Volo by thanketcok
Volo is a procedurally generated cave exploration flying platformer. It was built in JavaScript using the JawsJS library which utilises the HTML5 canvas element. Volo currently works best in Google Chrome.
This is my first attempt at developing a game in a game competition. Choosing JavaScript was done lightly but in retrospect I should have put more time into the decision, especially since my only familiarity with JawsJS was briefly looking at the API docs. The theme resonated deeply with my memories of being a child and playing a Nintendo GameBoy, with it being 'tiny' but packing such a large 'world' of adventures and exploration. I have tried to recreate these feelings with Volo using procedural generation, although there is only so much one person can do in forty-eight hours.
I hope you enjoy it.
This is my first attempt at developing a game in a game competition. Choosing JavaScript was done lightly but in retrospect I should have put more time into the decision, especially since my only familiarity with JawsJS was briefly looking at the API docs. The theme resonated deeply with my memories of being a child and playing a Nintendo GameBoy, with it being 'tiny' but packing such a large 'world' of adventures and exploration. I have tried to recreate these feelings with Volo using procedural generation, although there is only so much one person can do in forty-eight hours.
I hope you enjoy it.
| Web (Google Chrome) | http://www.tinycrate.com/ld48/volo/ |
| Web (Firefox & Opera) (no sound) | http://www.tinycrate.com/ld48/volo/ |
| Original URL | https://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-23/?action=preview&uid=12337 |
Ratings
| Coolness | 35% | 824 |
| Overall | 2.65 | 642 |
| Audio | 2.60 | 377 |
| Fun | 2.58 | 564 |
| Graphics | 2.62 | 571 |
| Humor | 1.58 | 729 |
| Innovation | 2.19 | 749 |
| Mood | 2.86 | 322 |
| Theme | 2.15 | 804 |
Fun: 3/5 - It's a fun little concept but it gets old really quickly, I suspect from the lack of communication. Positive reinforcement ("You win!" when an exit is reached for example) or score-tracking (how many levels without dying?) would give more reason to play for more than a couple minutes.
Theme: 3/5 - It's a tiny world with tiny things. Not really feeling the "world" aspect, but it works.
Graphics: 3/5 - They're pretty in a minimalist way. Unfortunately, because they're so tiny (ha) it was hard to tell what things were at first. Very functional, however.
Audio: N/A - On a machine without audio, so will not rate.
Humor: N/A - Didn't see any attempts at humor, therefore not rating.
Mood: 4/5 - The graphics come together quite well in this regard, especially the contrast between the dark play area and the bright window (and bird).
Thanks for feedback! Highly appreciated.
@Lidfrid
Maybe not a literal 'tiny world' (mini earth?) but the environment and sprites (8x8 pixels) are quite small. The world that makes up the game (sprites, palette, viewport, maps, gameplay (hah!), etc) are all quite limited and tiny. It's my own 'tiny world' (or at least it was for 48 hours).
Thanks for playing!
Overall - great job. I love the graphics, and the procedurally generated levels (I'll have to study the code for inspiration).
I really like the wings flapping mechanic, though I think the controls are a bit off - the gravity is too high, and fly/glide time is too short.
I agree with another commenter that there should be a brief pause/success message when clearing each level.
But like I said, overall - well done. I'm very impressed (especially if this is your first time with Javascript and JawsJS)
Thank you.
@Dmitri Z, @Johnnicholas
Thanks, I have done cave generation before - although I have to warn you that the code is pretty messy! Frantically programming solo brings out the horrible shortcuts/patterns in me. Next time round I'm definitely going to spend more time on application design in the beginning and writing cleaner code.
@Cosmologicon
I think you hit the nail on the head. I was going to implement A* to find an appropriate place for the door based on the generated cave size but burnt out pretty quickly after the first 24 hours. I really did learn a lot though - especially about game play mechanics (and how difficult they are to get right).
I would have liked to hold space to jump higher and not re-pressing it all the time.
What I gain from collecting those boxes doesn't seem to be entirely clear. Sound is good, but the death sound is very loud and annoying.