LudumData

Astromike by mikea

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

astromike<em>icon</em>cropped.png

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b30id6bcWQk

"Mike, I advise you to not get close to that…"

"Why? Looks harmless to me… Woooooaaahhhh… Its pulling us in!! Hang on!! I'm… trying to.. not.. craaaaaash!!"

KABOOM Beep, Boop

"Mike? Mike!?? Can you ear me? I know I can definitely talk to you, I can sense you on my radar. Please wake up and find me!"

And so Mike journey's began! Its objective, try to find what the hell caused him to crash-land on this filthy planet, recover its ship and Core AI, so he can go home.

screen_2.png

screen_3.png

screen_4.png

* How To Play * Best played with Gamepad - ASDW / Arrow Keys / Joystick to Move - CTRL / Click / A to Shoot - Esc / B to Pause / Quit

* Download Links * Latest Version with Bug Fixes on Keyboard Controls

  • Itch.io: https://mikea15.itch.io/astromike

* Updates *

Version 1.2.1:

  • Fix camera rotation, so controls are easier to understand.

Version 1.2:

  • Fix keyboard input.
  • Fix small misplaced tiles.

Updates were purely to make it more enjoyable, I was seeing people raging about the controls. It does not change gameplay or adds features, so those are within the rules for the Jam I think. Enjoy

* Credits * - 3D, Animation by Marco Vale https://twitter.com/MarcoValeKaz - Design, Programming by Michael Adaixo https://twitter.com/MichaelAdaixo - Music "Controlled Chaos - no percussion" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/38/astromike

Ratings

Overall 88th 3.94⭐ 52🧑‍⚖️
Fun 158th 3.6⭐ 52🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 432th 3.04⭐ 52🧑‍⚖️
Theme 637th 2.8⭐ 52🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 30th 4.62⭐ 52🧑‍⚖️
Humor 515th 2.233⭐ 45🧑‍⚖️
Mood 55th 4.06⭐ 52🧑‍⚖️
Given 93🗳️ 44🗨️

Feedback

xxDOOMbox
24. Apr 2017 · 22:41 UTC
hey i played your game, great job! i really like the atmosphere and the whole aesthetic. the art and music came together really well. i encountered a bug you should know about. on level 3, when i tried to shoot the pressure plate that drops the 2nd platform, the bullets went through the pressure plate and did not collide or set it off. i died and retried this several times and the bullets continued flying through the plate off screen. when i quit the game and restarted it for a second time, the pressure plate worked and the bug was fixed. secondly, in the first world with the jetpack, no matter how much i try, i am unable to step on the pressure plate and outrun the three bullets that are triggered. unless there is another way to beat the level, i am unable to continue. overall i liked your game though, the puzzle aspect of it is cool and i like the atmosphere.
🎤 mikea
25. Apr 2017 · 20:09 UTC
Hi! If you can't progress, its probably because the game is running low? Can you try on lower graphics quality? Also the updated build has better controls.

Thanks for playing :)
Samurai Spark
30. Apr 2017 · 12:10 UTC
Just played trough the levels. The low poly art is just amazing for a Ludum Dare! Well done! Also the mechanics are well done. The only bug I encountert is that after I died I could still move my floating body over the map. And just for a post LD version: Maybe it would be better if there was a little explanation text every time you get a new item, it took me a while to realise I just got a weapon to shoot with. :sweat_smile:

But overall fantastic fun gameplay paired with a really great atmosphere!
🎤 mikea
01. May 2017 · 10:39 UTC
Thank you for playing @samurai-spark :D
DGSpitzer
03. May 2017 · 15:41 UTC
Wow! Overall 5 stars. Gorgeous graphic with well-designed puzzle. Good job!
AdroitConceptions
04. May 2017 · 23:48 UTC
Looks intresting... Would be nice to play, can you do a Linux build?
NvrSkipGameDay
04. May 2017 · 23:53 UTC
Beautiful visuals, amazing sound. The progression of difficulty and controls were well done. Also, the puzzles were really well laid out! The very last teleporter (right before the end goal) didn't seem to do anything, but this game was so well made I'm thinking if I hit another switch or something it would have. Really great game, very fun. :D
dennyrocketdev
05. May 2017 · 01:01 UTC
Damn, this game was impressive! Audio and the sound scape, visuals, game design, the effects - everything was just fantastic.

There was one thing with the last level. Dying felt unfair because the projectiles were fired from off-screen locations. I had no chance to react and dying a few times actually didn't feel good. The last level in particular felt like it was too long and unfair because of it.

That is pretty much the only negative point I have. Game design, as mentioned already, was great. You introduced game mechanics in the right pace and order, everything was clear and it never got boring and was fun - well, until the last level.

