Fools Fortune by Gear Steak

[raw]
made by Gear Steak for LD 44 (JAM)

thing icon.png ld44 12.gif thing icon.png It is the Dark Ages, and a shuffle of the deck can determine your fate. You are a Medieval noble, and decisions must be made, influenced by the drawing of the Tarot. Will you be a cruel dictator, or a ruler of the people? Will you show honour and bravery, or be scarred by your decisions? Fortune will guide the way. ezgif.com-optimize.gif

Notes:

  • There are only four scenarios coded so you WILL repeat cards drawn, I've currently finished a tool to easily add more post jam and will be enforcing that end users will not see duplicates in a run
  • I am adding in an indicator as to which skill is being checked against
  • The game operates under DND 2nd and 1st edition rules, you want to draw under your skill
  • There is no audio, that's why the game has been opted out of that category

SprTarotCards<em>10.png SprTarotCards</em>strip3.png SprTarotCards_11.png

Additional feedback needed;

  • As of right now there will be 154 scenarios that are more or less completely serious, I’m debating adding a 6th suit of cards that would consist of 5-7 cards (10-14 scenarios) that would all be humorous. Now the concern with this is would this break the immersion and feel of the game? any feedback on that idea is greatly appreciated!
  • Since the jam item cards have been implemented, these cards are given to the player when they choose an option that boosts a stat with specific items being tied to specific stats. Now none of the art has been done for these cards, the thing is that there are essentially only 8 functions these cards will serve with 5 of them being the heirloom cards that will be hard to obtain. If you were playing this and got the same item every time your strength stat was increased would you be annoyed? Would you want more than one item visual even if it did the exact same thing?

Ratings

Given 120🗳️ 33🗨️

Feedback

khaotom
29. Apr 2019 · 05:15 UTC
Beautiful graphics. Being a noble in the dark ages seems like kind of a bummer. Keep dying. :joy_cat:
Attala
29. Apr 2019 · 05:34 UTC
Nice game idea. Good graphics. The "decision" card, (when you draw a number), was a bit underwhelming.
🎤 Gear Steak
29. Apr 2019 · 05:37 UTC
@attala I'm not actually sure what you mean?
notb
29. Apr 2019 · 06:24 UTC
I love this idea, the art is really good, and it's a fun game! Nicely done
strugglesingamedevelopment
29. Apr 2019 · 06:24 UTC
I didn't feel any real connection to my actions, but I did like the choice system and the game is absolutely oozing atmosphere the art style and concept behind the flow of actions I liked a ton.
🎤 Gear Steak
29. Apr 2019 · 06:28 UTC
@strugglesingamedevelopment Can you expand on what you mean by connection to your actions?
strugglesingamedevelopment
29. Apr 2019 · 06:32 UTC
Sure thing :D So you get these stats at the start and then after you pick between one of the two choices you draw a card with a random stat. The disconnect for me is that there is no feedback to what your stats do or what your draws are being compared against. Sometimes I'd draw a 1 and I'd win the fight sometimes I'd draw a 6 and lose. It feels like stuff is just happening.
🎤 Gear Steak
29. Apr 2019 · 06:35 UTC
@strugglesingamedevelopment ah yeah, that was something I want to address post jam. Some sort of indicator as to what stat will be checked against and what you lose when losing parts and skills
victorcrafty
29. Apr 2019 · 07:35 UTC
Beautiful Graphics. And idea is good.I like the idea of cards.Nice job!
ROBOWARRIOR1982
29. Apr 2019 · 07:38 UTC
Very nice and original concept, good pixel art. I think with sound and more evenements and graphics you can make a cool game.
Joe Bell
29. Apr 2019 · 08:22 UTC
The art is amazing, the gameplay is enjoyable and the main feature is enjoyable. This is a very good start of something that can be bigger post jam
Borys
29. Apr 2019 · 08:53 UTC
Maybe I'm not innovating, but the art is brilliant! Idea for a game and for the cards are also really cool and fun!
One thing that I would improve is card-drawing system. In about 8 draws I drew the same card for 4 times.
Anyway, really cool entry!
Niteb
29. Apr 2019 · 09:11 UTC
Graphics are very nice and polished an the concept is solid, but the connection between the number cards and what happens is bit vague to me
LiauJ
29. Apr 2019 · 10:17 UTC
Love the artstyle, the game has something against my legs it seems. I'd really like to see this improved on!
5you
29. Apr 2019 · 14:16 UTC
Too bad the cards were lacking an image, the game is beautiful ! Also, running cards that were just played should be removed or moves down in the pack so you don't play the same situation imediately again.
I'd like to see a polished version of that.
Also, I think the theme is a bit forced into the game.
randdir
29. Apr 2019 · 14:16 UTC
Nice graphics and pretty good game. Just a lil lack of visibility with the text over graphics and mouse control miss sometime. But nevermind great entry pal keep it up !
🎤 Gear Steak
29. Apr 2019 · 14:55 UTC
@borys @5you there are only four scenarios as of now (didn't have enough time to do more), I have a lot of plans for improvements
Aaron96
29. Apr 2019 · 16:45 UTC
Nice art, I also think the idea of the game is pretty good but I kept getting the same scenarios. Also another minor nitpick is that the text appears quitte slowly. Overall I think the idea has potential ;)
pkenney
29. Apr 2019 · 18:13 UTC
Wonderful, evocative graphics. I like the way the tarot-size cards, the candles burning, and the voodoo doll all evoke the same kind of feeling of mystery.

