Soulless by Nithin

[raw]
made by Nithin for Ludum Dare 45 (JAM)

title (3).gif

In Soulless, you play as a cube that has been stripped of his soul, and thus all of his senses and abilities. As you start off, the only thing you can do is move left and right. No jumping, shooting or climbing, you can't hear, and you can't even see. At this reduced state, you must brave all the challenges and retrieve the fragments of your stolen soul one by one, slowly regaining the ability to live again.

Screen Shot 2019-10-07 at 5.21.08 PM.png
Screen Shot 2019-10-07 at 5.14.26 PM.png

Controls =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

WASD for movement

Space for jump

Left click for shoot

Right click for dash

Stick to walls by moving into them

Credits =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Created on Unity Game Studio by Nithin Muthukumar and Daniel Liu for Ludum Dare 45.

Music was composed by Andrew Lin

Sprite work done on piskel (https://www.piskelapp.com/)

Sound effects created using sfxr (http://www.drpetter.se/project_sfxr.html)

Ratings

Overall 414th 3.585⭐ 119🧑‍⚖️
Fun 329th 3.559⭐ 120🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 614th 3.107⭐ 119🧑‍⚖️
Theme 192th 3.843⭐ 120🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 690th 3.295⭐ 119🧑‍⚖️
Audio 584th 2.825⭐ 119🧑‍⚖️
Humor 569th 2.688⭐ 106🧑‍⚖️
Mood 757th 3.091⭐ 112🧑‍⚖️
Given 52🗳️ 93🗨️

Feedback

JD Parker
07. Oct 2019 · 23:03 UTC
Controls are a little difficult. Its hard to use wasd/arrows, space and mouse. But i really like the design
beepyeah
07. Oct 2019 · 23:06 UTC
Pretty nice! I kept getting stuck on the side of walls, but it was still fun.
BeaverGames
07. Oct 2019 · 23:07 UTC
Add some music and also please fix the glitch where the guy sticks to the wall
Lukas Harman
07. Oct 2019 · 23:11 UTC
The sound effects were ear piercingly loud and the sticking glitch was annoying but really fun overall.
TheMiSta92
07. Oct 2019 · 23:12 UTC
Nice game, fits the theme really good. The physics in terms of friction on the side of the wall or small blocking colliders makes the game too hard, else very challenging and fun since you really want to go past the sections and still very playable, very minor problems with it. Deserves the name =D
🎤 Nithin
07. Oct 2019 · 23:13 UTC
@beavergames if you continue within the first level, you can get the music powerup
TheJebForge
07. Oct 2019 · 23:13 UTC
Design is very good!
GullynGames
07. Oct 2019 · 23:14 UTC
Wow! That was one of the best games I've ever played on Ludum Dare. Amazing idea for the theme, and the graphics and music fit right in with the rest of the game. Great job!
Jordan Toth
07. Oct 2019 · 23:14 UTC
Try showing rather than telling, such as an enemy walking into spikes and dying instead of telling the player spikes are dangerous, or placing low-health turrets such that a player walking directly to the right will accidentally cause them to shoot and kill each other instead of telling the player that will happen.
squid109
07. Oct 2019 · 23:16 UTC
Was really fun to play liked how the game looked
🎤 Nithin
07. Oct 2019 · 23:17 UTC
@jordan-toth thanks for the pointers
James Beninger
07. Oct 2019 · 23:19 UTC
You've got a solid platform mechanic and level design here. I could have stopped earlier, but I was compelled to try to make it through the whole thing. There were a few unexplained deaths, particularly with the bazooka. Not sure if that was due to bugs, or if I was somehow blowing myself up. Maybe a warning is in order if friendly fire is on (or maybe there is one and I missed it?)

Embedding the tutorial in the game worked great. There were quite a few mechanics and they were introduced very well.

I'd complain about the music, but you did warn me.

