LudumData

NOPAEW by Anikki

[raw]
made by Anikki for LD32 (COMPO)
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NOTE: Please use SAFARI or FIREFOX if you want to play the web-version.
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Platformers aren't really my go-to genre, but i nevertheless wanted to make one for a while now. I didn't realize how much fun designing those levels can be. Easy distraction just "playtesting" and dreaming up ideas that couldn't possibly be implemented until Sunday night....

Anyway. Time's up, this is my 2nd LD, hope you enjoy it a little bit. Didn't have time for proper sound, So its probably best to just turn it off.

And I also admit I couldn't come up with a neat "unconventional weapon" that really seemed to create fun gameplay (i really drew blank there). Most ideas were just cosmetic variations to conventional weapons, which seemed pointless. So i decided to make it a "story" element (the easy way out) and tried to run with that.

Oh and one more thing: Terrain is destructible, if you have enough ammo, a remnant of features not implemented.

EDIT: MAC & PC versions should work the same as the web version but I have noticed some sprite mixups that aren't reproducible in the web version, so if you can, use the web player. Thanks! Also I forgot to add an Exit button, so please use CMD+Q (Mac) and ALT+F4 (WIN) to exit the game.
Web (Unity) http://anikki.com/ld32/index.html
Gameplay Video https://vimeo.com/127142627
OS/X + Windows (Bug-fixed) http://anikki.com/ld32/nopaew.mac.zip
Source http://anikki.com/ld32/nopaew.source.zip
Original URL https://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-32/?action=preview&uid=46696

Ratings

Coolness 71% 3
Overall 3.70 137
Fun 3.53 206
Graphics 4.40 25
Humor 2.49 676
Innovation 2.78 765
Mood 3.64 109
Theme 2.78 920

Feedback

YarharALC
20. Apr 2015 · 02:28 UTC
You shouldn't have used UWP, but still a great game.
mtanton
20. Apr 2015 · 02:36 UTC
Really dig the graphics and the way you integrated dialogue into the game. Pretty fun and looks A+! Good game.
kaype
20. Apr 2015 · 03:30 UTC
Kinda nostalgic-feeling actually...

The graphics are great, and the way you integrated your pixel-art into the level design was absolutely fantastic.
Kitch
20. Apr 2015 · 03:43 UTC
Really fantastic look and feel. Love the detail.

If I had one complaint, it's the respawn times makes dying really brutal... And I died a lot in games like these. But it may be on my end.

Really good job.
LTPATS
20. Apr 2015 · 10:15 UTC
This was fun, but the long respawn times on the web player got old real fast. Not really sure what the X's are for that appear and disappear. Also I got in a situation where I was stuck on a checkpoint because I didn't have enough keys. Overall the gameplay was fun though and I think this would be really good with some polish. The art was really solid as well. Great job!
retrophantom
20. Apr 2015 · 10:23 UTC
love the graphics
nicotuason
20. Apr 2015 · 12:00 UTC
Really beautiful colors and world design! I wanted to explore all of it but it just takes sooo long to respawn. Besides that, great work!
Hyoga-3D
20. Apr 2015 · 20:24 UTC
Oh man, this game is s nice, graphics are superb!
Jared Sartin
20. Apr 2015 · 21:41 UTC
That is awesome! I will have to come back to this!!
Ossi
20. Apr 2015 · 21:46 UTC
Very cool game. It was a bit challenging for me because of the speed in which the character falls after jumping felt too fast. But I love the graphics, effects, and the destructible nature of the environment. Well done!
SaintHeiser
21. Apr 2015 · 02:56 UTC
Looking good.. But... Do you know man, that your game looking unbeatable by the strange way? I mean that after death world changing and player lost ammo and keys. Once I had been trapped by that way...
marinalucio
21. Apr 2015 · 05:53 UTC
Great art style but the jump is a bit floaty. I don't understand what is the unconventional weapon, but i really like this game. A for effort! :)
Aevek
21. Apr 2015 · 06:30 UTC
Really very pretty game, platforming and movement felt good. Would have liked to see a main menu, but thats not too big of a deal. One suggestion I have would be to make traps a little move obvious, I kept hitting spike pits that I couldnt see. Having X, mouse, and arrow keys used as controls made controlling the game feel awkward, but it was fun enough to get over that. An exit button would be nice for people playing the downloaded version.
SecondDimension
21. Apr 2015 · 15:20 UTC
I found the platforming a little frustrating, especially as you lost your ammo/keys on respawn. Despite that though I had a good overall impression of the game, the world was well realised and you set a great visual mood. It definitely drew you in to the story
cbear_wallis
21. Apr 2015 · 15:55 UTC
pretty cool ^_^ really solid controls...respawning at the very beginning was brutal tho xD
TideS
21. Apr 2015 · 15:55 UTC
Plz make not-development build for web player version.
The Pixel Collective
21. Apr 2015 · 15:57 UTC
Fantastic game! I love the Hyper Light Drifter feel
CorgiCommander
21. Apr 2015 · 16:01 UTC
Outside of the theme not being fully utilized, this is still a pretty nice and impressive looking game. I wouldn't mind playing this just because. Very Stylized. Reminds me of "Tower of Heaven"
dyfer
21. Apr 2015 · 16:01 UTC
Wow serious work here. Your game is awesome. I'll have to get back to it cause difficulty is high but like all jamers, i like challenges ;)
Bemmu
21. Apr 2015 · 16:02 UTC
Really nice artwork here. Nicely juiced up by the little square particle effects upon jumping and other actions. Nice impactful sound effects. A little bit too difficult for me, so didn't get to the end.
Bastienre4
21. Apr 2015 · 16:08 UTC
Really in love with the graphics
Fluffy Tigers in the Sky
21. Apr 2015 · 16:13 UTC
Downloaded it and get_:
There should be 'win_Data'
folder next to the executable
skylinegames
21. Apr 2015 · 16:13 UTC
The movement is so smooth and responsive i love it.
Miltage
21. Apr 2015 · 16:16 UTC
PC version is missing the win_Data folder.

Great art, platforming controls are solid but some jumps are a little tricky to make.
IkerGC
21. Apr 2015 · 16:19 UTC
Really liked the "gamefeel". It remembered my childhood games
pistolshrimps
21. Apr 2015 · 16:24 UTC
I love your art style and animations! really great!
🎤 Anikki
21. Apr 2015 · 16:24 UTC
Sorry for the messed up windows download. Fixed it now.
molecats
21. Apr 2015 · 16:32 UTC
Pretty & fun! I hope you will exploit the idea of destroyed environment staying after the respawn in level design.
little_polygon
21. Apr 2015 · 16:37 UTC
More checkpoints, plz. Also, clearing inventory not respawning keys when I died got me stuck behind some un-unlockable doors and I had to restart :|
Backterria
21. Apr 2015 · 16:39 UTC
Love the colours and graphics in general. Gameplay is solid and challenging too!Nice!
phi6
21. Apr 2015 · 16:43 UTC
Thanks for trying out Nuclear Autumn - I hope you will pick it up again as it's really worth completing.
Anyway - NOPAEW, beautiful graphics, really inspiring. The parallax, the chunky pixels, the particles, colours everything is just perfect. Didn't have any respawn issues unlike others but I did play the downloaded version instead of the web one. Wish you had variable height jumping, feels a little bit old school. Overall, totally inspired work - well done!
Mase
21. Apr 2015 · 16:44 UTC
The graphics are detailed & attractive but sometimes unclear. I.e., it's difficult to distinguish hazards from the background. I also didn't understand why some terrain could be destroyed and some couldn't.

Bug:
I think sometimes held keys and ammo are lost on respawn, but they don't reappear in the level. So locked doors become problematic. Other times the held keys and ammo are kept on respawn.

