Quantum Splitter by thetatautau

[raw]
made by thetatautau for Ludum Dare 49 (COMPO)

Split atoms, and trigger chain reactions in this minimalist puzzle game.

If you are stuck, you can skip levels in the main menu. You can skip up to 2 levels that way.

I would love to have constructive feedbacks about this game, as I plan to devellop it further.

atom1.gif

Tools

  • Engine: Unity (nb. I use OdinInspector and didn't included it in the sources, if you want to look at the sources you'll have to install it or remove all the attributes).
  • Sprites: Inkscape
  • Music: Strofe (AI)
  • Sounds: Audacity

Ratings

Overall 1th 4.447⭐ 59🧑‍⚖️
Fun 14th 4.211⭐ 59🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 39th 4.105⭐ 59🧑‍⚖️
Theme 235th 3.667⭐ 59🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 42th 4.202⭐ 59🧑‍⚖️
Audio 37th 3.963⭐ 56🧑‍⚖️
Humor 401th 2.081⭐ 45🧑‍⚖️
Mood 89th 3.712⭐ 54🧑‍⚖️
Given 13🗳️ 3🗨️

Feedback

Nick Barrash
04. Oct 2021 · 00:12 UTC
Wow gorgeous. Really satisfying to win and there's a surprising amount of depth! Amazing you had time to flesh out so many quality levels. Fantastic job.
Tharbakim
04. Oct 2021 · 03:59 UTC
A very cool little puzzle game - very impressive. Looks and feels very polished.
zantze
04. Oct 2021 · 05:58 UTC
Hello, I played this game yesterday just before the deadline. The game played really well, and had no signs of incompleteness (bugs, developer graphics), and the puzzles were diffult yet intriguing! It has a very clean look to it! I think this game will place quite highly, only bad note I have maybe is that the theme isn't super clear
🎤 thetatautau
04. Oct 2021 · 09:16 UTC
@zantze Thank you for your comment. You are right, the way it fits the theme is convoluted. It is inspired by radioactivity (unstalble atoms) and chemistery (unstable molecules), and because of the fact the initial situation is unstable because any action will trigger a chain reaction.
m11
04. Oct 2021 · 15:40 UTC
Lovely clean artwork!
ZwodahS
04. Oct 2021 · 17:07 UTC
Nice. Managed to beat all the stages.

![Screenshot 2021-10-05 at 1.06.50 AM.png](///raw/9f2/72/z/44db8.png)

The last 2 stage is really challenging. Good job !
Amolker
05. Oct 2021 · 10:53 UTC
Very cool and cute game. I really liked the sounds and art.
It would look very cool on smartphones.
🎤 thetatautau
05. Oct 2021 · 11:13 UTC
@amolker I'm working on a new version with better polish, more content, and smartphone support. I will put it on google play soon.
mmason
05. Oct 2021 · 14:34 UTC
Great game, this would make a great phone app, nice simple controls and minimal ui. I like that you only have to wait for the dots to get out of the game area before you can activate again. I played every level and found something enjoyable each and every level. I'll love to see this game developed further and could easily how it could be developed into a larger game.
Papabirb
05. Oct 2021 · 17:59 UTC
Played on mobile; device: Pixel XL

This was really fun, but it felt like there was a difficulty spike around level 9, at which point every other level was a little too hard, that might just be me though, I gave up on level 20 since that's close enough to beating the game lol.

