Nightbear by Pierre Poupin

[raw]
made by Pierre Poupin for Ludum Dare 48 (JAM)

splash2.png

Pitch

Two bears fall asleep in a gloomy forest. As they close their eyes, they both dive deep into a terrible nightmare. Hold against the evil thoughts and grasp for light, together!

(⚠️ 2 players needed)

Gameplay

Each player needs to dodge the dark thoughts, while protecting its friend by building shields on the other world. Don't forget to catch the dreams, otherwise you will suffer terrible balls of nightmare!

Controls

  • WASD + F
  • arrows + space

Controllers supported (Joysticks + A button)

Theme

Since the link is not really obvious : the idea was to go deeper and deeper into a nightmare. The dark thoughts on the border of the screen are harsher and harsher, while the music gets darker on each sleep stage.

Visuals

Here's a gameplay video in case you're only one player but curious about the game: https://youtu.be/W9mG0ml3PwY

nightbear2.png

nightbear3.jpg

nightbear4.png

Ratings

Overall 806th 3.574⭐ 29🧑‍⚖️
Fun 537th 3.593⭐ 29🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 144th 4.018⭐ 30🧑‍⚖️
Theme 1421th 3.214⭐ 30🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 935th 3.661⭐ 30🧑‍⚖️
Audio 735th 3.411⭐ 30🧑‍⚖️
Mood 600th 3.722⭐ 29🧑‍⚖️
Given 21🗳️ 34🗨️

Feedback

mostel
26. Apr 2021 · 23:54 UTC
It's really interesting concept and original presentation of the theme.
Teezah
27. Apr 2021 · 16:59 UTC
Whew, this game is hard. Or I am just really bad
Firas MOURAD
27. Apr 2021 · 18:50 UTC
XD don't worry @teezah, the game is hard indeed. the struggle is real
nardandas
28. Apr 2021 · 00:30 UTC
Super difficult and stressful to keep track of, but in a fun way. Once you figure it out and you're both scrambling to protect each other, it's a good time.
Pink Spaceman
28. Apr 2021 · 00:38 UTC
OMG i've played with my brother and we had so much fun, we absolutely love it, Amazing game 11/10
🎤 Pierre Poupin
28. Apr 2021 · 07:22 UTC
Thank you!! Really glad that you enjoyed it that much!
WinnymaruBaba
28. Apr 2021 · 09:52 UTC
A great idea of concept, and very well executed !!
Can't wait to see your next bear game ^^
G_Kobu
28. Apr 2021 · 19:21 UTC
Very interesting idea
FlashViper
29. Apr 2021 · 02:45 UTC
Really original! I could see this also potentially working as a one person co-op (like fireboy and watergirl)
Zelv
29. Apr 2021 · 11:53 UTC
Definitely, with adequate controls and difficulty it could be interesting to adapt it for a single player.
mdotedot
29. Apr 2021 · 12:42 UTC
Awesome. It was a bit hard to control by myself but it felt cool. Good Job.
Tomssuli
29. Apr 2021 · 12:49 UTC
Looks great!

I'll save this for later and try it with my wife when we have time. I will then give a full review :)
Firas MOURAD
29. Apr 2021 · 14:23 UTC
@mdotedot thanks! :) @tomssuli We await your full review :D
Tomssuli
29. Apr 2021 · 16:04 UTC
@firas-mourad Allright, we just tried it a bunch of times and when we found out how the mechanics work, it was very hard for us following two screens at the same time. I liked the challenge, but to her it was too busy :smile: ...maybe if there was optional beginner level at the start to get up to pace?

Graphics were very nice, simple and cute :) Music and audio set the mood perfectly with the pressing atmosphere of the gameplay.

We found the game very innovative as both of us haven't ever seen such game idea before. Game also fit the theme quite well.

Nice and polished game overall :sunglasses:

...the controller support was a big plus!
Firas MOURAD
29. Apr 2021 · 16:38 UTC
@tomssuli I'm glad you had fun and thanks for the review :) the rest of the guys will love your feedback
Xeke-Death
29. Apr 2021 · 21:08 UTC
Took a few tries to get into the rhythm of it, but we managed to get to wave 3.

Not sure how the dreams affected the game at all.

Interesting game, fun to play. Good work.
Zelv
29. Apr 2021 · 23:23 UTC
@tomssuli thanks a lot for your detail review, this is very much appreciated :D

@xeke-death so far the only thing that happens is a big nightmare appears (there's a flash on screen) when a dream goes off-screen
Tomssuli
30. Apr 2021 · 05:53 UTC
@zelv
Np. We love coop games :)

I must also say, I highly appreciate your courage taking a risk of doing a coop game. It must be harder to get people to review when not everyone has a friend nearby who's ready for some couch coop on an experimental game... But you followed through your plans for your dream game, literally :smile:
Ismael Rodriguez
01. May 2021 · 21:05 UTC
I tried to play on my own.... didn't work out so well lol

Good looking game, very interesting and innovative idea.
Re-Lo
02. May 2021 · 18:18 UTC
Such a stressfull game, i played with my friend and is a bit hard at first but in the end we kept playing so an addictive touch there, wich means the game is well thought. Congrats with this piece it's amazing for two players.

I loved the music also.
agrdev
04. May 2021 · 21:34 UTC
Nice attempt on a co-op tower defence game! Very moody and a bit stressful, but definitely keeps you in the loop for quite some time
Shin0nome
05. May 2021 · 18:03 UTC
The game is really hard ! The 2 players mechanic where you protect your friend is really cool and I played with my brother and we had a good time with moments where you panic a bit. Good job !
Hobzone
10. May 2021 · 10:02 UTC
It was really hard to help my friend and survive but the challenge was really fun !
WiredOverload
17. May 2021 · 17:49 UTC
This game was super fun and unique. I especially enjoy the fact that overall strategies aren't incredibly obvious and are something that evolves as you keep playing. I really like the inclusion of the dreams that you have to catch as it can break up whatever wall you were trying to build on the other side and keep your attention on your side of the field, but I did find that the punishment for ignoring them was pretty weak as the homing projectiles usually just immediately hit a wall. The best part of when I was playing was when I would accidentally build my partner into a corner, and because they are trapped, they could only build walls in that corner for me; I wish those kinds of situations would happen more often, maybe by adding half-walls or something. Overall this was a really great game to play!
🎤 Pierre Poupin
19. May 2021 · 08:41 UTC
Thank you for the hints, it totally makes sense :)

We're not super happy with the punishment as well. And what you said about half walls makes sense too. I'm sure we can make something out of it :)

Thank you!
Tomssuli
01. Jun 2021 · 07:20 UTC
@firas-mourad @pierre-poupin @zelv @alexandre-bobet

Your game was one of my favourites this year. If you make more games or advanced edition, I'd like to hear about it!


Which one of you should I follow to stay informed?
Firas MOURAD
04. Jun 2021 · 17:01 UTC
thank you @tomssuli for your comment! I'm really glad you liked the game! :D
we'll be participating in future game jams for sure (i hope anw :D)
and you can follow Pierre, he's the head of the pack :)