I would like to know your motivation to participate in game jams if you have time to share.

For me it's because I just love making games and growing as a game designer. I like every part of the development : designing the game, making the visuals, the music and the programming. I like doing everything. I could spend my life making games or prototypes like I'm doing and I'd be happy. Because it means becoming a better game designer, better artist, better programmer, better composer, better sound designer, all the roles that inspires me. I want to challenge myself and practice more to hone the craft.

I made my game with unreal engine with the latest version of the engine. If you don't know, they decided to remove support for exporting Html5 games. Now you have to build the engine from source and try to implement the html5 export by yourself following some guidelines on github. I tried but I failed for now. There's also the new pixel streaming plug-in, it's really great. You can stream your game but it's limited and it can become very costly if you decide to host it in the cloud.

I like to make simple games and exploring little game mechanics and share them. Also, I really like using unreal engine. So I keep wondering if I should change my tools, like using Unity or Godot to make web versions. Because sharing and having people playing my game is a big part of my pleasure. Also, for the bigger picture, what if you see an interesting game prototype on Twitter or elsewhere and you want to try it? Would you download the build or skip it if there's not html5 version? What do you think?

Edit : I finally managed to make the HTML5 export working with Unreal Engine but I had to use some tricks for the visuals.

I spent the last two weeks polishing my game. This is a small timed puzzle game you can finish in 2-3 minutes. Find the correct pump to reanimate the robot by seeing which wire connects to the robot, then activate it. Pump the wrong pump and the robot explodes.

I tried to find a way to make it more interesting so I added more levels, some narration between the levels and improved the overall experience by adding more feedbacks and improving the graphics. Each piece of narration depends on what you did during the level so it reacts a bit on how the player plays.

I hope you'll have some fun if you try it. Thanks to all people who played the game.

Also, this is a list of all the updates I made during the last weeks thanks to all the great feedbacks I got: - More levels - Controls are improved : before you moved the camera with arrow now you just have to move the mouse, it's clearer. - Better feedbacks (Highlight on the pump, emissive material on wires to materialize the energy flow) - Better and clearer instructions - I added some UI elements (Main menu, Pause menu) - I programmed a text system that can be customized to emphasize certain part of text - Graphics improvement (Particles added, I redid some modeling and improved the lighting). - I added some sounds.

Special thanks to Twan Mull who joined me at the beginning of this jam to try and discuss some game mechanics before I went on my own for the rest of the event.

Link to the download page : https://julienlussiez.itch.io/pumpit

Link to the LD page : https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/46/pump-it-1

I spent the last two weeks polishing my game. This is a small timed puzzle game you can finish in 2-3 minutes. Find the correct pump to reanimate the robot by seeing which wire connects to the robot, then activate it. Pump the wrong pump and the robot explodes.

I tried to find a way to make it more interesting so I added more levels, some narration between the levels and improved the overall experience by adding more feedbacks and improving the graphics. Each piece of narration depends on what you did during the level so it reacts a bit on how the player plays.

I hope you'll have some fun if you try it. Thanks to all people who played the game.

Also, this is a list of all the updates I made during the last weeks thanks to all the great feedbacks I got: - More levels - Controls are improved : before you moved the camera with arrow now you just have to move the mouse, it's clearer. - Better feedbacks (Highlight on the pump, emissive material on wires to materialize the energy flow) - Better and clearer instructions - I added some UI elements (Main menu, Pause menu) - I programmed a text system that can be customized to emphasize certain part of text - Graphics improvement (Particles added, I redid some modeling and improved the lighting). - I added some sounds.

Special thanks to Twan Mull who joined me at the beginning of this jam to try and discuss some game mechanics before I went on my own for the rest of the event.

Link to the download page : https://julienlussiez.itch.io/pumpit

Link to the LD page : https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/46/pump-it-1

Unreal is not the best engine to publish game on the web. Moreover 3D can look bad because the rendering is quite limited. But I really enjoy when people try my games so I had to find a way to publish my game on the web without losing to much on the graphics quality. I found a way to have decent graphics by baking light on the textures with substance. It was a bit tedious because I had to do that for every model but the result is ok for the web. Even if it's too late for this game jam, I think for the next game jam I will start with this technique to publish my game directly on the web.

