Get 6 different ingredients in a rectangle, across, or vertically. There will be more to this game, though....

You can swap the position of the ingredients for more possibility.

You can be very clever in this game

I am hoping to finish all gameplay stuff soon so I can spend the last 6 hours polishing

Sometimes you just need a little FX in your life. I am using a technique I have become very comfortable with to add in some squash and stretch programmatically.

State of the game. I am going to try to do a lot of artwork and finish everything up... wish me luck

LudumDare time! Yeah!! I cleared my schedule for the weekend, so going to try to do my absolute best with all that time to make a truly great compo entry. I've been extremely busy/spread thin the last several months, but I gotta make time for LudumDare! Best of luck to everyone!

Favorite software list:

Engine

🥕 Construct2: HTML5 game creation software!

Graphics

🥕 Aseprite: Pixel art program!

🥕 GNU-IMP: Open source image editor!

Sound

🥕 LSDJ and bgb: Authentic Gameboy synthesizer and emulator!

🥕 Chiptone: Superb "old-school" style sound effect generator/creator!

🥕 FL Studio: Classic versatile music software!

🥕 Audacity: Open source sound editor!

Hosting

🥕 itch.io: Storefront/games host!

NOTES

🧙‍♂️ IF COMPLETED, THIS WILL BE MY 24th FINISHED COMPO TITLE. ✨

📆 AS OF WRITING, I'VE BEEN DOING THE COMPO FOR OVER 11 YEARS, SINCE LUDUMDARE 28.

🧠 I WILL NOT USE ANY AI TOOLS. ALL ART/MUSIC/SCENARIO/SFX/ETC WILL BE CREATED BY ME OR WITH "OLD-SCHOOL"-STYLE GENERATORS. ANY AI INFLUENCE WILL BE ACCIDENTAL (SOME SOFTWARE COMPANY SNEAKING SOMETHING INTO MY TOOLS, FOR INSTANCE.)

🎯 MY BIGGEST LUDUMDARE WISH THIS TIME AROUND IS... I WIN IN ANY CATEGORY!

🧮 I WANT TO RATE AT LEAST 25 GAMES THIS TIME AROUND.

Will make game where you play as a little bug-like creature in a world of bug-like creatures who is helping to make big woods-y moss-y circuit boards for a new "electrical grid". You place down "circuit board pieces" like puzzle game then have to wriggle in the spaces between to lay down "copper-stuff" for "electricity stuff". But as mechanisms come on line, there are hazards.... how good can you be?

Work flow plan

Day 1: Make all basic mechanics and "rough" game flow. Draw out ideas, characters, world building. Figure out rest of plan and get in "the basics"

Day 2: Refine the game, get it basically "done enough" and get to polishing and improving.

Day 3: Lock it down and get it all ready to go. Finish early for time for extra bug testing and polish!

These boards must be stacked, and then glued together with a special sap which conducts electricity. The red boards are "critical" and have important but dangerous components which have to be worked around.

You can now place the boards

Setting up more stuff

Making good progress. Need to fix up the controls, though...

Movement is much snappier now- it's tap based rather than "hold down". You can also press spacebar to either do a dodging dash (if in a groove) or a creepy "body extend" to go across gaps. (no visuals for those yet...)

I got basic hazards in! This is shaping up to be a very fun game, but I have a lot of work to do to make it compelling and feeling good. Oh, and giving it its soul and personality, too!

I spent a lot of time making the character feel good to control, and to make the sprites feel cohesive and responsive. It's really fun helping her along and rolling around like a pillbug...

These mushrooms are a lot of trouble...

The game mechanics are all done and I am now rushing to get it all linked together and polished. And, like always... I'm leaving GUI last.... dun dun dun....

I have made a very strange game, but I like it. Going to rest then finish it up.