Recursive nightmare by Toulou

[raw]
made by Toulou for LD 38 (JAM)

Looks like you are lost in a big nothing. Please keep your sanity. 5.png

It's my first Ludum Dare. I wanted to see if I could make a game from scratch with my own game engine. It's kinda weird and limited in term of gameplay, but I like it anyway !

https://toulou.itch.io/recursive-nightmare

Ratings

Overall 288th 3.531⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Fun 320th 3.281⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 26th 4.133⭐ 32🧑‍⚖️
Theme 536th 3.1⭐ 32🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 471th 3.281⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Humor 52th 3.903⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Mood 121th 3.806⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Given 23🗳️ 38🗨️

Feedback

ketchupcoke
24. Apr 2017 · 16:47 UTC
I've just made it to the end and I have to say I really like the strangeness of it.. very dreamlike. Nice one!
camilo
24. Apr 2017 · 18:30 UTC
your game is really cool ! i liked it a lot.
congrats!

i didn't use all the items. Does that mean is hasn't finished yet?
KillToLive
24. Apr 2017 · 18:41 UTC
It's really nice one! I was able to beat it only when I found the inventory at the bottom (because of small laptop screen). Keep it up!
BoobMarley
24. Apr 2017 · 19:12 UTC
Haha, top level stuff
DemyHallar
30. Apr 2017 · 13:36 UTC
Awesome idea and the... tools choice? Really trippy.
CyManSAP
30. Apr 2017 · 15:21 UTC
This is one of those games where I have no clue what's going on, but I'm totally okay with it. Definitely enjoyed my time with this one.
hekst
30. Apr 2017 · 19:05 UTC
Just as I was about to give up, I reached the end! It did take me a while to notice the inventory below, but once I did, I was trying out everything and was not disappointed. I wonder if I missed anything. Cool game.
vkmicro
01. May 2017 · 04:40 UTC
This was truly unique and not something I ever expected to see! Awesome! simply AWESOME! I just have no other way to express my emotions I'm sorry. I wish there was some sound, like some calm background music and a sound every time you click something. But this was so unique and interesting i can't not give this game a 5/5. The hand drawn on paper graphics are really unique and cool idea, while the drawings aren't detailed or precise, it felt really cool and interesting that I loved it. Only complaint really is the lack of sounds but very awesome overall.
Iak
01. May 2017 · 06:45 UTC
This is so trippy. I am genuinely impressed by how weird you made something so simple. This is art.
🎤 Toulou
01. May 2017 · 08:34 UTC
Thanks for all your feedbacks ! I didn't expect my game to be so appreciated !
KillToLive
01. May 2017 · 15:03 UTC
Really nice game! Since voting is up - updated it with my previous feedback. One of the best games in this LD as for me :)
aviv871
02. May 2017 · 10:54 UTC
Nice game! very unique.

I left you a rating. Good luck!
CodeChomper
02. May 2017 · 11:42 UTC
Very neat game, Took me awhile to figure out what to do, I kept getting stabbed lol. Great Work!
TomBuston
02. May 2017 · 11:59 UTC
Wow, that was so strange, yet quite enjoyable ! For some reasons, I really liked the art, it gave a real mood to the game. The humor was great !
Good job !
Kate Kligman
02. May 2017 · 21:49 UTC
This is great! I love the paper images, especially at the end when they come apart. Great story & finish and clever use of the theme too -- it really is a small world!
Fiote
03. May 2017 · 00:28 UTC
I couldn't finish it. Started to get anxious about it all lmao! But it was a nice entry overall. Javascript power!
npizzle1
03. May 2017 · 11:45 UTC
Hahaha what a clever little game i enjoyed playing this and i was going in a loop until i noticed the inventory then i went on to complete the game. nice work and great take on a small world.
Tommyflower
03. May 2017 · 19:17 UTC
O god! Are you David Lynch? If not he would love this game! :D As I did! I wouldn't say it needs more polished graphics , sound, fancy buttons to be great, it is! I really enjoyed playing. This game has the quirk I was looking for, one of my favourites!

edit: forgot to say: yes the inventory could be more visible! ;)
Samusoidal
05. May 2017 · 18:00 UTC
This game is so funny! I liked the weird storyline and looping gameplay. All in all, I though it was a cool and unique game.
Good job!
those-30-ninjas
05. May 2017 · 18:01 UTC
"The gnome stabs you obviously" <-- my favorite part lol. I love the humor of this game. Nicely done.
Psilon
05. May 2017 · 18:04 UTC
Unique game, very refreshing. Thanks I loved it.
makiki99
05. May 2017 · 18:45 UTC
This was one hell of a story. I love it, I love the hand-drawn pictures, I love this kind of humor. I only see one technical problem in this game. The <img> elements should have been preloaded instead of loaded on the fly.
🎤 Toulou
05. May 2017 · 18:56 UTC
@makiki99 You are absolutely right ! Sadly the issue comes out only when I uploaded the game on itch.io . Before it worked fine, but because all the pictures were already in local. Duh !
I'm currently working on the issue. I think preloading the img with the attribute "hidden" will be enough, but then I have to add a "loading" screen.
Burgee
05. May 2017 · 20:59 UTC
This was cool! I like how one 'playthrough' influenced the next in small ways (or it seemed to at least?) I tried a bunch of stuff and I don't think I found the right ending, but maybe I did? I don't know! I still feel very satisfied with playing this though.

The drawings were really funny, probably my favorite part of this game!
STUDIOCRAFTapps Developpement
05. May 2017 · 21:02 UTC
It was... Too funny 4 me... Can't handle the funniosity... Great game overall but there's not enough path, I tried to take multiple path but they alway lead me at the same place. That's it!
🎤 Toulou
05. May 2017 · 21:05 UTC
@burgee @studiocraftapps-developpement Thanks for your feedbacks ! There is only one clear end to the game, try to read the text when you get items, it give clues about when to use them.
XAVIER_INDIE_GAMEDEV
06. May 2017 · 18:08 UTC
Hey man! I love this game, it has a really creative spin on choice-based adventure games, and the dialog and hand-drawn art is very amusing. Good job :)
sagarpatel25700
06. May 2017 · 18:32 UTC
Dialog system game , i have nevr played such game , but i liked this one
morrilet
06. May 2017 · 18:52 UTC
I really liked this. It was strange and funny and puzzle-y all at once. The art style really worked, as well. It took me a while to realize that I had an inventory, but I figured it out after getting stabbed for the first time. Overall this was a really cool concept wrapped in some really cool systems. Great work. I look forward to seeing more stuff with this engine.
caterein
08. May 2017 · 00:44 UTC
Really cool concept for the theme. Wish I could've figured out how to get to the end (is there an end?). Well done!
xykvy
10. May 2017 · 02:01 UTC
I'm really digging the hand drawn graphics! It's such a clever idea. Good job!
Vidinu
10. May 2017 · 11:34 UTC
Es un concepto interesante pero he echado en falta más caminos diferentes para continuar. Idea original y buen arte ^^
Daisy
12. May 2017 · 12:27 UTC
Aha wow this really surprised me!

Very much enjoyed the humour and the kind of.. dreamlike, nonsensical events that took place. Really unique.

I'd suggest maybe some sort of backing track to help set the mood a bit, not a deal breaker though. And perhaps a sound effect for when you get something in your inventory? I spotted the inventory but it seems it wasn't immediately identifiable by a few players.

Nice job on your first Dare! :D
Jupiter_Hadley
29. May 2017 · 15:30 UTC
Super unique, suprising game! I included it in my Ludum Dare 38 compilation video series, if you’d like to take a look :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNgoyhHtWC0