LudumData

Probably the worst game in this event, but I'm still so proud that I finished it by ThatSoloDev

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made by ThatSoloDev for Ludum Dare 46 (JAM)

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This weekend was a hell of a ride for me. As a novice that thought he finally knew what he was doing, making a game alone from scratch within 72 hours was eye opening. I experienced a rollercoaster of emotions; I even thought about quitting midway and not publish the game simply because of how bad it is compared to the rest of you. I ended up finishing it though, and I'm really proud.

I'm not really presenting my game for the sake of competing, but just to mark the end of this event, and so that I can look back at this in the future and have a blast bullying my past self.

I am genuinely curious if you manage to get to the end though, so if somebody takes the time to try it out and finishes the game, don't forget to tell me in the comments!

Youtube https://thatsolodev.itch.io/click-the-traps
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/46/probably-the-worst-game-in-this-event-but-im-still-so-proud-that-i-finished-it

Ratings

Overall 2337th 2.855⭐ 40🧑‍⚖️
Fun 2233th 2.72⭐ 43🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 806th 3.488⭐ 43🧑‍⚖️
Theme 1517th 3.524⭐ 43🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 2246th 2.413⭐ 42🧑‍⚖️
Audio 1594th 1.35⭐ 22🧑‍⚖️
Humor 1640th 2.463⭐ 29🧑‍⚖️
Mood 2311th 2.414⭐ 37🧑‍⚖️
Given 13🗳️ 9🗨️

Feedback

MagicMarten
21. Apr 2020 · 13:06 UTC
Nice, unique idea.
execution is also done pretty well imo.

Couldn't get past the first "stage".
Might be a good idea to start the stages with a bit of time to get your bearings.
David P
21. Apr 2020 · 13:07 UTC
Fun concept. I found it too difficult to get past the second screen. Really good effort for a novice game jammer though!
the_martijn
21. Apr 2020 · 13:08 UTC
The idea is nice, but the traps respawn way to quick, which makes it harder.

Good think you finished it in time! I also had to scrap ideas and even begin all over.

(PS: Don't forget to remove the categories you don't have, like the audio ;)
noirdrive
21. Apr 2020 · 13:08 UTC
Probably the best game name in this event, if the actual name is "Probably the worst game in this event, but I'm still so proud that I finished it" :)
Vedal
21. Apr 2020 · 13:08 UTC
This game has a cool concept but is very difficult. A slower introduction would have been nicer in order to teach players naturally the different concepts required to beat the game. The transition between level screens was also very quick so there were very few breaks for the player and it required extreme speed.
Andret0701
21. Apr 2020 · 13:10 UTC
Looked cool but didnt get it to work...
ion-programming
21. Apr 2020 · 13:11 UTC
Well, It's certainly not the worst game in the event that's for sure. I quite enjoyed it, was very difficult though, maybe I'm not quick enough on the mouse. Anyway, well done and congratulations on your first Jam.
Argon
21. Apr 2020 · 13:12 UTC
Congratulations for finishing your game in time as a novice ! Maybe checkpoints between every screen might be good since it's a bit frustrating having to cross the first screen over and over.
Sciman101
21. Apr 2020 · 13:13 UTC
Interesting idea, almost a reverse tower defense. Definitely tone down the difficulty on your next project, though
Benji Kershenbaum
21. Apr 2020 · 13:14 UTC
I really like this idea. Feels like it could be turned into a rhythm game or something and would be really fun!
Sir Magic
21. Apr 2020 · 13:14 UTC
I liked the idea and the torch looked good but the second screen was near impossible for me to clear. I feel like maybe if you could deactivate multiple traps and the traps had a timer of about a second before reactivation, that would make this game a bit easier.
arcayn
21. Apr 2020 · 13:15 UTC
Sooooo that was... hard to say the least. I would definitely NOT beat yourself up though! It's a fun idea I can't say I've seen something similar to before really. I managed to get past a couple of screens on my best attempt but my fingers just weren't fast enough...

