LudumData

Microscope by johnbrynte

[raw]
made by johnbrynte for LD31 (COMPO)
Peeking through a microscope you control a microscopic organism trying to clear the view from contaminating blobs.

The game does not tell you or show how you play but instead invites you to explore with the stimulating visuals and sounds, competing only with your own mind.

Can't get past the loading screen? You need WebGL enabled in your browser. Go here to find out more http://get.webgl.org/

YOU MIGHT ENCOUNTER A BUG WHERE IT SAYS 1 BLOB IS LEFT, THIS IS FIXED BY RESTARTING THE GAME.

LD note: Some sound effects where removed after the deadline because of a previous misunderstanding of the rules (they where not done by me).
Web (HTML5) http://www.nada.kth.se/~johntu/microscope/
Web (HTML5) *in case the above doesn't work https://db.tt/yedME0T5
Source https://github.com/johntu/Microscope
Original URL https://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-31/?action=preview&uid=47137

Ratings

Coolness 100% 1
Overall 3.72 113
Audio 3.91 41
Graphics 4.03 79
Innovation 3.65 210
Mood 3.95 28
Theme 4.22 71

Feedback

panda
08. Dec 2014 · 03:01 UTC
Beautiful, and very fun! Congrats, I love what you were able to build in such a short time!
sharpcoder
08. Dec 2014 · 05:09 UTC
Sweet, I feel like a shepherd of microbes! Very interesting game, it has just the right amount of challenge I think.
mactinite
08. Dec 2014 · 07:07 UTC
Really soothing. Like bubble wrap.
tppr2046
08. Dec 2014 · 08:06 UTC
Beautiful!! I love the music and the graphic. Really good game!
locknic
08. Dec 2014 · 10:00 UTC
Lovely game. So simple yet so much polish, juice and passion.
Bogden
08. Dec 2014 · 10:05 UTC
Short and sweet. Beautiful and fun. Love it!
43iscoding
08. Dec 2014 · 11:25 UTC
Suddenly, the most minimalistic and yet the best game so far! Everything seems to be in place and polished! Great job!
Fede3751
08. Dec 2014 · 11:25 UTC
Cool graphics, mood, and sound! You really did great! :D
ilikescifi
08. Dec 2014 · 11:30 UTC
Wow! This is really inspiring! Great idea!
gre
08. Dec 2014 · 11:43 UTC
Impressive graphics and audio.
The gameplay is great and nicely polished.

Here is some ideas to make the game even more awesome:
I think with a few different species of microbe and bacteria it would be graphically finished.
Also I think it would be super interesting to introduce the z-axis mecanism: you have to also zoom-in/out to clear the space in 3D (you can browse different layers of microbes). This can be done with different layers and a blur effect (like you did for the ambiant background).
Blue Thumbs Gaming
08. Dec 2014 · 11:48 UTC
Awesome!
hectorhon
08. Dec 2014 · 12:09 UTC
Beautiful game, short and sweet! Just the right amount of fun!
Zwergesel
08. Dec 2014 · 12:12 UTC
Gameplay is a bit simple, but very relaxing and the game looks nice.
🎤 johnbrynte
08. Dec 2014 · 12:12 UTC
@gre Thanks, those are really great ideas! Yeah, adding a mechanic for zooming that looks and feel nice would be truly awesome. Apart from more organisms as you mentioned I think that the player should also be given power-ups to easier clear off the hordes. Hopefully there will be a second version in the future :)
naufr4g0
08. Dec 2014 · 12:13 UTC
Simple pretty game! really love music and sfx!
DavidErosa
08. Dec 2014 · 12:15 UTC
Wow, great game! At first I though it'd be hard to beat but I made it (59s). I love the simplicity of the graphics and how smooth it feels. Thanks!
volkoivan
08. Dec 2014 · 12:15 UTC
Looks beatifull and also intersting to play!
But for a one run
Liked it, thanks! :)
AdventureIslands
08. Dec 2014 · 12:15 UTC
Clever game! Loved the visuals and audio, sweet and relaxing.
Ithildin
08. Dec 2014 · 12:17 UTC
Brilliant take on the theme that also ranks pretty high in the artistic department. Congrats!!

I managed to beat the game at the second attempt (on the first one I lost after unsuccessfully trying to find a lone, runaway microbe :S)
Rulrite
08. Dec 2014 · 12:25 UTC
Simple ideas often turn out to be the best, as shown in this game. The audio and visuals make it strangely soothing to play - I liked the decision to hide the timer until the end; it would have added a tension that doesn't need to be there.

