I always underestimate how exhausting it is to spend 2 days jamming.
Could you wishlist my main project? :D That game started out as LD prototype MANY months ago
I am willing to do the same in return (post the link in the comments)
Hey everyone, Pacelin, the programmer of Butterfly Gathering, here!
I've been amazed by the competition for world records in the game, and I see one question popping up a lot: "Is it even possible to catch the biggest butterfly?" Today, I want to pull back the curtain and explain exactly how our randomness works and why beating the current record is not just possible, but expected.
Every butterfly species in the game has a base "average size". Think of this as the center point on a dartboard.
But here's the first secret: you can move that center point. The number of flowers in an area directly influences this average. Find a field blooming with 20 flowers, and the "average size" for butterflies there gets a 1.2x multiplier. You're not just increasing your chances; you're shifting the entire scale of possible sizes in your favor.
To create a realistic variety of butterflies, we use a statistical model called "normal distribution". This means most butterflies you catch will be clustered around the average size, while truly giant or tiny ones are much rarer.
During development, we tweaked this curve until we got a result we liked: - 65% chance for a butterfly around the average size. - 2% chance to find a real whopper (specifically, around 45mm).
But these percentages are a bit misleading, and that's the key to our record system.
You might think a 2% chance is rare. But in a game played by hundreds of people, that 2% happens all the time! The current record of 37.9mm is impressive, but it's nowhere near the theoretical limit.
So, what is the limit?
Let me introduce you to the "White Whale" of Butterfly Gathering: a 60mm butterfly. The chance of it appearing is so astronomically small that we had to express it in "E" notation: 1E-11%.
🎱 If you ever catch this one, don't just screenshot it — go buy a lottery ticket. Immediately.
This means that no single player is expected to ever find it. Instead, the world record will be broken again and again as our community collectively "rolls the dice," getting closer and closer to that mythical 60mm. The record isn't a wall; it's a horizon we're all moving towards together.
Now for the practical part. Remember how flowers affect the average size? To have any shot at the biggest butterflies, you need to target the species with the highest base average.
And that champion is the Malachite Woolmoth.
Theory is good, but practice is better. Instead of just telling you, let me show you the most effective field configurations we've found for hunting the Malachite Woolmoth. These layouts are designed to maximize your chances of a giant spawn:
The current record of 40.07mm, held by Dragon, is waiting to be broken. Your name could be next on the leaderboard! 🏆
Go to these spots, be patient, and happy hunting! I can't wait to see what you catch.
Happy gathering here!
I uploaded the promotional video along with the entire process to YouTube.
You can watch me finish my own game here. Hmm, it's indeed very difficult, I can totally relate!
https://youtu.be/AB_mWpSwy-M?si=X80zfOfvEgEiakrr
Forgive my clumsy English; I hardly know any of it (TAT)
This is my first time making a video on YouTube, please be understanding!
I’m a total newbie competing in a game dev contest for the first time, and I wanted to share some of my thoughts, introduce our team’s game, and tell you a bit about us.
First off, our game: Starbearer!!! We went with the classic platformer as our core gameplay, but spiced it up with two fresh twists—vision limitations and unlockable skills—plus a compelling story about saving your homeland. Our artists designed the cutest little characters, our audio team crafted super interactive music that ties into the gameplay, and our programmers poured their hearts into nailing the controls and level flow. (They even spent a whole day optimizing and pulled an all-nighter to get things just right!) Please give our game a try—we’d really appreciate your support!!! Starbearer | ldjam.com | Ludum Dare game jam
Next, our team. Every single one of us is a newbie, and just three weeks ago, we didn’t even know each other. We fumbled through game development step by step, and honestly? Finishing a game like this is way beyond what I ever expected. Everyone brought so much heart to it: we talked nonstop, tweaked things over and over, and in the end, we didn’t just make a fun little game—we created an unforgettable experience. It’s all about chasing what we love and working together as a team.
Lastly, a little reflection. I only found out later that the organizers actually considered canceling this contest at one point—and that stuck with me, along with a thought that’s been on my mind: We need to grab every chance to try, to take risks, because you never know if that opportunity will come again. Some misses last a lifetime. Will the teammates by your side today be there next time? Will this contest even happen again? And can we ever get back the youth and passion we have right now? I feel so lucky to have seized this chance—to meet my amazing teammates, and to take part in a Ludum Dare contest.
