animal islands by geckojsc

made by geckojsc for LD34 (JAM)

animal islands is a game of choice and luck.

Don't let any animals die!

Each turn presents you with a choice of two additions to the world, but the location is secret. Some of them are dangerous, and most animals don't get along very well. Keeping them alive will be a challenge!

e - enable easy mode, where the location of the next block is revealed.
f - toggle fullscreen

Arrow keys can be used instead of the mouse, if desired.

Thanks to Brian, Priya, Andrew, bug, asterick, ftsf and anybody else who chatted and gave me feedback during the 3 days I worked on this :)

--
update 15 december 2015
Minor bug fix - burning trees should now extinguish properly

[itch.io] Windows / Mac / Linux	http://geckojsc.itch.io/animal-islands
Original URL	https://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-34/?action=preview&uid=5246

Ratings

Coolness	36%	1857
Overall(Jam)	3.95	68

Audio(Jam)	3.95	82
Fun(Jam)	3.57	198
Graphics(Jam)	4.14	146
Humor(Jam)	3.06	293
Innovation(Jam)	3.95	56
Mood(Jam)	3.95	77
Theme(Jam)	4.19	100

Feedback

SidewalkSleeper

15. Dec 2015 · 07:32 UTC

A deceptively cute game. I liked it.

fluidvolt

15. Dec 2015 · 09:45 UTC

I love it. Cute art and fun, if a little on the hard side. I really like the abstractness of floating islands hovering and swaying in the breeze. My favorite thing is how after every move the percussion fills that get longer and more complex. Good little game!

redmassacre

17. Dec 2015 · 13:15 UTC

very cute animals, interesting puzzle, i would like to play full game)

puddelipip

17. Dec 2015 · 13:25 UTC

Really like it, feels unique and the style and sounds match well. Would have liked it to go on longer so that I can attempt to have as many animals as possible which would trigger each other in different ways, if one dies that should be fine.

Sort of strategy/zen garden kind of game, I like!

ZpeedTube

20. Dec 2015 · 20:40 UTC

Interseting concept, playing agenst yourself kinda :3

TheMeorch

20. Dec 2015 · 21:06 UTC

This is really fantastic, unique, and beautifully presented. I think the game is actually more interesting in "easy" mode -- too often in "hard' mode, I felt like I had to just flip a coin, whereas in "easy" mode I could sometimes be more strategic.

It seems like many of the options the player are gets are trivial -- one should always pick safe terrain over an animal or a dangerous terrain, right? Maybe the choices should always be between 2 tiles of the same type.

I hope you keep expanding this game!

Dreyan

01. Jan 2016 · 23:35 UTC

Really cute, interesting puzzle game ^^ There does seem to be more strategy involved in the easy mode, as with the regular one, while there is still a bit of strategy, some decisions end up feeling completely random.

Omiya Games

02. Jan 2016 · 00:21 UTC

Feels like I'm playing Snake and Ladders: a game about leaving everything to fate. The presentation is excellent, but the luck-based gameplay leaves a lot to be desired.

nihilaleph

02. Jan 2016 · 00:39 UTC

Pro:
+ Very interesting concept
+ Great mechanics
+ Graphics and sounds are nice
Con:
- I feel that it could be more strategic. Choices are pretty trivial to ensure survival. Easy mode is great because you can think about the impact the choice.

Great work!

Tselmek

02. Jan 2016 · 00:51 UTC

I feel like I could play this all day. Very cute and soothing game. I love how the melody evolves the further you keep playing. The randomness of the new tile types and their placement sometimes feel a little too punishing. It seems like you applied some sort of pixel anti-aliasing for the resolution of the game, which was a bit hard and the eye, I feel we would have appreciated the minimalistic graphcis better if there wasn't any. Some animals/tiles interactions sometimes felt a little too abstract.

Definitely my coup de coeur for this Ludum Dare. Good job!

ciaodavinci

03. Jan 2016 · 05:53 UTC

Cute graphics and well-matching sounds. Really enjoyed how the soundscape gets added through time. I felt that the randomness of the tile placement left me with little control over the outcome and overall strategy of the game. Great take on the theme of the jam!

kardfogu

03. Jan 2016 · 14:27 UTC

Well, this game is just damn too good, it took the 2 button control theme and the growing theme together and spiced it with awesome randomly generated fun.
Keep up the good work!

- Kardfogú

M a r o o v a n

03. Jan 2016 · 17:13 UTC

Can;t say anything bad about this, and I think I shouldn't. Very good and fun to play game!

equiposalchicha

03. Jan 2016 · 22:29 UTC

Absolutely enjoyed it. It's a shame that it's partially based on luck, but otherwise it is one of the most relaxing games I have seen in this jam. The cute artstyle as well as the dynamic soundtrack also helps a lot to set the mood, great game!

Jupiter_Hadley

15. Jan 2016 · 14:25 UTC

Cute! I included it in my Ludum Dare 34 compilation video series, if you’d like to check it out :) https://youtu.be/PXolvG1P7M4