This is a small timed puzzle game you can finish in 2-3 minutes. Find the correct pump to reanimate the robot by seeing which wire connects to the robot, then activate it. Pump the wrong pump and the robot explodes.

For people who already tried my game at the beginning of the jam, I tried to find a way to make it more interesting so I added more levels, some narration between the levels and improved the overall experience by adding more feedbacks and improving the graphics. Each piece of narration depends on what you did during the level so it reacts a bit on how the player plays.

I hope you'll have some fun if you try it. Thanks to all people who played the game.

Link to play it : https://julienlussiez.itch.io/pumpit Link to the LD page : https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/46/pump-it-1

* Gameplay *

This is a tiny quest for happiness you can finish in 1-2 minutes.

* Controls *

Choose an option and click on the button to progress in your adventure.

Here's the link to play the game on the web : https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/47/the-ring-of-happiness

* Gameplay *

This is a tiny quest for happiness you can finish in 1-2 minutes.

* Controls *

Choose an option and click on the button to progress in your adventure.

Here's the link to play the game on the web : https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/47/the-ring-of-happiness

Finished today !!

I've just "finished" my little game for the jam. Thanks to the extra category, I can publish my little idea today.

I did mostly this game jam to test a new art style. I'm more a programmer/designer than an artist but I still try to improve in this area to be able to make interesting game all by myself. It's not that I don't like teamwork, it's more like I don't have any artist friend who enjoy making games.

Anyway, if you have time to give me some feedback on the game and especially the graphics, I'd be happy. I'll play your game with pleasure in return.

The Game

Fill the truck perfectly with the parcels as fast as possible!

Gameplay

--> Drag and drop parcels with left click.
--> Rotate parcel with right click.

LD Page : https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/53/perfect-delivery
Itchio Page : https://julienlussiez.itch.io/perfectdelivery

I Finished yesterday + Finding an art style.

I finished the game yesterday and I'm glad I had time to get some feedbacks. First time I did the extra category, it was chiller than usual to have time to polish. Thank you for your feedbacks !!

My focus on this one was about graphics and finding a simple idea I could polish. For the last game jams I did, I chose voxel art to make assets quickly. I had spent two years learning the voxel art craft, I was satisfied with the results but I don't know, at some point, it felt like I wouldn't be able to go further in the things I want to represent. It's hard to be original and innovative with voxel art and the grid, especially with characters. I don't know how you feel about this. I know the art style should match the gameplay but as a solo developer, you also need to find a style that you can produce consistently and it's not easy, it's also about knowing your limits and what you can do, like an inner quest, probably the thing that keeps me interested.

Finding an art style and improving is one of my main struggle with developing game in solo but I keep trying to draw regularly so here's an attempt at a style I'm working once since 2-3 years with simple lineart and shapes. I would be glad to have more feedbacks on my game.

The Ludum Dare is very special and I'm glad I'm a part of this community, can't wait to play your games !

The Game : Perfect Delivery

Fill the truck perfectly with the parcels as fast as possible!

Gameplay

--> Drag and drop parcels with left click.
--> Rotate parcel with right click.

LD Page : https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/53/perfect-delivery
Itchio Page : https://julienlussiez.itch.io/perfectdelivery

Hello,

I hope you enjoyed the game jam as much as I did. I had a lot of ideas for this game jam but I started the development with the worst ideas so I ended up doing a little mini-game with the 12 remaining hours.

You can access the game here.

I write this article because I need some feedback about the artstyle because I'd like to improve my game jam with a new style or keep the current style (2D Doodle).

What do you prefer ? It's just little sketches but you have an idea of the direction (2D Doodle, 3D Blocky, 3D Low-poly). Thank you for your time !

Votes : - 2D Doodle : 8 - Voxel : 2 - 3D : 1

I did the same mistake as the last game jam, I spent too much time thinking about a concept and too much time creating assets.

I had some cute doodles and a simple concept but it was not fun and it was sunday evening. So I ended up doing this little game with the 4 hours remaining. I used nothing I did during the week-end.

I focused on the mood with a minimalist approach, I didn't have the choice.

I really need to focus on the gameplay next time.

Here's the game :

The Ludum Dare Page

Play it on Itchio (HTML5)

I made this little game in 4 hours. Next time, I'll try to focus more on the gameplay. This time, it was the mood.

