Manifest Destiny by superfreak

[raw]
made by superfreak for LD33 (JAM)
Manifest Destiny is a 'hack n slash' with a twist. Progress through the seasons, destroy everything in your path and chart your progress of domination.

Controls: WASD to move, Spacebar / Leftclick to attack, Press Spacebar or left-click in quick succession to make your murder-death spikes bigger and better.


Made by @wofiel and @gamingarchaeo

*SEMI SPOILERS*
Starting out in spring you explore a new land, earning currency for acquiring natural resources and interacting with the friendly local population who are eager to interact with you (unfortunately for them the only way you know how to interact is through your murder-death spikes).

Once summer and autumn have passed, and winter has come (hah) your colonial expedition / exploitation / destruction is in full swing. The local populations now fear and revile you (and your murder-death spikes) and attempt to flee whenever they see you. You, being the monster that you are, have ways to make them comply.

Manifest Destiny drew its name from the 19th century belief that America was destined to dominate from coast-to-coast, a belief which fuelled a great number of monstrous people and acts. The game itself further draws its theme from the colonial-era and trans-atlantic slavetrade, trying to use changing aesthetics, distinct audio segments and changing AI responses to alert the player to the processes of colonization. In Manifest Destiny you are the monster, a very real monster of history.

Known issues: The webGL is touchy with user input stuff, be sure to run it in fullscreen and even then it is a matter of 60% of the time it might work. ALSO there is a bug on level-switch where sometimes the next level (almost exclusively between 3 and 4) won't load up and you will be stuck on an inoperable camera - this appears to be linked to the user controls, if you have this issue reload the game and (its not an ideal solution, I know) try not smashing space-bar-murder-death-spikes 2 seconds before the close of the level.

Ratings

Coolness 100% 1
Overall(Jam) 3.17 564
Audio(Jam) 3.01 436
Fun(Jam) 2.88 663
Graphics(Jam) 3.52 470
Humor(Jam) 2.45 701
Innovation(Jam) 2.76 715
Mood(Jam) 3.03 589
Theme(Jam) 3.77 270

Feedback

kempy
25. Aug 2015 · 19:07 UTC
This was fun! Nice music, graphics, and theme. Thanks for making a cool game!
conormn
25. Aug 2015 · 21:58 UTC
That was a fun one! Really liked the trees :)
rzfmzn
25. Aug 2015 · 22:32 UTC
Liked the song :)
Code Medicine
25. Aug 2015 · 22:34 UTC
Really neat entry! I especially like the visuals.I did have to re-read the description carefully and really play quite a few times before I fully understood what was happening. Love how you tied things in with the theme, even created in in-game link to learn more about the issues you were referring to with your entry. Nice work!
corupta
25. Aug 2015 · 22:41 UTC
Nice message in the end.
Picking a username is hard
25. Aug 2015 · 23:26 UTC
Fun game! There's nothing more enjoyable than destroying a happy little world four times a year lol. Everything was well done, however there wasn't much difficulty. Anyway I enjoyed it, good work :)
TheZiggy
26. Aug 2015 · 00:10 UTC
Great game with a great message! (And great graphics and audio :P)
Kuchalu
26. Aug 2015 · 00:18 UTC
Nice art, solid gameplay. A little laggy sometimes when alot is being destroyed, but aside from that I found no bugs!
Lynx
26. Aug 2015 · 04:32 UTC
I love how you incorporated your love of archeology into the game. Well done, little weird I can't lose, but it gave me POWER! haha Great job!
bigbuggames
26. Aug 2015 · 11:12 UTC
Good job! I enjoyed the graphics and the music was cool =)
local minimum
26. Aug 2015 · 19:44 UTC
Way to go gamifying your PhD! Though all but subtle, I love the contrast of engaging players in something they are used to as fun and then showing them that this might not have been only fun. I'm not 100% for those haha-what you didn't know twists, but besides that little thing. I enjoyed the game, very well made. Graphics especially. Well, the use of the theme was very good. One day I must do a game about watching yeast grow, just to have gamified my PhD.

In all, really good work!
anarbitrarymustache
27. Aug 2015 · 00:00 UTC
Enjoyed the graphics and music. Loved the text and different labels for each "score" between levels. The "attack" sound effect seemed too loud in my headphones.
Odefus
27. Aug 2015 · 02:50 UTC
I liked the graphics and how the game made me feel like a horrible person. Then again I didn't have a choice. Even if I scored 0 in everything it changed nothing. I feel you should have either given the player a choice or forced their hand by a failure state. I tried to do the right thing okay? Game wouldn't let me. I guess you can't change history.

Nice take on the theme.