Bottom line, this game was fun on its own merits, jam or no.
kleinzach
07. Oct 2019 · 23:25 UTC
Very cool. I would say that the wall clinging mechanic feels a bit much, and triggers a bit too easily. Obtaining new power ups throughout a level feels really good though. I always like a good rocket jump as well!
Bubble Boy
07. Oct 2019 · 23:31 UTC
Not sure if it's intended, but the guy would stick to walls before I had to wall-sticky ability.
Other stuff I'd point out would be, some enemies are missing like, good visual/audio feedback for when you land a hit, only some though, not all. And the other criticism I'd point to would be there isn't much feedback when you use a dash, the guy moves quickly, but personally I'd would've liked a little "whoosh" sound or some additional visual feedback, or maybe some screen shake (if there isn't already, don't remember noticing), I feel like that would've helped.
But yeah those are all my notes, apart from that I really liked everything! The concept was interesting, I liked the minimalist visual aesthetic and the gameplay.
Space Wumpus
07. Oct 2019 · 23:31 UTC
Reminiscent of old vector arcade games!
I played through to the end - died a zillion times.
pinosaur
07. Oct 2019 · 23:39 UTC
@bubble-boy the wall stick was intended, it was just that you couldn't actually go up the wall before getting the arms ability. I agree with the sticking being a little annoying and it was definitely something we could have streamlined. Thanks for the feedback!
aaranos
08. Oct 2019 · 00:09 UTC
The camera had some issues keeping up in a few places and the jump controls could do with some tightening up. Has a lot going on for a weekend game so nice job.
Cyrolis
08. Oct 2019 · 00:15 UTC
Heyyyy ! nice concept. I liked the minimalistic graphics, the music is not looping (but it is short so I understant why).
Well done! "These are spike, this is an ennemy " x)))
Skyeward
08. Oct 2019 · 01:05 UTC
Love the over-delivering on the minimalist aesthetic, well into it from the get-go!
Trifectuh
08. Oct 2019 · 02:07 UTC
Great game overall and stuck to the theme well. Level design was good. My only issue was the movement controls were a bit slippery. The player has far too much momentum even from just tapping left/right which makes the precise platforming difficult.
mattdotam
08. Oct 2019 · 02:49 UTC
This is a great concept for the theme of this jam! Wish I'd thought of it. The audio complements the graphics. In all, this is packaged nicely and well done. The minimalist aesthetic just suits a cube who has lost their soul. Poor cube.
PenguinBoy
08. Oct 2019 · 02:49 UTC
I love the screen shake effect you have going on, this game looks really nice.
Gold5Games
08. Oct 2019 · 05:27 UTC
Controls are a bit tough and collision stuff, as others have said, but it's a fun concept, and any game with rocket jumping gets bonus points from me.
Alchemic
08. Oct 2019 · 06:40 UTC
Nice idea and good implementation. The collision could use a bit of work, walls feel a bit too sticky. Very nice graphics.
Corny
08. Oct 2019 · 07:03 UTC
It felt great to be blessed with the power of legs! Very thoughtful of you to add music as an optional pickup. I noticed that the "hands" powerup is active regardless of whether you actually picked it up or not. Either that or your platforming is seriously "sticky", if you catch my drift.
Rysae
08. Oct 2019 · 10:18 UTC
The level design is very nice, i had a lot of fun discovering what abilities i can have in this game. Glade to find out i can rocket jump! I sometimes get stuck on walls, but great game anyway!
benjames171
08. Oct 2019 · 11:18 UTC
Am a fan of 2-bit graphics so you had me instantly. Quite tricky and as others have said the collision detection feels suspect at points and I died a lot. Nice work, nonetheless, I think with a bit more work and polish this could be great fun.
Ace17
08. Oct 2019 · 12:28 UTC
Solid B&W graphics and sound FX.
I was less convinced by the music (especially the fact that it restarts when you die).
Played through the end, the jump feels nice, but the walls are too sticky. The slow scrolling also feels unjust, I never want to wait for the screen to scroll :D
dimlight
08. Oct 2019 · 15:24 UTC
Well-done 2bit game with many interesting levels, during the whole game, new elements are constantly add with a good coordination with the levels. However, before having the ability of climbing wall, the whole wall was too sticky, it would be great if this part could be optimized!
WanSou
08. Oct 2019 · 15:29 UTC
Not bad 53 Deaths, the stucking to the wall is kind of annoying but its still a really good game mate!
mechanicallife
08. Oct 2019 · 15:50 UTC
Cool game, It was nice how you managed to keep the game play fresh with these new concepts and ideas throughout. At the same time it felt a little clunky now and then and I'd end up getting stuck.
Lovely entry, keep up the good stuff!
Narffy
08. Oct 2019 · 16:20 UTC
Nice game, good graphisms and sound effect, very good job, the only problem is sometimes getting stuck on wall, but it's a good game. Good job !
CrazyHomeboys
08. Oct 2019 · 16:37 UTC
The aesthetic is well fitted, I like simple art and if it's black and white much more. I've a good time playing it. Congrats! :DD