The only reason I can't give overall 5 stars is because I usually play and judge the first jam/compo versions only. You are already on version 1.2.1 and didn't keep the original version up, so I simply don't know what is different and how much fun the original version was.
Anyway, a great entry nonetheless.
earthcollapse
05. May 2017 · 01:50 UTC
Amazing work! It reminds me of Hitman Go. Obviously it's not as polished, but it's incredible how close you came to that standard in such a short time! It would be nice to see this more fleshed out.
Rombus
05. May 2017 · 01:52 UTC
The grahpics look amazing!
I'll see if the windows build works in linux :D
Rombus
05. May 2017 · 02:01 UTC
It does work on Linux!
The graphics and music are impressive. The gameplay is fun but I'd like the character to move a little bit faster :P
kleinzach
05. May 2017 · 03:24 UTC
Great game! I love the mixture of turn based and real time, that's something I don't see enough of. The movement speed often felt like it was so low that I had to be perfect to finish some of the levels which was a little annoying, and a longer level got me to quit due to being shot by off screen turrets. A little bit more thought put into the camera and some more levels and mechanics, and I can see this being a full game! Excellent entry!
🎤 mikea
05. May 2017 · 08:41 UTC
@jason-kenedy I could do a Linux build, but I have no idea if it's going to work or not :/

@dennyrocketdev Thank you for your kind words. I've updated the game to 1.2 within the 72h time-frame. Although after watching people play, I noticed they had trouble with controls, so the 1.2.1 version is an updated camera angle, so it's clearer which direction you're heading.

The last level was meant to give a bigger challenge, and I had less time to think of the layout, it was done in the last hour of the 48h compo. I know those turrets can't be seen. It's a bad design from my part. Hopefully, it didn't ruin your experience much.

@earthcollapse Thanks for playing, Hitman GO / Lara Croft GO where my main inspiration for this. :)

@rombus Thank you for playing !! Glad it works on Linux, I assume with Wine?

Thank you all for playing :)
Zorg
05. May 2017 · 13:22 UTC
Pretty complete game with cool graphics. May i ask how you assembled the levels from the tiles? Did you manually place them in Unity (is there a snap to grid in Unity?) or did you use some kind of array logic? I really like the mood of the game. I had the same problem as a tester above, the game ran too slow on my PC and i was not able to finish a certain level before lowering the graphics settings. I was a tiny bit disappointed you did not even create a brief ending. But that's all. The combination of round-based and real-time action was very nice. Do you plan to expand the game (maybe with original music as well)?
🎤 mikea
05. May 2017 · 13:52 UTC
Hi @Zorg,

I'm glad you liked it! I've assembled everything with tiles, yes, and manually placed them. They come prepared with nodes, for navigation. I have a plugin to help me place game objects within a grid system ( ProGrids ), but Unity has it's own snapping system too.

Yes, I know there is no ending, there was no time for that, and I like games with no textual information.

If enough people like the game, I might make plans to turn this into a full release. For now, I'll probably release a few more levels. Follow the game on itch.io if you want to get the update, sometime this month. ;)
those-30-ninjas
05. May 2017 · 14:34 UTC
Minor bug I noticed: When you die and are laying on the ground you are still able to move around. Really nice art style reminds me of Tomb raider Go. Nice job on the level design and easing the player into the mechanics. Great entry.
Joror
05. May 2017 · 21:07 UTC
Great Art & Mood! The level difficulty scaling is nicely done too. Well done. :)
masterkrepta
06. May 2017 · 00:06 UTC
Fantastic level Progression. Without any words on the screen, I was able to teach myself the mechanics with ease. This is one of the most atmospheric games I have played. graphics and sound working together perfectly to create an interesting puzzle game.
tyranosaw
06. May 2017 · 04:42 UTC
First impressions, the graphics are awesome and the level progression is superb! Though I'm not really sure how it matches the theme. Maybe a little bit more polish would be very nice (a bit more particles or smoother animations). Other than that, it is a great game. Congratulations!
Nomaki
06. May 2017 · 16:49 UTC
Lovely artwork, and the mechanics are pretty sound as well as the pace in which they are introduced!
Only gripe is that it doesn't seem the fit the theme at all, but is a great LD entry nonetheless!
zenmumbler
06. May 2017 · 17:11 UTC
Great visual style and animations, clearly. The levels themselves, while they work well as a series to introduce new things were a bit uninspired on their own (but that's a common issue with so little time.) Getting killed (and thus having to redo) the last level quite a few times due to twitch movements necessary with almost turn based controls was a bit irksome. Due to the slow movement of the character, it's perhaps good to have an in-level checkpoint as well. Still, nice work.

Again, excellent work by Marco Vale. For 3 days time that is amazing work. :thumbsup:

Finally, I would opt out of the "humor" category as it does not really seem to apply to this game.
rpmoura
07. May 2017 · 00:07 UTC
Great graphics, sound and gameplay! I don't think it's very original or that it fits completely with the theme but it's the best entry I played so far.
valiap
07. May 2017 · 19:22 UTC
All 5 stars! Great visual art and atmosphere, great level design. The game play reminds me of Tomb Raider GO. I like it!
RealityCheck
07. May 2017 · 22:19 UTC
Gosh darn, those are some excellent graphics. The clean style and the beautiful colors really sold me on this game. The puzzle aspect was a lot of fun, and I can see this being developed into a full game. One of the top games I've played this LD.

