LudumData

Zero Star by CristiHKJ

[raw]
made by CristiHKJ for LD 42 (JAM)

Shoot, Dodge and Win!

A star has just exploded and you have to get out of it's range! You are blocked by the Mother Ship of Invaders! You must shoot, dodge and try to not run out of space between the star explosion and the Invaders! (How many times have I said "Shoot, Dodge and Win"?)

Controls:

  • W, Up Arrow = Up

  • S , Down Arrow= Down

  • D, Right Arrow = Right

  • A, Left Arrow = Left

  • Space = Shoot

Shoot! Zero Star Shoot.jpg

Dodge! Zero Star Dodge.jpg

Win! Zero Star Win.jpg

If you like our game, maybe you would like another game made by CristiHKJ (me)! We are thinking of working together on that project, too!

https://cristihkj.itch.io/symbols-the-horror-game

UPDATE 1.3

  • Android Version is now Available

  • Added Flame Effect around the edges of the screen

  • Increased Missile Damage (fixed bug where you could just shoot and win before you die)

  • Fixed Resolution

Windows https://cristihkj.itch.io/zero-star
macOS https://cristihkj.itch.io/zero-star
Linux https://cristihkj.itch.io/zero-star
Android https://cristihkj.itch.io/zero-star
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/42/zero-star

Ratings

Overall 1106th 2.848⭐ 84🧑‍⚖️
Fun 1107th 2.642⭐ 83🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 1153th 2.463⭐ 82🧑‍⚖️
Theme 1166th 2.506⭐ 80🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 942th 2.896⭐ 79🧑‍⚖️
Audio 611th 2.846⭐ 80🧑‍⚖️
Mood 908th 2.711⭐ 73🧑‍⚖️
Given 41🗳️ 210🗨️

Feedback

Noa Calice
14. Aug 2018 · 20:47 UTC
A big well done for completing your game in such a short period of time :) !! That's a big achievement !
The gameplay is simple yet pretty cool and I'm the sound effects though simple add that extra nice little something :) !! I especially like the sky, filled with glowing green stars and light, looks awesome !
Nam Nguyen
15. Aug 2018 · 00:37 UTC
The graphics of the game is really cool, it sets the mood to the game as well. The control feels right, sound effects work, the blockly particle effect doesnt really go with the two high-def models. All these can only get better, keep it up!
🎤 CristiHKJ
15. Aug 2018 · 14:01 UTC
@noa-calice @nam-nguyen I thank you for playing and rating my game! The game will still be updated which means the graphics, audio and the particles will still be updated! :D
Koala Squad
16. Aug 2018 · 15:26 UTC
Good job! I like the idea, although the execution was a bit lacking. As far as graphics go, it looks alright, but the fact that it is missing any music is a bit of a mood killer, and since the alien ship shoots straight under you, it's simply a matter of holding down spacebar. Overall, great first attempt! Keep working on this, and it will look SO much better!

Cheers!
- The Koala Squad
🎤 CristiHKJ
16. Aug 2018 · 15:37 UTC
@koala-squad We will update the game until it's perfect! :D
Annie Owl
17. Aug 2018 · 08:15 UTC
The sounds you've made are really cute, reminded me about the game "And Yet It Moves" :slight_smile:

