Erefos by exopunk

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

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Erefos (Before Light) by Tiny Hop team is an action platformer experiencing a spiritual journey through the inevitable darkness.


CHANGELOG (After submission)

05/04/2022 15:57 UTC - Updated OSX build, it had a breaking bug where it wouldn't open at all and appeared as "damaged".


KEYBOARD

Move - Arrow Keys
Jump - Z / SPACE Attack - X
Dash - C
Pause - Esc

It should also work on non QWERTY layouts, using the physical layout of the ZXC keys.

Alternative keyboard layout:

Move - WASD
Jump - J / Space
Attack - K
Dash - L
Pause - Esc

CONTROLLER

Move - Left stick, D-Pad
Jump - XB A / PS Cross
Attack - XB X / PS Square
Dash - XB B / PS Circle
Pause - XB Start / PS Options

Only the first keyboard layout is shown in the tutorial.


TINYHOP TEAM - https://twitter.com/tinyhopgames - https://tinyhop.itch.io/

Alex Podaras - Programming - https://twitter.com/ex0punk

Theodore Moustakas - Sound design / Music - https://twitter.com/mous_sfx

Vasilis Kaminaris - Art - https://www.instagram.com/el_kaminaris/

Alex Kaminaris - Art - https://twitter.com/necta_nebo


ATTRIBUTIONS

Luckiest Guy by Astigmatic


Ratings

Overall 82th 4.106⭐ 54🧑‍⚖️
Fun 177th 3.885⭐ 54🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 517th 3.481⭐ 54🧑‍⚖️
Theme 522th 3.804⭐ 53🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 36th 4.635⭐ 54🧑‍⚖️
Audio 70th 4.154⭐ 54🧑‍⚖️
Mood 35th 4.375⭐ 54🧑‍⚖️
Given 39🗳️ 76🗨️

Feedback

Rodrigo Montenegro
05. Apr 2022 · 11:48 UTC
Nice game!
It kinda feels like a homage to Hollow Knight. Very fun to play.
Attacking feels nice, and I really like the light fading mechanic.
Also, it feels like the character is very heavy, making it hard to jump and go up and down the platforms. Maybe a little tweak in the jump and fall speed can fix it.
The art looks very good and the sound design is nice too.

Great work!
MaratG2
05. Apr 2022 · 11:49 UTC
It surprised me with quality of work. It's a very polished little game. Reminded me of Nihilumbra. Maybe controls (jumping over platforms) feels a little cluncky (I can't jump on platform, but can dash on it. Though I completed the game). Don't know what to add, this game is a spot-on, wish you good luck with either new games or scaling this!
Carlos_7x
05. Apr 2022 · 11:53 UTC
Good feedback:
This is a great game, a great prototype I should say. I can easily see this game becoming a full game, it has so much potential.
Art was simple but nice, music was relaxing. I was having fun!

Not so good feedback:
I didn't see too much innovation and I don't think the theme was well implemented, though.

Overall I think it's a great game and I would absolutely buy a full game - it's just that I don't see the theme in it, that's all.
sleepyGrin
05. Apr 2022 · 11:53 UTC
Snappy gameplay, quality art work, and crispy sound design. This is a very high quality work, super impressive in such a short amount of time!
tailow
05. Apr 2022 · 11:54 UTC
Really cool game! The visuals and audio were great and the actions had a very nice feel to them.
I was impressed by the size of the level and the amount of different traps/enemies.

Different keybinds would have been lovely as the current ones felt quite awkward.

Great job!
Eolin
05. Apr 2022 · 12:04 UTC
Really nice game ! The art is really good. I was just wondering why everything is in black and white except the ennemy. Overall really nice experience. Good job !
Nectanebo
05. Apr 2022 · 12:12 UTC
@eolin Thank you so much for the feedback! Τowards the end of the process we all wondered the same thing xD
PhoenixofForce
05. Apr 2022 · 12:20 UTC
First i wanted to complain about the controls. But then tried its very nice that the controls also work on qwertz keyboars (y and z do the same, you can walk with arrow key).

Other than that its a very good game :)
twinkietalks
05. Apr 2022 · 12:24 UTC
the controls feel stiff at times but otherwise solid experience kept me engaged all the way through and loved the puzzle aspect of the platforming to figure out how to proceed
LDJam user 269161
05. Apr 2022 · 13:38 UTC
Very nice game with a lovely artstyle :smile: It is best played with controller! Thank you for this cool game
PolymathLD
05. Apr 2022 · 17:00 UTC
Wow, this is just awesome. The gameplay and controls feel tight and good, the art and sound design is phenomenal, the level design works well, and the concept fits the theme. You even included controller support--very welcome on a platformer! Love it, love it, love it. Made it to the end with just the right amount of difficulty.

The only very minor criticism I can think of is that the movement and animation feel of the player character seems a little bit ponderous given the frenetic central mechanic of running to get to the next light; the light mechanic seems more suited to a faster pace. But even then, that's totally subjective, and I can see why you went the way you did.

Thanks for the great little bite of platforming! Would love to see a full version someday.
Itzemii
05. Apr 2022 · 17:21 UTC
Really nice and "complete". Up to the point I got stuck it felt like a finished complete game. Cool! Controls with a controller felt very good (not perfect, but good). The graphics are nice. I like the flying insects and the big punching hand! First I did not understand that I have to get to the next light. And then I got stuck at the "platforms stacking up" I did not get to the top, did not jump high enough at the top one.
But I enjoyed, great game!
Nectanebo
05. Apr 2022 · 17:44 UTC
@itzemii Thank you for the feedback, really glad you liked our game! At these platforms that you stuck, you suppose to hit the spikes (down attack) in order to bounce even higher to the next platform.
Anyways, thanks so much for playing :smile:
Kizu
05. Apr 2022 · 17:59 UTC
Loved the puzzle/platformer theme; was very well done, a bit hard with the controls because it felt stiff but it was nice :)
Nerzal
05. Apr 2022 · 18:08 UTC
Gameplay:

The feature that the screen went dark really killed it for me.

I felt like there was no Koyote-Time/GraceJump which would improve the feeling of the controls.
I've just dashed through the complete level using the dash :D i'm sure that is not exactly the intended way to play the game, but dashing is faster than moving normaly, so i tried to be fast enough before i'm unable to see anything.

Dropping through platforms on the controller does not always work on the first time everytime. Sometimes it does, sometimes it dont.

Positively i realized that you have implemented modular jumping, which is always nice!

The part with the "down-attack" was a little bit confusing, as you cannot perform that attack, while standing still.

Graphics:
I really liked the artstyle.
The charcter animations looked really nice, despite the fact, that the is no blending of the animations when attacking while moving. Everything else looks really great.

Audio:
The ambient sounds are amazing and add to the athmosphere
The sounds in general are really good matching

Mood:
Audio, Graphics ands also the "light goes out" feature go hand in hand creating a depressive and dark athmosphere. You've done a great job at this point!


In general: Without the light going out feature i'd really enjoy playing several levels of that game :)
potkirland
05. Apr 2022 · 23:28 UTC
the light goes out scared me at first i think the placement of lights was great level design wise. it did let me lose my way but it didt let me get lost!
TimBeaudet
06. Apr 2022 · 00:28 UTC
Played for you on my [livestream](https://www.twitch.tv/timbeaudet) and loved the contrasty art!
Jungle
06. Apr 2022 · 01:01 UTC
I saw you game in OzzysDen stream. The graphics are incredible and have a lots of content. Congratulations
MacabreArtGames
06. Apr 2022 · 01:01 UTC
Theme is perfect. I enjoyed playing mostly (tilted a few times though). Keyboard controls are difficult. I liked it overall. Well done!
leorid
06. Apr 2022 · 04:51 UTC
Great entry, very cool take on the theme. I feel like this has a lot of worldbuilding even with not a single ingame text pointing at it.

Not sure about the negative feedback loop of getting hit a couple of times because you don't understand a certain mechanic or how to reach a spot and then not seeing anything.

BUT that's actually just nitpicking, the game has such a good style and mood. And it was never really frustrating because of generous checkpoint placement.
ChaosComposer
06. Apr 2022 · 06:25 UTC
This is pretty neat! This game has great atmosphere and I like the encroaching darkness idea - really encourages playing fast and using the dash as much as possible. All the checkpoints felt very fair which is great to keep things light in what is otherwise a pretty suffocating mechanic. The graphics are really nice and are perfect for the tone you are going for.

There were a few cases I found where the character would stop moving after landing, even when holding down a direction, which did kind of trip me up, but it wasn't a huge deal. Other than that, it felt quite good to play through! A pretty solid entry for the jam, well done!
Okamit
06. Apr 2022 · 15:55 UTC
Great work as always! I would love to see this expanded and polished after the jam, it's really interesting!
Beautiful art, great atmosphere and very challenging! I like that you respawn at checkpoints so you can try again and again until you get the gameplay, and the tutorial integrated into the beginning of the game is great.

Great work! Thanks for sharing!
shmador
06. Apr 2022 · 16:38 UTC
This game is awesome! Art was good and unified, Everything felt attached and nothing out of place. Animations were smooth and on point. I liked the chill music to fit with the mood of the game. Gameplay wise- game was very fun and enjoyable to the end, Although I felt more could be achieved with the level design supported by such cool mechanics and movement system. Nonetheless one of my favorites this jam!
Orionhart
06. Apr 2022 · 19:41 UTC
Great game! Only grip was how slow I moved. I kept feeling like the character wanted to go faster, but he just walked along at the same pace.
caudatecoder
06. Apr 2022 · 21:41 UTC
Great game with a lot of potential! Art, animation and sound are very well done and coherent and set the mood. The gameplay is really catchy and I see a lot of room for player to learn all the details of movement system. Hoping to see this game becoming something big!

My only problem was keyboard layout.. at least jumping with spacebar would be nice, haha. Great job anyways!