The background music/atmospheric sounds were also top notch, giving it that eerie feel while playing. A bit of story surrounding who I am, and where I am... and why, would really turn this into a true gem. (Just realized there was a bit of story on the game page - but none in the game... unless I missed it)

Fantastic work!
Remicy
11. May 2017 · 12:43 UTC
Wow. This game is incredible. Best game so far!
Goncalo Monteiro
12. May 2017 · 08:33 UTC
Great entry with solid puzzle design. Only had some camera problems on one of the bigger levels.
glimaleite
12. May 2017 · 10:48 UTC
You nailed the graphics and audio, creating an intense sci-fi exploration mood. I loved it. Gameplaywise, I'd say that the movement feels a bit clunky, mostly because of the snapping and pausing for a while. It felt too unnatural to me. The level design works well enough and you did a very good job teaching me how to play it without saying a word. Great job! Congratulations!
yves
12. May 2017 · 10:59 UTC
Holy shit... this game is so awesome! I can't belive this is made within 72hours because this already feels so like a full game. Giving this game 2-3 months in the same speed and this is a full title which would many people buy. Very well done! I am really amazed what you archived here in this small time. Keep up the good work!

Cheers
Tuomo
12. May 2017 · 11:12 UTC
Your gorgeous visuals and amazing sound design makes Astromike super atmospheric and polished game.

My only complaints/suggestions are about the design. Camera feels from start to be sometimes in “wrong place”. Character is positioned oddly on screen, too near on edge. Is it necessary to move camera every time player moves, this makes playing really jerky.

I see the strong inspiration you had from the Go trilogy. Maybe your game would have benefited staying true the original controls as the action part doesn’t really give anything new to the game, and takes away lot of the puzzleness the Go games have.
Rodrigo Denúbila
12. May 2017 · 13:18 UTC
Wow, the graphics are awesome! The atmosphere, teh sound design and the puzzles are very well done! It's a very polished game for 3 days. Congratulations!

I think that because of the perspective, the controls are not so intuitive, I died a lot of time because that, maybe with mouse click could be better.

I didn't like the animation of the character, you guys should give a try to Mixamo, it's free! I used in my game.

Well, this is a really good game, and very well done. Good job guys!

Please, give a try to my game too! https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/38/the-microns
Harry Alissavakis
12. May 2017 · 17:20 UTC
Very good game! The graphics and the overall atmosphere were really good and polished, especially for a jam entry! The puzzles were really cleverly designed and you had a lot of interesting and innovative mechanics. I'm sure that if you continue working on this and release it as a full game, it will be really successful, because I truly believe that it's something different and fresh as far as puzzle games are concerned. Great job! :D
Kaisean Games
12. May 2017 · 17:41 UTC
Totally cool graphics. Well done!

The levels are great, it's just that a smaller pause between steps would be better so it feels more fluid.

Also, I thought not to rate humor as there is none, but when I slid the dead guy around it was hillarious so I changed my mind :) I guess you forgot to prevent movement when dead, but this became an emergent play :smile:

Good luck!
Clickmation
13. May 2017 · 04:47 UTC
The graphics and the atmosphere was very well crafted. And the elements were shown in an orderly fashion. Some checkpoints on the last stage would have been nice though. Nice entry!
Jupiter_Hadley
14. May 2017 · 15:01 UTC
Lovely graphics, fun 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=vVqPS9hBhlk
TeamMonumental
15. May 2017 · 04:43 UTC
As I was scrolling down on the game page, this one caught my eye with its amazing graphics, and I wasn't disappointed when playing it all the way through either. The gameplay, while simple, was quite enjoyable. I'm not sure if anybody else noted on this, but I found a funny bug where you can still move a bit while you're dead, causing your body to slide around. Overall, this game is a very strong entry.
🎤 mikea
15. May 2017 · 10:05 UTC
Thank you, everyone, for giving a little of your time to try out the game! I hope you had fun! I'm trying your games as well as time permits.
garethiw
17. May 2017 · 21:12 UTC
Best art of any game I've played this jam. The fog and the background ambience combined with the tileset and lighting make for a great atmosphere.

The puzzles themselves were fine, but most of the challenge came from the timed pieces which often felt hard just because of the slightly twitchy character movement. I think the problem stems from having to wait until Mike stops moving before the next key will register, which means sometimes you feel like you can hit a move before you can, and then end up hitting it too late or twice in a row. Just a little tweak there would make the gamefeel a lot nicer.

Other than that, very nice entry!
SiegfriedCroes
19. May 2017 · 14:05 UTC
Best visuals and overall polish I've seen so far! Really well done :) I found it funny that when you die you an still move around for a while with the dead body ;)
highlyinteractive
19. May 2017 · 18:44 UTC
Totally gorgeous looking game! Really well polished, which is always nice to see. I enjoyed the puzzles, and didn't really mind the controls. Great work!