LudumData

Chrysopoeia by Matt Barnfield

[raw]
made by Matt Barnfield for Ludum Dare 50 (JAM)

Chrysopoeia - the art of making Gold.

For generations, Alchemists before me strived towards the ultimate Goal: the Projection of the baser, impure Metals into Gold. But now, with the first Fixation of Alkahest, the Universal Solvent, achieved for the first time two generations ago, this Art has become Science. Now, all Alchemists learn, and perfect, the techniques for Projection, and Pure Gold can be created using the Apparati in even a basic Laboratory.

But I have squandered this gift.

I attempted to Deceive a member of His Majesty the King's Court, by passing off an Impure substance as Gold... and I was Discovered.

I have been sentenced to pay back the Royal Court by Projecting purest Gold (oh! The irony) from my personal collections of Lead and Alkahest, but I will soon Run Out. As my supplies dwindle, and His Majesty's tax collectors grow greedier and greedier, I fear that I will very soon be unable to repay my Debt.Screenshot 2022-04-05 023517.pngScreenshot 2022-04-05 024336.png

Web player https://themattbarnfield.github.io/Chrysopoeia/
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/50/chrysopoeia

Ratings

Given 6🗳️ 9🗨️

Feedback

Raphiell
05. Apr 2022 · 02:53 UTC
I'm having factorio flashbacks. I love this sort of game! A bit hard to grasp at first with all the instructions to read through while you're being taxed, but I had fun after a few resets. I think I found a really good setup... I'll have to play again later.

Very well done!
jackcaunter
05. Apr 2022 · 03:02 UTC
Cool concept for a jam! I'm the type of person who struggles a bit without a tutorial that really goes over each concept, but I think someone who's better at these types of games would have fun learning this one. The music is a banger, and I seriously love the writing.
Matt E
05. Apr 2022 · 16:56 UTC
Amazing! I love it. Needs a bit of balancing as deliveries RNG can kill a run. One time I got delivered very little brimstone or lead which meant it was (probably) impossible. Thanks for the game though it was loads of fun 🙂
It has got quite a steep learning curve. A quick video clip showcasing how to play would have been super helpful.
Guy Girmonsky
06. Apr 2022 · 21:44 UTC
That's a cool idea for a game! I love the atmosphere, the music helps that aswell.
Took me a bit to realise how to make stuff work, but once I figured it out, it was super fun to dive into it - I love when a game puts a challenge, and not just hands you everything over. It looks great too, just great entry!
hgcummings
09. Apr 2022 · 16:18 UTC
This is challenging but really fun to get to grips with. I love the art style and the in-game text.
Alchemic
21. Apr 2022 · 18:51 UTC
Hey, this is a pretty good Zach-like :P

The pressure from the timer made it a little challenging to learn, I lost while trying to read some tutorial text lol.

The pieces being nested into categories and cycling through them with F was a bit annoying, I find myself flailing trying to get to the piece I need. Would might rather have had them all mapped to rows on the keyboard (e.g. QWERT... for delivery pieces, ASDF... for tools, etc.).

The portals being unremovable feels like a strange choice (also they seemed a bit glitchy? not sure exactly how they were intended to work).

I like the art style and music, it's a comfy experience.

I like the delivery system, although the UI is a little confusing.

Overall very good!