Post Mortem: Spatium Calorem

First a game-play video (max score, not quite a perfect run): https://youtu.be/PnWi5kkAguo

What was my goal?

Make something in less then 12 hours that could be called a game.

What went right?

  • I managed to make a complete game with a few mechanics in the time given
  • I managed to implement things from Vlambeer’s art of screen, which made the game have more 'feels'/'Juice'. This is to the point that I almost scrapped the game due to how 'boring' it was before I started adding stuff.

What went wrong?

  • No music.
  • Apparently my background was moving to fast and was bury
  • Didn't get the UI menus to work with the controller

What Lesson(s) did I learn?

  • Fast moving backgrounds make some people's eyes hurt
  • UI/feedback quality - multiple people commented about not being able quickly tell their status.
  • Art is still a big deal on how people experience the game.
  • Audio feedback can go from 'helpful' to annoying really quick

What are my goals for next time?

  • Create a (modular) Menu system
  • Create a working options Menu (sound level choices/etc, maybe even input rebinding)
  • Figure out how to make my Menus work with controller input
  • Code up some code modules to cover the basics
  • Learn GOAP AI
  • Find an art style that I can do well and fast (maybe?)

Spatium Calorem