Group Chat by Meatball

[raw]
made by Meatball for Ludum Dare 47 (JAM)

A Short Walking Simulator

Walking-SM.gif

Story

Everybody's chatting

Objective

No Objective! Just walk around and check out your pals :smile:

Controls

  • WASD + Mouse to Move
  • Hold Shift to Run
  • Right Click to Zoom right in

Post-jam changes

  • Tweaked the camera during the intro
  • Added a loading screen to help load streaming audio
  • Added phaser on the guitar solos (EVH 4ever)

Devlog

Made using Unity and FMOD

Ratings

Overall 1261th 3.164⭐ 63🧑‍⚖️
Fun 1395th 2.754⭐ 63🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 857th 3.288⭐ 61🧑‍⚖️
Theme 1564th 2.55⭐ 62🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 941th 3.402⭐ 63🧑‍⚖️
Audio 586th 3.415⭐ 61🧑‍⚖️
Humor 300th 3.517⭐ 61🧑‍⚖️
Mood 468th 3.695⭐ 61🧑‍⚖️
Given 89🗳️ 114🗨️

Feedback

DS Nahogara
06. Oct 2020 · 13:02 UTC
This was an interesting experience! It was cute to walk around and look at them :heart:
firetwoonenine
06. Oct 2020 · 21:20 UTC
I guess the "loop" is daily life in the age of smartphones?

This is definitely a weird one. Not sure I'd call it much of a game, but it was fun to look around and see all there is to see.
wizard sino
06. Oct 2020 · 21:32 UTC
What? I saw some stuff, and then ran in an arbitrary direction until I fell off the world.
klettari
06. Oct 2020 · 23:15 UTC
interesting take on the theme!
Webox
07. Oct 2020 · 03:07 UTC
Woah really trippy game!! Nicely done, a very original take on the theme.. Great job!! Camera was a bit odd from times, Idk if that was intentional or no.. Really liked it! Keep up the good work!
dxk2294
07. Oct 2020 · 03:20 UTC
I have no idea what's happening but this changed me at a deep spiritual level
Samdwester
07. Oct 2020 · 03:23 UTC
I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do in this game. I think if you took it into the direction of collecting people into a call it would work well. I'd like to see more of the art style
TyrusPeace
07. Oct 2020 · 03:29 UTC
The music, aesthetic and strolling up to/calling happy faces are a big happy mood for me. Really pleasant!
jitspoe
07. Oct 2020 · 05:20 UTC
Nice music and vibe, but I wasn't sure if there was something more I was supposed to be doing other than just wandering around. Seemed there was something that triggered the video feeds of other characters to come and go. Am I supposed to get them all active at once?
Bottini
07. Oct 2020 · 05:33 UTC
Lovely experience! Weird visuals and idea made up for a great walking simulator!
josephdevelops
07. Oct 2020 · 07:07 UTC
I don't get it!
🎤 Meatball
07. Oct 2020 · 16:23 UTC
@josephdevelops @jitspoe @samdwester Valid! There's nothing to do other than walking around and I've changed the description to make that clear. Thanks for the feedback!
ROBOWARRIOR1982
07. Oct 2020 · 17:53 UTC
I like the sound effects wich remind me social application and the music is relaxing and perfect for that.
The graphics are simple and cute but it works and the all that give a good mood to the experience.
Interesting and relaxing experience!
Lenophie
07. Oct 2020 · 19:46 UTC
a cute and silly experiment :)
Martin183
07. Oct 2020 · 19:57 UTC
Haha, cool and interesting experience. Would love to try it in VR!
🎤 Meatball
07. Oct 2020 · 20:02 UTC
@martin183 omg
Adil
08. Oct 2020 · 04:24 UTC
This game feels as someones bad trip, quietly interesting experience!
mahalis
08. Oct 2020 · 16:06 UTC
This is charming—the art style and music make me think of really early CGI shorts. It was fun running around in front of people to try to get them into the frame of my camera.
ArmenBalian
08. Oct 2020 · 16:48 UTC
really cozy I had a good fun visiting my homie
SandPile
08. Oct 2020 · 20:09 UTC
Really cool and atmospheric!
If there were an objective, I think this game would really be someting extra special. good job!
🎤 Meatball
08. Oct 2020 · 20:41 UTC
@samdwester @mahahis @sandpile Yeah the need for an objective is the consensus - great suggestions like collecting people or photobombing here!
🎤 Meatball
08. Oct 2020 · 21:01 UTC
@adil someone's bad trip = a great trip for me
fabula_rasa
08. Oct 2020 · 21:25 UTC
You definitely need more game in your game :laughing:

Graphics are very trippy and the concept could actually be an interesting one. Spending your days chatting as a loop. If you included some actual chats between your characters, that would be cool. Just imagine what those strange, strange creature could have to say! But for now it is indeed just a walking simulator.
Enes Ayyildiz
09. Oct 2020 · 11:50 UTC
I tried to jump in some stuffs and look around from up. Actually I wonder around and wish to see more. Maybe later you can add interactions between people to make the game more attractive. Running is a good idea, because the only time he left his phone and see around. I will be looking forward to see more inthis game.
Mekuri
09. Oct 2020 · 14:53 UTC
Sooo... that was different. I loved the audio and the pop ups. That part felt really smooth and clean... Quite hard to comment on anything else- You did manage to create somekind of atmosphere that I liked, so there's that.

