Quantum Caves by DevLope
You are controlling a drone in the quantum caves!
You must keep picking up as much energy as possible,
but the walls are shifting around you when you look away!
Files available on itch.io
Controls:
Arrow keys
R to reset. Sometimes the world generation will give you a bad spawn, so might be necessary sometimes.
Technical details: The generation is heavily based on the Wave Function Collapse algorithm, except instead of generating the whole level, it is constantly generating around you as you move, and removing the old level behind you. Currently theres a lot of conflicts, the hazards are actually placed whenever there is a conflict.
Tools:
Unity
Aseprite
Audacity
BFXR
HEPT32 colour palette by https://twitter.com/ENDESGA
| Link | https://devlope.itch.io/quantum-caves |
| Link | https://devlope.itch.io/quantum-caves |
| Original URL | https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/51/quantum-caves |
Ratings
| Overall | 404th | 3.025⭐ | 22🧑⚖️ |
| Fun | 456th | 2.553⭐ | 21🧑⚖️ |
| Innovation | 118th | 3.658⭐ | 21🧑⚖️ |
| Theme | 471th | 2.474⭐ | 21🧑⚖️ |
| Graphics | 259th | 3.395⭐ | 21🧑⚖️ |
| Audio | 335th | 2.737⭐ | 21🧑⚖️ |
| Mood | 309th | 3⭐ | 21🧑⚖️ |
| Given | 34🗳️ | 4🗨️ |
I really struggled to avoid the purple death blocks with the limited manoeuvrability. It would have been better to omit those entirely so I have a chance to explore your procedural level. 4 was my highest score.
The countdown and out of energy message seems to suddenly come out of nowhere. A continuous energy meter would have made more sense.
The wave effect on the dark blocks are quite nice and I like how plant filled the place is!
1. "the walls are shifting around you when you look away!" -> reminds me of *Outer Wilds*!
2. "Wave Function Collapse algorithm" -> I think I am unaware of it, I shall look it up! :) Thanks for the information (afterthought: wait, maybe I recall the name… Checking: oh, yes, know a *bit* about it!)
3. "Arrow keys" -> so, no QWERTY trouble for my AZERTY this time! :) (if happens rather often not to have layout-independence)
4. concept looks interesting!
5. cute pixel art graphics, and quite detailed, including vegetation (creepers…)! This is great, given this is procedurally generated
6. nice sounds and thruster visuals for the ship, this makes playability clear!
7. nice "electromagnetic" field effect on the hazard tiles! :)
8. I see some hazard DISCS; what are they for? I could touch one without losing, but another one did make me lose (at my spawning place, every time in a row before I moved X))
9. this is HARD! And unforgiving
10. the alarm sound is funny, sounds like one of those things you press with your hand to make a pseudo-horn sound XD
11. what is the goal, by the way? Picking up all energy balls, or merely surviving as long as possible?
12. weird, still had fuel, but could not go up anymore! (aside from a ridiculous millimeter)
13. happened to me once more; is this expected? As in, you need not to use the upward thruster too much in between energy balls?
14. "plenty of energy" -> I wish for a more precise indication! XD "Is the situation dangerous, computer?" "You’re fine, dude."
15. by the way, it does run fin on my hardware (while some Unreal Engine games do not :p)
16. I think I have not made better than 3 up to now. A high score feature to keep track could be nice! Oh, I realize you keep your score when touching hazard and respawning, so position reset is not losing!
17. I like how you can continue exploring after losing
18. this is SO HARD. I think I am not careful enough nor use the hazard disappearance mechanic enough
19. reached 4
20. showing where the energy balls are in advance amongst the ‘fog of ~~war~~ hazard’ is a nice and welcome help given the overall difficulty!
21. found four energy balls gathered together! A bit later: and this was my final run, with a score of 20 (twenty), which is way more than all previous runs! :D Getting better at it, clearly :)
22. I am not sure of how the 10-second theme fits in exactly, because it sounded more like you have only 10 seconds ONCE fuel gets depleted enough, rather than 10 seconds after getting a ball; or does it? Testing once more: oh yes, it IS 10 seconds after a ball! I think the counter should say it! And so, that actually makes it 20 seconds rather than 10! ;)
**Takeaway:** an interesting procedural mechanic in nice procedural detailed scenery; the game is challenging! It feels like a prototype that could become super interesting with some other mechanic or additional objective(s). I could not say what for the moment, a little something… Other than that, funny sounds and cute graphics! I still wonder about the upward movement sometimes getting ‘out of order’, but this may be intentional as a restraining mechanic. As for theme incorporation, it sounds classic but fair; the originality lies in the quantum part. :)
I tend to like programming/algorithmic experiments, and this one falls under this category, thank you for the originality! :)
And youre definitely right on the theme, it was originally actually 10 seconds but that was basically impossible, so ended up kinda ignoring it :laughing:
Also 20 is significantly better than i got so good job, definitely shouldve balanced it a lot more :laughing: