Plant Harvester by zimny11 | LudumData

Plant Harvester by zimny11

made by zimny11 for Ludum Dare 52 (COMPO)

Hi all!

This is my 7th Ludum Dare. Times go by so quickly :) I overestimated myself with the number of features and graphics and by a big time. So... I was making the music about 30 minutes ahead of deadline, so sorry... not that music has ever been my strong point, if there are any XD. Fortunately, I managed to add the ability to mute the music and sounds.

Description:

Oh look, what a cute pumpkin. Let's hope nothing bad will happen to it ;)

A short, shooter with cute plants and a harvester... But watch out, plants will not stand by and wait for the harvest!

Harvester have hp (bottom) bar and experience bar (displayed on harvester). Every time you harvest a plant, you get experience, which gives you level ups and upgrades to your harvester. Each plant has its own characteristics:

Potatoes just run away,
Carrots will try to ram into you,
Pumpkins will explode if harvested, but will give you a lot of experience,
Asparagus will hide and try snick attack,
Corn on the cobs will run around and try to shoot you,
Wheat will restore your hp, but there is only a limited amount of it on the map,
and a surprise...

(Poor Mr. Green Peas did not make it to the game :( )

There is a score system implemented, and the game have an ending, so if you want to share your score be my guest! It takes around 2–3 minutes to play.

Controls:

Move: Arrow Keys or WSAD
Aim: Mouse (game has auto-shoot, so no need to click)
M Key: Mute Music
N Key: Mute Sounds

Tools:

Game: Godot 3.3
Music: Bosca Ceoil
Sound Effects: Bfxr
Sprites: Piskel Online
Font: BitFontMaker2 Online

itch.io	https://zimny11.itch.io/plant-harvester
GitHub	https://github.com/zimny11/PlantHarvester
Original URL	https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/52/plant-harvester

Ratings

Overall	150^th	3.522⭐	48🧑‍⚖️
Fun	135^th	3.478⭐	48🧑‍⚖️
Innovation	236^th	3.054⭐	48🧑‍⚖️
Theme	74^th	4.087⭐	48🧑‍⚖️
Graphics	110^th	3.837⭐	48🧑‍⚖️
Audio	175^th	3.133⭐	47🧑‍⚖️
Humor	93^th	3.261⭐	48🧑‍⚖️
Mood	193^th	3.174⭐	48🧑‍⚖️
Given		68🗳️	94🗨️

Feedback

greenkingwashere

08. Jan 2023 · 23:03 UTC

Loved the harvester graphic, steering was definitely a challenge.

09. Jan 2023 · 10:53 UTC

Really nice game! I loved the plant sprites & animations, they were really good! The game was quite hard - steering was a nightmare - but it got better as you received upgrades. I didn't really get what each plant did until my ~4th attempt, although that's on me for only reading the description after playing. It was also a bit unclear what happened when the timer ran out for the first time, but even though I was prepared on the second time, I still lost :( Nevertheless, my final score was 791. Overall, great entry!

LDJam user 12890

09. Jan 2023 · 18:38 UTC

Art and music on intro screen are top notch. I wasn't able to get it to play on itch, spacebar kept scrolling the browser instead of starting the game. Chrome. Will try other browsers later.

09. Jan 2023 · 18:45 UTC

@greenkingwashere Thank you for playing my game!

@frogman Thanks! Happy to hear that you took multiple tries :)

@joey-shipley Thank you for letting me know! I only tried it on Chrome and I was not expecting that it would be an issue on other browsers. I need to be more careful next time!

LDJam user 12890

09. Jan 2023 · 19:20 UTC

Might not be an issue, it could be a PEBKAC issue on my end...

LDJam user 12890

09. Jan 2023 · 19:24 UTC

All good, it's working. Problem was on my end. Pretty awesome entry. That harvester is top notch and the shadow/art on it makes it really pop.