The game defeated me. I became stuck without keys.
RockhopperGames
21. Apr 2015 · 16:53 UTC
Haven't been able to play it, unfortunately. The web version wouldn't load, and I'm getting an unexpected end of archive from the windows download... :c
bnhw
21. Apr 2015 · 16:54 UTC
The limited colour palette looks great, but the platforming physics just didn't work very well for me.
petey123567
21. Apr 2015 · 16:59 UTC
Great art and mood, really hard though. Also my ammo is cleared on death but the ammo pick ups art not respawned...
🎤 Anikki
21. Apr 2015 · 17:04 UTC
@Mase thanks. Some terrain just takes more shots to destroy (10), this is mainly to prevent your second point, running out of keys. I tried to find as many situations where this still occurs yet due to the non-linear level design and destructible terrain it is still possible to block the path to more keys. Its maybe a flaw in the core game mechanic.
@RockhopperGames its fixed now, upload was corrupted.
DKoding
21. Apr 2015 · 17:04 UTC
Reminds me of Spelunky and that is not a bad thing. Really liked the destructible terrain. Good game.
ArcturusDeluxe
21. Apr 2015 · 17:07 UTC
Love the art style, and the controls are solid. I probably would have reset the map upon death though, since after dying a few times I had run out of ammo and it was hard to progress. Could have used more checkpoints too. Otherwise great stuff!
Nikteddy92
21. Apr 2015 · 17:09 UTC
Wow this game is great! You get hyper rating from me! :D
I love the graphic and gameplay!
Really great! :D
kyyrma
21. Apr 2015 · 17:24 UTC
Seconding the issue with the web version. Will try the Windows executable once I get home.
Evergreen Games
21. Apr 2015 · 17:24 UTC
amazing artwork! the gameplay is pretty standard, but still fun
pss
21. Apr 2015 · 17:48 UTC
Great game and cool style. Got stuck playing it!
torcado194
21. Apr 2015 · 17:52 UTC
pretty interesting game! i looved the graphics and colors. i think the block destroying mechanic is neat, but doesnt work too well for a platformer. at least if you had the blogs reset after you die, it would make a little more sense. same with ammo. if you collect some then die, you cant get that back. your best chance is to beat everything first try. another thing i saw is sometimes you dont get hit by spikes/bullets.
after the first area it was a lot easier and i kinda just fell a bunch until i found what i now know is the boss. i thought the game was very cool but didnt feel like i played it right, if that makes sense. good job :)
DragonXVI
21. Apr 2015 · 18:58 UTC
Did it! Nice little explorative platformer with a nifty little visual style!
FistBumpGames
21. Apr 2015 · 21:12 UTC
Beautiful game, with an nice mechanics and well thought out narrative. The mood really sells this game.
Park
21. Apr 2015 · 22:16 UTC
Great work, feels like a complete experience. Although the audio is minimal the quality may be much higher than you give yourself credit for. ･ᴗ･ Also, lovely color choices! The trap tiles took me a while to recognize, but it was fine after I got into the flow.
bentglasstube
21. Apr 2015 · 23:16 UTC
Really nice platformer! A little bit tough to jump into 1 block high hallways. Definitely left me wishing it was longer.
Managore
21. Apr 2015 · 23:47 UTC
You have a way with pixel art! First "First of Many" and now "NOPAEW", I'm amazed by how elegantly and beautifully you can get information across. I absolutely can't wait to see what you make next!
Nysten
22. Apr 2015 · 00:26 UTC
Awesome graphics! The transforming world was cool. Respawning was pretty frustrating though, as everything was kept like it was, so I lost keys and ammo everytime I died and couldn't get them back. It was a bit confusing to navigate the level, but I finally made it there and beat the game.
Anshul Goyal
22. Apr 2015 · 01:19 UTC
Nice graphics. Its kinda weird that most things persists in-between deaths but ammo always goes back to zero. It doesn't even reappear at the same location again. I havent fired a single shot in the game. I picked up the ammo, waited for it to use it, died, respawned and its gone. Roamed around the level and there is no ammo to be found.
MrShoestore
22. Apr 2015 · 05:41 UTC
Looks amazing. little bit difficult so i may have to come back to it later. great entry, and super well done for a Compo
Jwatt
22. Apr 2015 · 07:32 UTC
The idea of using (enemy) weapons to destroy the environment is pleasant.

However, to really make use of this and to prevent pointless deaths, I could've used a bit of a delay between enemies noticing me and them shooting.
talecrafter
22. Apr 2015 · 07:49 UTC
Great entry. So many beautiful details.
Feels very solid, even the sound.
Tuism
22. Apr 2015 · 08:24 UTC
Man, I know it's supposed to be hard, but I feel like the difficulty hides what the game could be. The way that you lose all your stuff - keys AND ammo, combined with the common deaths, make it feel really unfair. You could end up in a situation where you need ammo and you got none. Or keys, and you got none. I understand then that the game is designed around not needing ammo or keys to complete, right? But then those things... End up being superfluous.

So, a great entry, a great game, fucking hard, but I feel some design choices could have made to make it a BETTER GAME, not necessarily easier, but more fun and nuanced, and not waste the mechanics you've put in because noone could use them.