You should work on better indication of rockets that fly at you. Because right now you can't see anything except smoke until the rocket is right in your face, so the whole process of playing your game becomes a random spam of bullets in hopes that you would hit the targets.
🎤 CristiHKJ
17. Aug 2018 · 08:17 UTC
@annie-owl The game will still be updated! I'm thinking maybe like a little red light on front of the rocket. :D
Annie Owl
17. Aug 2018 · 08:23 UTC
@cristihkj yeah, something contrast to the background would be great for the projectile's color. You've made a good job of indicating player's bullets, orange color can be seen really well on the green background.
mattchewww
17. Aug 2018 · 13:31 UTC
Thank you to everyone for playing and supporting our game! All of your ideas are excellent. We are working on updates to this game as we speak :smirk:! Thank you for taking the time out of your day to play and rate our game.
Smithy
17. Aug 2018 · 17:45 UTC
The spinning main menu made me motion sick. Cool idea tho
mattchewww
17. Aug 2018 · 18:11 UTC
Thanks. Do you have any ideas to improve this?
Bizbud
17. Aug 2018 · 19:23 UTC
It's a cool idea but it felt too easy imo. Also it feels like your ship isn't really moving because of the camera, maybe make the camera stay in the same spot while the ship moves up and down.
🎤 CristiHKJ
17. Aug 2018 · 19:24 UTC
@bizbud The game will still be updated! Maybe even an Android or IOS Version! But a lot of stuff will be better!
Bizbud
17. Aug 2018 · 19:30 UTC
@cristihkj Well good luck with it
Balance686
17. Aug 2018 · 19:50 UTC
Interesting concept! I really like the background and the impact particles. The sound effects work as well.
I first thought the goal was to get the biggest explosion size since it's increasing but the win condition is killing the mother ship. That kind of makes the explosion size aspect inconsequential to the gameplay. I also found that if you hold a direction the enemy rockets will never hit you. Also the game ends at explosion size 2300 regardless of if you take any damage (not sure if that's an intentional time limit or not).
Looking forward to seeing what updates you come up with! Nice submission!
🎤 CristiHKJ
17. Aug 2018 · 20:06 UTC
@balance686 The explosion size indicates the size of the star explosiom. When is reaches 2300 it hits you and you die! Read the description! :D I kmow about the missle glitch and we're trying to fix it!
Thanks for playing our game! :D
Doctor
17. Aug 2018 · 20:18 UTC
Okay, first of all: The menu screen. Dude, the endless rotating makes me really sick, not a good start. Maybe you should consider a rework. Secondly the game: I am unsure that i just missed something, but how is this connected to the theme? I mean it takes places in space, but where is the "running out of" part? The background looks really awesome, but im quite sure that you didnt made it by yourself, didnt you?
All in all this game looked promising in the first place but seems a little bit disappointing after i played it. Really looking forward to future updates! Keep it up, i believe you can turn this in a great game ;D
Balance686
17. Aug 2018 · 20:26 UTC
@cristihkj that makes sense. Perhaps if the explosion size was indicated by a progress bar rather than numeric it would convey the running out of space aspect better. Then you'd know how close it is to you before you die. Just an idea
🎤 CristiHKJ
17. Aug 2018 · 20:28 UTC
@balance686 You're a genius! :D Maybe also add a scene with some animated text that tells you the story of the game! It would make it less confusing for new players! :D
alexkarate
17. Aug 2018 · 20:29 UTC
It's a pretty good game! I would say that the space that you are working with to evade missles could have been lowered as time went on or the star size mechanic could have been made more obvious, maybe a progress bar or a numer that went from 2300 to 0 so that the theme was more relevant to the game.
🎤 CristiHKJ
17. Aug 2018 · 20:35 UTC
@alexkarate I just talked to a guy about this! :D The game will be updated, maybe, tomorrow! :D
Yetman
17. Aug 2018 · 20:42 UTC
"You Rock" Thank you. Actually the dodging mechanics was fun. I lost 2 times: the 1st because I didn't know how to shoot, the 2nd because I had a hard time shooting while dodgin. In the 3rd time, I did it \(^.^)/ For the visual side, I am not a big fan of the art style since the background is too saturated but it didn't hinder the gameplay. I think some polish and additional mechanics would be great. Overall, Nice job.
🎤 CristiHKJ
17. Aug 2018 · 20:50 UTC
@yetman Thank you for playing our game! Again, the game will still be updated! :D
mattchewww
17. Aug 2018 · 21:13 UTC
@yetman Thank you for playing our game. We are also working on a new boss and some added features. We are pleased to know that you like our game, and we hope you will enjoy future updates. Thanks again for playing and rating our game!
Ryomayonnaise
17. Aug 2018 · 21:28 UTC
A nice game! A phone version could be a good idea ! I'm waiting for updates !
mattchewww
17. Aug 2018 · 21:32 UTC
Thank you! We will keep you informed with updates, and future information about our game and future games coming to Android and IOS. Thank you for your time :smile:!
