Slay 'n' Squeeze by LDJam user 268934

[raw]
made by LDJam user 268934 for Ludum Dare 58 (JAM)

Blob1<em>Idle</em>0(1).pngBlob2<em>Idle</em>0.pngBlob4<em>Idle</em>0.png

Welcome to Slay ’n’ Squeeze!

A solo creation forged in 72 hours for Ludum Dare, built with the Construct 3 engine. My main challenge this time? Designing and balancing a skill tree system… and I think I actually pulled it off!

🕹️ Controls

🖱️ Left-Click: Attack

🖱️ Hold Left-Click: Collect

📱 Tap (Mobile): Attack

📱 Hold (Mobile): Collect

💡 Game Tips

-There is a sound when you need to collect

-Play in full screen for the best experience

⚙️ Tools of the Trade

Construct 3

Figma

Audacity

Zapsplat

Ableton live

Good old Notepad 📝

Ratings

Overall 10th 4.375⭐ 30🧑‍⚖️
Fun 1th 4.536⭐ 30🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 303th 3.389⭐ 29🧑‍⚖️
Theme 221th 3.944⭐ 29🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 223th 4.056⭐ 29🧑‍⚖️
Audio 109th 3.911⭐ 30🧑‍⚖️
Humor 286th 3.26⭐ 27🧑‍⚖️
Mood 202th 3.852⭐ 29🧑‍⚖️
Given 22🗳️ 42🗨️

Feedback

🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 06th · 15:47 UTC
Bam, another one done! Again proud of my creation.
egor.ae_game
Oct 06th · 17:38 UTC
Great game, simple and fun! It would be awesome to see some random power-ups or more weapons and enemy types. Really liked the skill tree! Everything is clean and well put together.
ThDudk
Oct 06th · 18:37 UTC
Aw this is really cute! I like it a lot <:
Moonblast
Oct 06th · 18:41 UTC
The interaction is incredibly smooth and responsive, with excellent feedback.
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 06th · 21:03 UTC
@egor-ae-game he thank you for the feedback ( you played it before the last upload ). But your feedback stays the same. There are weapons in the skill tree :)
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 06th · 21:04 UTC
@thdudk Hi thank you for the feedback! If you have a game I will review your game.
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 06th · 21:06 UTC
@moonblast Thank you I spent a lot of time on smoothing things out so glad you mentioned it !
I will rate your game soon.
SolidHinken
Oct 06th · 21:20 UTC
My favourite game so far! So muuuch polish, that's really impressive, can't stop COLLECTING JUICE
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 06th · 21:22 UTC
@solidhinken The game jam started and I thought let make it juicy:)
Glad you’re having fun, I put a lot of effort in it!
I already checked out yours 🫶
Sharky3188
Oct 07th · 11:39 UTC
I just got hooked on played this for ages! Really satisfying getting the upgrades and making the whole process more efficient each time. I do wish the rockets would trigger other rockets etc for chain effects. Great feed back and game feel well done!
Mascoll
Oct 07th · 11:58 UTC
Excellent game!
A real dopamine feast!
I was just going in for a quick test but ended up unlocking the whole skill-tree!

5/5!

Super well running also at very high sprite-counts.
I loved the chain effects you unlock in the endgame!
The upgrade system is super engaging and had me continuously going "just one more game..".
I have murdered SO many slimes!! :scream:

The risk-reward mechanic with choosing to spend stamina on kill or collect is fun!


If you choose to develop this further, some quality of life additions might be:
- The ability to see (but not interact with) the upgrade screen in the in-game settings/pause menu to check what slimes you are focusing on.
- A small marker in the end-state screen on the "upgrade" button when you have upgrades unlocked so you get back to playing faster if you don't have anything to unlock.
- Expand on the music selection, it's not a bad choice currently, but I turned it off 20 minutes in as it got a bit repetitive. Super nice that you have a music mute though!

Also - I Found a small bug in the endgame where you can unlock Grey slimes by going negative dark blue slimes:
![Screenshot 2025-10-07 130947.png](///raw/f9d/04/z/6e8f3.png)
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 07th · 22:47 UTC
@sharky3188 Hi yes the cascades were in before .
![Screenshot 2025-10-08 at 11.11.53.png](///raw/68a/14/z/6ede6.png)
Then this happened :) (frame rate drop to 4)
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 07th · 22:50 UTC
@mascoll thank you so much for “completing “ the game I hoped this . There is a lot of content to choose from but you did all :)
I love to work on this some more in te future.
Thank you for playing.
Ah yes the strange bug I have seen it but could not fix it in time .
Blue Pin Studio
Oct 08th · 06:50 UTC
Soooo good! I rarely say this because i think devs get too caught up with the hype of their jam game to assess market potential properly, but you should put this on steam! :P I think you could make a ton of money, it has strong hook
YibiRabbit007
Oct 08th · 07:34 UTC
I really enjoy this game! I feel that adding some other random events would make it even more fun.
YibiRabbit007
Oct 08th · 07:41 UTC
![23.png](///raw/afd/36/z/6edbd.png)

Hmm, random image issues? It might be due to not being updated in time.
Tkap1
Oct 08th · 07:43 UTC
Very good game!

