Long Distance Runner by easy82

[raw]
made by easy82 for LD 39 (JAM)

screenshot1.png

screenshot3.png

Help Will not to lose his willpower while preparing for a running competition.

Try to avoid obstacles... Use up and down arrows to move!

To play the Mac and Linux version, you'll need to install Love2D.

Based on real life events: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/39/long-distance-runner/true-story-bro

Ratings

Overall 429th 3.353⭐ 36🧑‍⚖️
Fun 290th 3.353⭐ 36🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 757th 2.412⭐ 36🧑‍⚖️
Theme 763th 2.765⭐ 36🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 270th 3.912⭐ 36🧑‍⚖️
Humor 278th 2.742⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Mood 249th 3.548⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Given 27🗳️ 26🗨️

Feedback

dreadloaf
01. Aug 2017 · 01:32 UTC
A nice fun endless runner. The graphics were really nice with a nice choice of music. I'm not sure if I'm just bad at the game but it seems to me that there are parts at which there is no way not to get hit. Regardless of that, good job!
tayopi
01. Aug 2017 · 06:32 UTC
I really liked the music. Perfect selection for an endless runner. The pixel art and color pallet were wonderful. I would have to agree with @dredloaf though. There seemed like several times there was know way to avoid getting hit.
🎤 easy82
01. Aug 2017 · 07:30 UTC
Thank you guys! Yeah, sometimes you cannot avoid getting hit, you have to make a little sacrifice... like in real life. :) By the way, I'm planning to make a post-jam version later, fix and fine-tune the gameplay and other elements.
Royoyo
01. Aug 2017 · 10:08 UTC
I thought some objects in game will give me boost. I ran into ladies, I ran into puppies and cats... No luck :)
I guess I can't motivate Will with this things.

Good game that asks for one more play everytime!
🎤 easy82
01. Aug 2017 · 10:11 UTC
Haha, good thinking! :) I wanted to add a power-up, but had no time to implement it. I'll add one in the post-jam version though. Thanks for playing and for your feedback!
franfox
01. Aug 2017 · 13:55 UTC
Very cool game! I like the art style and the gameplay. Is fun to imagine this weird athlete running on the streets and passing forward vehicles and yelling "Get out of my way!!" 😂
Death_Is_Cold
01. Aug 2017 · 15:12 UTC
Great game! Audio and graphics were phenomenal and super polished. Situations where you have to take damage are a little bit frustrating, but I can see where you're coming from with it as a design choice. Overall really well done.
🎤 easy82
01. Aug 2017 · 17:03 UTC
Thank you guys for playing, and for the kind words, I really appreciate them! :) Now I'm going to test your games ;)
Stracker
01. Aug 2017 · 17:29 UTC
Cool ! Nice art and audio, gameplay is a bit simple but pretty enjoyable nonetheless !
🎤 easy82
01. Aug 2017 · 17:58 UTC
Hey, thanks mate! :)
Boxfort
01. Aug 2017 · 22:39 UTC
Really like this game, although the gameplay is simple its addictive! I especially like the music and the graphics are cute!
Karai17
01. Aug 2017 · 23:13 UTC
Neat game!
Simon Rahnasto
02. Aug 2017 · 00:24 UTC
I do long distance running myself, so the obvious goal was to make sure that Will had enough willpower to run as far as I do (I run half marathons) after like 20 attempts I ... err... Will finally managed:
![Untitled.png](///raw/db1/6/z/84a1.png)

Music and sound design are topnotch, the graphics are really nice and coherent, would love to have a full version of this on my phone.

Great job! :)
🎤 easy82
02. Aug 2017 · 05:41 UTC
Thank you guys for playtesting and rating!

Nice to see another runner here. :) The inspiration for this game comes from real life, maybe I should mention this in the drscription.

I took a day break from coding, but the mobile version is coming soon.
junkdeck
02. Aug 2017 · 15:43 UTC
oh, man, i really liked this! good game, nice feel to it. graphics were very crisp and clear, easy to tell what they were supposed to resemble. and lemme tell ya, i loved that little bootscreen. very cute.
Reuh
02. Aug 2017 · 15:55 UTC
I love the graphics and music here.

