LudumData

A Lifelong Hobby by Derek Glennon

[raw]
made by Derek Glennon for Ludum Dare 58 (JAM)

Earn money through different jobs and collect trading cards. A reflection on how my relationship with the hobby has changed over the course of my life

Play Here:

https://derekglennon.itch.io/a-lifelong-hobby

main_menu.png

Perform different jobs to earn money

mow<em>lawns.gif serve</em>food.gif computer_work.gif

Buy card packs with money

reveal.gif

Collect them all!

collection_screen.png

Controls

Mouse and keyboard

Made with

  • Godot 4.5
  • Clip Studio Paint
  • Fonts used:
  • https://www.fontspace.com/super-playful-font-f118059
  • https://www.fontspace.com/sebastian-gothic-nbp-font-f16160

Platforms

  • Windows
  • Web

Some history

I've been making little card games and collecting cards since I was young. This game is about how the relationship with that hobby has changed over the years. Starting out I would do whatever odd jobs I could just to get enough money to buy a few cards. Now, I can order whatever card I want. Some of the magic gets lost along the way, but that's just part of growing up. I still love the hobby, just in a different way now. As a fun little tribute to my younger self I created new versions of some hilariously bad custom tcg cards I made: old_cards.png

Thanks for playing!

Thanks for checking out my little trip down memory lane :heart:

Source Code https://github.com/derek-glennon/LD_58
Itch https://derekglennon.itch.io/a-lifelong-hobby
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/58/a-lifelong-hobby

Ratings

Overall 145th 3.884⭐ 71🧑‍⚖️
Fun 284th 3.507⭐ 71🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 258th 3.47⭐ 69🧑‍⚖️
Theme 21th 4.463⭐ 70🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 319th 3.828⭐ 69🧑‍⚖️
Audio 354th 3.265⭐ 68🧑‍⚖️
Humor 125th 3.75⭐ 70🧑‍⚖️
Mood 180th 3.897⭐ 70🧑‍⚖️
Given 54🗳️ 107🗨️

Feedback

vivid-hallucination
Oct 07th · 00:11 UTC
Oh yeah, jelly lad and spooky sword. I love those guys.
Winter2277
Oct 07th · 00:13 UTC
Nice relaxing experience. I certainly didn't feel much excitment playing this game, perhaps because there was no connection between the work and the collection. It makes an interesting statement on people who choose to collect things for the sake of collecting things. If I was in their place I would find it boring to work 8 hours a day just to spend that money acquiring material things that do not improve my life condition in any way.
Ry0
Oct 07th · 01:03 UTC
Basic idea, but game is very chill. Very relaxing vibe, nice!
Luxcy
Oct 07th · 01:05 UTC
Didn't think I'd finish it but here I am 10 minutes later. Loved the concept, the art, the change in work levels and wish I had 200 more cards to collect!!!!
johncast123
Oct 07th · 01:05 UTC
I love the art and I love the theme you incorporated. I used to collect cards too when I was young. I used to play a lot of Duel Masters, and back then it was the hottest card game. I think very fondly back on those times, but now that the game is considered outdated, I'll never relive those moments. A very bittersweet relationship indeed. Thank you for sharing your childhood with us :)
SlaQr
Oct 07th · 01:06 UTC
You managed to perfectly rte-create my real-life luck, incredible!what does the vase of avarice do?
Psevdonim
Oct 07th · 01:13 UTC
A nice little game that pleasantly surprised me.
The gameplay itself isn’t too complex, but the way the content was presented really impressed me — how the type of work changed, how it gradually became a bit more challenging, and how new ways to earn cards were introduced along the way.
And the unique visual style definitely deserves praise as well.
Thumbs up!
AncientEntity
Oct 07th · 05:23 UTC
my gambling addiction starts here
SnowfallEagle
Oct 07th · 05:34 UTC
Nice game. Disconnection between work and hobby feels just like in real life
KnownAsPhi
Oct 07th · 12:11 UTC
bought a rare pack, got a common card, checks out. Was a pretty nice experience, the references to the real cards are a treat. Good job !
Tommeh
Oct 07th · 14:37 UTC
This is such a cool idea! Doing WarioWare-like tasks to earn money for opening booster packs. The games itself minigames themselves were surprisingly fun! I wish you could use the cards somehow because now it is basically a score tracker. Overall great job :)
naru
Oct 07th · 18:32 UTC
Nice concept!
BO3bMAK
Oct 07th · 18:38 UTC
"Press a random button to get money." Well, I'm at work.
kalikalikali
Oct 07th · 18:44 UTC
Cool game! It's really good at telling a story through its mechanics. I do wish the experience of opening a booster was a little less slow and melancholic, as it would make the contrast between buying a pack and buying singles even bigger. But it's a really nice idea overall. Great work!
ProtoHere
Oct 07th · 18:49 UTC
you did a great job mixing up the gameplay and pacing it out so that the player has to engage with every new element. I really like this game! I kind of wish there was a way of using the cards in some kind of gameplay, but that would probably be asking too much for a game jam haha. nice work!
Flokami
Oct 07th · 18:58 UTC
I found this game really unique in it's vibe ! Simple but as a Magic player, it reminds me on how we can sacrifice our lifetime for these little paper cards.
Koolruz
Oct 07th · 19:30 UTC
![caught-em-all.PNG](///raw/dec/c2/z/6ebae.png)