The feed after the competition ends is usually full of the same posts: promotional posts asking for reviews, streamers asking for games to be reviewed, or people offering to exchange reviews, post mortem (but that are also in the end promotional posts.
I sometimes get irritated by people asking for reviews. While they're on their game pages, they haven't done any of that, and I may have left comments in previous editions encouraging them to get involved in the reviewing process. I would prefer that people focus on going through with the karma system for reviews rather than using the feed for getting reviews or finding games to play. But all in all, that is fine and is part of that vibrant community. I like to read the feed to know about technical details, other like their own stuff.
But to get to the point of this post; Yesterday, while looking at some of the posts asking for reviews, all of them had done more reviews than they were receiving... their post were thus quite legitimate, doing their part but not getting anything in return.And in the meantime, I had gotten 30 reviews while only reviewing about 20 (busy week, I'll get some more done during the weekend) and posting nothing in the main feed.
Has something changed in the reviewing process? Does anyone get the same feeling?
What may be the other factors : - Platform availability? For ex, I only play HTML5 (I am on a Mac, there are rarely any options for us, and anyway, I am wary of installing anything on my setup. - Better cover image? I spent some time during the Compo to make it catchy, and it features the HTML5 logo.
I updated the game so it can be played with a keyboard and adjusted the sensitivity of the axis to have more fluid flight!
The Keyboard Cowboys are playing your games at https://www.twitch.tv/coleslawski FOR ONE MORE DAY!
Come join in the festivities and chaos!
Please note that we will be prioritizing games from people who are active in chat, so if we reach your game on the submission list and you’re not there, you will be skipped!
Let’s have some fun! :pointright: :cowboy: :pointright:
(Quality content not guaranteed)
I realized we didn't get a lot of feedback on whether or not people are even able to finish the game! The people around us are big puzzle platforming fans so they got through the level somewhat well. Others like myself find it haaaard! What is it for you?
Making a game jam game in your own engine is a lot of work! Made a lot of typos and silly bugs while programming tired. After getting some reviews and a chance to play more casually I've found and fixed many bugs. Didn't change any mechanics or goofy physics of course, but stuff like black textures and broken rendering should all be fixed now! If you're interested in a 3d dungeon crawler, check out Relica now! Just uploaded version 1.0.4! https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/58/relica
Also always looking for more games to review + rate! Drop a comment with your game and I'll check it out!
We've updated our post-jam version with 2 new buildings you can try to play with! Unlockable after level 4
I managed to break as much as possible in the final 2 hours before submission, including the Dwarf chasing mechanic, the level selection and most of the traps :cry:
Here's mostly what it would have looked like
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K01U4jn_2jM
Hey everyone! Thanks to everyone who played Monsters in Jars and left feedback — it really means a lot! ❤️
The game was made in 48 hours for the compo. I want to know what you think: should I turn Monsters in Jars into a demo?
I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
Edited ui
Fixed collisions, location borders
Mages become more intelligent
Added buffs to artifacts
Added attack sound to enemies
Damage now fixed to animation of enemies
Fixed color in second location
Play now: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/58/bloodpact
Hey everyone ! Our game has been getting some feedback and it's been very useful ! Unfortunately, we’re still a little short of the 20 ratings, so don’t hesitate to try it out :) Also, been working on a better fuller version of the game, including some things that we didn't get time to add before, and some fixes. Should I post it here ?
https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/58/molly-n-d-o-g-s-records
I just made a web build of my game with emscripten!
Are you a good allocator?
Check it out at https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/58/garbage-collectors-minion! (it can be played on itch.io at https://mibi88.itch.io/garbage-collectors-minion)
find an ultra rare sound of our friend burping in game
Hey, all! The Tech Valley Game Space community will be live-streaming ourselves playing Ludum Dare games tonight, October 11th, from 6:00 - 9:00 PM EDT on twitch.tv/techvalleygamespace and youtube.com/c/techvalleygamespace
To have your game in consideration for playing and judging, you can sign up on this form: forms.gle/kbUdacxVfnVaGrq17
As the form states, we do enforce a Code of Conduct in our live-streams. As such, we do reserve the right to cancel streaming and rating a game for any reason.
Hope to check out your games soon!