If I could change one thing it would be the pace. The text rolls out a bit slowly, and the card flips are a little slow as well. I drew the peasant revolt three times in a row, and by the third time waiting for the paragraph to unfold, I was kind of spam-clicking.

I did enjoy the descriptive text, so I didn't generally want to speed through it, just upon repetition.

I think with a little sound and a larger variety of events this could have a really nice atmopshere you could get lost in for a while.

Nice work!
SuperGamersGames
29. Apr 2019 · 18:33 UTC
Interesting Concept
Raziyya
29. Apr 2019 · 18:39 UTC
Would love to see this fleshed out into a post-jam version. Looked beautiful and has potential.

As others have said, it would be nice to see how the card you draw and your player stats impact the result of your choices.
Pabricka
29. Apr 2019 · 18:48 UTC
Intresting game. Graphical style is nice and the candles create a cozy atmosphere. Picking the cards felt a bit meaningless as I didnt have any idea what stats were checked and what the numbered card meant. But after I got the hang of it, it was fun to try to stay alive as long as I could (and hoard a lot of gold ofc). A minor nipick is that the text "snaps" unpleasantly sometimes as the line changes. Maybe it should check if the whole word (instead of a single letter) fits at the line before starting to write it.
GettingRekt
29. Apr 2019 · 19:08 UTC
Really nice presentation in this game, lovely graphics and style. As others pointed out, having more feedback on your actions than just drawing a number would be nice. But overall, a solid entry, good job!
Retronator
29. Apr 2019 · 19:57 UTC
The game is nice but after drawing the same card, meeting the brigande, for 6 or more turns it got a bit boring, also it confuses me why I get wounded if I draw a 5 attack card, am I drawing for my enemy? When I drew a one I got his purse which felt weird. Otherwise it sets a very nice mood and could be a lot of fun with more balancing.
daria-toni
29. Apr 2019 · 22:01 UTC
The style is so pretty and detailed, I love it. I think that this type of gameplay is not for everyone, but I like the idea a lot :)
Pusheeneiro
30. Apr 2019 · 00:43 UTC
A nice concept dressed in even more climatic graphics.
RumSquawks
30. Apr 2019 · 03:41 UTC
Very interesting! I hope you keep on with it and make some interesting sprites for the different arcana cards. I wish there was a little more direction between the scenarios, but I never was much of a DND guy. The flavour text is fun to read though!
🎤 Gear Steak
30. Apr 2019 · 03:58 UTC
@rumsquawks can you expand on what you mean by direction?
RumSquawks
30. Apr 2019 · 04:27 UTC
@gear-steak Yeah! I wish the scenarios were a little more than one choice and a skill roll. If every draw were for a longer story with multiple skill rolls, that might be interesting.

