jumpgolf by torcado

[raw]
made by torcado for Ludum Dare 46 (COMPO)

jumpgolfTrailer3o3.gif

keep the ball alive as you climb your way to the top. how far can you get?

shoot: click

checkpoint: space | enter | c

respawn: r | z

pause: escape

remember not to fall :)

(also, feel free to post your winning screenshots in the comments! let's see who has the best times/fewest checkpoints)

Ratings

Overall 269th 3.708⭐ 74🧑‍⚖️
Fun 182th 3.74⭐ 75🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 552th 3.257⭐ 74🧑‍⚖️
Theme 1070th 2.082⭐ 75🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 585th 3.356⭐ 75🧑‍⚖️
Audio 509th 3.058⭐ 71🧑‍⚖️
Humor 614th 2.542⭐ 61🧑‍⚖️
Mood 624th 3.077⭐ 67🧑‍⚖️
Given 5🗳️ 5🗨️

Feedback

Nick Barrash
20. Apr 2020 · 02:17 UTC
Another banger as we've all come to expect from torcado. Super polished, fun to climb walls by ricochet up walls and hitting again once you've charged up. Well done.
Nyunesu
20. Apr 2020 · 03:04 UTC
Heyo Torc! (:

So, a little bit of feedback!

Feel free to ignore most of the things due to jam scope etc, but as always I’ll give feedback considering you’ll work on it after the jam.

Could’ve been better:
- Lack of dopamine. I play your game but I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere, my objective/role in this game isn't clear
- Lack of movement/animations/eye candy. Since the world is very still there's nothing to "distract" me or something that I can enjoy while climbing. Be it a moving platform (I didn't get very far), animations, flags, environmental changes, etc.
- I missed some music to listen while playing
- No "relax dude you won't lose any progress after this"/checkpoints, falling from a high-place was what made me quit

Good points:
- It's cute, nice art
- Sound effects are great

I feel like this could be improved a lot by adding something to motivate the player. Be it showing the top and panning the camera to where you are, or a height counter of how far you got, small collectibles or mini flags/holes that you get on your way to the top. The question of where should I get to or how long is it going to take was prominent in my head.

Hope that helps, and if you happen to update this game, drop me a tweet or something!

If you have time, please click on my profile and give me some constructive feedback on my game (:

See ya!
🎤 torcado
20. Apr 2020 · 04:07 UTC
@nick-barrash aw, :heart: :heart:

@nyunesu thanks for the feedback!
1. this differs person to person. in these types of games i personally find the main motivation comes from not knowing what's up ahead and wanting to find out. (other than that, the layout of the level guides the player upwards)
3. you can place your own checkpoints!
crazyrems
20. Apr 2020 · 12:38 UTC
It was very hard to complete but the unlimited checkpoints helped get to the top. It would have been nice to have that indication within the game. I also found the peep.
VerttiXPertti
20. Apr 2020 · 14:44 UTC
Pretty fun and has some getting over it vibes when playing without checkpoints. The itchio browser version didn't work for me at all. I couldn't see anything else except the ball and the particles.
SSStormy
20. Apr 2020 · 15:04 UTC
Big Bennett Foddy vibe from this one.

The golfing felt satisfying, however it wasn't exactly interesting. Sure there was variation in the walls and the level design, but fundamentally doing the golfing wasn't intriguing in any way :(.

Neat game other than that!
RanDumSocks
20. Apr 2020 · 16:48 UTC
![victory.png](///raw/739/12/z/2da8a.png)
I guess I'll post my winning screenshot :)