09. Jan 2023 · 19:37 UTC

@joey-shipley Thank you for your kind words! Yea, making art took a lot of time since I'm not too good at it. The shadow system is extremely stupid in implementation, but it works XD

10. Jan 2023 · 18:30 UTC

Very fun game, I like how the slow harvester controls are intensional part of game mechanics. ALso the art is very colorful, readable and really just amazing. Only maybe the stone wall can use some shadows, bumped in them couple of times, because for me they don't look like an obsticle. Well done)

10. Jan 2023 · 18:48 UTC

man that was WAYY BEYOND EXPECTATIONS

I played and the timer went to zero and I thought "ok probably it will give me the hight score" BUT THEN THE THING HAPPENED AND I WAS TOTALLY SURPRISED BUT I MANAGED TO WIN

amazing experience, I like a lot the front "shield" that the harvester has so the pro move is to reverse really fast and MOW ALL THE CARROTS DOWN HAHAHAH

very cool entry!!!!! thank you for making that :heart_eyes: :two_hearts:

if I could have a one little wish it would be... TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DRIFT :sunglasses:

10. Jan 2023 · 20:25 UTC

@corporation Oh yes, I was planning to add some outline to rocks to make them pop out more, but totally forgot under time pressure. Thank you for taking your time to play my game and for write a comment! Happy to hear you had fun :)

@cannibalgirl Thank you so much for your kinds words! I see you discovered the "strategy" to level up fast :) Idea to be able to drift is awesome. One more time, thank you for playing and for your comment!

10. Jan 2023 · 20:52 UTC

Cool game. the moment where you realise you can mow the carrots too is a really fun eye-opener. Well done.

10. Jan 2023 · 21:05 UTC

@ipsl0re Thanks for playing! Hope you had fun :)

10. Jan 2023 · 23:52 UTC

Such a cool game! I love the animations and the gameplay was nice and challenging.
Great job! :D

LDJam user 320570

11. Jan 2023 · 01:03 UTC

Very fun game! I like all of the enemy variety and the art is all really nice. It's oddly addicting & satisfying to mow over things with the front of the harvester. I felt the screen could have been zoomed out a little more, but you get used to it over the playtime. Nice work!

11. Jan 2023 · 04:14 UTC

Fun game! I died to the cauliflower. The slow turn speed was a little frustrating. Graphics and music A+.

11. Jan 2023 · 07:25 UTC

The cauliflower got me too, @slush!

Fun little idea for a game, all in all! I like how the harvester can't turn very fast but you can still cover all angles with the turret. The upgrades are pretty fun, and seeing your level up gauge right on the back of the harvester is a nice touch. Lots of great pixel art here, and an impressive number of different enemies for a jam. Well done! :)

11. Jan 2023 · 11:38 UTC

@d3kryption Thanks for stopping by to play my game!

@joshedev Thank you! If I zoom-out more the game would be way too easy ;)

@slush The cauliflower is the final boss. Killing it ends the game. Thanks for playing!

@chompdev Thanks! It was my first "a bit more serious" attempt at pixel art, so I'm happy that you liked it. I wanted to make steering quite realistic to make a game harder. There was idea for upgrade shop every level up, but it was scrapped due to time. One more time thank you for playing!

LDJam user 236586

11. Jan 2023 · 14:50 UTC

Just the concept of using a combine harvester like an assault vehicle is pretty hilarious. I loved the variety of enemies and the artwork. I was genuinely surprised when the cotton boss showed up! The difficultly obviously comes primarily from the steering mechanic, which works really well, trying to remember whether left is left or right in the heat of the moment makes for some tense and fun situations. The little level up perks were a nice touch too. Nice work Zimny, you improve every time!

11. Jan 2023 · 16:11 UTC

@cameron-paxton Thank you! I went pretty hard this time in term of art, so my sleep schedule suffered a lot XD But I think it was worth it :) I'm glad to hear you had fun playing it!

11. Jan 2023 · 20:16 UTC

Harvester looked great! I would zoom the camera out a little bit so its easier to see where your going and where the enemies are, considering the harvester has a wide turning radius.

11. Jan 2023 · 20:53 UTC

@cappa-games Thanks! There was bigger zoom initially, but the game was a bit too easy, so I limited it, but probably that was not the best option, and I could made the game more difficulty by other means...

11. Jan 2023 · 23:03 UTC

Gotta admit, I didn't enjoy the inability to turn on a dime lol, the tractor just felt pretty heavy and like driving through molasses (which I understand is realistic & intentional, I just don't like experiencing it lol). So I just drove in circles shooting carrots and running over pumpkins until the boss spawned. Sometimes I'd do a 3-point turn to run over the army of carrots following me, which felt cool and got a lot of level ups in a row going. I kind of wish I could choose my upgrades though and know what they're doing rather than having them automatically applied to my mindless circle-driving.