I really liked this vibe - I feel like it's a really accurate portrayal of how packs of cards go from being such a fun exciting experience when you're younger (or new to card games), and eventually lose their magic as you get more into the game, and the initial joy of exploration fades. Instead of becoming excited by *any* card you open, it becomes disappointing if you don't get any cards you want

I was originally going to offer a suggestion that you might want to randomize the job minigames and throw them at the player in a zany WarioWare-style experience, but as I kept playing I realized that the monotony (and slow progression) of the jobs was an important part of selling the whole experience.

Well done! :)
Linky439
Oct 07th · 20:07 UTC
Good game! It does convey how our relationship with money and our hobbies do change through life, and also how work changes. Nothing very satisfying meeting expectation in your office pressing the right key, but it makes more money than 10 days of mowing the lawn!

Nice to see how the cards have different prices, with some being very cheap and other absurdly expensive!
I did feel like the music got a bit repetitive, but it might just serve the game's theme even more. Overall a very nice entry, congrats!
MatthewDrake
Oct 07th · 23:52 UTC
Had a good time with this, I encountered what I think was a glitch towards the end though. After getting 1000 coins working at the office job I suddenly found myself only able to buy basic packs again and had to start over from lawnmowing. Weirdly, the lawnmowing level had no grass to mow, but I was quickly moved onto fast food and then finally the office job again so it all worked out.

I do get the sense I lost some of the experience buy just buying singles rather than the excitement of opening packs after grinding for cash but I really enjoyed the storyline and the way we progressed through life stages. Loved all the card art too, my first card was a simple Blue Shoe, and how quickly my collection grew after that :D

Thanks for playing our game, really enjoyed yours too!
Kinnerk
Oct 08th · 05:18 UTC
As a on and off Yugioh addict I appreciated the humor of the card references (I don't think I ever actually really registered the card art on Mask of Darkness before). After my second day at the computer job, I got sent back to mowing lawns and was unable to buy rare packs or singles again until i worked through the days once more. Either I found a bug or I guess I got fired lol. I liked how you were able to convey the changing collecting experience with pretty minimal systems.
zactyl
Oct 08th · 05:24 UTC
Thanks for uploading! I'm someone who's only recently coming back to this aspect of my childhood, so a lot of this feels very relatable to me. It was very fun to see and work out all the references, and I think it's awesome you still have those custom cards from way back when! The little minigames were definitely the smallest part of this whole experience, but I think some extra feedback on the lawnmower part would be nice - a couple times it froze when I hadn't thought I hit a rock, and I started thinking the game itself was freezing.