Very good game now I want to speedrun it.
njm_games
20. Apr 2020 · 17:03 UTC
Pretty cool, not sure if youre supposed to be able to jump in mid-air (after re-touching ground again) , feels more like a platformer than golf... But its still a fun platformer and reminds me of getting over it :)
HackTrout
20. Apr 2020 · 19:38 UTC
Love the visuals! Gave up trying to reach then end cause it was stressing me out but it felt tight, nice work!
🎤 torcado
20. Apr 2020 · 20:02 UTC
@verttixpertti sorry about the black screen! i think i finally found the cause and fixed that bug.
let me know if anyone else experiences it!
Sciman101
20. Apr 2020 · 21:23 UTC
Really solid, fun entry! The aesthetic felt distinctly 'torcado', if that makes sense? I could easily see this being expanded into a longer game, maybe with more surface types (bouncy, slippery, etc).
MickGerritsen
20. Apr 2020 · 23:01 UTC
This is solid and polished! It played very well and the rules were understandable through the art quickly, which is nice. But one point of feedback, it was kinda difficult to be honest. Nvm good job!
Kiddy
20. Apr 2020 · 23:44 UTC
I love the idea. It could be a very good on a mobile arcade game.
sigod
21. Apr 2020 · 01:26 UTC
The first game that I'm checking out for this LD and I already know that it's one of my favorite.
infinitycore
21. Apr 2020 · 02:47 UTC
Yay! I love golf games. This one is infuriating in the best way possible. Very much "Getting Over It"-y.
goblinkingmatt
21. Apr 2020 · 03:53 UTC
Much potential here as a 'Getting Over It' style game.
Very polished feel; audio and sprite design is great. I adore the melodic notes that play when you make a new checkpoint.
I think you could have expanded on the theme; I don't feel like I am keeping a golf-ball alive (can a golf-ball be alive? What is life anyway??).
jjoeyay
21. Apr 2020 · 03:59 UTC
oh my goshh torcado without fail your jam games are just so incredibly funnn, you never disappoint--
i love everything you make ok
saucygames
21. Apr 2020 · 07:32 UTC
good golf edition of getoverit
Noa Calice
21. Apr 2020 · 07:33 UTC
Excellent entry :)! Cute minimilist art, satisfying (and pretty challenging) gameplay. Well done man!
aeveis
21. Apr 2020 · 08:39 UTC
![jumpgolf.png](///raw/2e2/1/z/313b8.png)

Phew that was difficult. I tried the browser version first but the checkpoints weren't working (Chrome, maybe I couldn't focus on window?) so I switched to desktop version.

On my laptop there is a bit of lag (maybe 30 fps or potentially less) which makes the timing a bit hard so I have to spam the mouse (though maybe you kind of have to do that anyway at certain points).

I think there's some slight game feel things but may be my personal preference. Currently the ball feels a bit weak - I always want the ball to go a bit stronger and everything feels a bit out of reach. There's also something about preserving momentum. If I click in the same direction the ball is going, I want to add to the existing velocity to go further. But if I click in the opposite direction, I would want to cancel the current velocity completely and start the momentum over with the base velocity.

I found the Slugger Bunny and Ghost Bird though :). Nice job!
toad
21. Apr 2020 · 14:11 UTC
I hate this, but in a good way :))))))
Generic Games
21. Apr 2020 · 14:11 UTC
Really slick interface and well polished feel - I love how the rules were understandable just through the art. And thank goodness for the checkpoints :) Super fun to play overall!
stephan steinbach
21. Apr 2020 · 18:48 UTC
Nice. I like that setting the checkpoint is part of the game. The graphics are simple, but focused on gameplay elements, so they work pretty well, I think.
🎤 torcado
22. Apr 2020 · 03:55 UTC
@aeveis thanks for the feedback! sorry about framerate issues, there are a lot of weird intricacies with how it's all set up. Haven't had anyone mention not being able to place checkpoints though..

About the velocity thing, that's definitely something i considered during development. I mentioned it to some friends and they had the opinion that they preferred it the way it is, but I think it adds some confusion because its not necessarily intuitive, so i agree.

As for the power comment, That may just be due to how i designed the level? I proportioned the velocity to the outer ring in such a way that the ring is indicative of how far you can go (against gravity) so you can use it as reference when targetting a platform


thanks for thee nice comments everyone!! i love you :heart:
Haro Games
22. Apr 2020 · 07:28 UTC
Nice little game, like getting over it but funnier :)
MKRaw
22. Apr 2020 · 15:16 UTC
Fun game, has that Getting over it feel
Mika la Grand
22. Apr 2020 · 15:52 UTC
Getting Over It is a bit like Jumpgolf. It does get easier the more you play it, but I couldn't get past the area pictured below. I like how there is no tutorial, but that the level design teaches the player. Though, I don't see the theme in your game.
![Schermopname (540).png](///raw/2cc/c1/z/32655.png)
unept
22. Apr 2020 · 18:55 UTC
Nice job here. Love the mechanics. Love the potential of the level designs. Like the commentator above me, I got stuck in the same place. High quality in all aspects of the game, as expected. :)
Noxalus
22. Apr 2020 · 19:36 UTC
Really neat game, I couldn't stop to play it trying to se the end, but the frustration got me before that :sweat:

It tastes like "Getting Over It" but with checkpoints (good point for me), and the mechanic to refill "the shoot" is clever.