I love the audio and graphics though. Very cute vibes!

11. Jan 2023 · 23:39 UTC

@papabirb Yea, I wanted some of the difficulty to come from steering system, so this is why it feel so heavy, but I absolutely understand that not everyone will like it :) I wanted to add the shop with upgrades and had planned some different farm-theme weapons, but the time did not allowed me to implement them. Thanks for taking your time to play my game!

12. Jan 2023 · 02:59 UTC

@zimny11 Not a problem! I think the heavy steering would work well in the shop upgrade scenario, because I'd be buying all the upgrades to improve it which would make the initial steering difficulty a satisfying grind lol

12. Jan 2023 · 05:03 UTC

Lovely animations, those potatoes and smug corn cobs are just a joy! The joy of grinding into a wave of incoming carrots was unmatched. the 2-mile-wide turning radius of the tractor was frustrating for just a moment until I remembered all my summers of landscaping as a youth and the skills to drive something so unwieldy came flooding back to me. Great fun, great entry!

12. Jan 2023 · 09:50 UTC

@hypernoodlejon Thanks! I tried my best with pixel art this time, probably even to much, since it took too long, so I happy to hear that you liked it :)

LDJam user 280036

13. Jan 2023 · 01:24 UTC

This reminds me of Vampire Survivors, but you're a combine. I thought I was being clever wedging myself into a corner until the cauliflower came from behind the wall :frowning2:

I like the animations. That corn cob! :corn:

13. Jan 2023 · 03:55 UTC

Hey Zimny, thanks for submitting your game on the stream!
Here’s the start of your game if you wanted to re-watch initial thoughts youtu.be/_eTFfxJO2YM?t=6626

Loved the animations and designs of the enemies! The variation of the designs and their corresponding mechanics was great!
Perhaps having upgrade options each time you level up could allow players to create different builds for their runs to give a bit more replayablility? I could imagine dumping all the experience into turning rate and being able to drive donuts around the enemies, or going full on the weapon and having more of a wave defense type run.

Congrats on the great entry!

13. Jan 2023 · 09:01 UTC

@googlypoo Thank you! I'm glad you like the animations :)

@lomby Thanks for playing my game on your stream and for your comment. There was an idea to make shop pop out after each level up, not only with upgrades, but also with different types of farm-themed weapons, but time had different plans :) One more time: thanks!

13. Jan 2023 · 11:01 UTC

Excellent! :smile:
What a lovely carrot! It is also in my game! But they always attack me. :angry: lol

13. Jan 2023 · 11:19 UTC

@yellow Thanks for stopping by to play my game! Hope you had fun. Yup, carrots are the best ;)

Daniel Alhadeff

16. Jan 2023 · 00:27 UTC

Thoroughly enjoyed playing your game! I'm a big fan of the steering mechanic - the sense of dread trying to quickly back up and rotate the combine harvester while a wave of carrots was hurtling towards the player was great!

Also the pixel art was impressive - especially considering this is a compo game!

Adding this to my list of LD games to come back to :)

16. Jan 2023 · 21:14 UTC

I started playing and felt like the game was pretty cool, but then it just kept getting better and better. I constantly went "HOLY SHIT WHAT IS THAT?". It's difficult to make a top down shooter which does not feel generic, and you really managed to make a unique experience. I absolutely adored the different enemies! My favorite has the be the corn which visually loses the corn after the AOE attack... No the califlower boss... no the little potatoes! My point is that they are all amazing :smile:

It took me a couple of tries but I managed to beat the game, at which point I almost got sad because I would have loved if there was an endless score attack mode.

![f7070c938c60e6bbbf41a9a80827fc6c.png](///raw/db1/6/z/568cd.png)

I was sure this was a jam entry, so impressive you managed all of this by yourself, fantastic entry!

16. Jan 2023 · 21:24 UTC

@daniel-alhadeff Thanks playing my game! I'm really happy that you like my pixel art :)

@simon-rahnasto Thank you so much for your comment! It means a lot too me that people enjoy my game, so I'm really glad to hear that you had fun. One more time, thank you!

17. Jan 2023 · 19:39 UTC

Overall Fun Game. The steering was very hard, but i think that was the point and very innovatvie. Good job!