Good job, and thanks for sharing!
yfi
12. Oct 2020 · 14:36 UTC
perfect! just perfect!
ColeSlaughter
16. Oct 2020 · 02:28 UTC
I dig objective-less games like this. :thumbsup:

I love the variation of character designs here! I do kinda wish zooming in would also enlarge the group chat cameras, but I still had fun tracking down where everyone was on the map. The camera angles and bobbing movement of everyone's faces really nailed the "Facetime" aesthetic. :smile: Nice job!
🎤 Meatball
16. Oct 2020 · 21:36 UTC
@coleslaughter Zooming the chat cams - good idea!
Danielcmcg
16. Oct 2020 · 22:52 UTC
Simple and amazing! How **connected** to the theme. The whole scene with those same characters walking and doing what can be done in that game could be a 30 minutes part of a Jodorowsky movie.
🎤 Meatball
16. Oct 2020 · 23:33 UTC
@danielcmcg Oh yes, it's fair to say I think more about cinema/art films than games (hence the slow zooms). Love me some AJ!
FadrikAlexander
17. Oct 2020 · 05:56 UTC
lol what a nice experience, the character gave me the wizard of Oz feeling lol
bomdiajj
17. Oct 2020 · 10:40 UTC
sometimes I feel like the skeleton
Flying Dog Fish
17. Oct 2020 · 11:41 UTC
What aharming world with some wacky characters to explore without having to worry about anything. I only wish I could do it in fullscreen and not just that tiny window.
peterfonts
18. Oct 2020 · 10:02 UTC
Ahahahha what an experience! I like it a lot!

To me, my only objective is doing some selfies with the other characters using their cameras (skeleton for president! :skull: ).
![SelfieSkeleton.jpg](///raw/036/e1/z/3a417.jpg)

Good job! Congrats!
makiyoshi
19. Oct 2020 · 17:56 UTC
It was a very pleasant experience. The graphics and sounds are really cute and bubbly! I liked the friend characters. :) Also, the audio is very juicy. Congrats!
arron-fowler
21. Oct 2020 · 14:41 UTC
I would have liked more to do, but what I could do I liked.
🎤 Meatball
22. Oct 2020 · 20:19 UTC
@peterfonts @bomdiajj :pray:

![SkeletonGuitar.gif](///raw/b05/a2/z/3a605.gif)
🎤 Meatball
22. Oct 2020 · 21:02 UTC
@flying-dog-fish I hear you about the window - I can vouch it looks nice in fullscreen! But I wanted to make sure it was all visible in all browsers, the Unity 'fullscreen' onscreen button kind of bugs me and, this is totally a personal preference, I do like seeing some 3D games in a smaller fixed window. I think sometimes it adds to the 'intimacy' of the game (likewise with the 1:1 ratio).

Great food for thought - hopefully I'll figure out a way to get a nice fullscreen option down the road!
🎤 Meatball
22. Oct 2020 · 21:07 UTC
@makiyoshi @arron-fowler

![ConeheadHappy.gif](///raw/b05/a2/z/3a60a.gif)
Ommadawn
22. Oct 2020 · 21:23 UTC
Weeeeiiiird.... I liked it. Wanted to have as many in the group as possible
TheGreenWorm
23. Oct 2020 · 20:19 UTC
Trippy !
Doot
23. Oct 2020 · 21:06 UTC
This is fantastic 💕

I would love it if there was just a tiny bit more to do or too look at, but the mood is soooo great!

![Capture.PNG](///raw/23d/c2/z/3a669.png)
rodobodolfo
24. Oct 2020 · 01:53 UTC
niceee!The characters are great. Maybe they can take selfies from time to time and you could photobomb or something like that. This is a great starting point for sure.
🎤 Meatball
24. Oct 2020 · 03:36 UTC
@doot Ah cool a solo shot! I didn't know that was possible!
Nyubi
24. Oct 2020 · 09:14 UTC
Cool characters, nicely done! I am actually curious now what they could do with their selfies or what could happen to them while they are walking and starring in their phones...
croze
24. Oct 2020 · 19:51 UTC
lmao what even is this, I think I love it. It's like a weird foster child of LSD on the play station.
danielblanco3d
25. Oct 2020 · 07:14 UTC
A walking simulator with no objetive? i totally love it! Thank you for sharing 3D character creation process...Somehow the retro 3D style,the floor checkered texture, the sky, the music and the isolation atmosphere fit so well...Congrats!
Moski
25. Oct 2020 · 13:40 UTC
Sup dude.

![firefox_2Gj2uTbBIP.png](///raw/519/z/3a723.png)

It's good to have chill experiences here and there. With the kind of games I've played in this jam, my mind really appreciated this short experience. Chatting up with friends in Zoom and Discord calls is a relatable situation specially these days. As for the game itself, the multiple cameras and the music really brought up the mood for this one. Fun, cute experimental game! Well received! :whale:
Esphoros
27. Oct 2020 · 17:19 UTC
This was awesome! I loved the mood of this, added to by the mood, cool textures, and epic characters (seriously, those characters are really interesting.) I liked the experience of walking around the seemingly endless plane (it took almost a minute for me to run to and off the edge,) and interacting with the different characters. I think this has to be the most unique out of all the LD games I've played, and I enjoyed it thoroughly! Good job!

EDIT: The movement was perfect as well
VPhyre
27. Oct 2020 · 18:52 UTC
Your game looks like an interesting experiment. I think you can create some kind of different and fun mechanics if you reuse what you did, especially the concept of "selfie cameras". It is without a doubt a different execution. I found the graphics fun, as well as the sound too. Congratulations on the implementation.