Surface Layered Balls by leddkire

[raw]
made by leddkire for LD29 (COMPO)
The goal of the game is to get a ball to touch the checkered surface long enough for you to get to the opened door.

Hitting a ball breaks its surface, reducing its size and revealing a new surface with different properties. After a short time, the ball starts reconstructing its surface until it reaches its original state.

Controls:
A/D: Move left/right
W: Jump
S: Drop ball

J: Grab/throw ball
K: Hit ball

Tips: If you need to gain more height with the throw, try to throw it with your jumping momentum. The sooner you throw the ball while jumping, the higher it should go.

If you're wondering how the theme fits the game, I'll explain it. You have a ball with a certain surface and certain properties, and when you hit it, the surface breaks, revealing the one beneath it. The new surface has new properties.

Made by @leddkire

Sound effects made using sfxr.
http://www.drpetter.se/project_sfxr.html

Music made with Bosca Ceoil.
Background made with GIMP
Pixel art made with GraphicsGale
Engine used: GameMaker

Ratings

Coolness 65% 3
Overall 2.89 837
Audio 2.79 548
Fun 3.17 420
Graphics 2.28 1098
Humor 2.38 595
Innovation 3.23 440
Mood 2.67 836
Theme 2.32 1115

Feedback

Red Light Collective
27. Apr 2014 · 22:20 UTC
<3
Jools64
28. Apr 2014 · 13:31 UTC
Very cool idea, I really had fun with this game. I wish it was a little longer but I guess you can always extend it in the future. Great work!
MAT4DOR
28. Apr 2014 · 13:35 UTC
Doesn't really fit the theme, but I really liked the idea. Well done!
Kragnir
28. Apr 2014 · 13:35 UTC
Don't understand how to solve one of the puzzles there seem to be no way to gain height with the balls. Maybe some additional information could be added on how to use the balls.

The game have some problems with collisions managed to throw one ball through the ground.

Overall changing property of items you carry could work but there seem to be no particular reason for why it has to be balls, the kicking and throwing seems to not really add anything.
lantto
28. Apr 2014 · 14:04 UTC
This is a really nice and simple concept that I bet can make interesting levels and puzzles. I was however not able to get past the level where you need to stick the ball to the wall (the one in the first screenshot). I could never get to the door in time before the ball turned red again and fell down.

Good job anyway!
cr2crstudios
28. Apr 2014 · 15:24 UTC
Well thought out puzzles, controls are a little hard to remember. . . :)
DrMelon
28. Apr 2014 · 20:55 UTC
Not bad! The balls are kinda hard to predict though.
javierecf
28. Apr 2014 · 21:14 UTC
I could not pass level 4, maybe more kind of surfaces for the balls to react to? the puzzles seems solvable but you have to relly on playin with the physics of the balls, so that gives the player a lot of freedom, maybe adding more ways to open doors? more ways to solve the same puzzle from different angles?...

also when you jump touching the ground sometimes the player can get through the wall and get stuck while been push down for the gravity inside a wall.
Seraphina
29. Apr 2014 · 15:37 UTC
Interesting mechanics. For some reason I would, rather frequently, start falling through the level when standing up against an edge.
Charimation
29. Apr 2014 · 15:59 UTC
Really fun little game and a really creative idea too! :) I love how cheery the music is!
Cirrial
29. Apr 2014 · 17:05 UTC
Neat idea, fell through the floor on level 3. I like the general idea though. Nice music!
KuGrou
02. May 2014 · 17:37 UTC
Really like the idea behind this. Could be a really cool larger puzzle game with some refined physics and more ball types.
Artless
02. May 2014 · 17:37 UTC
Solid mechanics and interesting puzzles. There is a great base here.
sP0CkEr2
07. May 2014 · 03:36 UTC
interesting idea but not enough guidance to complete the early levels - I lost interest - nice effort
kirbytails7
11. May 2014 · 20:06 UTC
Fell through the floor a few times, and the ball physics are a bit odd, but I like it. The music is nice, too.