Unpredictable Shapeshifting by OctahedronSoftware

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

Hunters enter a forest to shoot a pack of wolves, but one among them is a shapeshifter.

UPDATE: 1.0.1 is available as HTML5 game. It also adds a missing Godot icon file to the project, removing an error message. This merely removes an error message, the game is otherwise unchanged.

You randomly change from hunter to a wolf. As a hunter you can shoot wolves, while your wolf form is fast and has melee attack. Be the last one alive!

HTML5 web release: https://itch.io/embed-upload/4551399?color=333333

screenshot.PNG

Ratings

Overall 493th 2.922⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Fun 491th 2.703⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 224th 3.453⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Theme 296th 3.5⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 486th 2.656⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Audio 380th 2.656⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Humor 375th 2.258⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Mood 453th 2.581⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Given 35🗳️ 41🗨️

Feedback

BangTheWall
04. Oct 2021 · 09:23 UTC
Idea is cool! Glad that you included a small timer that shows when the shape happens.

Would have loved to attack when it wasn't going to kill anyone (I though that the attack didn't work at first)

The game is also a bit too slow, took me quite a few minutes to kill everything on the screen.
LDJam user 269161
04. Oct 2021 · 09:30 UTC
I had an error message when opening![Unbenannt.PNG](///raw/96b/14/z/4487e.png)
It reminds me of the beginning time of gaming
PaperAeroplane555
04. Oct 2021 · 09:48 UTC
definitely an interesting concept with potential!! there is a sense of back and forth between the two states and fitted in nicely with the theme.

however i think there can be some minor improvements. honestly it felt a lot safer to just wait out the wolf period because using the gun is way more reliable (and i could know the range of the attack :p) and the speed difference wasn't very impactful. the attacks also feel kind of slow but thats just nitpicking.

i think your game fits really well with the theme and has a lot of potential! good job!!
Johnathan Peres
04. Oct 2021 · 16:19 UTC
Good concept, if you want to update futher I would make a bit faster paced and maybe introduce a third element and do a rock / papper / scissors kinda of thing, also I found really hard to kill the hunters.
chesschaser
04. Oct 2021 · 17:33 UTC
Cool concept
wafflesys
04. Oct 2021 · 20:10 UTC
I've only tested the web version so some of my comments apply only for this.

- The concept is nice, the timer is very valuable to know what to expect.
- Sound is simple but adds a good feel. Especially the sound of the rifle that I found very enjoyable.
- I always start at the same spot (bottom-right) which is a bit unfortunate because I almost never go to the other side of the map which is very big. Which brings me to
- Faster movements would be better I think. We are kind slow and it is hard to move around.
- The speed difference between wolves and hunters could be increased.
- I find it is very hard to play as a wolve, first because hunters have the ability to shoot at a distance without restriction, second I have hard time killing hunters.
- The texts "number killed" are misplaced in the web build I think.

Globally it is a good base to build upon, well done!
Taft Punk
04. Oct 2021 · 20:37 UTC
Interesting idea. The movement felt a bit off sometimes. It could be nice if either everyone moved faster, or the NPC movement was more predictable so there's a bit more of a strategic feel where you try to get in a good position before the change comes. Putting in the red square so it's always easy to tell where the damage comes from is good.
Mateu
04. Oct 2021 · 20:58 UTC
I liked the idea. I beat the game and "prevailed". If I could change something, I would make it so that there were more visuals when you attacked. I also didn't realize you could only kill the other type of enemies. However, the concept is definitely really unique, and that I liked.
Tony Li
05. Oct 2021 · 01:13 UTC
Nice take on the theme. I had a little trouble shooting, and playing as a wolf is really challenging because of the range difference. The warning timer is a nice touch.
Gale-swift
05. Oct 2021 · 02:19 UTC
I prevailed! I think giving the player something to do when they are a wolf and there are only wolves left (or vice versa) would be a nice addition. For some reason I liked the little smoke effect a lot when you shot :)
pdotjpg
05. Oct 2021 · 17:40 UTC
Really fresh and interesting idea. I'd love to see a more polished version. It was very difficult to play because of sluggish movement, erratic enemy movement (hunters turning toward you and immediately killing you) and (I'm guessing) really small hitboxes. I could barely land any attacks. But again, the idea is really fun and original.
mikouaji
05. Oct 2021 · 17:47 UTC
I tried both the web version and the exe, and in both of them I had problems with shooting (or I didnt understand how the mechanic works). The web version also seemed to have some invisible walls while replaying. Beside that a solid entry, the sound effects fit. The transformation bar is a nice thing, well done :)
Arttu Halonen
05. Oct 2021 · 17:50 UTC
I really liked the concept here! Initially the controls took a little getting used to, and I was trying to attack other wolves as a wolf before I realized that's not how it works. But overall a solid little game!
BOOtak
05. Oct 2021 · 20:13 UTC
Great idea, never seen something like this before. Makes you constantly adapt your playstyle. Nice take on theme, too. As @wafflesys mentioned, timer is a good touch. Also congrats on implementing AI for this one. Well done!

UPD: Huh, if you think about it, timer makes shapeshifting in "Unpredictable shapeshifting" kinda... Predictable :)
Kora0h
06. Oct 2021 · 00:07 UTC
A hunter shot me died when I was a hunter too, the world is too dangerous for me!I like the concept, very fun!Good work!
MeanSquaredError
06. Oct 2021 · 01:59 UTC
I enjoyed playing this. It's a creative idea, and the objective of being the last one surviving is a good challenge. I put my testing/review of this game in a youtube video: https://youtu.be/2BX5FKn4KPY
R3dleg
06. Oct 2021 · 09:12 UTC
I liked the concept. The gameplay feels kind of repetetive though. Beeing a hunter feels kinda op. The good thing about this is that killing a hunter as a wolf feels much more rewarding. Super interesting kind of game. There is more to explore.
Ludokultur
06. Oct 2021 · 09:16 UTC
Switching between two opposing sides constantly is definitely something I haven't seen before! I feel the hunter bullets should take some time to travel so you can react to them. They feel very laser-like currently. Kudos for the inspiring core idea though!
M A T
06. Oct 2021 · 09:37 UTC
I played until I finished it! Nice idea but, being a wolf is hard, probably it could be balanced if the hunters had some limitation on shooting range.

Mainly, I enjoyed the game and, the switching mechanic did the job. Nice entry! :smile:
Harmadillo
06. Oct 2021 · 17:35 UTC
Enjoyable game. Killing the hunters first made picking off the wolves much easier.
Not firing when you couldn't kill took some getting used to, would have preferred the feedback of a shot.
Player icon doesn't change when timer runs out if you are not moving.
ubershmekel
09. Oct 2021 · 07:20 UTC
I still don't fully understand why it wouldn't shoot sometimes. The game concept does have potential though. Pretty cool switching back and forth between mobility and range. Thank you for the game.
lesinvisible
09. Oct 2021 · 23:58 UTC
I was really impressed by the concept, the idea seems very fresh. As for gameplay, it's unstable in the best meaning of the word. Was very enjoyable.
GustavB
20. Oct 2021 · 18:16 UTC
Got a nostalgic feeling from this game. For anyone old enough to know this image![pbya28dstba61.jpg](///raw/e84/04/z/48483.jpg)

If it would have existed in the same era I see myself playing the crap out of it. :heart:
🎤 OctahedronSoftware
21. Oct 2021 · 14:00 UTC
@gustavb We had that game on the school computers, I remember the thrill of being chased by the monster!