Earlier this year, I decided to set off on my own and try to turn our LD51 entry, which got #1 fun, #1 innovative, and #6 overall, into a full game. I launched it on September 12th (iOS, Android), and yesterday, I received a text from a friend that his girlfriend noticed it was featured in the Apple App Store, right next to the great Balatro!

You can find the original here: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/51/machine-yearning

Honestly, mind blown.

For the first time in five years, I'm attending Ludum Dare! The last time was in 2019 (45th jam) and I made B4 This after that I've planned on attending the jam so many times but something has always come up or I've just forgotten about it :laughing:

I've seen many people complain about the themes (as always) but I think this year's options for a theme seem interesting! We'll see if I totally blank out on any ideas though when the theme is chosen :grin:

I can't wait to see what you all come up with this time :3

Download here: https://imgur.com/a/sSXl66L

It's my first time participating in LD, so I don't understand, will Compo and Jam be on the same date (this weekend)? Or can I participate in both?

Hey just a reminder. If you think the theme we end up with is good, then you're wrong, it's actually the worst theme ever. If you think the theme is terrible then you're wrong, there's so many ways to interpret it. This has been a public service announcement

Whoops the power is out (jokes aside made myself some PNGs for the upcoming LD stream)

Hey All :wave:

Please for the Love of all that is fun, please won't you vote for Orbiting please please please

I have a special attachment to this theme - A, I think I suggested it and B, I've written two Space Based games with Orbital mechanics in previous LD events (See my games, Orbitum Scaterum)

1. https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/42/orbitum-scaterum
2. https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/54/this-will-be-awesome

I would love, love love love to have another try at Orbitum Scaterum

Since the last LD I invested time in learning Web Assembly, more math, more art and generally just more skills. And I feel like I'm so close to being able to make a really good Orbital game.

If you don't like space, but are still willing to vote for the theme, here are some ideas how the word can relate to other systems:

Orbiting Themes

• Chemistry - Atoms have orbitals
• Social networking - People have following Orbiting them
• Jump games, can you get to Orbit?
• Platformers - Can you get to the center of an orbiting puzzle (Map rotates around a central point)
• Cars - Have orbiting defenses that can attack or block other vehicles
• Eating - Can you feed the bunny until it gets so big and heavy that it becomes a black hole?

I know it's a stretch to ask people to vote for a theme, but please :pray:

Made a duck "game" last time, let's see if I can even finish something this weekend. I have a flight smack dab in the middle of the jam, so I'll have to get creative and see if I can get something done offline :D

Here's to hoping Alchemy is not selected as a theme, though... another, recent, game jam got me hating on it lmao.

Xp here. Good to see all of you again, and some for the first time :)

This time I decided that instead of polishing the game for 2 weeks after the game making period ends, I should probably come prepared instead. So as the Jam rules allow it, I am currently in the process of making the base code. Surely most of the game is still going to be made during the allocated time, but at least I'll sleep peacefully after it concludes knowing no updates are needed and I can redirect my energy back to the main project.

As I know exactly what I am after, my theme voting was governed by it (see image below)

• +1 works best and would require little to no effort to adjust;
• 0 would take some work or may turn out "reachy";
• -1 likely opt-out of the theme.

But that's not telling of the themes I really liked which are: 1. Under pressure - best, very open to interpretation. I can imagine many things, both narratively and in design; 2. Pathways - mostly narratively, I am very into non-linear stories; 3. Mistakes are Permanent - hardcore platformer (YEZ), but also story of unalterable consequences to support it; 4. Folklore - yeah, someone has to make a john wick game and you know it (baba yaga goes brrrr); 5. Tiny Creatures - wouldn't mind making a "micro world" type of game. Elves maybe (mythologically correct ones)

Even though I am a game-designer professionally, I'm more of a narrative-driven type when it comes to indie gamedev and I think that will explain my choices well.

And what are these?! + Ritual - what is this, a sequel to Ludum Dare 55? + Echo - funny enough echo echo has a duplicate ate. Don't really dislike like it, but had to mention it somewhere where

I didn't plan to write so much, but it's late and I guess I gave in to the impulse :laughing: I will go take that time to rest while I still can. If you stay up late as well I suggest you do the same.

P.S. also I am gonna stream most of the development this time and as my new tradition goes - I will play your games until the jam ends.

See you all soon!

~ Yours, XpMonster

For the first time in a while, it's looking like I might actually be able to make a real effort at a Ludum Dare game.

I can't promise I will actually have the time and energy to do it, but I am sad that I haven't made a "reasonably finished" game in quite a while, and this seems like the best opportunity to try.

Will be using Godot, maybe Godot 4. I still want to one day write a game for Ludum Dare using a custom language, and I have made progress on that front... but not enough to actually do it this time. At least this summer I was able to implement a compiler for Bob Nystrom's Lox language, which was a fun project and very instructive.

I am also, at the moment, on a reasonably low power Linux laptop. It will be interesting to see how many playable games there are in this case. I know I have been a bad citizen about making Linux builds sometimes, so I guess karma comes around sometimes.

I have ended up in a sort of Slay the Spire addiction once again. So, I might try to force another card game. Maybe a less-directly-copied-from-Slay-the-Spire one this time, though.

If I make it, see ya'll this weekend!

:thinking: :thinking: :thinking: :thinking: :thinking:

literally? Legitimately? Bring back 3 theme suggestions, I know it's more work but like more options means less garbage lol...

Is it just an echo of last voting, or did I just see a Déjà vu?

There were actually a couple of good ones in this round...

Ludum again. But in unusual circumstances.

This is my first experience in self-development, without any caretakers, curators or help from experienced developers in the gaming industry. That's because I graduated from college 4 months ago. All this time, I didn't want to develop anything because of burnout. But here is favorite ludum, which inspired me to develop.

I wonder what will happen...

I plan to develop the game alone. I will work with the Roblox game engine. And yes, this time, I remember the localization.

Good luck to everyone, strong nerves and excellent results!!!

I voted on things that seemed to work together so whatever came up I already had an idea. ... Salvaging parts from a fire creature, or exploring the depths of some crypt. What is the fire creatures required delving down into the earth?