Regarding the specific feedback you requested on the itch.io page:
1. No tutorial required for native or high?mid?-level English speakers, as the titles of the early levels served as tutorial enough. A more visual tutorial might be better for increasing the range of people who can play it.
2. As I said, I think it spiked in difficulty around 9, but that might just be my inability to solve the puzzles. Overall difficulty felt fine though, and solving the hard ones felt really rewarding.
3. I liked both the easy and hard levels, as the easy ones helped me learn the mechanics and provide breaks between the harder ones, and the harder ones were more satisfying to solve.
4. I wish there was a hint system I could use for the harder ones. I don't think they're too hard to solve, but they're confusing to me. Some of the level titles helped like "round trip" but others only? described the start position like "h bomb".
🎤 thetatautau
05. Oct 2021 · 18:51 UTC
@papabirb Thank you for your feedback, it's helping a lot.
pdotjpg
05. Oct 2021 · 20:23 UTC
This is excellent, probably the best game I've played this jam. Really good mechanic and very polished. The ways you build on the core idea (moving atoms, multiple layers, multiple actions) are really good additions. Love the look and the music. Difficulty curve is pretty brutal, I'd like to see a slower introduction of really complex stages. And some of the later ones are so complex that it's a bit impossible to predict what's going to happen, so I used trial and error quite a bit. I guess that's inherent with these mechanics. Couldn't do levels 19 and 20.

Overall just a super polished, clever and fun entry. Amazing job.
LDJam user 265725
05. Oct 2021 · 20:23 UTC
Extremely solid entry here. Each element fits well together for a soothing experience. As for the feedback you asked, there's my opinion :
- The way you designed the game, a tutorial would be superfluous. Each time there's a new feature, the level serves as a tutorial. If people find difficult to understand a feature, I'd suggest to rework the level introducing it.
- I didn't find the last levels very funny. I think it was because it wasn't possible anymore (at least for me) to figure out what the chain reaction will but more a die & retry process.
- As for the aesthetic, I thinks it lacks a bit of juicyness, especially when we win. Adding some effects could make big chain reaction even more satisfying (I obviously talk about something subtle to fit with your minimalist theme).

Anyway, it's a promising project and I wish you good luck for the future.
🎤 thetatautau
05. Oct 2021 · 22:10 UTC
@pdotjpg @concker-88 You are both right. Big levels become unpredictable and are not fun anymore. With most puzzle games, you can subdivize a level into smaller problems. This is not really the case in this game because of the chain reactions. Therefore, small levels are better here.

Thank you for your feedbacks.
Harmadillo
06. Oct 2021 · 18:26 UTC
Really cool game. Loved the minimalist aesthetic, everything was clear and easy to understand. Music suited the game. Couldn't complete levels 13 and 20, but might try again.
mrBell270
06. Oct 2021 · 19:17 UTC
The mecanics of the game is understandable on every level

Tutorial would be nice as addition, more like list of "opened" features.

Difficulty is just on point. I did not finishe last level, so subtle hints would be nice IMO.

I enjoyed hard levels, but I am puzzle nut-head :)

I think popping sound should be more... cristal? electronical? clear? ... if you want to stick with nuclei idea. But for bubbles it is perfect, especially with addition of little random pitch shift on each "boop" :)

Great entry. Good luck with your plans on this game!
Joshua Stone
06. Oct 2021 · 19:42 UTC
Pretty incredible puzzle game for the compo! Love the minimal aesthetic, the music & sounds do the job. The connection to the theme is a little weak, but that's not a big deal, after all the main goal is to make a good game and I think you accomplished that.

You could definitely take this farther if want to, optionally set it up to have multiple level packs to be added in updates over time, and release it on sites like Poki (go for a revenue split), Coolmath (upfront pay, probably $500-$1000), and Armor Games (smaller upfront amount).

Great work, keep it up!
🎤 thetatautau
06. Oct 2021 · 20:04 UTC
@criobite We probably both read the same article on reddit lol. I plan to sell licenses to these sites once I completed the post-jam version of the game. I will also put the game on google play but I have no idea how much to expect.
Joshua Stone
06. Oct 2021 · 20:58 UTC
@thetatautau Awesome! Not sure I've seen the Reddit post you're referring to, just been learning by trial and error over the past few years releasing my own games. Still haven't crossed the hurdle of releasing mobile games myself, but I'd like to explore that soon! :grin:

Best of luck!
🎤 thetatautau
06. Oct 2021 · 21:08 UTC
I was reffering to the post in r/gamedev one week ago about a dev explaining how he sold his games to these sites. You pretty much said exactly what he did that's why I though you read it.

