Yes! submit games in the comments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSaTrhFTAjQ

You can play for free (or donate if you want) on itch.io: https://cafe-spectrum-studio.itch.io/briefcase Soon on steam!!!

Listen to the credit theme of Heart-Blob, our LD57 game!

I wrote the lyrics in about 5 minutes, recorded it as fast as I could (with only the default FL-plugins because I was working on a new PC), and mixed it while deaf in one ear from an ear infection. Truly, in the spirit of Ludum Dare!

https://soundcloud.com/user-117545847/hooked-through-the-lip-from-heart-blob

We've played a quite a few wonderful incremental/idle games this jam! I'm putting out one last call, if your entry was an incremental/idle game, please post it in the comments, and we'll give it play! It's always fun to see how entries differ when tackling the same genre and same theme :smile:

And if your game isn't an incremental/idle, post it anyway :wink:

If you're interested, try out our incremental game below!

What Lurks Below

Gloomhollow

October 18th, 1881

What Lurks Below is a semi-active incremental game that takes you deep into the depths below Old Gloomhollow. Can you discover what lurks below?

Try it out here! https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/what-lurks-below

Only 3 days left to try and rate our game :pick:

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/dig-digger

Someone is waiting you....

...Ahem. Hey everyone!

The jam is almost over, and tonight we'd love to check out more games! Drop your entries — we'll gladly play, rate, and leave some feedback.

And if you have a spare minute, we'd really appreciate it if you gave our game a try too... 💜

Thanks everyone for trying out Deckfall!

We made it to 20! But always good to get more ratings lol

If you haven't yet why not try it out!

Remember!

Remember to go check the danger section to try and help others hit 20 ratings as well!

Playing now games off the stream. Just drop a comment and I'll play it unless I already did (I mean I did play a lot this jam). Helped many leave the danger zone too.

See my feedback karma / ratings given to know I'm good for it.

I really want your feedback & ratings on my game too so if you feel like returning some of that love feel free to check it out :heart:

~Xp

Game - https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/depth-of-deb

Thanks to everyone who has played and rated so far!! It's been fun watching people try to race down the stairs and get their laundry DONE

Excited to play some more games in the last days here! If y'all end up playing ours -- good luck, godspeed, and don't let the void snatch you up! ONE STEP AT A TIME!!!!

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/i-have-no-clothes-and-i-must-clean

Streaming another round of LD57 games!

The rating period is almost over and I still got a lot more games to play! You can leave yours here, but I'm going to give priority to people who are in chat <3

For this Ludum Dare I have taken on interpreting Depths as in the photographic sense: depth of field.

Several entries explored this idea, each in their own unique way. From fixed focus to discrete levels of adjustment, continuous scroll, and even automatic focal targeting, the variety is impressive—not just in concept, but in execution.

Here are a few games I came across that approached the idea from different angles:

🎯 The Apple of My Aperture

Compo Entry by @niterich

You play as a photographer on a mission to snap a picture of an apple from across a city. Armed with a telescopic lens and a very narrow depth of field, the challenge lies in physically positioning yourself in the exact spot where the focus lands just right. With no ability to adjust focus manually, you're at the mercy of London’s maze-like streets. It’s a clever concept—one where navigation becomes your lens control. A very grounded take on the theme.

🧩 In Focus

Jam Entry by @miroreflect

A compact puzzle game where you adjust focus in discrete steps using the mouse wheel. Objects in focus can be interacted with or moved, while others effectively disappear from the game space. It’s a simple mechanic with a lot of depth (pun not intended), creating puzzles that challenge spatial awareness and sequencing. While my mouse wheel was a bit too sensitive, making one puzzle tricky, the game design made sure all levels could still be completed—a smart decision in a jam context. Short, but full of promise.

🔍 Focus

Compo Entry by @grid96

This is a narrative-driven point-and-click game where you play as a duo on an assassination mission. You use a camera lens with 10 smooth focal stops, controlled via the scroll wheel, to uncover clues and spot your target hidden among city rooftops. The smoothness of the scroll can be a double-edged sword—too responsive, especially on devices like the Magic Mouse—but it fits the cinematic vibe. A more narrative-heavy interpretation, where depth of field supports storytelling.

