Crystal Guards by Nubels

[raw]
made by Nubels for Ludum Dare 55 (JAM)

My very first Ludum Dare! Defend your mana crystal from enemies by summoning powerful spirits.

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Ratings

Overall 1033th 3.133⭐ 32🧑‍⚖️
Fun 647th 3.383⭐ 32🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 901th 3.017⭐ 32🧑‍⚖️
Theme 396th 3.917⭐ 32🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 843th 3.3⭐ 32🧑‍⚖️
Mood 970th 3.117⭐ 32🧑‍⚖️
Given 30🗳️ 41🗨️

Feedback

LocksmithArmy
15. Apr 2024 · 18:00 UTC
Are enemies supposed to show up... I spent all my moneys on skulls and ghosties... and they just sit around... did I miss something?

Nevermind, found it... gotta hit [F] to start combat

This is really cool, something to be proud of :)
Swerky
15. Apr 2024 · 18:07 UTC
Well done!
Will be really cool to have the same bar as the cristal under the summons to see the fights a bit better.
All my summons had go out of the screen for half of my game but was fun.
Didn't understand why I can put any summon in the bottom corners. Probably due to the ui of the summons.
LDJam user 384578
15. Apr 2024 · 18:08 UTC
Really cool, I had time trying to make my units not juste making a big pack in a corner and let other ennemies kill my crystyal
🎤 Nubels
15. Apr 2024 · 19:42 UTC
@swerky Thank you very much for your feedback! You can hover over the units during combat to see their health (if that's what you mean). You can move the camera using WASD or by clicking the mouse wheel and moving the mouse.
mollusk
16. Apr 2024 · 03:37 UTC
Fun idea, seems hard not to have all your units stack up attacking the same enemy though
Sushid00
16. Apr 2024 · 07:39 UTC
Really fun, the game is really good and entertaining.
Smoky01
17. Apr 2024 · 11:00 UTC
The gameplay mechanics in this game are so intuitive! It's like the controls become an extension of your own instincts. Plus, the art style adds a unique flair that keeps you engaged throughout. Definitely a gem worth exploring!
Dywanix
17. Apr 2024 · 12:15 UTC
Cool game. I enjoyed playing this
milq
17. Apr 2024 · 15:41 UTC
Great game! I love these kinds of strategy games where I have to think about which units to buy and place to defeat the enemies. The movement patterns are very well implemented and the gameplay is smooth, allowing for easy placement of your skulls and ghosts.

I do miss having some music and special effects, which could be added from third-party sources with a CC0 license, for example, during a jam. What I don't understand is why sometimes it tells me I lose even though the crystal is intact—does keeping the ghosts far from the crystal cause me to lose?

In conclusion, I want to congratulate you on such a tremendous game; it has great design, is very entertaining, and, most importantly, it's well-balanced. Spectacular game!
🎤 Nubels
17. Apr 2024 · 17:30 UTC
@milq Thank you very much for your feedback. I'll definitely look into music and sound effects for my next jam entry.

Regarding the defeat screen, it's a bug that sneaked in last minute. If your crystal is still alive after wave 3, you've won. Sorry!
TheParticularPixel
18. Apr 2024 · 06:45 UTC
i had fun with this game. i like that you can drag your units around after combat has started, definitely adds to the strategy. i also liked how the cursor would change depending on the unit you selected. cool sprites too. some music and sound fx would have been a nice addition. some more variety in unit types would be fun to see if you decided to build on this idea. a solid entry for your 1st jam! well done
FrançoisD
18. Apr 2024 · 08:28 UTC
The game is very fun ! Chill as I like, good and fun gameplay, and satisfying! I would have loved some ambience sounds and fight sounds, even very discreet and without music. However you did a great job, congratulations !
DenisMarasan
18. Apr 2024 · 09:04 UTC
Hey, nice game!
JeanBon
18. Apr 2024 · 20:42 UTC
I lost with 67% HP, is there a bug? Apart from that I think the concept is working. Maybe add a condition to be able to move units (mana, cooldown) so positioning them better early on matters more? With a few sounds and some animations (distort the images when they fight) it can become addictive in a good way.

I tried again and lost with 100% HP:
![firefox_OI6s6QWB44.png](///raw/56e/d1/z/64608.png)
🎤 Nubels
18. Apr 2024 · 21:15 UTC
@jeanbon I'm sorry for that, it's a bug that sneaked it when I was refactoring... Thank you for your feedback!
frederikja163
20. Apr 2024 · 13:29 UTC
I feel like this game has great potential. You are definitely a good artist, i quite liked the cute little ghosts and the skull. If im not mistaken you might have overestimated how much time you had, especially considering this is your first game jam. Its always a struggle how to manage your time, just remember you dont have to write the most perfect code or make the most perfect art. Sometimes you have to focus on getting some content or a nice gameplay loop. Overall a fun game though.
Kenguin
20. Apr 2024 · 13:30 UTC
Great job for your first Jam! The idea was simple and the game was smooth to play. You have built a solid foundation to a game that can be very fun and entertaining with more time and resoources. Well done and hope to see you again!
GoBigRedFan
20. Apr 2024 · 13:32 UTC
I love the base game here! I want to play more and most of the updates I'd want are obvious: map graphics, more maps/geometries, more enemy and unit types, fix the bug where you lose prematurely. For the actual jam submission, the only easy addition I'd have suggested is I think it would have been very good to put an overlay explaining the controls, since they key bindings are not especially obvious.
recyx
20. Apr 2024 · 14:13 UTC
I was really drawn to the aesthetics of this game.
Even the itch site looks super fine.
As of the game, i liked how there was a strategy to space them out so that they could attack more enemies instead of all going for the same one.
I had a bit of trouble selecting the units sometimes but managed to "lose" the game after three waves :D
Great first entry!
nerdbaron
22. Apr 2024 · 12:47 UTC
This is a nice little game! I see we both had the similar idea of an RTS-like about summoning guys to defend a giant crystal from baddies.
chispaLBC
22. Apr 2024 · 13:20 UTC
I know this was your first jam and you worked alone, that alone is a lot!, but next time try to add some sound to the game, any kind of sound. Even some "click" sound every time you click is enough to make the game feel A LOT better. Because other than that the game is okay! Simple concept and it works. So good job!
Custodi
25. Apr 2024 · 15:18 UTC
simple game, nice for what it is, the ghosts are cute!
Badrains
27. Apr 2024 · 18:06 UTC
Hi, nice game for the first try especially for a solo project)

It would be nice to have some tips like "Press F to start wave" on the screen. It may be confusing at first time how to start the game. Also if you decide to work more on this game, it would be see the area where you can spawn your characters.