If the no-exit situation were fixed (or you added a way to regain willpower) I would have easily spent way more time than I should playing this :D
🎤 easy82
03. Aug 2017 · 05:57 UTC
Hey guys! Thank you, I'm glad you like it :) I'm really happy that people like my game, and I appreciate your constructive feedbacks. I've started fixing and polishing the game yesterday.
Poffle
05. Aug 2017 · 12:22 UTC
A little imbalanced but really fun when you get the near misses. It would be nice if when you get a near miss it can boost your energy, like a bit of adrenaline from nearly being run over. You've nailed the look, it looks awesome. It literally needs minor tweaks and it would be a great game! Nice work!
ToadieTechnika
05. Aug 2017 · 12:31 UTC
One portion of the road was unfair, although the progression would still be acceptable. Sometimes you really need to give out a life in order to dodge the obstacles. The graphics was consistently retro, which suits the game. And my score is below these texts, I enjoyed scoring as much as possible at this game. Good game.
![score.png](///raw/880/1/z/8a83.png)
🎤 easy82
05. Aug 2017 · 21:28 UTC
@poffle Hey, that's actually great idea! I wanted to create a powerup for this, but the adrenaline shot from the close calls is even a better idea... I'm going to implement it. :)

@toadietechnika Nice score! Thanks for playing and rating :)
jusw85
07. Aug 2017 · 05:36 UTC
I loved the retro pixel art and music! I thought the game was a little too hard at the beginning if you didn't know what to do, but after I got past that initial hurdle the rest of the game was surprisingly challenging and fun.

Good job!
🎤 easy82
07. Aug 2017 · 21:39 UTC
Thank you! It will be much easier at the beginning in the post-jam version :)
BrazMogu
07. Aug 2017 · 21:51 UTC
It's a very basic runner, and I feel that the random generator is a bit too random. Sometimes it feels like there's nothing I can do to not collide with something, especially when the speed raises. The concept is solid, though and I absolutely love the graphics. Also the music is very smooth and pleasant.
Gildar76
07. Aug 2017 · 23:03 UTC
Very fun and addictive runner :)
Love the sound and art.
you should add some way to regain will. Like...well a way to get rid of an obstacle with a cooldown timer. SHouldn't work on cars though since they are to hard :)
Mathiouza
08. Aug 2017 · 01:43 UTC
Cool runner ! I think some passage are too impossible because we became stuck too rapidely and we can't jump ... so, yeah, some improvement can be made. Cool art and musics though.
tmpxyz
08. Aug 2017 · 02:10 UTC
Smooth action, stylish graphics.

However the gameplay is a liitle too luck-dependent, too many times it's not about twitch skill or strategy, it's just the incoming obstacles cannot be avoided, such frequent helplessness is not preferred within good design.
WillData
08. Aug 2017 · 02:35 UTC
Reminds me a bit of frogger! It seemed like sometimes it was impossible to navigate without getting hurt. I would have liked some way to heal
🎤 easy82
08. Aug 2017 · 05:13 UTC
Hey everyone! Thank you very much for playing and also for the great feedback! :) Gaining willpower is implemented in the upcoming version, and also there will be "gaps" where you can avoid running into something.
automatonvx
08. Aug 2017 · 19:22 UTC
Nice looking and sounding, but not being able to avoid getting hit is a bit annoying and limits the game play I think. Apart from that i liked it.
🎤 easy82
09. Aug 2017 · 20:58 UTC
I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for the feedback :)
Jupiter_Hadley
11. Aug 2017 · 00:18 UTC
Simple but nice game! I included it in my Ludum Dare 39 compilation video series, if you’d like to take a look :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYbvh0qo8Vs
🎤 easy82
11. Aug 2017 · 05:10 UTC
Thanks, Jupi! :)
TeddyDD
11. Aug 2017 · 08:37 UTC
Some times there is no way to avoid obstacles. Beside this it's quite fun endless runner.
Sublustris
11. Aug 2017 · 10:50 UTC
Nice game! But sometimes it's hard to avoid a bus, it blocks too many space.
NueboMundo
12. Aug 2017 · 03:03 UTC
The graphics have a great feel to them, very appealing, and I specially loved the "made with love" splash screen, but the game itself is kinda unforgiving. The speed of each lane doesn't see to have been tuned up correctly, and the sidewalks have way to many obstacles one after the other, so they create very quickly situations of "If I go down I get hit, if I go up I get hit, if stay in the middle I get it", which takes away player control and shortens the life of the game very quickly. Also, I don't see the connection with the theme, but that's a minor issue.