In conclusion, I really like the game, even though I don't really see how it's related to the theme. Good job for this entry :thumbsup:
JulienLussiez
22. Apr 2020 · 20:31 UTC
Nice concept. Maybe it could be interesting to add a little time when you respawn to do an other action but maybe it would break the gameplay. Overall, I had fun. Well done.
🎤 torcado
22. Apr 2020 · 23:11 UTC
thanks!

@mika-la-grand @noxalus i used a synonymous phrase "still in the air" to the theme, as the goal is to not let the ball fall.
Franklins Ghost
23. Apr 2020 · 13:56 UTC
Interesting take on golf. Found it compelling to keep going further to see what was ahead and the simple art was nicely done.
ytaha
23. Apr 2020 · 15:00 UTC
This was satisfying and weirdly addictive. I couldn't made it to the end but sure played for 40 minutes. Left at the bouncy part of the level. I don't have much to say. It's perfect :P Neat game!
01010111
23. Apr 2020 · 15:15 UTC
LOVE THIS. I really really love that you can place checkpoints anywhere, that was genius. Although I did have to train myself to keep my hand off the space bar :joy:
Pietro Ferrantelli
23. Apr 2020 · 20:11 UTC
Amazing game Torcado ! I had a blast playing it, it's a smart idea with really eye-candy graphics and funny gameplay. Minimalism at its best ! Everything is well put together, huge congrats for this gem compo !
ruby0x1
23. Apr 2020 · 23:09 UTC
Good stuff as usual! The challenge seems a good scope for a jam.
Stefan Laimer
25. Apr 2020 · 00:47 UTC
Amazing game and "Getting over it" level of frustrating sometimes, especially when you place a checkpoint where you shouldn't :D
MrLeePerry
25. Apr 2020 · 04:52 UTC
HA! Man this turned out really fun! So many interesting moments where you're in a golfy mindset, but actually dexterity and twitch skills pull you through, which is an amazing change. Loved it so much, very very nice work!
Alexascher
25. Apr 2020 · 20:47 UTC
Very addictive game! Great mechanics and execution, gratz!
picross
26. Apr 2020 · 07:22 UTC
Nice work. I made a game very similar to this in early 2019, but it wasn't golf themed, and it was level based. I really like your Getting Over It-esque take on the game, and I think you nailed it a lot better than I did. I was really impressed by how long the game was. I wish the theme fit a little better with the game, though. Fantastic job!
Matt Lowe
26. Apr 2020 · 20:33 UTC
Fun idea and challenging game. Wish it fit the theme a little better, but great work nonetheless!
Josh Riley
30. Apr 2020 · 22:11 UTC
I really like this a lot. The concept is really strong, and the game is mostly polished. I was stuck at one point for 10 minutes before I finally gave up, but I never really felt frustrated by it. I love being able to place my own checkpoints (aside from the couple of times I accidentally overwrote a good one).

The only issue I kept running in to with the web version was that I kept clicking outside the window. Don't think there's much you can do about that, though. Seems like this would work really well with touch controls if you ever wanted to take it further.
Add-an-A
02. May 2020 · 07:47 UTC
Really enjoyed this! There were some frustrating moments where I hit R instead of Space, and teleported instead of planting a new checkpoint. But that's likely just me getting used to the controls.

I love the ability to place your own checkpoints, and the visuals and audio are slick.

Well done on such a great entry.
terry
08. May 2020 · 03:52 UTC
Haha, this is super fun. I can't finish it but I love it. :smile:
neontropics
10. May 2020 · 13:56 UTC
This is very satisfying to play - great mechanics and smart checkpoint system!

It gets a bit too hard too early when you get to the rocky areas, and it'd be awesome with some catchy music.
Deakcor
10. May 2020 · 16:38 UTC
Nice concept, good idea the checkpoints, maybe you could just allow player to use it on grass maybe? I couldn't finish the game, really to hard since round rock.