Peculiar Farming by Arcus

[raw]
made by Arcus for Ludum Dare 46 (JAM)

In this very normal farming simulator (with absolutely nothing odd), you have to waddle around keeping crops alive, as they will die if you take too long to harvest them. You can grow some very interesting plants in the process.

When you grow birds from eggs, they go to the nest. They will require food to live, and this is in the form of wheat (when the hunger bar drops to 0, 10% of the Toucans die). There are now 5 quests, to give the game a meaning. The final quest in this set has a comedic ending. Hope you enjoy!

Screenshot 2020-04-20 at 23.41.08.png

Watch the gameplay / game dev: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wytN-uCoWP4

Ratings

Overall 1908th 3.189⭐ 68🧑‍⚖️
Fun 1771th 3.053⭐ 68🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 1928th 2.909⭐ 68🧑‍⚖️
Theme 2291th 2.924⭐ 68🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 2075th 2.803⭐ 68🧑‍⚖️
Audio 1120th 3.143⭐ 65🧑‍⚖️
Humor 1030th 3.024⭐ 64🧑‍⚖️
Mood 1977th 2.897⭐ 65🧑‍⚖️
Given 107🗳️ 95🗨️

Feedback

bovandenberg
19. Apr 2020 · 12:51 UTC
pretty fun game i like that it is so random
OtisDev
19. Apr 2020 · 14:43 UTC
I like it, but I couldn't figure out how to buy seeds
Lazz
19. Apr 2020 · 15:03 UTC
It was interesting. Some sort of feedback from selling items would be nice and if I go to the store while my seeds are growing they just disappear when I return. Also couldn't figure out how to get more seeds.
19. Apr 2020 · 15:09 UTC
the game seems pretty good, although, the player could use some more speed, he feels very slow and also the graphics weren't really too cohesive, sine you used different styles for different objects.
DerKuchen
19. Apr 2020 · 16:41 UTC
I like the eggplants! As others, I did not find a way to buy more seeds.
Odeyalko
19. Apr 2020 · 17:55 UTC
Interesting, but when i was go to market, my garden become empty
🎤 Arcus
19. Apr 2020 · 18:33 UTC
@otisdev, @lazz, @derkuchen, @odeyalko - A new patch has just been uploaded, that should fix a bunch of stuff. Now we're working on quests! (only just got round to it)
Wilson Taylor
19. Apr 2020 · 18:41 UTC
The stakes are unclear as are some of the mechanics, but this is super neat! And I like the idea of farming as an intense resource management action game rather than its usual closer-to-reality depiction of being tranquil and requiring patience.
🎤 Arcus
19. Apr 2020 · 19:11 UTC
@wilson-taylor I'm glad you like the game :smile: We're currently attempting to add in 5 quests. These are so far normal things (like, collect 50 wheat, 30 eggs, and so on) bar the last one wich has a comedic twist :wink:
Symnel
19. Apr 2020 · 19:37 UTC
Pretty nice, funny and addictive, I hope you can get the quests going, would be nice.
ShyguyBerlin
19. Apr 2020 · 20:10 UTC
The game is pretty cool and a good entry, but the controls are unclear and sometimes planting doesn't work.
Tbrax
19. Apr 2020 · 20:12 UTC
The idea is pretty fun. Also the mix of art styles is neat in its own way. One suggestion is I wish that you could use scroll wheel/mouse to select planting options.
Nathan123
19. Apr 2020 · 20:18 UTC
what a music!
CharlieGray
19. Apr 2020 · 20:25 UTC
Definitely good music. And a nice idea.
A faster player character qould have been nice, though.
plantleaf
19. Apr 2020 · 20:38 UTC
That music was awesome! Also a very cool interpretation of the theme :)
eboatwright
19. Apr 2020 · 20:40 UTC
The player walks a bit too slow, and there's really nothing to do while you wait for your crops to grow. and also the high res plant land and the grass doesn't really fit the player and the crops. other than that, nice idea!
OhMyGuigui
19. Apr 2020 · 20:44 UTC
Very fun game ! I really like the music and the eggplants !
MisterKeefe
19. Apr 2020 · 20:55 UTC
I like the graphics, sort of like a collage-style of different textures.
Dante2001
19. Apr 2020 · 21:35 UTC