A great game, and a brilliant use of the theme.
🎤 johnbrynte
08. Dec 2014 · 12:25 UTC
@Ithildin Yeah I'm sorry for the bug, but i guess it adds to the mystical feeling.. @DavidErosa Sweet! My current record is 28 seconds ;)
Homletmoo
08. Dec 2014 · 19:43 UTC
Brilliantly polished graphics and audio. The game mechanic feels like it needs fleshing out a bit, though. Perhaps a difficulty system.
DesignerNap
08. Dec 2014 · 19:48 UTC
Excellent work. Appeals to the OCD nature in people. Superb sounds and good feel to the game. Nice work!
ProfessorRekyl
08. Dec 2014 · 20:41 UTC
Great idea and beautiful presentation! /Johan
Norgesnerd
08. Dec 2014 · 21:00 UTC
Glorious game, loved it :) Short and worth playing, considering the wonderful graphics and the simple gameplay.
oh_andrej
08. Dec 2014 · 21:21 UTC
Wow, this is beautiful. Very simple but a joy to play. Would be a great mobile app (not sure if Phonegap etc. could handle it performance-wise though.)
ryguydavis
08. Dec 2014 · 22:16 UTC
Excellent little game. I really want to see more depth of gameplay since what you have here is so solid. Beautiful movement, visuals, and sounds. Everything was really well fitting.
Deity
09. Dec 2014 · 00:04 UTC
Very well made especially considering it's in HTML. Gameplay was smooth and surprisingly interesting (maybe it appeals to the OCD side). I encountered the '1 left' bug but that should be an easy fix. Also I think controls would be better with mouse instead of keyboard as I found the character jerking around with the light touches of cursor keys.
daftcube
09. Dec 2014 · 00:31 UTC
Awesome game! Very interesting concept and nice asthetic. I am concerned that this might not qualify as a compo entry because the sound assets weren't made by you, or that's what your credit says anyway.
🎤 johnbrynte
09. Dec 2014 · 00:37 UTC
@daftcube Oh, yeah, didn't thought about that... maybe should remove the sound effects...
ponk
09. Dec 2014 · 01:14 UTC
*0* ... !
uvwar
09. Dec 2014 · 01:35 UTC
Pretty dang cool, I think I saw you do a blog post on this during the competition. I felt like I was penicillin or something. You should keep going with this, maybe add a kind of focusing mechanism to move between 'planes' and maybe some more abstract tiny organisms that are more stubborn to being pushed around.
Jupitron
09. Dec 2014 · 01:55 UTC
47 sec, awesome presentation and smooth controls!
huggabugga
09. Dec 2014 · 04:36 UTC
Beautiful! I love the music, sound effects, and style. It's awesome to see HTML entries!
ruerob
09. Dec 2014 · 13:52 UTC
What a great looking and great sounding game. I really enjoyed playing your game. My best for now was 24 seconds but i think i can beat this. very addictive. an online highscore would be nice to compete against others.
HotBoxGames
09. Dec 2014 · 14:25 UTC
Great art style, soothing ambient music, easy to pickup controls/mechanics - really well done!
Alter
09. Dec 2014 · 17:36 UTC
37 sec! Very fun. Great work!
trykondev
09. Dec 2014 · 20:24 UTC
The audio and visuals work together in such a sweet way, this game has a fantastic atmosphere!
Goutye
09. Dec 2014 · 20:33 UTC
Graphics, music and game are a really well-made! Nice one! A little bit short?
spacedoubt
09. Dec 2014 · 20:48 UTC
Looks awesome! Unfortunately, I couldn't get past the loading screen.. :/
🎤 johnbrynte
09. Dec 2014 · 21:47 UTC
@spacedoubt Oh yeah sorry, I didn't have time to add a check if you have WebGL enabled in your browser. Go here to find out how you can enable it http://get.webgl.org/
Rob Glen
09. Dec 2014 · 22:31 UTC
This has such great tonality. Love the visuals and the music is really nice.
Kiwiboi
09. Dec 2014 · 23:02 UTC
Sweet! Almost didn't get past the loading screen, still don't know how I did it. But then bubbles showed up and I got 1:12 ;) Solid entry
Troilk
09. Dec 2014 · 23:07 UTC
Nice game - calm and relaxing.
I think this mechanics can work well on mobile with gyroscope/accelerometer inputs.
dunin
10. Dec 2014 · 06:42 UTC
gameplay is too simple, but really good mood...
Jim Haslett
10. Dec 2014 · 14:47 UTC
Wonderful music. Very interesting concept. It was fluid and fun. Good game.
Boberro
10. Dec 2014 · 16:10 UTC
Nice. Polished and looks complete.
rainshapes
10. Dec 2014 · 18:55 UTC
Very relaxing and nice.
tobyp
10. Dec 2014 · 19:42 UTC
Aww, that's adorable! Really like the blissful music, too. The style is very fitting, too, and it's much harder than it looks!