I think there was too much clicking for my boomer hands, maybe a skill tree upgrade for auto click?

I would have been nice to have an ending, even if it's just getting some special node in the skill tree
UMC049
Oct 08th · 08:08 UTC
A very fun game. The feeling of gathering a wave of slimes and then annihilating them in one hit is extremely satisfying. Personally, I think there are a few minor drawbacks. Even after upgrading the slime generation speed to the maximum level, it still feels a bit slow (compared to how fast I can eliminate slimes). Additionally, the sound design is very good, enhancing the feedback when I defeat slimes and promptly reminding me when I should collect the slime.
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 08th · 08:57 UTC
@blue-pin-studio Thank you for playing it on stream. Yes, i can develop this into a full game. Lets go!
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 08th · 09:00 UTC
@yibirabbit007 Thank you for playing, yes random events are cool indeed let me see what i can cook up in the next week.
The bug is it the slime not going to original form ?
YibiRabbit007
Oct 08th · 09:02 UTC
@senso No special effects, the game runs normally.It was just that the missile did not explode until my endurance ran out.
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 08th · 09:04 UTC
@tkap1 Thank you for playing my game on your live stream! Good to see someone almost completing the full game. Your tip for the ending in the skill tree is super, i remember this for the future projects.
Ill make an auto clicker when i develop this further.
Taximan981
Oct 08th · 09:05 UTC
Awesome entry! Love the progression system!
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 08th · 09:10 UTC
@umc049 Thank you for the feedback. Yes i agree with the drop rate being to slow i accidentally limited it to 3 upgrades it should be 10. Those last minute balancing with a fried brain got me. Up warning sound : noted.
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 08th · 10:53 UTC
@taximan981 I wanted to try something like this for a while now. Glad people like it :)
Thank you for playing i will play yours today.
AQtun
Oct 08th · 12:36 UTC
This is a prime example that it's better to make a game with a simple core loop so that you can expand on it and make it way more fun than if you were to make a game with a larger scope, the visuals and sounds are great, it's so easy to grasp the game that the tutorial is just 4 simple sentences and the rest is obvious. I only wish that there was some mechanic that would prevent you from losing uncollected slime juice when you run out of stamina.
Khamekaze
Oct 08th · 13:27 UTC
One of the most addictive games I have played in a while, everything felt very polished and thought out and the feedback in terms of both sound and visuals are top notch!

However this was my face the entire time I was squashing those poor slimes 😭
![everything.jpg](///raw/1f5/1/z/6eea1.jpg)
Fis
Oct 08th · 13:34 UTC
Incredibly satisfying game. I am just simply amazed - very well done.

One thing I would recommend: limit the amount, how often a certain sound effect is allowed to be played once at a time - so one click in a large horde does not pierce your eardrums. Something like 5 per 0.1 seconds or something like that. Thank you for adding the mute SFX button!
azahara
Oct 08th · 14:05 UTC
I don't know how much time I played. I loved it. So satisfying to kill the slimes. Great job!!
Nivbeth
Oct 08th · 14:08 UTC
Amazing entry, really nice work! I really enjoyed it & the slimes are super cute :D
LDJam user 416499
Oct 08th · 14:46 UTC
simple and relaxing game, i like it! I have a small suggestion: how about adding another color or text indicator to your skill tree menu so players could see which skills and how many levels of the skills have unlocked already?
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 08th · 15:32 UTC
@deathandrepublic Good suggestion I’ll make this for post jam.
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 08th · 15:33 UTC
@nivbeth Thank you for the kind words!
I’ll try and play your game soon.
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 08th · 15:34 UTC
@azahara yeah now you mention it I should do a slimes killed counter :)
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 08th · 15:39 UTC
@fis Yes you are right that should really improve the game. Thank you for pointing that out to me!
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 08th · 15:44 UTC
@khamekaze Those poor slimes so quite and still needed to be squished. I try to make a small game then juice it up . Thank you for playing.
I’ll try to play your game soon .
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 08th · 15:49 UTC
@aqtun Thank you for playing. Yes this was my plan short game then make it look ok then make abilities.
When one was done I did the next one. This way never over scoped. But still a grind to fit all these things in.
Good suggestion for new ability!
graebor
Oct 08th · 16:24 UTC
This was so addictive! How dare you introduce me to such a cute slime and immediately ask me to kill them :cry: Overall this was really fun and satisfying, one of my favourites this LD so far! The only thing that really felt "off" is that it seems like the optimal way to play is just wait until the max number of slimes have spawned before doing anything, which kind of messed with the pacing once I realized it. Loved the variety of upgrades and the extra weapons - I laughed out loud when I first saw the laser in action, it's so extreme :joy:
optimatica
Oct 08th · 16:46 UTC
That was pure joy and I played it way longer than I was anticipating.
It would be nice to have an ability to speed up the spawning rate more, or introduce some kind of danger that pushes me to move faster. Currently it can involve quite a bit of waiting for the slimes to group up.
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 08th · 18:15 UTC
@graebor thank you for playing. I wanted to do sad eyes when hit once but then te slime police would’ve got me.
It’s a real pleasure to read you had fun, thank you !
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 08th · 18:18 UTC
@graebor
Thank you for playing longer then intended now you know that I need to adjust the spawning.
I’ll play your game later promise:)
Kitira
Oct 11th · 06:50 UTC
Fun and quickly addictive game! The gameplay is quite repetitive, but the progress is very satisfying, which made me keep playing until I had finally unlocked the entire skill tree. The weapon upgrades with lasers, homings, and splinters, along with the screen shake, are very cool. It only got a little grindy towards the end, as I had a lot of slimes, but the ones needed for the final upgrades were very rare. Nevertheless, I could not stop playing until I got all ;D