i like it, farmer needs to be faster tho
19. Apr 2020 · 21:41 UTC
this was fun to play for awhile.
scifi6546
19. Apr 2020 · 22:18 UTC
Like the game. Could use more strategy to farming to make it less grindy though
Listonos
19. Apr 2020 · 22:37 UTC
Chill little farming game, could use more options and some progression.
Kinshuk_thebest
20. Apr 2020 · 10:10 UTC
I like the randomization. Pretty fun!
Lamasaurus
20. Apr 2020 · 10:38 UTC
I have the feeling something's not right here 🤔🤣 I love the music and how random it is! Maybe the buy and sell menu could have been easier to accesse if they were in the ui, don't want to be away from my birds for to long 😉
🎤 Arcus
20. Apr 2020 · 12:51 UTC
@lamasaurus - I've just made it so when you click the signs (now with updated sprites) you can teleport to the shops. This saves a bit of time.
Lamasaurus
20. Apr 2020 · 12:52 UTC
@arcus oh! Will have to check that out!
Jay Berlin
20. Apr 2020 · 13:15 UTC
Really fun game. I like how easy it is to figure things out as you go along. Controls are pretty obscure, but maybe I just needed to read the instructions first LOL. Love the idea, and it'd be great to see you expand upon this game after the jam.
PronomicalArtist
20. Apr 2020 · 13:16 UTC
You could buy for more money than you had which would result in a negative balance of gold.
I was also able to sell land but keep my wheat growing. Art style was strange, but i liked the gameplay.
The music seemed pretty intense for a farming game. Shops were nice, don't know why you would need so many sell options, most of the time you want to sell all. Overall not bad, could use some work. **Great game.**
Geryon Games
20. Apr 2020 · 13:32 UTC
Very fun random game! Awesome to play and nice concept! Also really great music!
Artylo
20. Apr 2020 · 13:39 UTC
Here's some notes on my experience:
* Clicking for menus is really at odds with everything else being almost entirely keyboard driven.
* The music is kind of loud and very energetic for what is really a farming game where you wait for crops to grow.
* Harvesting the crops before they matured would make the soil underneath them disappear
* I sold all the wheat from my first harvest and bought eggs, but they didn't show up in my inventory, but the money was still spent, so now I had no seeds and no eggs, so I got soft-locked.
Hope this helps! Thanks for making this.
Kinshuk_thebest
20. Apr 2020 · 13:42 UTC
I bought some eggs and wheat, but didn't get the eggs. The game is still nice though, but has some bugs. I like that you are working on fixing them
Inka McAtee
20. Apr 2020 · 16:02 UTC
I like the PixelArt , super sweet <3
🎤 Arcus
20. Apr 2020 · 16:52 UTC
@charliegray & @eboatwright - We've updated the player to be faster now. The graphics have been fixed to be more consistant, and there's a cool quest system now :smile:
🎤 Arcus
20. Apr 2020 · 16:53 UTC
@charliegray & @eboatwright - We've updated the player to be faster now. The graphics have been fixed to be more consistant, and there's a cool quest system now :smile:
sledzik
20. Apr 2020 · 17:17 UTC
What hapened to them tucans?
Basileios
20. Apr 2020 · 17:32 UTC
I couldn't find out how to plant seeds. I knew what I was supposed to do, but not how to do it
axelrinaldo
20. Apr 2020 · 17:37 UTC
That is the best music I've heard in a game yet, great job!
🎤 Arcus
20. Apr 2020 · 17:44 UTC
@sledzik At the end the toucans where to be eaten bt a dragon, but I decided that 'Actualy, I don't want to draw a Toucan-eating dragon'. They just kind of... dissapear...
🎤 Arcus
20. Apr 2020 · 17:45 UTC
@basileios Whilst you are standing over a field, press P. You can select a crop using 1, 2, 3, or using the mouse wheel.
🎤 Arcus
20. Apr 2020 · 17:45 UTC
@axelrinaldo Thanks,I put a lot of work into it :smile:
niklasriewald
20. Apr 2020 · 18:13 UTC
Love the music, I think it's fitting the theme of a "fast speed farming sim".