I use to think these sites were dead in 2021, but il look like I was wrong. So I decided to try to make a few small games and try to sell them, as I have trouble finishing bigger games. I initially planned to re-make one game I made during a jam 6 month ago, but I will start with Quantum Splitter instead as it is simpler.
Martin183
06. Oct 2021 · 22:06 UTC
Cool game and well executed!
Andreas Roschal
08. Oct 2021 · 10:55 UTC
Very cool concept for a puzzle game. I like the minimalistic visuals and feeling of it.

Completed all the levels. It was very tempting to just use trial and error in the last few levels, but planning ahead and tracing the electrons' paths in your head instead was a good brain exercise and it felt very satisfying once the chain reactions cleared the whole screen. Excellent level design.
LucasGlass
09. Oct 2021 · 22:03 UTC
Just got done playing, saw your game on Twitch (I was bigdudeluke chatting with you). Had a great time with all the levels, had a smooth progression of difficulty and I loved the features that got added as I played. Excellent entry, definitely my favorite so far.

You mentioned selling/licensing to those sites, I'm trying to go more of an app store release with ads. Not sure which is better or if both is possible. I don't have anything of my own out there yet, but I've made and put apps on the app stores for businesses. I'm definitely looking to polish my game for the app stores and add multiplayer. Let me know if you would want more info about that route. I'm not sure what your experience level is, but you seem like a cool dev. :thumbsup:
🎤 thetatautau
09. Oct 2021 · 22:51 UTC
@lucasglass Browser games sites buy non exclusive licenses, so it is possible to sell a license to several of them and also put the game on googleplay and the apple store.

However I have no idea how much to expect from adds on the appstores. I followed a few projects and some games made thousands while other made cents, with no obvious correlation with the quality of the game or any other obvious factor.

I would love to hear about your experience with "app stores for businesses".
Simon Rahnasto
09. Oct 2021 · 23:37 UTC
Thank you so much for submitting this game to the stream. There are very few jam games that I return and play after playing them one time. This is part of that very exclusive club, I am going to do the final 4 (or was it 5?) levels in the coming days.

The beauty of this puzzle game is the fact that the difficulty comes from the intelligent design, rather than complex rules or mechanics. I was continually amazed at how intricate each puzzle was.

The pacing in which you introduced new mechanics and rules was phenomenal. Actually tutorializing your puzzle game is one of the most important things in ensuring that people find it fun, and not unfair, to play. You managed that incredibly well.

The satisfying sound and minimalistic graphics where the icing on the cake.

Superb entry, well done :trophy:
LucasGlass
10. Oct 2021 · 01:34 UTC
@thetatautau ads in general can be unpredictable as to how much money they make. There are lots of factors that play in and Apple made it even more complicated by limiting developer's access to unique advertising identifiers.

Subscription models are the best for apps, the 1-click pay options have made users significantly more likely to pay for apps. For this game, you'd probably have like 50 free levels and then users have a way to unlock more, but make it difficult. And then also sell your levels by the 50 or 100 pack for like a dollar. 1 dollar is somewhere around 1000 ad impressions, so definitely good to have a pay option. But with level packs, you can still have ads and maybe make ad-free be a yearly subscription, separate from buying levels.

Your game is also simple enough that it can be updated without app store updates. Your puzzles could be added and stored to a cloud database, and the new puzzles could be instantly available to the user. So you could easily build up a huge number of puzzles and maybe eventually charge a higher price to buy the level packs in bulk.

I may have poorly worded what I said, I've made apps for businesses and put them on the App Store and Play Store. They weren't games, not much fun to develop. But I learned a lot about cloud services and backend infrastructure making those apps. I need to follow my own advice above and get something out there and start making money. Working for businesses drained me, and I've just recently decided to pursue game development and be a teacher. Don't wanna sell my soul anymore and maybe I can inspire some kids to get into game/software development. Also gotta have a backup plan lol.
LDJam user 187102
10. Oct 2021 · 13:51 UTC
I've splitted so many atoms, but didn't get the explosion!