17. Jan 2023 · 22:29 UTC

@twilightrh Thanks! Yes, the steering is hard on purposes, but maybe I went over the board a bit. I just wanted to make it fell more "realistic" :)

18. Jan 2023 · 09:01 UTC

![image (79).png](///raw/0fb/c4/z/5699b.png)

Very fun game! The only thing is that it wasn't very clear that you can't drive through the gray zone. Good job, anyway!

18. Jan 2023 · 23:54 UTC

@bezbiletnym Thank you! I wanted to made rocks (gray zone) more obvious, but as with a lot of other stuff, I run out of time :)

Blue Pin Studio

21. Jan 2023 · 09:03 UTC

Great entry! I loved that the upgrades happened to me automatically, thats actually something i rarely see in games, its a great addition in this one.

I would prefer if the game was longer, perhaps the popcorn guy had more health or something. I wanted to keep playing! :D

21. Jan 2023 · 21:29 UTC

That was really cool! I was impressed with the graphics, especially with the consistent and good looking colors and the vegetable sprite and animations. Having different crops is great and getting upgrades was cool. In contrast to some other feedback, i think choosing the upgrades myself ould have felt good, as it gives me agency and room to address what i think i need (like turn radius!).
With the high turn radius, i think the player needs to be able to see far ahead or not have unavoidable problemsa ahead (like the wall mid-field). I also think it would feel good to have anything you harvest only have good consequences, so no damage (but asparagus is really cool, as you can learn and see ahead of time if you can go for it or not).
I do wonder how it would play without the gun mechanic, or with that being an optional upgrade. I feel like it could also be fun to have a bit more agency for driving (better turn rate) and only rely on that, at least until some point.
The music wasn't bad at all, i was humming the tune later while in the kitchen :D
Overall, really good entry, i enjoyed it a lot!

21. Jan 2023 · 22:43 UTC

@blue-pin-studio Thank you! Well, I heard the advice to keep LD game short a lot, because most people will spend like 5 minutes on the game. So I'm trying to limit game time to fit that. Also the game is not optimized at all and on longer play would start to lag :/

@rongo-matane Thank you for finding the time to play my game! Thanks for noticing improvement in my art style. I spend quite some time watching AdamCYounis on YT to get better at it. I was planning to add a shop with farm-theme weapons and upgrades, but of course time did not allow me to do so. Interesting idea, with ditching the gun! Anyway, one more time, thanks!

25. Jan 2023 · 10:22 UTC

I won! :v: Solid entry, impressed by the effective and fun graphics! Loved the dance in the main menu. This definitely has potential, imagining it without the gun and more focus on the mechanic of having to run over crops. With upgrades affecting that part.

I also think either backing up the camera to see more of the map or having a minimap would increase the strategy and making it possible to plan your route. That together with improved turn rate would do a lot in my opinion.

Oh and fun engaging music! Well made compo entry, thanks!

25. Jan 2023 · 22:12 UTC

@rasblo Thanks! Yea, camera could have been zoom out more, but once I was done with graphics, before I decided on zoom level, it was to late, since zooming it out would caused details on sprites to be lost.

26. Jan 2023 · 13:10 UTC

I think hits don't help the fun of the game except for the boss

26. Jan 2023 · 20:35 UTC

@dimesto52 Thanks for playing!

27. Jan 2023 · 15:40 UTC

Damn this is already a really solid game. But for god heavens! The slow turning speed really makes the whole game a gamble if you die because you accidentally hit a wall or can't turn around fast enough to fend off an enemy :joy: I especially enjoyed farming the the crowd of carrots that was following me, but it was pure luck that I managed to win against the cauliflower on 3rd try.

LDJam user 2900

27. Jan 2023 · 19:46 UTC

I manage to surpass the surprise with a 1800ish score (if you close the tab it gets lost). A mini map would be of great help to avoid crashing into walls and getting overwhelmed by carrots. Excellent presentation, the enemies are all lovely.

27. Jan 2023 · 20:43 UTC

@klaus-peter Thank you for taking your time to play my game! Yea, slow steering was added so the game wouldn't be too easy :) Congrats on beating the game.

@orion-black Yes, I did not had time to implement leaderboard that remembers scores :/ Plus I never tried it before, so it would take extra time, that I did not had. Mini-map is an awesome idea! Thank you for your kind words regarding my crops sprites, and thanks for playing my game!