PS: The controls are a bit clunky.
Cornel
08. Oct 2019 · 19:03 UTC
Well done, bugless (in my run) and had a lot of fun. Graphics simple but really nice. Great game!
Amerigo Gazaway
08. Oct 2019 · 19:39 UTC
Cool concept! Is there supposed to be music? Or maybe there's no music because it ties in with the theme haha...either way great work!
pinosaur
08. Oct 2019 · 19:55 UTC
@amerigo-gazaway at one point, you have the option to pickup a powerup that grants you 'ears' to hear the music. Thanks for the feedback, glad you liked it!
FelipeNadhel
08. Oct 2019 · 22:13 UTC
Gameplay is good, the controls are a bit difficult, the effects (3D with 2D) are good. Great game!
SheepDog123
09. Oct 2019 · 01:09 UTC
Very nice! I had some critisism, but I forgot it :laughing: so, it was probubly not very important.

All the best~
RoboDoig
09. Oct 2019 · 01:23 UTC
One of the best I've played so far, simple and engaging.
erebus
09. Oct 2019 · 02:04 UTC
Great job! I felt like the platforming was a little sticky. But overall a great game. Plenty of content, and lots of enemies and cool abilities.
pinosaur
09. Oct 2019 · 02:10 UTC
@erebus thanks for the playthrough and highlighting the points of improvement in depth as well as providing insightful feedback!
mrabnox
09. Oct 2019 · 02:43 UTC
I don't normally play platformer but I enjoyed this one. will 100 percent play this again to try and complete it. keep it up.
tumati
09. Oct 2019 · 02:50 UTC
Great Job! rocket jump is the best :)
RaineTheGlutton
09. Oct 2019 · 13:55 UTC
Thanks for rating our game!

I played through the whole thing and enjoyed the variety of power-ups you had incorporated. The rocket jump brought back some fond memories of Doom and Quake. As others have mentioned the controls weren't fluid in some areas, but nothing out of the ordinary for a 72-hour jam. Great job!
changemewtf
09. Oct 2019 · 19:42 UTC
Simple and compelling. It was too hard for me to finish, but I had a lot of fun with the rocket launcher especially!
jusw85
09. Oct 2019 · 19:43 UTC
Got the final flag and ended the game with 38 deaths (long corridor on 2nd stage was tough). I loved the minimalist aesthetic and the concept of gaining powers throughout the levels. Control's weren't the greatest, but that's to be expected in a game jam. Overall good job!
LadyPossum
09. Oct 2019 · 21:57 UTC
i really enjoyed this :D feels really polished.

the audio was SUPER loud at the beginning, and my system volume was already <10 but i liked the sound design otherwise!