Just kidding :) Loved the game

As for feedback - I think it would be nicer to be able to run multiple actions at the same time (on the levels that allow multiple actions)
Daniel Spruill
12. Oct 2021 · 14:04 UTC
Wow, simply gotta say well done! An incredible game that's so simple yet so complex. Truly one of the best I've seen thus far
Sli
12. Oct 2021 · 14:16 UTC
Wow, I liked it a lot. Simplistic(in a good way) and fun. Good Job!
VarunDevs
12. Oct 2021 · 14:17 UTC
very fun , Art is great , Music is good overall 40/40 ratings :smiley:
LDJam user 236586
12. Oct 2021 · 14:44 UTC
Nice, that was a lot of fun! This is exactly the sort of game I love playing on my phone, but it's a unique puzzler that I'm honestly surprised I haven't seen before!
Jiri Hysek
12. Oct 2021 · 15:44 UTC
I love the simplicity of the game. It's excatly the game I'd like to make this ludum dare but I have failed to come with such simple and fun concept :) Congratz, great entry!
yopox
12. Oct 2021 · 16:02 UTC
Super nice entry. The difficulty curve is really well done, and there is a great feeling of satisfaction when we find the right answer. :D The nerd-chemist interpretation of the theme is really clever! :sunglasses:

I have really appreciated how polished your entry is, with small details when we drag atoms and a smooth animation when an atom is clicked. :heart:

![qs.png](///raw/741/8/z/4816d.png)
IC Rainbow
12. Oct 2021 · 16:28 UTC
Good luck with mobile (:

The extended levels are extra crazy in a good way, but the 14th deserves a "honorary PITA" award on its own.
aslan
12. Oct 2021 · 17:53 UTC
Nice game! I wish fail transition was faster.
Geckoo1337
12. Oct 2021 · 20:01 UTC
My favorite entry so far. You made a solid entry with an interesting concept and a clever aesthetic. It fits (more or less) with the theme, but I understand what you meant playing with atoms. Respectfully it could be better on mobile devices. All controls work fine as expected. Really well done ++
zimny11
12. Oct 2021 · 23:46 UTC
Fascinating concept for puzzle game. I like it. The mechanics are very nice and are easy to understand. Music is nice too. Here are some ideas (maybe you find some of them useful):
- I would love to game a way to redo all the move one by one instead of resetting the whole level or restarting should be quicker.
- You can add some types of "walls" between atoms, that will stop the electrons as a new game mechanic. Or even moveable wall, that player need to find a place for to not interrupt reaction (wall cannot be put on edge).
- Edges on some levels can be a warp type (for example, an electron flying up will re-emerge from the bottom).
- Maybe atoms that interact with only atoms of the same color.
- Maybe same mechanic based on quantum tunneling or entanglement? For example, if you trigger one atom, the other connected to it, also will be activated.

Great job with the game
Shakedimus
13. Oct 2021 · 08:14 UTC
I really liked this puzzle game and the fact that you kept adding new elements like more moves, multiple splittings, movable atoms,... kept it fresh. Also the way you added them gradually was very nice from a tutorialisation perspective. I also really liked the simple visuals and calm music. It is an interesting take on the theme and it was quite challenging in a satisfying way. I don't really have any criticism. I think this would be a great game for on mobile. Ah one thing, the movable atoms at first I thought you couldn't move them past other atoms and I thought it was an interesting puzzle element but then I realized you can just drag them anywhere maybe that would add some added difficulty.
Again I really enjoyed it, I had to finish the game :)
LeReveur
13. Oct 2021 · 23:16 UTC
Very neat puzzle, challenging and fun. I liked it so much that I chained the jam and post-jam versions.
Well done!
LDJam user 257946
14. Oct 2021 · 04:06 UTC
One of the best games I have played in this jam! The level of polish and detail in this game is incredible! This could easily be an idle game on an app store and no one would know it was made in a game jam!