Here's the game :

The Ludum Dare Page

Play it on Itchio (HTML5)

Here's my little composition. You play a free diver. The twist is that you have to hold your actual breath while holding a button. It's a bit gimmicky but if you follow the rules, it's kind of fun. I didn't manage to reach the deepest levels.

Instructions

Press "spacebar" while holding your actual breath to reach your goals. Release "spacebar" when you're out of air and try to improve your apnea.

Links

LD Page : https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/apnea
Itchio (Web) : https://julienlussiez.itch.io/apnea

Here's my little composition. You play a free diver. The twist is that you have to hold your actual breath while holding a button. It's a bit gimmicky but if you follow the rules, it's kind of fun. I reached the 80m goal.

Instructions

Press "spacebar" while holding your actual breath to reach your goals. Release "spacebar" when you're out of air and try to improve your apnea.

Links

LD Page : https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/apnea
Itchio (Web) : https://julienlussiez.itch.io/apnea

I did a game where you have to hold your actual breath to reach goals. I'd like to know your preference between "realistic minimalism" and "playful minimalism". Which one is more appealing to you (and why)? Thanks a lot!

Realistic minimalism

Playful minimalism

Results are pretty good. My best score since I started doing game jams. I think what worked this time is I had an idea of an original concept pretty soon during the week-end. Also, I chose a minimalist style so I was able to iterate quickly on the idea and find a good presentation to deliver the concept.

Maybe it's a good flow for me to work with 1-bit pixel art to focus on the game mechanics.

After the game jam, I took into account the feedback and started to work on an other version with better graphics and better immersion. I tried a lot of style but finally managed to have something interesting with voxel art. Here's a comparison. There's still a lot to do.

Before:

After:

I also learnt that maybe I should consider making games with no pressure and focus on what I like. The game I made for LD57 is not a publishable game, there's no financial potential, it's just a game for a game jam. But working on it is a good hobby and maybe it is just enough.

Here's the link to play the game: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/59/avalanche

The game

​You are the only survivor of an avalanche. Use your detector and listen to the signals to find the 12 members of your crew.

Instructions

Use "arrow keys" to move. Use your headphones to listen to signals and find members of your crew.
Use "Spacebar" to jump.

I hope you'll enjoy this little game and I'm looking forward to test yours! Good luck with the game jam for those continuing tomorrow!

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/59/avalanche

Here's the link to play the game: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/59/avalanche

The game

​You are the only survivor of an avalanche. Use your detector and listen to the signals to find the 12 members of your crew.

Instructions

Use "arrow keys" to move. Use your headphones to listen to signals and find members of your crew.
Use "Spacebar" to jump.

I hope you'll enjoy this little game and I'm looking forward to test yours! Good luck with the game jam for those continuing tomorrow!

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/59/avalanche

It's always hard when you put your assets in the game engine and you have this :

But what a relieve after tweaking (a lot) and spending time (a lot), you achieve good lighting :

And then, you add some post-process effect and it keeps improving:

And finally, you build it for the web and you have to do it all over again :smile: But in the ends, it's worth it.

Art style has been a major concern since I started doing solo game jams. I’m looking for the right balance between efficiency and aesthetics, and I hope that with this game jam I’m moving in the right direction. Let me know if this aesthetic could work for a larger-scale game. I experiment and practice a lot, but it’s difficult for me to settle on one medium and fully commit to it.

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/59/avalanche

This time, I went for a contemplative vibe. After reading all the comments, it seems that for some people it's a bit tedious after a while to explore the world listening signals to find your crew buried under the snow without much happening.

It was at the same time intended and not intended.

I deliberately cut some environment to have this moment when you're just in the snow, alone, slowly walking, paying attention to the signal in your ears but at the same time, my vision was to make a living world and add a good narration to add purpose to the exploration. I didn't have the time unfortunately, maybe in a post-jam version. Bunnies, wolves and goats are a glimpse I wanted to do.

The thing is I was working on a little arcade style game of my own and I wanted to do something very different, very slow, a bit contemplative, so I tried this. I think slow can be good. The design challenge will be to keep this slow contemplative vibe I like without being boring, thank you all for the feedbacks.

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/59/avalanche