types and music. The pixel art is amazing and the game could come straight out of the NES era. I'm thinking a cross between Kid Icarus, Metroid, and Super Mario Bros. Amazing!
Acr515
09. Dec 2017 · 04:29 UTC
A very nice, polished game with good graphics and sound, but in all honesty, the controls were infuriating. I just couldn't get the bird where I needed him to get to because the controls were so weird, and you can't walk around while grounded. Also, the tutorial was confusing and went by incredibly fast before I had a time to read it all.

I loved the concept and the graphics, though. This is a very well-polished game in that regard! Good job!
automatonvx
09. Dec 2017 · 12:28 UTC
Cute graphic although some of the background elements e.g clouds , cactuses should be made to look more obviously part of the background so as not to be distracting. Felt the timing mechanic was annoying to be constantly shocked without much I could see to do about it. Was getting annoyed at not knowing where to go until i spotted the compass, but still felt like the levels were too big, the boss fight was more fun. Also agree that felt the controls a bit awkward, not being able to move on the ground, or turn without flapping. Music was pretty nice.
Nick Rafalski
09. Dec 2017 · 15:59 UTC
Saw this on Screenshot Saturday on r/gamedev and couldn't believe it was made for LD40. So much content and polish for a jam. awesome job.

I really like the flappy bird meets mario part of this. I'm not sure I've ever seen it done, and it really changes how the platforming feels.

I only saw the first 2, but the boss fights were really cool. I died once on each, then beat them, which seems perfect to me. I'm sure the later ones are even harder.

The theme integration is cool too. Definitely a risk-reward thing going on for carrying ammo.

My only real problem is I didn't like the down-bounce thing at all. I tried using it to go through enemies in narrow vertical passages, but would end up bouncing off them, take no damage, but end up back where I started. It seemed like I *had* to take damage to get past them. In other instances, I'd use the down-bounce just to speed up falling to the bottom of a vertical passage, but the resulting bounce put me too high to go into the connecting horizontal corridor. I'd have to waste time waiting to float down to the ground naturally before continuing on, so I shouldn't have bounced in the first place.

It also took me to the 3rd level to realize that shooting enemies gave a slight chance to drop health power ups, which were desperately needed. If that was explained in the tutorial, I missed it. In general, I just avoided enemies rather than shoot them because I didn't think there was any reward.

Still, amazing game for a jam. Congrats!
Satanos
14. Dec 2017 · 19:07 UTC
This game is awesome, I included it in my upcoming jam review that will be online next tuesday. It needs more ratings !
Yohoho Games 2
18. Dec 2017 · 07:51 UTC
very nice) good platform mechanic and graphic effect so good too)
Satanos
19. Dec 2017 · 16:26 UTC
The review had been released there : https://youtu.be/Z-H-WO1iqss?t=853 Once again congratulations, your game is very polished ! Feel free to ask for translation because it's in french.
Cubeeo
21. Dec 2017 · 01:15 UTC
This is a game worth playing, but there's no directions until AFTER you figure out the buttons on your own. You have a tutorial, but it doesn't start until you press the buttons and figure them out on your own. It might seem like such a minor thing, but I'll bet it's why there aren't more ratings for this game.

This is a well-polished game with a consistent look and feel to it, and it's quite enjoyable. Well done.
niterich
21. Dec 2017 · 20:45 UTC
I think with some polish, this could become a fully-fledged game! The controls, music, and graphics all were really nice. Though I think the seed mechanic would need to be changed... like, you get heavier and harder to control with more seeds? And I felt the background moved really oddly, making it pretty disorienting.
Pedrowzee
22. Dec 2017 · 04:21 UTC
My new favourite game in this edition of Ludum Dare.
The clouds were kinda confusing, I though they hurt me before I figured out it was timed. But it's pretty good.