The art was very nice, and quite a few of the flavor texts got a good chuckle out of me, too.
LDJam user 395647
Oct 08th · 14:40 UTC
This was cute, sad and hilarious at the same time
dagon
Oct 08th · 14:47 UTC
You really nailed the feeling!
caeonosphere
Oct 09th · 06:41 UTC
I've never been so excited to work in food service! The drawings are very sweet — reminds me of tiny little me all those years ago...
Bobap
Oct 09th · 08:07 UTC
Beautifully done. I love how the jobs got harder and changed as you "got older" in the game. The progression of the methods of purchasing cards was a nice touch. What really carries it is the goofy cards with the adorable illustrations. There was a lot of art that had to happen for this and you nailed it. Had a great time.
Erlioniel
Oct 09th · 08:08 UTC
Played thru, like how you mixed up different minigames with office work being as simple and as profitable. Art is also very adorable, mate, gj :smile:
Grummelchen
Oct 09th · 08:08 UTC
Cool Concept. Love the Cards!
Ira Baciu
Oct 09th · 08:56 UTC
Wow, such a variety of cards. Very creative
parkuhrmd
Oct 09th · 09:41 UTC
This was the first game in this jam where I felt confident giving full marks for theme, it just hits the nail on the head on collection hobbies so much, and so efficiently at that. Good job!
skale
Oct 09th · 10:14 UTC
I love that you created something personal and shared it with others. The card collection idea has been popular this jam, but you made it feel unique. The lawnmowing minigame is really satisfying, and I like how the difficulty progresses with the addition of rocks. The card packs look great, and that cheerful sound when you get new cards made me smile XD. It might not be as complex or ambitious in terms of gameplay as some other entries, but the huge collection of unique cards really stands out. Games with money earning and spending have always been close to me — they’re just so addicting. This entry is definitely one of my favorites!
Rogaro
Oct 09th · 10:19 UTC
I really enjoyed the game's atmosphere! Simple and straightforward mechanics, but no less cool because of that. Great job!
Miguel Monteiro
Oct 09th · 10:29 UTC
The concept is simple but fun and very well implemented. Great job! :raised_hands:
anima_animus049
Oct 09th · 11:11 UTC
amazing game! i really love it, every little game is fun and the cards are very cute![屏幕截图 2025-10-09 190929.png](///raw/25c/56/z/6f116.png)
GonulGaye
Oct 09th · 14:54 UTC
The drawings are so cute. I enjoyed playing with it too.
Ciphereo
Oct 09th · 15:44 UTC
The picture is so adorable! The mechanism is simple and clear. I really like it!
BlueDingo
Oct 09th · 17:15 UTC
pretty cute and short game. Each minigame was simple enough but still fun. Nice job
Dining Philosopher
Oct 09th · 17:29 UTC
Took some time, but with the first salary in my grown-up bullshit job I just bought all the remaining singles. Nice societal critique.
tardis2snej
Oct 09th · 21:52 UTC
Adorable little game! Love that you based it on personal expirience.

The expirience is cosy and relaxing, I enjoyed it!

Ah and... the last job is a great joke hahaha
Coda Highland
Oct 10th · 02:34 UTC
Bokey Bokey Bokey Bokey Bokey

Reminds me of Work Time Fun, for PSP... or said another way, if WarioWare were an office cubicle job.

The music is an interesting touch. It's simple, inoffensive, and sets the mood -- sufficiently competent, nothing amazing, but it gets the job done.

The cards were well done. Got a few good chuckles.
dumchevdev
Oct 10th · 12:21 UTC
Great idea, very fun game
6Knowledge
Oct 10th · 15:47 UTC
As much as I would like to give a fair playthrough, I think the gameplay would run dry quite fast. The art is fitting and consistent, audio fit, and no technical issues. A jam game of all times.
Sceef
Oct 10th · 17:24 UTC
In developing my games, I often resort to recording sounds with my voice, which I found in this game + score) Cool visual, you can expand mini-games and capture web sites)
NekoBones
Oct 11th · 03:04 UTC
Very cute jam game! I love the cute sfx when I collect a new card. Great job!
Pancu
Oct 11th · 11:00 UTC
nice game, simple idea but the game was pretty addictive, the art of the cards is cute and i also liked all the job minigames, i think it would've been nice to keep the last job unlocked (i don't know if it was bugged for me, but i had to repeat the job progression), overall good job!
Adam Gallina
Oct 11th · 16:59 UTC
I think this has been my favorite entry so far :) loved how the jobs got (slightly) harder each iteration, so it didn't feel tedious at all to earn the packs - also really appreciate that the final job easily affords the last few cards so you don't have to grind for them. I think my only real complaint was the pack opening animation - the SFX was great, but it took a little too long and it would've been nice to skip through the cards I'd already collected. Overall really great job, loved all the different card art and flavor text!
Pimeko
Oct 12th · 14:10 UTC
Well this was a super cute entry, I felt like a kid again haha
Couldn't unlock everything but filled at least half of the book!
LDJam user 379094
Oct 12th · 18:46 UTC
Loved this game. Good to get see some of the cards I used to like (Ojamas FTW)
Rionisse
Oct 12th · 21:03 UTC
Reminded me of WarioWare with all its minigames. Maybe it would be better to make them even shorter and a bit more randomized.
HolySparks
Oct 13th · 14:55 UTC
Oh wow it feels so real. Only thing missing - and there are lots of good reasons for it to be missing - is that as time goes on the cards you need to collection only grow, because Yo-oh-no keeps releasing cool new cards
csuth17
Oct 13th · 22:57 UTC
Brilliant game! Lots of charm, fits the theme and has something to say behind its gameplay.
OrdiNeu
Oct 14th · 02:06 UTC
Oh my god this might be the most gut punch of a game I've ever seen in Ludum Dare. The theme and the personal aspect to it hit me down a trip to memory lane. This was incredibly well done. 10/10