Game is fun.

I feel the controls could be simplified though, maybe use always space to interact? Or always use mouse clicks to be consistent with the buying/selling stuff.
IronyGames
20. Apr 2020 · 19:24 UTC
That's not how eggs work :D

Fun game, the quests really give it a feel of progression.

As feedback, I'd try to give more crop variety and allow the farmer to do other things like watering.
🎤 Arcus
20. Apr 2020 · 23:37 UTC
@ironygames Ha ha! We thought about it, and decided to hastily add it in. There's not watering! (Thanks for the idea :smile:)
🎤 Arcus
20. Apr 2020 · 23:38 UTC
@niklasriewald We have changed the controles a bit so you use the mouse a lot more. Hope this helps!
petrifiedapple
21. Apr 2020 · 01:47 UTC
If you keep working on this maybe it will turn into something
Pusheeneiro
21. Apr 2020 · 01:51 UTC
Nice game, but the best UI.
FPixel
21. Apr 2020 · 07:51 UTC
Realy cute farming simulator. Good job!
rob_work
21. Apr 2020 · 08:31 UTC
Much better than the Farming Simulator series and a nice piano track too
xyfeng
22. Apr 2020 · 20:09 UTC
Love the game! However, I noticed that eggplant and wheat could be plant on one same land. And after I harvest two lands on the right, I cannot plant on these two lands anymore. Those might be bugs or I did it in a wrong way! In all, great game, love the music! Would like to see more!
XdSilentStorm
22. Apr 2020 · 20:10 UTC
Really cool farming game. Has great potential to be expanded on in the future!
zimny11
22. Apr 2020 · 20:33 UTC
Like other memories, it looks like there are some bugs, for example, that some fields stop working after some time or that you can plant many crops in one field. Besides that I like it. Adding quests was a really nice idea.
🎤 Arcus
22. Apr 2020 · 22:02 UTC
@xyfeng & @zimny11 - Yeah, those bugs are anoying, and we havn't figured out what's causing them. We kinda just hoped they'd go away after a while. A bug fix may come in a while :wink:
Izokia
23. Apr 2020 · 01:53 UTC
A nice little farming sim that gave some layback down time ;D. Everything works and plays well. Only thing is some weird looking pixel art that kinda ruined the feel (Textures). Other than that, the game was really relaxing and enjoyable! great job!
HiImBarney
23. Apr 2020 · 02:02 UTC
I played for about 30 minutes, here's my Feedback:

Graphics:
Sprites are good, the background colors are kind of distracting, they don't harmonize all too well.

Movement:
Feels a bit sluggish, there is no player Feedback on anything apart from the Water bucket filling and emptying.
To me, this would've made a lot more sense with no player movement and a static screen, apart from the Water mechanic. I can see this as one of those management games like O-Game or Republic Online.

Sound:
I like the Piano track, it's catchy and fits the chaotic/random nature of growing Toucan plants haha.
Some SFX would be nice to give player feedback on whats happening, but I understand that this might be the last thing one works on during a Jam. I had an hour to create them all and implementation bugged out last minute.