masterkrepta
17. Aug 2018 · 23:35 UTC
I really enjoyed the gameplay. The dodging part was interesting, but i did think the difficulty is a little too simple.
Ignacio Zamorano
18. Aug 2018 · 01:02 UTC
Nice game!
ryusui
18. Aug 2018 · 03:19 UTC
Cute, but really not much of a game? Simply holding down the spacebar was enough to win.
Derpatron
18. Aug 2018 · 04:05 UTC
Great job! I though the sound effects and the models were great! I wish there was more in it but as you have said, it will be updated more. I'm excited to see what you make of it! Keep up the good work!
mattchewww
18. Aug 2018 · 06:27 UTC
@masterkrepta Thank you :)! The difficulty is also something we have thought about, and we are thinking of new ideas that fit the game to add more difficulty.
Thank you for your time :smile:!
mattchewww
18. Aug 2018 · 06:28 UTC
@ignacio-zamorano Thank you. Is there anything you think we could improve or change?
mattchewww
18. Aug 2018 · 06:31 UTC
@ryusui Thank you. We have also looked at that problem and we are trying to add more difficulty to the game as I have said before.
Thank you for your time :smile:!
mattchewww
18. Aug 2018 · 06:34 UTC
@derpatron Thank you :smile:! We assure you that we will keep updating Zero Star, until you, and we, are satisfied.
Thank you for your time :smile:!
Estudios y Producciones GUSA
20. Aug 2018 · 00:02 UTC
Great graphics, nice controls and overall a fun experience. Great job!
mattchewww
20. Aug 2018 · 11:01 UTC
Thank you! We appreciate your kind words and support.
Have a nice day :smile:!
mattchewww
20. Aug 2018 · 11:49 UTC
@estudios-y-producciones-gusa
🎤 CristiHKJ
20. Aug 2018 · 14:28 UTC
UPDATE 1.1 IS HERE! :D
Igor KinGamer
20. Aug 2018 · 23:23 UTC
Dodging is nice, the background fits well. It doesn't look like you're getting closer to that mother ship though, it would be more "realistic".
mattchewww
21. Aug 2018 · 08:53 UTC
Thank you! That has been a topic of our discussions. This is just an illusion though, and we are trying to find a way to improve it.
Have a nice day :smile:!
blearn
21. Aug 2018 · 17:40 UTC
Good game but really short. It would be nice to see more levels in the future.
WrenPirate
21. Aug 2018 · 18:36 UTC
I wasn't able to unzip the Mac download. Every unzipping resulted in either another .zip file or a .cpgz. Was it just me? Sorry to miss out on your game.
lootgrounds
21. Aug 2018 · 19:29 UTC
An interesting concept! I would use a filter for old movies. would remind old movies. try it
MerpADer
21. Aug 2018 · 20:29 UTC
lol loved the audio! was really fun but personally I would change the font from the standard unity font.
erikiene
21. Aug 2018 · 21:49 UTC
As others have already said - great start and it could be something really awesome if you continue on with it. The only problem I had with gameplay was the fact that I didn't dodge any of the incoming missiles and just kept my finger on the space bar and won. Seemed a little too easy but maybe I got lucky somehow.. In any case - nice entry!
🎤 CristiHKJ
22. Aug 2018 · 08:12 UTC
@yetman @smithy @bizbud @blearn @ryusui @doctor @erikiene @merpader I'm thinking of adding a feature where the enemy accidentally drops ammo for the Player to collect. This will make the game a lot better in my opinion and will make it a lot longer. What do you think of this idea? :D
🎤 CristiHKJ
22. Aug 2018 · 09:01 UTC
@lootgrounds We will change the font! Do you have any suggestions? :)
TLCoC
22. Aug 2018 · 13:42 UTC
Not too sure how to dodge the bullets coming at you. And would be better if we can shoot with the mouse and not spacebar. Add more variations to the bosses and the game would be even better. Good job
🎤 CristiHKJ
22. Aug 2018 · 14:53 UTC
@tlcoc We had to make dodging the missiles coming to you harder since before you could just go in one direction and they would miss you. It's pretty hard. You just have to see where the missile is coming from (left or right) and go in the opposite direction. Then you want to go up and over the missile when it's close to you. Hope that helped! :)
Mowztouch
22. Aug 2018 · 17:47 UTC
lol x) Sky is nice :)
🎤 CristiHKJ
22. Aug 2018 · 18:37 UTC
@mowztouch thanks! :)
Andrei9
22. Aug 2018 · 22:42 UTC
Great job! Nice game! :thumbsup:
Coda Highland
23. Aug 2018 · 01:24 UTC
On my Mac, I can't see anything happening. I can move around and shoot at the mothership, and occasionally I'll see a flicker of what I assume must be a missile, but if I'm dealing damage I can't tell and if I'm getting damaged I can't tell.
PeachTreeOath
23. Aug 2018 · 06:02 UTC
I think with some tweaks you could have a really intense game here, with some tightknit dodges and gunplay (barrel rolls of course). Looks like I discovered what others did which was hold a direction and get through haha. It's nice that you're still doing updates, I could see some good paths for this game to go.
mattchewww
23. Aug 2018 · 08:33 UTC
@coda-highland Thank you for telling us this glitch, we will try to fix this on our macs. And we will respond back once we have found a solution.
Have a nice day :smile:!
mattchewww
23. Aug 2018 · 08:33 UTC
@andrei9 Thank you :smile:!
🎤 CristiHKJ
23. Aug 2018 · 08:34 UTC
@andrei9 @peachtreeoath thanks for playing!

@coda-highland you do get damaged when the missile hits you! There is a little explosion when it hits you or when you shoot the enemy. Hope that helped! Have there been any other issues? The game didn't look like in the screenshots?
mattchewww
23. Aug 2018 · 08:34 UTC
@peachtreeoath Thank you :smile:!
🎤 CristiHKJ
23. Aug 2018 · 08:36 UTC
@wrenpirate I think I found a solution! Instead of unzipping it, you could use something like Extract here! I don't know if that's an option on Mac. If there is, hope it works! If not, then try other methods of unzipping it! :)
Coda Highland
23. Aug 2018 · 16:39 UTC
@cristihkj The UI does look like the screenshots, but I can't tell if I was getting damaged or not, since there wasn't much feedback about impact (or if there was I couldn't tell it apart from the trails of my own attacks). I can definitely tell there's supposed to be more gameplay than what I was seeing for myself.
🎤 CristiHKJ
23. Aug 2018 · 18:08 UTC
@coda-highland We will add a health bar in the next update! :)
GreenAndSubmarine
24. Aug 2018 · 23:13 UTC
Nice job! The audio was cool and background gave the game a very space-y feel, which unfortunately was a little lost on me because of the camera perspective on the ships. Dodging didn't really work for me (missiles nearly always hit), but it can be just my slow reflexes...
🎤 CristiHKJ
25. Aug 2018 · 10:41 UTC
@greenandsubmarine thanks for playing and rating our game! Unfortunately we can't really fix the missiles. Either they're too slow or too fast. :(
Local Minimum
26. Aug 2018 · 08:32 UTC
I liked the sound effects the most in this game. Quite cute. It was a bit hard knowing if I was doing things right. If the missiles hit or got dodged, but the enemy disappeared after a while and I was still there so I guess I wasn't doing too bad. But the feedback of the missiles were hard to understand. And if all hit me, then it was way too hard to dodge them. The game also ended very abruptly and got me back to the menu which left me wondering: "Did I win?". So a simple "Yay you made it" would have been nice.
Lu7cie
26. Aug 2018 · 10:14 UTC
Like the graphics of the space, it gives an great immersion. Short but interesting. Great job !
Joror
26. Aug 2018 · 11:10 UTC
A strange view to start with - plane vs alien saucer :laughing: gameplay is a fairly simple, but does work. Plus the missiles sounded a bit like chickens being fired at me, which was a fun thing. ;)
🎤 CristiHKJ
26. Aug 2018 · 11:28 UTC
@local-minimum at the end it says "YOU ROCK" aka "YOU WIN". Thanks for playing! :)