OH! and the loudness of the attack sound destroyed my ears. You ought to put a warning on here about that.
Tselmek
27. Aug 2015 · 08:12 UTC
Nice low poly graphics and great music. I wish there was more to the gameplay, like upgrades (would have loved to upgrade my speed or damage range for example) or different mechanics between each level but it's great as it is now. The camera movement is a little wonky but it does its purpose. Overall, needs some tweaking here and there but it's a really solid entry.
Berserker_Chris
27. Aug 2015 · 13:45 UTC
Nice Idea, good Graphic.
in level3 i get a NullReferenceExpection Error, and the Collision witch buildings and the Mountains didn't work.
SpringCabal
27. Aug 2015 · 23:43 UTC
The music was good but the sound was too loud/annoying in comparison. I don't feel like wanting to repeat playing it, but the inspiration is interesting. The UI looks really neat and the simple graphics work -> I just wish the gameplay was a bit more fast paced/interesting instead.
JoshuaBurr
28. Aug 2015 · 00:14 UTC
I enjoyed this entry. Particularly liked the graphics and the music. The sound effects were a bit too loud. It would be nice if the things that you destroy were knocked up into the air or something instead of disappearing.
MrKOHCEPBAHT
28. Aug 2015 · 06:30 UTC
Don't know what is going on but got some fun. That tiny humans...
SecularBaron
28. Aug 2015 · 08:54 UTC
Awesome game and graphics. Now I can exploit the natives just like my forefathers!
Wevel
28. Aug 2015 · 09:48 UTC
Nice music, is quite loud. Didn't seem like there was much of a challenge
Archonthewizard
28. Aug 2015 · 18:22 UTC
I like the idea of games with a message - good job! The art and audio were neat.
Grahhhhh
28. Aug 2015 · 22:45 UTC
While the game didn't seem to have an objective, the combination of fluid controls, sweet graphics, and nice sound effects kept me into it and having fun. Had a blast tearing it up, nice!
thebrickanator
29. Aug 2015 · 01:57 UTC
I really like the music and the game was fun :)
handkor
29. Aug 2015 · 02:41 UTC
Your environments are really nice and clean.
StrideWide
29. Aug 2015 · 18:12 UTC
This game is loud. I like the graphics. I played the first two levels so well that I automatically won the rest of them and got the ending.
Omiya Games
30. Aug 2015 · 00:59 UTC
A surprisingly and depressing game. In some ways, I appreciate the approach of describing the destructiveness of colonialism. But in other ways, I feel like the fun experience I had was invalidated. To be honest, I can't say I liked the ending, but at the same time not certain what would have been a better route.

I think it's still very impressive on the details that's been added into the game.

Also fix the camera controls, please.
CrazyMinnowStudio
30. Aug 2015 · 01:23 UTC
Good music, but the destruction sound was way over driven and blown out. Interesting idea with a dark premise. Good job!
block97
30. Aug 2015 · 01:57 UTC
Fun cool game. Really liked the level design along with the level progression.
Karai17
30. Aug 2015 · 02:14 UTC
Not bad! The sfx could be toned down a little and adding controls using the arrow keys would be a plus.
Yaroslav Kravtsov
30. Aug 2015 · 11:22 UTC
Neat art. I like you idea to make game more than only about getting fun.
Vladirien
30. Aug 2015 · 11:45 UTC
Fun game, the graphics were good. The dark background story fits the theme. The music maybe felt a bit strange. Good job!
oskardevelopment
30. Aug 2015 · 13:03 UTC
Cool game, nice graphics. Game crashed when Level 1 ended. Great idea!
juaxix
30. Aug 2015 · 16:18 UTC
I needed a game to destroy things like this one, thanks for make it :)
commodoreKid
30. Aug 2015 · 21:54 UTC
My only concern is graphics and animations, the game has a very simple mechanic and it is to destroy everything so animations and graphics combined would help make it feel better. I felt more like I'm a monster destroying false gods' temples btw :D
NickMakesGames
30. Aug 2015 · 23:13 UTC
really cool! I was expecting my attack to be a really simple little arm swing or something, but shooting giant rock formations out of the ground was a fun and powerful surprise!
I really enjoyed the gameplay overall - it kind of gave me Katamari vibes with it's emphasis on finding efficient routes through levels.
Vem
30. Aug 2015 · 23:34 UTC
Clever enough, the game still calls you a murderer when you just stroll around, though :P

The game was about the message, and it got through very well.
Feetsalot
31. Aug 2015 · 00:33 UTC
Great idea behind the game. I think with theese mechanics you could devlop a really in depth game with some tweaks and variety. Also thanks for the review ;D
WubAlliance
31. Aug 2015 · 07:44 UTC
Nice entry! I love the music, I wish the explosions were slightly quieter so I could hear it better :P . Graphics were minimalist and appropriate (they remind me of Katamari Damacy). Game play wasn't challenging, it would be nice if there was some consequence for over-using the attack. I love the level design and models, all color schemes fit, the game was very visually appealing. Great job, I would love to see more of this!
dickpoelen
31. Aug 2015 · 08:25 UTC
Love how the guy get's more devil-god in appearance ever step, and great music as well. Only downside: the spike sound was super loud
sbarrio
31. Aug 2015 · 19:13 UTC
It felt like Doshin the Giant on crack. Superb job!
MrTwister
01. Sep 2015 · 02:26 UTC
This game definitely wins the "Most Satisfying Stomp Attack" award.

Loved the different levels and the general graphic style.
Music was also good although I think some SFXs were not playing correctly (sometimes too quiet, sometimes too loud).

A really nice entry overall with an interesting nod to real history.

Well done, really. This was quite an enjoyable game :)
DerekRumpler
01. Sep 2015 · 07:43 UTC
Fun game. I like how it was allegorical at the end. The camera does seem a little wonky, though, and I didn't catch on to the time element until the next level. Maybe move it to a more central location where it stands out to the eye?
Drunkteam
01. Sep 2015 · 10:22 UTC
Interesting game. Some improvable stuff: some collisions (e.g. with mountains) need polishing, and I would have liked more challenge for enjoying my destructive power more. The volume of the destruction effect is too high with respect to the music volume. Anyway, cool game!
tMalicet
01. Sep 2015 · 12:19 UTC
Nice graphics and the game fits the theme perfectly.
However, controls could be a little bit more nervous and it lacks some challenges.
roaringcatgames
01. Sep 2015 · 18:11 UTC
Bow to me, peasants!

Fitting to the theme, the soundtrack is a little too "happy" for the mood of the overall game. The sound effects are great though.
kozun
03. Sep 2015 · 21:19 UTC
Had great fun spawning great deal of destruction everywhere! I am polygon-art lover and I am impressed how you designed UI to fit the style :D
baykush_figtree
03. Sep 2015 · 21:45 UTC
Really cool game! I enjoyed playing it a lot :) being the devil was too fun for me. Cool graphics and timing. Good job!
Dunric
04. Sep 2015 · 08:31 UTC
Good job on the game I like it.
nomand
05. Sep 2015 · 02:38 UTC
the music ruined it for me. Very mismatched, didn't want to keep playing just so that the music stops.
wooltech
05. Sep 2015 · 15:42 UTC
Great graphics, and nicely satisfying destruction effect.
zenmumbler
06. Sep 2015 · 20:11 UTC
The attack sound effect is _way_ too loud, have volume down to 1 on my machine but with in-ear headphones it's still too loud.
bombjack
06. Sep 2015 · 20:23 UTC
I like the gameplay. the sound effect is much too loud and broke my ears ;p
Mase
06. Sep 2015 · 22:17 UTC
(Sorry to be a wet towel, but..)
While these issues are important, portraying exploitation as a giant white devil with bling seems like a gross oversimplification.

Also:
The low-poly models are nice, but the lack of animation makes them look unfinished.
kiroukou
08. Sep 2015 · 19:15 UTC
Really nice graphics style and sounds.
I justs had some troubles with controls, French keyboard.. you should consider to support directional keys as well.
I had some fun destroying everything :)
Aaranos
13. Sep 2015 · 13:52 UTC
Great audio and nice inclusion of a story for a simple murder spree.
pixzleone
13. Sep 2015 · 15:37 UTC
It was really cool, I really liked the graphics and the music, though the smashing sounds were a bit to loud, but thats not the biggest problem.
Good Job!

Also: Somewhere around the middle of the game I got a error about arrayindex out of range or something like that, didnt seem to change anything for me so i doesnt matter, just wanted to let you know.
andyman404
13. Sep 2015 · 18:46 UTC
Very cool low-poly 3D monster game! Surprisingly deep. Manifest Destiny is a great and sadly true twist on the monster theme. The trail of blood is especially poignant. Well done!
Literal Games
14. Sep 2015 · 12:58 UTC
Interesting use of the theme! Loved the floating island graphics.
Dizzyman572
14. Sep 2015 · 23:02 UTC
Very cool game, I liked how you use it as a teaching moment for players. Now that's tangential learning right there. :D
Jupiter_Hadley
18. Oct 2015 · 22:55 UTC
Really neat graphics, though I got a weird error trying to play level two. I included it in my Ludum Dare 33 Compilation video series, if you would like to take a look :) https://youtu.be/mQTSmMf-zUY