With a more thought out level layout and better placed obstacles, it can be a great little game in no time.
🎤 easy82
12. Aug 2017 · 07:59 UTC
Thanks! Well, the theme was 'Running out of power', and the main character is running out of his willpower as he hits more and more obstacles. This is also explained after the title screen.
Catoto
13. Aug 2017 · 02:58 UTC
Nice, I really like it! Some times if feels like there is no space to dodge 🤔

Nice music graphics and mood. We make a similar game, but i think yours is more polished good job!
DDRKirbyISQ
13. Aug 2017 · 21:31 UTC
Hahaha, what a funny (and somewhat sad) tale...xD

Your backstory is great -- I feel like it should be shown in the game itself!

Those slow cars though...is the speed limit like 15 mph or something??
....or do you just run really fast?
🎤 easy82
14. Aug 2017 · 16:23 UTC
@catoto: Thanks! I'm curious about your game, I hope I'll have time to check it out soon. :) ... Oh I just realised I've already played your game! I really liked that one :D

@ddrkirbyisq: Thank you too! Good idea, I might include it somewhere. :) Yeah, well it's part of the fun that you outrun the vehicles.
Belga54
16. Aug 2017 · 13:24 UTC
Liked this game and after a few tries I got this score :

![Score.png](///raw/e89/5/z/8e6f.png)

It was so funny to play ! Liked the graphics and the music was nice. Good challenge. Also the game was simple, the controls also but so cool. I dont see the theme but still a good runner !
🎤 easy82
16. Aug 2017 · 18:37 UTC
@belga54: Nice score, man! ;) The theme is mentioned right at the start of this entry, and also in the game: 'Help Will not to lose his willpower while preparing for a running competition.' ... See? Running out of willpower? :)
Shell Pirate
17. Aug 2017 · 13:17 UTC
This was a solid entry! Firstly, the graphics were simple but sweet and I particularly liked the color palette. Although the music was enjoyable, it did seem a bit too techno-esque for the general look and feel of the game. That said, it doesn't mean it's bad by any stretch of the imagination. The gameplay worked as intended and I'd be lying if I said I didn't have fun. However, I had some issue distinguishing between the lanes at first and the cars, while realistic in scope, did feel impossible to avoid at certain points. The feeling of getting hit due to no perceivable fault of your own is never something you should intentionally have the player experience, although I don't see much of a way to avoid it, I suppose. The take on the theme was also a bit surface level, as it was essentially a health bar with no real connection to the theme outside of the cute willpower thing. I guess that's fine though, as the theme is meant to be loose and more of a guideline. On the whole, I enjoyed it! Solid entry!
🎤 easy82
17. Aug 2017 · 22:06 UTC
@shell-pirate: Thanks! Originally I wanted to draw a face instead of the heart, so it would have been more clear that it's not health bar, but a mood-meter: it would have ranged from a smiley face to a sad face.
DerpyJish
18. Aug 2017 · 01:08 UTC
It's a fun game with a nice visual style, and a game that was nice and easy to pick up and understand. It took me a few tries to realise that the very top lane was there, but after that I certainly became a lot better at the game! Bonus points for using Love2D, lua has got a special little place in my heart it has! Maybe not an innovative game, but again, definitely fun to play, and while that might some times seem easy it can be easier then some people realise to botch up these sorts of games. Good show! :grin:
🎤 easy82
18. Aug 2017 · 16:11 UTC
@derpyjish: I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for playing :)
matita
21. Aug 2017 · 09:47 UTC
Simple but fun game!

As others already said there are some times where I cannot dodge any obstacle, a pure random is not always a good choice game design-wisely ;)

But I loved the graphics and the music choice, also the incredibly simple (in a good way) and straightforward UI!

Great job!
🎤 easy82
22. Aug 2017 · 14:02 UTC
Thank for the kind words, @matita! :)
LarryChupacabra
22. Aug 2017 · 20:57 UTC
This felt like a very well put together endless runner style game. My only issue was that it felt like you would eventually run into enough situations where you didn't have anyplace to go and run out of health. Which made the game start to feel strategic when you began and then its like you got chased into a corner.

Dig the art and the setting though. I feel like you could expand this into a larger game if you so chose.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJUjtYyZRuA
🎤 easy82
22. Aug 2017 · 21:59 UTC
Thanks @larrychupacabra for playing it, and also for the feedback! :) I'm on it. :D