Thanks for coming to my stream! Here's a recording in case you'd like to refer to it https://youtu.be/aJkdjOKW03M
Alexthehuman2
06. Apr 2022 · 22:50 UTC
I wish more more levels, and that's all the suggestions that I have - oh and boss fight to cap things off would've made this game a gem in the ludum dare amongst many.
gdesecrate
06. Apr 2022 · 23:03 UTC
Couldn't launch it because my hardware does not support GLES3
Fromage
06. Apr 2022 · 23:03 UTC
Great art, controls were a bit tough for me but I worked it out.
Sopata
07. Apr 2022 · 20:48 UTC
Obviously a very polished and awesome-looking game. The mood and graphics were spot-on.
The only lacking elements to me are **innovation** and **theme**.
I would have liked it much more if the game was unbeatable and procedurally generated. That would have been a solid 5.
Nevertheless - super solid entry! Keep up the good work and I wish all the best to your studio guys!
Solah
08. Apr 2022 · 15:11 UTC
Very good game, the art is wonderful, the gameplay is good and the level design is clever, well done!
marcmagus
08. Apr 2022 · 15:53 UTC
Thanks for bringing your game by my stream for feedback! If you’d like to revisit the play and commentary you can view the highlight at https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1448957642

Nice atmospheric platformer. Horizontal movement in the air felt like it was slightly less than my intuition which kept throwing off my jumps.

Shrinking light as a timer was effective and fitting.
tigerj
08. Apr 2022 · 17:53 UTC
Super cool game with a nice aesthetic. I had a great time except for the down attack, I was kinda bad at it, although it could be my incredibly stiff keys (cherry blues).

highlight: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1449896005?t=02h13m44s
Ismael Rodriguez
08. Apr 2022 · 20:34 UTC
Very good entry! Everything looks feels and sounds great!

I wish hazards were a lil more visible. While most areas are nice and simple, that down attack section seemed especially brutal while introducing a more complicated maneuver. The fading light mechanic looks cool and is appropriate for the theme, but also feels a little cheap when it gets too dark to see anything I just have to wait the next few seconds to die and try again.

Very good job overall!
LDJam user 259037
09. Apr 2022 · 06:40 UTC
this game disinTEGRATED MY UNDEWEAR DUDES.
i know you said your team was watching at the time but in case any weren't please share this with them so they KEEP MAKING MASTERPIECES.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLrZ2oYv9pE

seriously i'm remembering this game and i just get fucking excited like please, please PLEASE keep making stuff guys
Almax
09. Apr 2022 · 21:47 UTC
Fantastic entry! Very moody, very pretty, and on the whole, very fun. I particularly like the credits scene where I was able to keep fighting - which reminded me a bit of Nier Automata. My only gripe was the platforming felt a bit clunky, mostly due to the lack of air control.
blobo
11. Apr 2022 · 02:04 UTC
I don't know if it was just me, since none of the other comments have mentioned it, but I'm having serious troubles moving the character. They stop moving horizontally when I jump, and I have to hold right or left for a few seconds before they actually begin moving. I'm looking at the provided gifs on this page, and the issues moving the character that I had are very much not displayed in the gif, so I have no idea what happened. I honestly can't tell if this is an issue anybody else was having by their comments, because that really brought down the experience. The dash was pretty much the only means of travel, which made platforming incredibly difficult, and it didn't help that the screen goes dark making it impossible to tell where I'm trying to go.

That aside, the artwork is incredible. The character animations, the backgrounds, the enemies, all of it is beautifully eerie and creepy, and I love it. I don't think hindering the players vision is inherently a bad gameplay decision, it's a really cool mechanic, and had the player controlled better I probably would've enjoyed the added challenge of minimal vision.

Played on a qwerty keyboard, windows build on windows 10. I hope you can figure out what was happening with the controls.

**EDIT**: I tried the game a second time. closed the application and re-opened, and the issues were gone. Gonna replay and give better feedback.

Okay, the game played much much better, and I loved it. (also I was able to play it on controller, but the keyboard worked too) Anyway, no clue what that was all about. I take back everything negative I said, this game rocks. The darkness was never an issue, and the level designs are pretty nice. The checkpoints are perfectly spaced too, by the way. All around, a solid game.
Kaminos
11. Apr 2022 · 07:05 UTC
@100th-coin I love the log history of your comment.. Just awesome! Thank you very much for playing and giving our game a second chance. All your kind words are much appreciated :)

Ps. As far as the weird bug goes i have no clue, i leave that to our dev @exopunk
LDJam user 250426
12. Apr 2022 · 08:18 UTC
left feedback on stream, love the dark aesthetic :D!

vod @ 1:12:45
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1449593775
Molpe
18. Apr 2022 · 21:43 UTC
Great visuals and atmosphere :slight_smile: Had a little trouble understanding what the game wants from me at one point, but eventually figured it out :slight_smile: Love the light mechanics :heart: Next time, maybe some story to bind it all together :slight_smile:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7DtwoxB_IE
Xeke-Death
19. Apr 2022 · 22:36 UTC
Very well done. This could very easily be the beginning of a much larger project. A good story, a couple more mechanics, and a much larger game world would make for a great game.
The art is great, but I'd like a little more visual feedback when hitting enemies. Just a little puff of particles would help.
The control scheme needs refinement, but the mechanics in the game work very well when I manage to press the right buttons.
The sound design is great, not overwhelming and well balanced.