789 by rumachine
I'll be honest. The point of this game is to challenge you to learn hidden patterns in space and time and to think nonlinearly. That's not an easy task. Many people don't get it. That is ok. You won't get it after one play. You won't get it after 10. After 50 times, 100, then you're probably getting somewhere.
Why is 6 afraid of 7? Because 789. Now, all the 9's are gone. So the 6's are in trouble. Lucky for you, you get to be the 7. But watch out, your other 7's have it out for you! How many 6's can you eat?
Left/Right arrow keys to move. Tap Left/Right touch screen to move on tablet. Open your mind.
789 is an HTML5 game. The game is written using javascript engine CreateJS. The graphics were created using Artboard. The game is simple, and limited to a single level high score challenge. I have a lot of stuff going on this weekend, so I could only spend a couple hours on this. I've tested it on multiple modern browsers on PC, Mac, iPad, and iPhone.
Twitter: @rumachine
Email: sean@rumachine.com
Blog: www.rumachine.com
In response to some comments, I am adding a hint description:
Just imagine the the 7 is a boat in the ocean, and that that there is a weird current that makes it float in a different direction depending on where it is in the screen. Also, imagine that when you press right it accelerates it in one direction (not necessarily right), and when you press left it accelerates in the opposite direction. Only, you don't get to see the current and you don't get shown what direction the control pushes it!
Also, I made it even more difficult by making the direction of the current in the background random for each new game :) and also making the current time varying. So, that means that each time you play, you have to learn a little about how it will respond to your L/R (touch screen) input and then try and catch 6's.
Hint: At the beginning, the hidden current will be either right or left above the vertical center line, and the opposite direction below. Pressing R will accelerate the 7 either up or down, and L will accelerate it in the opposite direction. Hope this helps!
The whole process of learning how the 7 moves in response to your inputs (in space and time) is the main point of the game. It's not supposed to be easy! It's really, really hard!
It's a slow frustration at first, then an anxious addiction. Wagner helps both. Also, if this is too much for you, or just enough for you, sigsys for iOS (my first game ever) may be your cup of tea.
Why is 6 afraid of 7? Because 789. Now, all the 9's are gone. So the 6's are in trouble. Lucky for you, you get to be the 7. But watch out, your other 7's have it out for you! How many 6's can you eat?
Left/Right arrow keys to move. Tap Left/Right touch screen to move on tablet. Open your mind.
789 is an HTML5 game. The game is written using javascript engine CreateJS. The graphics were created using Artboard. The game is simple, and limited to a single level high score challenge. I have a lot of stuff going on this weekend, so I could only spend a couple hours on this. I've tested it on multiple modern browsers on PC, Mac, iPad, and iPhone.
Twitter: @rumachine
Email: sean@rumachine.com
Blog: www.rumachine.com
In response to some comments, I am adding a hint description:
Just imagine the the 7 is a boat in the ocean, and that that there is a weird current that makes it float in a different direction depending on where it is in the screen. Also, imagine that when you press right it accelerates it in one direction (not necessarily right), and when you press left it accelerates in the opposite direction. Only, you don't get to see the current and you don't get shown what direction the control pushes it!
Also, I made it even more difficult by making the direction of the current in the background random for each new game :) and also making the current time varying. So, that means that each time you play, you have to learn a little about how it will respond to your L/R (touch screen) input and then try and catch 6's.
Hint: At the beginning, the hidden current will be either right or left above the vertical center line, and the opposite direction below. Pressing R will accelerate the 7 either up or down, and L will accelerate it in the opposite direction. Hope this helps!
The whole process of learning how the 7 moves in response to your inputs (in space and time) is the main point of the game. It's not supposed to be easy! It's really, really hard!
It's a slow frustration at first, then an anxious addiction. Wagner helps both. Also, if this is too much for you, or just enough for you, sigsys for iOS (my first game ever) may be your cup of tea.
| Web | http://www.rumachine.com/789/ |
| Source | http://www.rumachine.com/789/ |
| Original URL | https://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-25/?action=preview&uid=19333 |
Ratings
| Coolness | 74% | 3 |
| Overall | 2.64 | 563 |
| Audio | 1.44 | 569 |
| Fun | 2.49 | 537 |
| Graphics | 2.13 | 653 |
| Humor | 2.23 | 468 |
| Innovation | 3.17 | 220 |
| Mood | 2.22 | 636 |
| Theme | 2.15 | 701 |
Also, FYI, My current high score is 33 6's. I'm sure I'll get to 40 soon!
Also, I made it even more difficult by randomizing the current in the background :) and also making the current time varying. So, that means that each time you play, you have learn a little about how it will respond to your L/R input and then try and catch 6's.
I also thought 'You are the VI77AIN' was funny.
Also, I do agree with you that it is more enjoyable on a tablet, although at the beginning it may make you want to throw it across the room out of frustration.
The current you speak of makes the game more fun and challenging, but since it's hidden and randomized it also makes the controls feel completely random. Randomness is always nice, but this makes you feel like you have little control over your 7. I suggest thinking a bit more about the controls and/or current.
All in all, it's still a nice game that I'd play more after some polishing.
The randomness and additional gameplay (random obstacles and targets) is something that I'm playing around with right now (I have more ideas). It's actually an extension of my first game for iOS, sigsys, which I released recently. Sigsys has more structure and completely deterministic controls (although still spatially challenging due to the non-intuitive dynamic movement), which means the learning curve is not as steep as 789!
I definitely don't understand how to navigate my square..
Having said that, this is Ludum Dare, so unless you make it really clear that you have an interesting mechanic to explore, most people are going to think it's just buggy. I strongly suggest you add to your description that discovering how the motion works is half the point of the game!
Better on the tablet I think.
That being said, it ran out of fun for me quickly. Top marks for Innovation.