tobyp
10. Dec 2014 · 19:43 UTC
Aww, that's adorable! Really like the blissful music, too. The style is very fitting, too, and it's much harder than it looks! And it's even more to the theme than many other games.
tobyp
10. Dec 2014 · 19:43 UTC
Aww, that's adorable! Really like the blissful music, too. The style is very fitting, too, and it's much harder than it looks! And it's even more to the theme than many other games. Have these stars.
Instant Noodles
11. Dec 2014 · 08:43 UTC
Maximum stars to me, nice and shiny !
cxsquared
11. Dec 2014 · 13:54 UTC
Nice game. I loved the idea of it and the audio makes it a really tranquil experience that just gets you thinking. Nice work.
Frozen Fractal
11. Dec 2014 · 18:26 UTC
0:51 on the second try. Beautifully done! Have you tried it with mouse/touch controls? I think that might feel a bit more natural in a circle.
metalchouchen
11. Dec 2014 · 22:36 UTC
Interesting, gameplay is a bit simple but art is cool. And music very relaxing :)
🎤 johnbrynte
11. Dec 2014 · 22:48 UTC
@Frozen Fractal Nice! Thank you! I didn't have time to try any other controls unfortunately, though I think touch controls would work really nice as several have suggested. Initially the game was supposed to be much more direct and responsive in the controls, but then I increased the smoothing of the position a lot and this game was born :)
csanyk
12. Dec 2014 · 03:19 UTC
Really good! I thought it was impossible to win at first, but kept at it and got a 1:36 clear score. It seemed like getting the last 1-2 was the hardest part -- great challenge curve.
Geckoo1337
12. Dec 2014 · 05:53 UTC
Nice graphics and pretty sounds. Neat. Thank you for you comment on my game ++
Kitch
14. Dec 2014 · 20:08 UTC
Awesome experience. Very simple and everything worked well together. Good work, thanks!
Nikteddy92
14. Dec 2014 · 20:43 UTC
Wow the concept of this game is really cool!
I like the music and the grephical style!
Well done! :D
puppetmaster
14. Dec 2014 · 23:06 UTC
Lovely sound! Simple and beautiful!
Well made!
hbocao
14. Dec 2014 · 23:51 UTC
Really enjoyed this one! The music was perfect! With some new mechanics I can see this fitting on mobile really well.
UrbanLogicGames
15. Dec 2014 · 08:34 UTC
Really liked this, clever mechanic and quite relaxing to play. Nice graphics, great music too.
tmpxyz
15. Dec 2014 · 10:51 UTC
Music and mechanics are great!
Scam
16. Dec 2014 · 22:32 UTC
The graphics, sound, gameplay and mood combine this game more than sum of its parts. I liked it a lot.
🎤 johnbrynte
18. Dec 2014 · 23:07 UTC
Thank you for all the comments! I truly appreciate them all, keeps me going! :)
Beerman
20. Dec 2014 · 13:59 UTC
Excellent - frantic and relaxing at the same time.
FrozenCow
21. Dec 2014 · 12:42 UTC
Simple but fun and very well polished!
PapyPilgrim
23. Dec 2014 · 18:33 UTC
That is the first entry I see that is not running for the "fun" category... why?
🎤 johnbrynte
23. Dec 2014 · 23:21 UTC
@PapyPilgrim Good point! In my opinion, "fun" is in this context synonymous with the overall rating since that should describe how much you I "enjoyed" the game. At least that category didn't make sense to me at the time, as neither did the ability to remove categories, so I just unchecked it, not much thought behind.
PapyPilgrim
24. Dec 2014 · 12:16 UTC
ok I get your point. I agree that "fun" impact the overall category a lot, but I still think they are quiet different : for me it represents the quality of the game. I wrote a detailed post about this during a previous LD (http://ludumdare.com/compo/2014/05/07/rating-consistency-how-i-rate-games/)
🎤 johnbrynte
24. Dec 2014 · 13:15 UTC
@PapyPilgrim A very good post! This should really be required to read before rating, understanding the system is key to make a good rating. I feel that I, as you mention, might change the way I rate the more games I play.
2HitAdam
28. Dec 2014 · 09:11 UTC
Uncontaminated! I'll take my microbiology degree now, thanks :P Fun game, the graphics were really smooth and nice and I dug the music a lot, added a nice mood to the game!
🎤 johnbrynte
30. Dec 2014 · 12:06 UTC
Thank you all for playing, rating and commenting my entry! This has really been a great learning experience and I will definitely come back to make more games, hope to see you then!