The strengths of the game:
Definitely was fun growing yourself a Toucan selling empire haha. Cool creative concept, that fits the Theme quite well. Good work!
randdir
23. Apr 2020 · 06:43 UTC
Event if graphics are correct, I suggest few improve on it 'cause your gameplay fit very well. You got something cool team keep it up !
Horbee
23. Apr 2020 · 08:24 UTC
Cool farming simulator! I usually don't like this kind of games, but I was playing around 30 minutes with this :D
It somehow catched me. Nice job!!
WhiteFox
23. Apr 2020 · 20:08 UTC
The whole game is a nice idea. I like that you can choose what type to plant each time and that there are quests to give you a hint about how to progress. I think the music is fun, but it would be nice to shuffle in a couple of tracks in order to not get repetitive. Good job mate.
SleepyStudios
24. Apr 2020 · 16:23 UTC
I liked the inclusion of the quests to give the gameplay more purpose that was a nice touch. Some of the collisions felt a bit off (e.g. clicking to plant/harvest). I think with a bit more feedback on interactions that would've been alleviated.
zoarfy
24. Apr 2020 · 19:59 UTC
I love farming games nice job! The quest system was definitely a nice touch and I think things were generally paced out rather well. The art was cute and suited things well.
jdalida
25. Apr 2020 · 08:43 UTC
Oh. nice. :)
Daepso
25. Apr 2020 · 08:50 UTC
Nice music! And cool game idea but I add some bug where I could not plant anything in some fields as things process.
BilalCh213
25. Apr 2020 · 12:32 UTC
A very relaxing farming game. It is a very simplistic game. I didn't like the music and it is not really blending with the game. The art style is also not consistent (some pixel art and some high res).
BilalCh213
25. Apr 2020 · 12:32 UTC
A very relaxing farming game. It is a very simplistic game. I don't like the music and it is not really blending with the game. The art style is also not consistent (some pixel art and some high res).
NvrSkipGameDay
25. Apr 2020 · 20:26 UTC
Super cool! I liked how quickly the wheat grew, and it became a bit of a mad dash to keep my toucans doing well. Chill, with just the right amount of challenge. There were a few plots of land that stopped being interactable as I played, but overall really awesome submission!! :D
SlimBun
25. Apr 2020 · 20:30 UTC
Very cool game. I liked everything about it. Apart of the animations. which didn't exist
Dannyk1994
25. Apr 2020 · 20:34 UTC
Good game, well rouned. Gameplay is fun and music is enjoyable.
Trigueiro
26. Apr 2020 · 12:33 UTC
Good game. Graphics are a bit messy, specially in shop. The quest should pop up when finished or instead, it should be always on screen instead of a clickable. I really liked the idea and when everything is planted and with the birds it gets really challenging and chaotic. :smile:
🎤 Arcus
26. Apr 2020 · 19:14 UTC
@trigueiro That's a good idea! I may start working on a notification system for a post-jam version :smile:
ArtemFTW
27. Apr 2020 · 22:37 UTC
Well done! For a jam game I think the graphics could have been better though. Other than that great job!
Emperor Eagle
28. Apr 2020 · 00:16 UTC
Good game! Quests were great and the gameplay was reasonably intuitive. I enjoyed it! The main gameplay screen was well laid out and it was satisfying to grow and sell crops. Some player feedback would be good during transactions though. Also some plots wouldn't let me plant after a while, probably an instruction I didn't read. The music was good and fitted reasonably and, while being a little out of place for the game genre, it was really cool and spiced the game up well! The graphics could be upgraded however, and the controls could have a pop-up to remind me, as they were intuitive from the instructions, in game, some hints/reminders would have been good. Good game overall, it had a lot of depth to it, and it felt alive! Well done!
Madbarron
28. Apr 2020 · 00:24 UTC
Works pretty well! Took me a while before I noticed the "sell" sign. After that, I realized it was probably easiest to just buy eggplant seeds, grow birds, and sell them.

I also forgot about the quests until I was ready to be done playing. Maybe just display the progress of the current quest in the corner instead of making it a different screen?

A few of my plots of land got in a locked state where I couldn't grow anything. But all in all, a fun farming experience!
🎤 Arcus
28. Apr 2020 · 11:22 UTC
@madbarron - That's a good idea for the quests. I'm currently working on a post-jam version (with some bug fixes and stuff) but the quest system is geting redone a bit. That may be a good thing to add in, thanks :smile:
Quinn_Patrick
29. Apr 2020 · 17:02 UTC
A hectic and challenging resource management game. There were some technical quirks, though. Some fields wouldn't let me plant in them for no obvious reason, while others would let me plant when there was already a fully grown crop in it. Also, I'm not sure the music was a good fit. But farming toucans was really funny, overall this was a good game, keep it up.
Thibaud Ligneul
08. May 2020 · 15:23 UTC
Saw on that video that you really got yourself into composing for that BGM! Congrats, it's nice :slight_smile:. Didn't manage to get toucans, and to grow eggplants to the maximum, but I think I might be missing something. Well cool game anyway !
Skvader_418
10. May 2020 · 23:59 UTC
pretty cool