good job
Danilo Freire
10. Oct 2019 · 02:40 UTC
Love to use the rockets to fly high! Remind me of Cave Story <3
AdamCYounis
10. Oct 2019 · 04:58 UTC
I had some fun with this one. I will say, I think the description text needs to be carefully written so as not to give away the fun / answers to the mechanics, beyond explaining their function. It felt like i was being talked-down-to, a little. Nice breadth of mechanics though, which were upgraded at a nice pace. The only other gripe I had was that the screen shake was a little over the top, turning it down maybe 75% would have been just as effective. Thanks again for the game, solid entry.
Paulsams
10. Oct 2019 · 11:54 UTC
Cool long game). If you did everything from scratch in 3 days together - then this is generally cool - I wish prosperity in GameDev)! And even the theme is well conveyed.
BilalCh213
10. Oct 2019 · 18:03 UTC
Very simplistic and still manages to be that much engaging! Nice variety of powerups and good platformer game. Great effort and solid entry!
hwaet
10. Oct 2019 · 18:22 UTC
Great level design and the minimal graphics worked great. Nice game!
DjindeGames
10. Oct 2019 · 20:25 UTC
Very good entry love the graphics and the old fashionned sound effects. Very cool !!!
bryvox
11. Oct 2019 · 03:32 UTC
This game is really cool! I love the rocket jump and the mechanics are so good. Love the style too :) Well done!
trmrddr
11. Oct 2019 · 16:00 UTC
Pretty solid platformer! I like the simple art. The rocket launcher was a bunch of fun! If I'm being nitpicky, I feel like the controls were good, but needs a little bit more polish for the tighter precision movements.
mharring
11. Oct 2019 · 19:41 UTC
Fun game! The controls are a little difficult to master - for instance, there is a little too much accel / deccel which can cause you to slide into spikes sometimes. There was also a little too much screen shake in my opinion. The levels were really well designed - I especially liked the vertical block at slid along the spikes to move you up like an elevator. Well done!
Khud0
12. Oct 2019 · 17:56 UTC
Nice game, great job! :)

I wish controls were a bit more responsive (making turrets kill each other is pretty hard because of sliding mechanics) and I found myself getting stuck in walls a few times, but I like the concept and the visuals of the game!
Hermitao
13. Oct 2019 · 02:15 UTC
Nice game!

I wish the player character didn't slide as much on the ground.
Ferdi
13. Oct 2019 · 09:07 UTC
Nice and simple graphics and audio. Feels great to play. Walls are a bit sticky but this is a super fun to play entry. Great job !
frenchie
14. Oct 2019 · 01:39 UTC
Apart from getting stuck on a few walls I had a lot of fun playing! 28 deaths on my first try :smiley: Nice work!
Hcursino
14. Oct 2019 · 17:20 UTC
The dash feels a bit uncomfortable to use because it seems to use it at random, some right clicks dash others doesn't, that kinda ruined the experience. But other than that the game works fine, the level design is brilliant and the music and sounds are great. Good job overall!
Franciszek Pyrć
15. Oct 2019 · 06:04 UTC
That was awesome!
Alexascher
15. Oct 2019 · 23:05 UTC
Thats pretty much it! Solid platformer with nice theme interpretation. Was joy to play
siimer
16. Oct 2019 · 17:07 UTC
Gameplay wise this game is pretty good. There were some problems: The audio was too loud so it got irritating too fast and the screen shake was also headache inducing. The movement could have been a bit better, currently playing it felt like I was rolling on ice in some places. Otherwise, good job.
asfdfdfd
16. Oct 2019 · 19:45 UTC
Just finished your game. Nice! But i've stucked into walls sometimes.
TORT60091
16. Oct 2019 · 21:24 UTC
It's sweet tiny concept, thank you for this experience :)
JUSTCAMH
17. Oct 2019 · 12:08 UTC
I unfortunately got stuck on what I think was the last level, I got the jump ability, but I couldn't actually jump. Very polished game, good job creating all of those abilities, enemies and expansive levels. That is some seriously impressive stuff! Since the only graphics were white lines, it was hard to tell which areas were inside the wall, and which was outside. Could have maybe made the fill colour of the wall slightly different from the fill colour of the background? Still though awesome game, I really enjoyed it! :heart:
Bungalow
22. Oct 2019 · 07:34 UTC
Adorable art and animations, tight intuitive controls and a nice concept. Awesome job!
BrokenMirrorMedia
26. Oct 2019 · 04:12 UTC
I love the visual style here, the super-low-resolution graphics are hard to pull off effectively but work really well here. By far my favourite part of this game is the little spin animation that turrets do when they first see you. I don't know why but it's just great to watch, and really nice detail! Great work.
Virimine
28. Oct 2019 · 22:50 UTC
Great level design! The art is neat! In my opinion, when you choose to make pixel art, it's better to keep it simple. Apart from some "sticky" bugs, the game is well rounded! I like the fact that when something dies, it stays dead but instead your progress is saved. Great job! Keep it up! :D