Good job :)
Tuism
22. Apr 2015 · 08:26 UTC
Oh bug report - "ammo is scarce" points to... not ammo. And the game is stuttery even on osx standalone, which is weird.
Crowbeak
22. Apr 2015 · 10:41 UTC
I find this game frustrating to play because I suck at platformers and this one isn't forgiving. However, the graphics are fantastic and I like some things, like the destructable terrain that stays destroyed when you respawn at a checkpoint.
🎤 Anikki
22. Apr 2015 · 11:07 UTC
Thanks a lot for the comments, appreciate them a lot. I'm after all still learning what makes a game fun.

A couple of Tips to succeed in the game:

Checkpoints save keys, terrain and ammo. If not, thats a bug. Doesn't happen for me, so if you have any ideas when and where it happens, any points would be much appreciated. Also: you can use them again after picking up ammo or keys you want to keep.

Enemies shoot too fast: The idea I was aiming for is to time your jumps. In some places you have to trigger a shot and pass the gun-block inbetween shots (tried it with a delay on first shot, takes out much of the fun). Also notice there is no variable jump height, so you can develop repeatable patterns in your jump sequences. Also, there should always be an alternate path to where you want to go.

Enemies are tough: shoot them from behind, they shoot only when you are in front of them.

Destructible terrain: Idea was that in some places you have only one chance to get somewhere, while other times it opens new paths.

The game is unfair: Yes, i can see that in places... definately needs some polishing. Your comments help a lot towards that end.

Thanks again for playing.
🎤 Anikki
22. Apr 2015 · 11:12 UTC
@Tuism what i aimed for in terms of feel is "sandbox, open world, exploration platformer". A space where you can have fun without being forced to complete a challenge in a predefined way. You can sneak around, backstab, or attack head on. In between you have to do some acrobatics to get upgrades.
Blunt
22. Apr 2015 · 12:11 UTC
Really nice graphics. Was little hard, but really enjoyed playing.
🎤 Anikki
22. Apr 2015 · 12:24 UTC
Found the checkpoint-save bug. Learned: script execution order does matter!
Ludonaut
22. Apr 2015 · 16:19 UTC
I love the art style. Well done!
DarkwindMedia
22. Apr 2015 · 18:45 UTC
Very pretty graphics, and the gameplay is solid! well done :)
Drauthius
22. Apr 2015 · 22:05 UTC
I love the graphics! The game is nice as well. Good job! :)
Horsed
23. Apr 2015 · 13:50 UTC
One of the best LD32 games I've played so far. Really solid, polished and nice looking. I don't have the time to play through it right now, but I will come back this evening. Even if it doesn't include an unconventional weapon ;-)
kabutakogames
23. Apr 2015 · 14:24 UTC
I liked the graphic and the destructible terrain - it'd be awesome to be able to fire in all different directions!
Split82
23. Apr 2015 · 22:38 UTC
Super awesome. One of the best platformers I played this LD.
Prowler
24. Apr 2015 · 04:11 UTC
Your sprites are very pleasant to look at and the tileset is balanced and moody. I missed some backgroundmusic but the overall gameplay is challenging and it's fun to explore the huge level. Definitely one of my favorites this LD!

Good job!
diiq
24. Apr 2015 · 13:00 UTC
Super stylish. This is a game I could happily watch someone play.

Unfortunately, it's also one of the few entries that requires the play to actually be *skilled* -- so I didn't get very far myself :(

Great graphics, great mood -- I didn't get far enough to see how the theme played out.
Yakka
24. Apr 2015 · 16:16 UTC
An awesome entry, but too hard for me x) I guess I died 40 times without feeling I was going in the good way
Snicklodocus
25. Apr 2015 · 02:42 UTC
I really like the art and mood in this game. Not mush sound, but what's there is well done. Controls well. I feel it's a bit hard, and ammo was not that useful. I liked the open ended level design. I got a lot of index out of range errors when I first loaded, but the game ran fine. Good job!
Azlen
25. Apr 2015 · 04:36 UTC
At the beginning it would've been nice to have more checkpoints. Great game though.
jhrrsn
25. Apr 2015 · 07:40 UTC
I'm amazed what you were able to achieve over the weekend! Not only is it gorgeous, it's also got that cool terrain destruction element which gives your (short) lives a sense of permanence. Baiting traps to gain access to areas is great - if a little frustrating at times! Good job!
KhaoTom
25. Apr 2015 · 20:55 UTC
Nice visual style. Plays ok but... why you no take advantage of controller support in Unity? Why force player to use keyboard like peasant?
xhunterko
26. Apr 2015 · 04:32 UTC
Difficult but not frustrating. Very well done!
Mouch
26. Apr 2015 · 09:12 UTC
Love the Art Style. I think the crates should give more ammo.
agirreb
26. Apr 2015 · 11:22 UTC
Not ez.
ehtd
27. Apr 2015 · 04:32 UTC
Great graphics, perhaps too difficult. The destructible terrain is pretty cool.
phi6
27. Apr 2015 · 23:35 UTC
Hey, I liked this entry so much I included the game as part of my Top 10 Platformers of Ludum Dare 32:
http://ludumdare.com/compo/2015/04/27/my-top-10-platformer-games-of-ludum-dare-32/
MiniBobbo
27. Apr 2015 · 23:53 UTC
I like the feel you've captured. The animations and movement are good.