🐣 Focus Hunt

Compo Entry by @dhim

A look-and-find game set in an Easter-themed scene filled with hidden objects. You control the focus point by moving the mouse across the scene. The game uses a custom implementation with four pre-rendered layers: - A sharp version of the scene - A painterly, blurred version - A depth map used to blend between the two - An object index map for identifying and detecting targets

It’s a lightweight, visual-first approach that doesn’t rely on real-time depth calculations, making it performant but still expressive.

🔬 Depth of Field – Different Mechanisms, Shared Vision

Despite their differences, these games highlight four distinct ways to implement depth of field in gameplay:

| Game | Focus Control | Effect on Gameplay | Notable Feature | |------|----------------|--------------------|-----------------| | The Apple of My Aperture | None (fixed focus) | Navigational puzzle | Focus as spatial challenge | | In Focus | Discrete scroll steps | Puzzle gating / interactivity | Focus as interaction toggle | | Focus | Smooth scroll (10 stops) | Reveal story-critical info | Focus as narrative lens | | Focus Hunt | Mouse-positioned autofocus | Hide and reveal elements | Pre-rendered DOF blend |

Each implementation serves a different purpose—navigation, puzzle-solving, narrative immersion, and visual clarity—showing just how versatile the idea of "depth" can be when viewed through a photographic lens.

If you've come across other games that explore this concept, feel free to share—I'd love to check them out. And if you haven’t played the first two yet, give them a look; they’re still waiting on a few more reviews!

No, not for our game — that already got its sweet 20 ratings (thank you all!). This time, I need your wisdom for my latest side-quest.

I’m cooking up a boilerplate codebase designed to make your next Ludum Dare (or any jam) a smoother ride. The plan is to have it ready before the next LD so anyone can pick it up and skip the boring grind.

We're talking: - 🏆 Plug-and-play highscore tables - 🖼️ Basic texture rendering - 🎶 Audio playback management - 📋 Easily create some basic menu screens

All of it minimalist, intuitive, and open to hacking. I’m not building a framework — this is a launchpad. The kind of thing you can pry open and rewire however you like.

I'm writing docs too, so you're not left decoding mysterious variables at 3 AM.

🔍 What I’d love to hear from you:

• What daunting setup tasks always slow you down?
• Which features are a chore to you to implement every time?
• What things should I automate?
• What stuff should I stay away from?
• Would a setup wizard be cool or just a waste of time?
• Last one: JavaScript or TypeScript, which would you prefer and why?

Let me know what you want from a dev-friendly boilerplate. I’m all ~~ears~~ eyes!

Slogan: Create your prototype in a ziffy, then start poking the code

• You can follow development here: https://www.wouter52.com/PROJECTS/PelPurrfect
• You can follow the devlog here : https://www.wouter52.com/blog?tag=PelPurrfect

Play my game if you want: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/a-very-deep-tunnel

Thanks so much to everyone who played Pogo Dwarf during the past two weeks. It really means a lot.

I’ll be continuing development after the jam ends! Currently working on:

• More input options (keyboard-only, mouse-only, button remapping)
• Fixing floor-clipping bugs
• Reworking the map (better difficulty curve, new areas & tricks)
• Actual Music and SFX!
• Polishing and planning for a Steam release!

If you’re interested in updates, demos, or helping with playtests, I’d love it if you could join the Discord:

https://discord.gg/6ahgZqDKAC

Or follow my socials -

https://x.com/SunsetDodoGames

https://www.youtube.com/@SunsetDodo

In case you want to check it out - https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/pogo-dwarf

Thanks again :heart:

Streaming and rating games at https://www.twitch.tv/vorceshard for a couple hours. You can comment your game link here or mention the game’s name or your name in chat so I can look it up! The first games to play are from last week's comment by @nrankin13:

• Dancing in the Depths, where you look for Dogman doing Fortnite dances: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/dancing-in-the-depths
• Downstairs, where you’re effectively one of the Men in Black investigating something strange in a basement: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/downstairs

Can you escape! An escape room style adventure for the 8bit Game Boy Handheld.

No Gameboy? We have you covered with everything ready to role inside an emulator that is embedded in HTML.

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/abyss-prison

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/abyss-prison

Game - https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/depth-of-deb

We're scored now!

I know we're a bit late this time around, but we made it there in the end. Appreciate everyone who took the time to play/rate/leave feedback.

If you haven't checked it out yet, you can try it here :point_right: anomalous source