@lu7cie thanks for playing! :)

@joror fun fact: They do actually sound like chickens! It will get better! xD
Diaxcor
26. Aug 2018 · 12:31 UTC
i didnt manage how to dodge the missles xD but i like the particule effects and the game idea is not bad, keep it up ^^
🎤 CristiHKJ
26. Aug 2018 · 15:04 UTC
@diaxcor thanks for playing! We're really trying to fix the missiles! :)
chadrbanks
26. Aug 2018 · 20:16 UTC
How could I not give that audio a 5/5? Nice work! All things considered the gameplay was fun too, I really liked dodging the missiles and hearing the sound they made as they went by!
🎤 CristiHKJ
27. Aug 2018 · 07:04 UTC
@chadrbanks thanks for playing my game! Someone said that the missile lock on sound sounded like a chicken! :)
Renier
28. Aug 2018 · 04:31 UTC
Hey I liked your game , menu maybe too much movement (could be too motion sickness inducing) but I liked your sound and missiles! and as others have said maybe make the missiles easier to dodge? good work though!
🎤 CristiHKJ
28. Aug 2018 · 08:30 UTC
@renier thanks for playing! Unfortunately we have reached a point where it's really hard to make the missiles easier to dodge! Either they're too slow which will lead to the Player being able to just go in one direction or too fast which will make it impossible for the Player to dodge! We are still working on it! :)
Ratherjolly
29. Aug 2018 · 17:26 UTC
Nice Work! You were able to pump out a very simple and totally playable game! I feel like all of the art is really good in it's own right, but clashes a bit. Like those particles would look AMAZING on a game a little more retro. That background is freaking Beautiful, but clashes a little with the 3d models. I thoroughly enjoyed the quirky audio :) Great job!
🎤 CristiHKJ
30. Aug 2018 · 16:17 UTC
@ratherjolly thanks for playing! It can only get better from here! :)
DarkGuardsman
31. Aug 2018 · 17:24 UTC
Good game, the starting screen is a little disorientating. Would have also liked more freedom of movement in the game itself. Other than the graphics and effects were rather nice. Would like to see this built out more with enemies, more challanges, etc.
🎤 CristiHKJ
31. Aug 2018 · 19:44 UTC
@darkguardsman our goal is to make multiple levels. Each of them featuring new bosses and features! :D
zeu31
31. Aug 2018 · 21:55 UTC
Interesting idea! The background is very nice. Great job! =]
Jakupf
31. Aug 2018 · 23:17 UTC
I'll just say that I love those sound effects! It's pretty good overall but I would agree that it is a bit short and also time until collision felt more like...well, time limit instead of actually running out of space. One way to fix it would be to add glow effect around the borders of the screen which becomes larger with time to give that feeling that space between explosion and starship is getting smaller. That being said, I still had fun and I think you did a good job!
🎤 CristiHKJ
01. Sep 2018 · 07:59 UTC
@zeu31 thanks for playing! :)

@jakupf that's a great idea! Thanks for helping us improve the quality of our game! :)
Velocity7
01. Sep 2018 · 20:27 UTC
I always love minimal art style. Looks like i were the only programmer and artist LOL. THe game is fun and interesting. Very neat idea. Good Work dude
🎤 CristiHKJ
01. Sep 2018 · 20:28 UTC
@velocity7 thanks for playing! :)
atom0520
02. Sep 2018 · 20:23 UTC
The models look great, and the missile movement is also interesting. Although the BGM is just a looping short tune it does provide a sense of humor. Besides I think you can make the Mother Ship a lttle further away from the flight as at the beginning they made me suppose they are sort of related or combined. Moreover I found the missiles seem to do no harm to me and I can just keep pressing the Space key while ignoring all the incoming missiles to win the game.

Overall it's a fun "Shoot and Dodge" game! And I would appreciate it if you can also play mine. :slight_smile:
Rik_Thunder
03. Sep 2018 · 07:43 UTC
I think the most time budget went into the background : D it looks great
I'm not sure how to dodge the missles. It's really hard. I think I did it once by accident while not really trying.
If I just keep shooting from the very beginning I can get hit as much as I want and still win.

I did like the music and the sound effects. I liked how the incoming missle was signaled by the audio too.

The game wasn't too engaging for me all things concidered.
🎤 CristiHKJ
03. Sep 2018 · 08:18 UTC
@atom0520 thanks for playing! We will fix the missiles! I will rate your game now and when I get home I will play it! :)

@rik-thunder thabks for playing!
🎤 CristiHKJ
04. Sep 2018 · 10:53 UTC
@tlcoc @zeu31 @joror @yetman @smithy @bizbud @lu7cie @doctor @balance686 @chadrbanks @nam-nguyen @atom0520 @derpatron @alexkarate @wrenpirate @ratherjolly @peachtreeoath @blearn @greenandsubmarine @erikiene @rik-thunder @velocity7 @jakupf @zeu31 @mowztouch @ignacio-zamorano @darkguardsman @renier @chadrbanks @diaxcor @lootgrounds @local-minimum @joror @coda-highland @merpader @ryusui @ryomayonnaise @igor-kingamer @ignacio-zamorano @annie-owl @koala-squad @nam-nguyen and the one and only @noa-calice there is a new Update including an Android Version! Some of the ideas from you guys have been implemented such as flames around the edge of the screen indicating the heat from the Star!
HellSquirrel
04. Sep 2018 · 13:45 UTC
cool!
Abhis1Kadian
04. Sep 2018 · 16:41 UTC
We went for a minimalistic art style as well cause we love it so much, loved this game good job.Cheers!
🎤 CristiHKJ
05. Sep 2018 · 09:20 UTC
@hellsquirrel @abhis1kadian thanks for playing our game! :D