Also, it might be interesting to draw multiple arcana for one story/scenario, kind of like how actual tellers do with the various tarot reading shapes. I don't know, it might be something fun to experiment with. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
🎤 Gear Steak
30. Apr 2019 · 04:53 UTC
@rumsquawks those are interesting suggestions, I had kicked around the idea of doing it as more of a single story (as you do draw 12 cards for a life which is an amount for a type of reading) but one of my colleagues whose now writing the scenarios said he preferred the randomness.
I think you'll be interested in some of the changes I'm making though
pilly
30. Apr 2019 · 06:08 UTC
Love the art. Gameplay is interesting and I like the writing/"voice" of the game - I felt like I had a lot of responsibility! Music or ambient sound (a fire crackling?) would definitely help tie it together.
Tuhlienn
30. Apr 2019 · 08:51 UTC
Really well rounded game. The Artwork is absolutely fantastic and all those little details, like the card rotation when you slide them to the side, are on point!
Zetius
30. Apr 2019 · 09:37 UTC
Love your art and the game is really interesting.
keep up the good work :D
AXLplosion
30. Apr 2019 · 11:13 UTC
The style and mood of the game are great! With more scenarios and content this would be an amazing time killer on mobile.
Pepijn
30. Apr 2019 · 11:50 UTC
Liked it a lot. audio would've made it even better though.
anstabo
30. Apr 2019 · 18:54 UTC
Loved the story, I connected well with it. Even though i got some duplicates, mayube you could had some procedural words like "brigand" "thief" or else ^^
Zanar
30. Apr 2019 · 19:55 UTC
Good game ! Tarot is interesting as gameplay mechanics !
kristinnes
30. Apr 2019 · 23:09 UTC
This a really cool take on a similar idea to mine. I like the atmosphere and the art. It does really feel like you're at some oracles table getting your future told.
DDRKirbyISQ
01. May 2019 · 07:41 UTC
Well, I may screw up anything involving negotiations with third parties, but hey, being a 10-time straight winner of the hand-to-hand contest has gotta count for something, right?
JofersGames
01. May 2019 · 13:37 UTC
Love the idea, executed wonderfully :)
Sir Daniev
02. May 2019 · 00:58 UTC
The idea implementation and use of the theme were good. Being without audio played against the mood of it. An earie song would made it way better.
Good job tho. It would be a good project to see a post-ld version of. :)
jjjjason
02. May 2019 · 03:48 UTC
"Sire, war wages outside the castle grounds! We need to take action, we need you to lead us!"

"You see I would but this card I drew says 4 on it!"

Atmosphere here is the focus, and it's pretty good. We're in dire need of music, but that's for another day. I really like the idea of you designing the engine to easily support adding more cards, looking forward to a post-jam update!

Edit: Also, I think an in-game explanation of roll-under-skill would be helpful, looking through the comments it seems like some people went in not understand haha.
🎤 Gear Steak
02. May 2019 · 03:52 UTC
@jjjjason not gunna lie that is the best comment I've received so far, I may well include that as a joke scenario
AfroAnt
02. May 2019 · 05:02 UTC
Simply enchanting. Would definitely play the full version of this!

My only complaint is that I didn't understand which abilities went with which choice. Graphics were amazing though.
KunoNoOni
03. May 2019 · 00:19 UTC
This was a really cool game. Gave me an Ultima character generation vibe. Sound would have helped with the experience, but its understandable that you may not have had time to do it. I know all to well about this. I look forward to the updates you do as it is a fun game to play and the art is spot on. Congrats on completing the Jam!
PhillSerrazina
03. May 2019 · 03:26 UTC
That artwork though! Sold the game for me!
PhillSerrazina
03. May 2019 · 03:26 UTC
That artwork though! Sold the game for me!
pranjalbisht
03. May 2019 · 05:21 UTC
Interesting experience. Lovely pixel art and nice mood, but the gameplay falls a bit short, I think. Maybe if the player had more choices, or if the decisions clearly explained what stat is needed to complete it. Sometimes when I died the text just skipped itself before I could read it. Pretty nice replay value, I think this concept can be extremely fun if properly executed upon!
falak
03. May 2019 · 09:41 UTC
Nice and beautiful game! Unfortunately, there is no climatic music. The card system reminds me of the game Reigns but your game is completely different. I like the whole atmosphere of tarot cards and picking up fragments of a doll. Good luck!
Dazzleisace
03. May 2019 · 13:53 UTC
No audio (you know that, so I have no idea why I'm telling you!) but what a lovely game. Well done!
Arqcenick
03. May 2019 · 19:05 UTC
Great graphics and the Tarot is used very well as the events.
The presence of the theme was a bit loose but the game is solid so it's not that important.
If the game was complete it would be in top 50 for certain. But you have a great foundation to build upon. Good luck on your quest!
akekho
03. May 2019 · 19:26 UTC
Art and mood are great. It needs a relaxing ost, with sfx for those candles and for the actions (clashes, journies,...).
Dina
03. May 2019 · 19:41 UTC
Good idea, but the random is strange, some cards are repeating many times. When i played second time i only travelled with a court and fight in a tournament about 8 times.
angiemon
03. May 2019 · 20:49 UTC
That was a fun little game and cool idea, wow!
The graphics are simply beautiful and I like how much attention to detail you've put into this game.
I also liked that I could choose what to do, love those text actions (I also love them in FTL and the Sims, haha)
The voodoo dool was cute too :D
the constant candle animation and animation of light circle added a lit to the atmosphere! Well done :D
From what I understood you did this game alone, so that deserves extra credit! I'd love to see you keep going :)
If you do so, please add music, I think with the right one you can really emphasize that atmosphere you've set up!