The only thing is that I just don't know how I'll ever be able to clear my conscience for killing so many cute slimes... :cry: :sweat_smile:
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 11th · 06:58 UTC
@kitira Thank you for playing. I had the same when testing, always killed a few extra slimes. The balancing is super hard in this short time frame. So some abilities are a bit to grindy indeed.
Thanks for the feedback !
I’ll try and play your game later today.
Kitira
Oct 11th · 07:18 UTC
@senso , yeah, you're telling me! The balancing in our game needs a lot more fine-tuning ^^ So I find it quite impressing what you did in this short time :)
Kupnu4
Oct 11th · 15:35 UTC
pure fun! This game escalates quickly and provides you a non-stop supply of dopamine! Please listen to this - spend one more month on this game and you will be more than ready to release it on Steam. Usually, I set my timer for reviewing a game for 15 minutes to cover more games, but this one took me away for much more. It's a great thing! One minor issue - the current implementation of controls requires me to press LMB much more often than is comfortable. We don't want our players to leave the game early. Not due to arthritis anyway. It would be more pleasant if the attacking was automatic and harvesting while holding down the mouse button. I understand that this would involve changing the stamina system in some way, but I am just pointing out an issue.
Overall it's an amazing game! And Mr. Fungi says hi! :D
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 11th · 18:32 UTC
@kupnu4 Wow thanks. Think your game can also do good. feel the can easily exist next to each other the same but also way different. Let me know if your thinking about this then we can do small updates let each other play :)
Kupnu4
Oct 11th · 20:25 UTC
@senso oh I am definitely leaning into a full steam release. It completely makes sense. More so, I've picked up a few ideas from you :D You don't have anything to worry about though. As you say, they are similar in some ways, but different in so many others. Wish you all the best! Keep doing cool stuff!🐅
LooksLikeSomething
Oct 11th · 21:59 UTC
This is not the kind of game I expected to see laser beam and rockets, yet, here we are! It is way too fun to explode thoses cuties. I had this feeling of guilt at first... Then came the chain reaction... This is one of my favorite game so far! Love it!
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 11th · 22:44 UTC
@lookslikesomething Thank you for playing and rating the game. Also the kind words make me smile 😊
pschichtel
Oct 12th · 01:06 UTC
This is probably my favorite game I played so far... by a long shot. I could definitely see this generating revenue as a mobile game.
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 12th · 08:15 UTC
@pschichtel Thank you for playing, I’ll try and play your game also today.
Because a lot of people think it’s a good idea to make this in a full game I will spend some extra time on it.
Omiya Games
Oct 16th · 07:26 UTC
Sorry for the late comment. Had a busy schedule this week.

So I played this game for far too long on-stream. As far as idle-games go, this was very solid! It was definitely fun trying to find the best synergistic combination to farm the slimes and their goo to build a more absurd skill tree.

Presentation is fantastic as well, but I do think some things can be toned down a bit. For one, it was easy to get a lot of overlapping sound effects and screenshakes. It would have been nice to see those timed-out a bit (e.g. after playing the first slime-get sound, have a brief gap where no other slime-get sound effects can be played; queue a max of X sound effects between gaps) so it wouldn't disorient the player.

Aside from these nitpicks, I don't really have too much complaints. Sure, the startup could be a bit faster, but once the game gets going, it does get going. It would be nice if the context wasn't about farming seemingly innocent slimes, but other than that guilt-trip, it's hard to deny I had a good time.
🎤 LDJam user 268934
Oct 16th · 07:51 UTC
@omiya-games Thank you for playing it on stream. Yes the sound when collecting needs a buffer / max.
Like to see people want to complete the skill tree and
Kill slimes.
Kupnu4
Oct 25th · 12:33 UTC
Wow! Congrats on the 1st place at FUN!! That's insane :)