Outstanding work! I can't wait for the full release!
Cakestorm
14. Oct 2021 · 08:16 UTC
A brilliant puzzle game, well done! I loved the idea of using atoms as puzzle pieces - there are so many chemical and physical ideas you can implement as mechanics! The levels were all very good too, and the mechanics worked together in interesting ways - I can't remember which one it was, but having to make a move, then move and atom, then make another was a wonderful combination to make. The difficulty curve was great as well, it always kept me challenged, so I'd love to see even more levels to keep it up! The mood of the game was great, very calming and methodical, with the minimalistic art style, UI design and music; it worked together very well. The little popping sounds of the atoms were satisfying too - I loved the slight variation between them. Very good job making this game, particularly in 48 hours - well done!
🎤 thetatautau
14. Oct 2021 · 12:11 UTC
@cakestorm sound variation is super easy to make in unity, just make a script that randomize the pitch by 10 to 20% before playing the sound.
professir
15. Oct 2021 · 18:18 UTC
Oh this is really cool! Love the puzzles and minimalism. Reminds me of mini-metro :D
loveapplegames
16. Oct 2021 · 16:11 UTC
Great game! Original, polished, challenging puzzles. Graphics are effective. Some minor gripes: I would like to be able to skip the restart animation, and I would prefer to have a separate option to reset the moveable items.
tilkey
16. Oct 2021 · 21:51 UTC
Impressive idea and epic game! I found this very original and well designed.
m1nus
20. Oct 2021 · 02:24 UTC
this is one of my favorite games in the jam, and the only thing I would change is the sound that plays when you fail, because it's somewhat not "off" with the rest of the game. I'd use a smoother sound, if you know what i mean. please make it a mobile version, this has so much potential.
Jezzamon
22. Oct 2021 · 02:20 UTC
Congrats!!!!!!!!!!
Adrian Guevara
22. Oct 2021 · 06:57 UTC
.
pdotjpg
22. Oct 2021 · 07:37 UTC
^ Someone's salty.

I already left a comment for this a few weeks ago. Wanted to pop in and say congrats. I mentioned in the previous comment that it was my favourite so far, and it stayed that way. Out of the like 50 games I played this jam, this was the best, was really happy to see it win.
Ausstein
22. Oct 2021 · 08:00 UTC
This Game is absolutely brilliant, so simplistic and fun. Well deserved win!
Sovcenko
22. Oct 2021 · 08:28 UTC
Congrats on the first place ! Great game, with a good game feel and smooth everything. I could definetely see myself playing that a lot on mobile, in a similar fashion of Lyne.

Good job !
mborecki
22. Oct 2021 · 08:42 UTC
Congratulation!
Pio
22. Oct 2021 · 09:27 UTC
@adrian-guevara The gameplay is fun and polished, so I can see why this game won. There is a lot of levels with challenging puzzles. What I don't understand is how can it have better mood rating than some horror games? I also don't get why it scored so well in audio and graphics.
Adrian Guevara
22. Oct 2021 · 09:35 UTC
@pio Sorry, I had a confusion and I though it was a Jam game instead of a combo. Being a combo I really think it deserves the place, but I think that there are so many games with a few ratings and hight scores
JakobTheQuizGuy
22. Oct 2021 · 09:48 UTC
Congrats on the win! I found this game quite relaxing :)
Pio
22. Oct 2021 · 10:02 UTC
@adrian-guevara understandable mistake. The results page mixes compo and jam games together, which doesn't really make sense if they are scored separately.
zimny11
22. Oct 2021 · 14:03 UTC
Congratulations!
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24. Nov 2021 · 09:52 UTC
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Alexis Baughman
18. Jan 2022 · 03:52 UTC
This is a very cool game. It is very hard at first but when you get familiarized with the game, it becomes much easier. I'm currently in level 15 and I'm stuck with this level. I can't get through the final stage. Can someone help me with that please. Download [bedwars](https://bed-wars.io/) and [plants vs. zombies now](https://pvz.io/) on your PC for free. Just click the link and you can play the game without emulators.
Qin Bugong
26. Apr 2023 · 16:55 UTC
Challenging!