Demden by Wesxdz

[raw]
made by Wesxdz for Ludum Dare 48 (COMPO)

Carve deeper into the gnashing maws of your demon clientele with each survived contract. Extract and recover sunken cavities inflicting unearthly toothaches. Hurry along now: your lantern grows dim!

demden.gif

Ratings

Overall 574th 3.275⭐ 22🧑‍⚖️
Fun 554th 3.167⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 245th 3.595⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Theme 335th 3.762⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 150th 3.976⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Audio 302th 3.405⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Humor 160th 3.361⭐ 20🧑‍⚖️
Mood 225th 3.65⭐ 22🧑‍⚖️
Given 15🗳️ 10🗨️

Feedback

pdotjpg
26. Apr 2021 · 16:44 UTC
The presentation is really charming – super tasteful pixel art and very pleasant, responsive controls. The monster dentistry theme is really cool too. But I was a bit puzzled by the gameplay side of things, unfortunately. Didn't initially realize that I could swing my pickaxe, and after that it took me a while to understand how to look for damaged teeth. Didn't understand the point of money, though, nor what exactly the icons and numbers in the menu screen mean. I bet this could be really cool with a bit of tutorialization – even adding some info to the game description would help. Feels like there's something cool here that's just a bit too obfuscated.
Squeg Inc.
26. Apr 2021 · 17:37 UTC
The idea of this game is really cool and original, I just think that due to game jam time constraints, the execution was a bit janky. However, the basics are well done, the sound design and art is beautiful, and I'd love to see this idea expanded on in the future!
godsboss
26. Apr 2021 · 18:10 UTC
I don't really understand how to progress in the game. I can dig into the ground to see the cavities, then dig to get them. But what do I do then? Every time my lantern fades away and I can play it safe and dig, or I can move around and die.
🎤 Wesxdz
26. Apr 2021 · 18:15 UTC
@godsboss return back to spawn
godsboss
26. Apr 2021 · 18:43 UTC
Oooooooo, nice.
mrnyarlathotep
26. Apr 2021 · 19:15 UTC
Yeah, I have to echo what others have said that all of the elements are here, they're just not quite coming together in a way that I really get whats happening.

Theres a lot going on here, especially for a compo entry - maybe stripping it down a little bit and adding new mechanics at certain money thresholds? Theres NPC shop(?), pseudo-gravity flipping, light mechanics, and having to return to the start of the 'level' to 'bank', on top of the core mining and collecting stuff
Dilem
27. Apr 2021 · 06:10 UTC
Surprisingly engaging! It wasn't always clear what would kill me since the teeth are different height, but after realizing that I need to stand where there is no teeth, I found it very fun. Well done!
dimaswift
27. Apr 2021 · 07:34 UTC
I love the music! It's so simple but on point
Duck Reaction
27. Apr 2021 · 17:59 UTC
Nice pixel art style.

It's fun but I think that a slow character is little bit frustrating. The audio it's a good feedback for player.

Well done.
chris-delta
27. Apr 2021 · 18:12 UTC
This is probably my favorite to play so far! It does seem like there's a lot of progression towards nothing though, it's not clear to me if something significant changes further into the game other than upgrades to simple stats.
🎤 Wesxdz
27. Apr 2021 · 22:04 UTC
@chris-delta I was planning to have multiple demons with more environmental hazards that you unlock if you make it futher, but didn't have time to implement them.
tengusheath
30. Apr 2021 · 05:08 UTC
Nice idea, but I was kind of lost playing it. I don't think I fully understand what I'm supposed to do.
dob
30. Apr 2021 · 05:54 UTC
I enjoyed this. Great look, very cool concept. It was hard to figure out what to do from the directions, but I eventually got it and mastered the controls and risks. Made it a few levels in before an unfortunate chomping on my best game. I wasn't sure what the money was for - maybe a feature later on, or not quite added? Cool game - nice work.
Paroxysmal
01. May 2021 · 23:09 UTC
Interesting concept of being a demon dentist. Nice graphics and sound. Little confusing at first. Great entry.
NuclearRedeye
03. May 2021 · 10:36 UTC
Very original take on the theme. Really liked the artwork and sound also. Took me a little while to work out what I specifically needed to do, but got there in the end.
leggy
03. May 2021 · 12:26 UTC
This game is really interesting. Nice art, music, concept. The only thing I found a bit annoying is the lack of tutorial: something to explain how to proceed properly. But i do congratulate, really nice and fun!
felo07
05. May 2021 · 17:27 UTC
Its an amazinhg idea, I just coudnt understand very well. Whats that blue light thing ? Also, I could pass through teeth without dying. I liked the graphics, are cute. You have a great game to work it on, please continue!
TheGreenWorm
06. May 2021 · 14:16 UTC
I do agree with some older comments, the main thing holding your game back is complexity and lack of tutorialization/progression. I'm still impressed by the art, witch felt very cohesive.
AranCutter
06. May 2021 · 16:08 UTC
This is an interesting idea and I had fun with it. I like the crisp graphics and the retro audio. Having to venture into the cave, check for teeth below "gum" level, and carefully mine them out was a nice challenge. The upgrades felt meaningful and the constantly decreasing "energy" created a sense of urgency. I thought it was cool having a sort of soft lose condition when your light goes out.

I agree that it really needs to communicate things better. Through trial and error I got the hang of it pretty quickly, however. More than anything I really didn't know how to compelete a level (I eventually came here to read comments). I think something simple like an arrow pointing back to the entrance when you've completed your objective would help a lot.

Nice work on it, I enjoyed it.
F1Krazy
08. May 2021 · 17:41 UTC
I like how distinctive this is. It's a very unusual game, in terms of both gameplay and how it interprets the theme. As has been noted, though, nothing is explained very well: it's not clear how you know which teeth you need to dig out, I didn't even notice the lantern timer until it ran out (I still managed to get out okay, though), and when I purchased an upgrade during Level 2, I'm not sure what it actually did (I'm not even sure that I *did* purchase it).

I do have to applaud you for something something different and unique, it's just not quite there yet.