I'd be happy if you maybe had time to check out our game too, but you'd need a second player for it :D (but you can also play and try it alone, just you're going to win always, haha)
SimplePotential
05. May 2019 · 01:08 UTC
I like the idea but the tarot card draw was always the same thing asking me to joust or fight hand to hand. If I went hand to hand, I lost an arm. If I went joust, I injured my leg. I always drew a 4 on my card but the three cards drawn at the beginning were 3,3,4. Seems like there may be an issue with random generation? Even with just 4 scenarios I should have hit at least one thing different I'd think.

That said, the game play was really fun and I look forward to a post jam version to try out.
🎤 Gear Steak
05. May 2019 · 01:14 UTC
@simplepotential There are only 4 scenarios in the jam version, you unfortunately got very unlucky in drawing the same thing over and over, the full version will stop you from drawing the same scenario for a run. As for the stat check, the game operates under DnD 2nd and 1st edition rules so drawing a 4 for anything with stats of 3,3 and 4 would result in a loss.

The post jam version has an in game description explaining the draw under mechanic and indicators to show which stat is being checked implemented so hopefully this piqued your interest enough to wait for the full version which I'm hoping to release in 2-3 weeks.

If there's one thing for me to learn from all of the comments its that I should have put an indicator in the jam version haha :sweat_smile:
PeachTreeOath
05. May 2019 · 01:48 UTC
I've always wondered what a more complete version of Reigns would look like and this is a good peek into that world. For whatever reason I do think your presentation is more interesting in that game and I could really see where you were going w the project. Sounds like you had the engine ready to go by the end of the jam but didn't have much time to really just crank out cards and gameplay, I know how that can be. Really looking forward to updates on the game as the theming just draws me in so much.
Fear Games
05. May 2019 · 09:48 UTC
Really interesting concept. love the atmosphere of the game.
fidrik
05. May 2019 · 10:05 UTC
Great idea, like the style of it too. I felt the text was a bit difficult to read whilst it was being typed out, but thats probably just me being impatient. would have loved to hear some medieval tavern style music. think it would of benefited greatly. great job though!
christina-antoinette-neofotistou
05. May 2019 · 18:28 UTC
Ok, this is incredibly pretty first off!
Secondly, I love the decision making *and* the trump card mechanic, reminds me of that tabletop rpg, Talisman.
I really had fun, I wouldn't mind at all a set of less serious cards.
My only piece of advice would be to make the randomness a little better. As in, place cards in a discard pile, or keep a stack of cards that were recently played and don't play the same card twice in a row?

Amazing job, and extra kudos for finishing in time!
Pierre CILLUFFO
05. May 2019 · 19:57 UTC
I don't know if I am the only one, but all the cards of the game have no visual and that there is no music :(
![No visual.PNG](///raw/1a1/42/z/24a6e.png)

If you can tell me how to solve the problem so that I can try the game in better condition
🎤 Gear Steak
05. May 2019 · 20:07 UTC
@pierre-cilluffo I did not have the time to finish the card art or audio, I've stated this in the description
miu
05. May 2019 · 20:14 UTC
Nice idea, I didn't played many games like this one, art is nice, music would be nice here.