I think that there is a problem with the destructible terrain. There were some spikes near the beginning that were blown up, but they could still kill me. So I ended up with this jump with some invisible spikes floating in the air. It made things a little tricky!
norwalnate13
28. Apr 2015 · 00:52 UTC
Die...Restart...Die...Restart...Die
I died so much in this game and it was hilarious :D
Marcus316
28. Apr 2015 · 03:01 UTC
Wow, this is a good looking game. On the whole, though, the gameplay is frustrating. I managed to destroy a block with spikes, only to find out that I could still die by hitting the (now invisible) spikes.

With some tweaks, this could be a highly amusing and fun game!
myachin
28. Apr 2015 · 04:10 UTC
awesome platformer
graphics are great!
Geckoo1337
28. Apr 2015 · 04:28 UTC
A good game with a pretty mood. It could be more immersive with some music, but it's a good vibe. Tribute to the past. I liked it. Neat ++
rubna
28. Apr 2015 · 10:32 UTC
nice graphics and the gameplay was pretty fun too. I liked that the keys/doors weren't forced at all in that any key would fit in any door, and you could often find a way around it as well.
small gripes: spikes would still kill you eventhough they had been destroyed (the second one at the beginning of the game for me), and the hitbox of the spikes seemd a bit unfair at times.
great job!
Tselmek
28. Apr 2015 · 12:40 UTC
Very nice graphics and flawless gameplay. It is quite hard and I couldn't handle dying over and over and starting at the beginning every time. Great game nontheless!
Volatile Dove
28. Apr 2015 · 14:47 UTC
Awesome! Particularly the visuals.
Only complaints: not enough respawn points (on the beginning of the game particularly); and sometimes some keys disappear after dying. I managed to get through the end, though :)
daredevildave
29. Apr 2015 · 12:18 UTC
Looking great. Very well polished. Good fun.
sP0CkEr2
30. Apr 2015 · 05:22 UTC
nicely done - good use of theme and great graphics - awesome
camlang
30. Apr 2015 · 15:23 UTC
Loved that you can choose between multiple paths. Movement needs some tweaking though cause it's really frustrating sometimes to jump-squeeze between blocks.
thaaks
01. May 2015 · 14:39 UTC
Love your pixel art style. Gameplay was tough but I liked it.
Would have loved more keys and ammo ;-)

Great little game!
Franklin's Ghost
01. May 2015 · 16:07 UTC
This game is brilliant, such a polished entry. Loved the look of the game and the way the world keeps existing when you die so the destroyed terrain stays that way. Liked also how you had to use the enemies to make paths for you at times and the way you could decide how you would approach the design of the level. Very clever.
renatopp
06. May 2015 · 14:40 UTC
The overall is pretty good: graphics are awesome and mechanics are neat. It is a bit frustrating the combat thou, you die from nowhere (especially when you jump down a platform and a shot come from bottom, you can't event see the shooting block before die) and the respawn is far (considering the number of times you die). Anyway, technically it is great, congratulations!
Embalaje
07. May 2015 · 21:13 UTC
Great! I like the personality of your game, nice art and gameplay easy to understand with a lot of possibilities
Tommislav
07. May 2015 · 21:16 UTC
The graphics and atmosphere was great! I really liked the open level with lots of branching, only I never really knew if I was going in the right direction... Excellent work for 48 hours.
Noah Ratcliff
07. May 2015 · 21:19 UTC
Great work! The game feel was really solid!
Archonthewizard
07. May 2015 · 21:22 UTC
I love the feel of this game. The one-shot mechanic made it rewarding to avoid getting hit, but punishing when I hadn't hit a checkpoint in a while
deepnight
11. May 2015 · 22:38 UTC
Quite hard, but interesting! I really liked the art & mood. You did really great with very few colors :)