Bound by grayhaze

[raw]
made by grayhaze for LD30 (COMPO)
Note: I've uploaded a post-competition version with the random module switching commented out in the code. It makes for a pretty one dimensional game, but at least it allows you to explore the procedurally generated levels without the frustrations of waiting for an exit from each module!

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Collect the coins on each level to progress. The connected level 'modules' switch randomly as you play.

Use the arrow keys to move and to stick to walls and ceilings. Press space to jump.

The levels and coin placements are all procedurally generated, with the individual modules being constructed from a pre-defined pool of layouts. There are eight levels of increasing complexity.

I didn't quite manage to finish this on time, but it's still quite enjoyable. The original idea was that the individual level 'modules' would be swapped around by the player in a split screen view to make paths to progress from the green module to the red one. Collecting all coins would have opened a door in the red module to the next level.

Written in Haxe, OpenFL and HaxeFlixel.
Sound effects created with sfxr.

Have fun! :)

Ratings

Coolness 48% 1265
Overall 2.82 924
Audio 2.25 775
Fun 2.81 765
Graphics 2.63 850
Humor 2.44 480
Innovation 2.84 790
Mood 2.59 886
Theme 3.05 704

Feedback

Agecaf
25. Aug 2014 路 08:57 UTC
I found it a little hard to know when which world would be connected with which other... Also, I lost track of which level I was...
ViliX
25. Aug 2014 路 09:58 UTC
Some visualization of the connected rooms would make everything easier, but great concept :)
Kuupu
25. Aug 2014 路 10:34 UTC
Great concept!
It's very fun to see how the stage changes while you're playing, however the randomness may be frustrating as you are left waiting for the right connection to move allong.
Nice game, congratz :)
KeyMaster
25. Aug 2014 路 11:09 UTC
Very cool entry! Sometimes there are some gaps between the sprites which makes it look worse for moments. Waiting for the connected rooms took quitelong sometimes as well. However the platformer controls were really well done and the game felt really nice!
馃帳 grayhaze
25. Aug 2014 路 12:28 UTC
Thanks for the comments! I'm aware that the random switching can be quite frustrating at times. I really put it in there at the last minute to at least hint toward the game I intended to make and so that it was clear that I'd worked on something in line with the theme instead of a generic platformer. In hindsight, with an hour or two extra I could have added a very simple tile switching interface. As usual though I ended up polishing where I should have been adding new things. :)
monsterkillu
25. Aug 2014 路 13:30 UTC
Concept is good... Fluid gameplay .. Sound effects .. But sometimes get stuck on some rooms ...And didn't know the destination other than collecting all coins .. :)
Belvar
25. Aug 2014 路 17:50 UTC
The world continuous generation seemed very much random and at first I thought the game was bugging. I like the idea but it may need more polish. A bit of challenge would be nice too. Cool graphics and very smooth fast-paced gameplay.
01010111
25. Aug 2014 路 18:37 UTC
Really tight controls! Also the multiple sounds for sound effects goes a long way :D
Pavel
26. Aug 2014 路 09:18 UTC
Fun to play. Good game concept.
stvr
28. Aug 2014 路 00:34 UTC
Unpredictable level transitions made things a bit confusing, but I like the procedural elements.
馃帳 grayhaze
29. Aug 2014 路 20:58 UTC
I've uploaded a very quick post-competition version of the game with the random switching of level modules turned off so you can explore without having to wait for exits. It doesn't really make for a very interesting game, but I realise the randomness was frustrating for some.

I'm currently working on expanding the original idea into a proper game, so I'll post updates when there's something worth seeing!
Gaeel
30. Aug 2014 路 18:48 UTC
There's something here, but I feel something is missing. Maybe some control over the level spawns, or some kind of platforming challenge(death spikes, precision jump, etc...)?
Literal Games
31. Aug 2014 路 10:22 UTC
Cool, one thing you did really well was the feel of the character, lots of games made in the time limit understandably have poor control or are too slow or don't bother with jump height depending on the length of the press. So well done for doing well with that, we've avoided making platformers because we know we couldn't manage decent character control! Needs a different method for changing those colours, because as it stands you just have to wait for the right colours to appear. But sounds as if you've got some good ideas moving forward with developing it, good luck!
dunin
31. Aug 2014 路 10:55 UTC
Interresting idea, but for now, the switch thing don't add any challenge (maybe a time attack?)...
(and I freeze the game: I was between two "worlds" during a switch)
Tanser
31. Aug 2014 路 11:40 UTC
Nice game :)
Posva
31. Aug 2014 路 12:26 UTC
I really like the graphics, they look cool. The gameplay is fun and feels confortable
klianc09
31. Aug 2014 路 15:01 UTC
The randomness is really unnecesary. With the static levels it was more enjoyable. Controls felt good, especially liked sticking to walls.
I was just missing some kind of challenge or other elements except collecting coins.
doomista
31. Aug 2014 路 15:12 UTC
I like platformers with this kind of control scheme, but waiting for rooms to shuffle and waiting for the last room in the level was very frustrating.
馃帳 grayhaze
31. Aug 2014 路 15:58 UTC
Thanks for the comments guys. I apologise again for the random switching. It seems to have really upset some people. ;) The finished game will use the randomness for good, I promise.
bytegrove
31. Aug 2014 路 18:53 UTC
I think this game, when finished, could play quite well on a handheld. When I played I experienced some fps slowdowns, just so you know.
As you can see the rooms appear and disappear around you, maybe one idea could be to let the player rearrange the rooms to his/her liking? Like drag and drop them maybe? :)
Nuclear Napalm
01. Sep 2014 路 06:17 UTC
Reminds me SMB. One thing that should be mentioned is that feature with "jumping" levels appeared a bit frustrating for me. Nice job anyway!
sol_hsa
01. Sep 2014 路 16:40 UTC
Too bad about the random swapping, the gameplay was rather fun otherwise. If the swapping had some logic to it, the game would feel more "fair"..
malf
04. Sep 2014 路 20:48 UTC
Good game, control was a bit difficult ,but the game is fun
Corn茅 Dorrestijn
05. Sep 2014 路 19:47 UTC
I missed some variation in the levels, some traps would make this a much better, still a nice game
jukimv1986
06. Sep 2014 路 04:02 UTC
Boundless fun! The random switching makes it a bit frustrating but more challenging and rewarding to play. Great job!