There are a couple of small improvements I can think of: a bit more warning that a trap will respawn and smooth movement through the maze that would contribute to the overall feel of "polish".
But other than that, It's a really cool idea which the beauty of is that execution is simple, and this game is not "the worst" by any stretch! As a fellow first-timer I feel your pain but I'm secondhand proud of you for getting your idea finished.
Vadzim
21. Apr 2020 · 13:16 UTC
Good but hard. Easy way to improve game it is add check points
p0l4r
21. Apr 2020 · 13:16 UTC
Managed to get to the fourth screen. How many are there? The second one is murder. A problem is that it more requires you to spam on everything, and not so much be thoughtful about which ones you click on. But i like it.
Drachmor
21. Apr 2020 · 13:17 UTC
Hell yeah, it feels great just to publish something. And I actually like it! It's hilariously hard, but really fun nonetheless. Definitely far, far from the "worst" game in this event. I'll admit I also was unable to beat the second stage >.>

Still a very promising concept; I could definitely see something like this stand among "World's Hardest Game" and the like for high-skill showoff playthroughs.
Quinn_Patrick
21. Apr 2020 · 13:18 UTC
I admire your effort and encourage you to be more positive! This was a really good idea, the only thing holding it back for me was that the traps respawn way too fast, making it nearly impossible to progress past even the first screen. If you ask me, you're one balance adjustment away from a good game, which is more than a lot of people can say. Good work, and congrats on finishing!
TomBuston
21. Apr 2020 · 13:19 UTC
It's actually very far from a bad jam game! And for a novice it's actually pretty cool. The concept is simple and efficient wich is great, and with a better difficulty curve I would really play this game as a "rage game" like "World's Hardest Game" on Web.
There's also a lot of room to extand the concept, add little features and mechanics to twist the concept and add diversity wich could make a bigger game later.

I think for the jam, what missed the most was frequents checkpoints (maybe at everyscreen change?).

Overall, congratulation and very well done!
nosfer
21. Apr 2020 · 13:19 UTC
I would consider changing the limit of traps that you can disable to disabling traps for limited time. Graphics and animation is nice.
LairinLair
21. Apr 2020 · 13:20 UTC
Im glad that you decided to publish in the end. Its not about the competition. Is about testing ourselves and learn with each other. Very cool idea. But he moves too fast. A little bit too hard in my opinion
FistfulOfDices
21. Apr 2020 · 13:22 UTC
I really struggle to reach the 3rd level. However I think it's good. I don't like the full screen because it force you to move the mouse across the screen and makes the game difficult to play. You should also change the colour of the traps.
togo sepultraut
21. Apr 2020 · 13:26 UTC
i got very close to the end of the second screen. but can't for the life of me achieve that again. It's definetly not a bad game, just could have used a little less difficulty or a checkpoint.
kaelXD
21. Apr 2020 · 13:27 UTC
i like the idea but needs more time when transitioning between areas or slow the man down just a tad, but none the less good job on your first game!
Elmos Minion
21. Apr 2020 · 13:27 UTC
I wasn't able to play the game, extracting and downloading worked fine, but nothing happens when running the ClickTheTraps.exe. Looks great, though.
Stefan Laimer
21. Apr 2020 · 13:31 UTC
That's a really nice game. I managed to get to the 4th screen, but it's really difficult if you don't know where to click at the beginning of a screen.
I think if there were checkpoints after every screen, this game could be amazing.
Bastian
21. Apr 2020 · 13:32 UTC
Hey :)
I like the idea, but it's actually too hard for me ;) Sometimes I was not exactly sure which trap hit me. And in the second screen you have to be really fast and already know where the traps are to be able to beat it (which I did not...) It feels kind of sad that I only was able to play a small fraction of probably some more levels and I did not even manage to see the other kind of trap. Maybe start easier and increase difficulty gradually. Or increase the screen-size, fit more into each screen and let the player restart at the beginning of each screen?
KryStekku
21. Apr 2020 · 13:34 UTC
I reached to 5 stage. It is very hard game. Good job :)
sunnray
21. Apr 2020 · 13:35 UTC
The second stage was a bit hard for me, I couldn't figure out which ones I need to disable to pass. But overall it's a really fun and unique gameplay idea, as the other people have already pointed out.
Don't be so hard on yourself. Think of all the people that didn't make a game in 72 hours even if they tried, and you are already a step ahead of them.
Trace
21. Apr 2020 · 13:55 UTC
i think it would be nice if you were given a bit of time to react at the start of each screen. But to me, the fact that other people's games might be better is not really an excuse to quit. If you don't practice, you won't even get the chance to be as good, after all.
🎤 ThatSoloDev
21. Apr 2020 · 18:24 UTC
@arcayn Thanks for taking the time to write all of this down. I had doubts whether or not I should publish this game due to lack of confidence. People like you, supporting and giving feedback, made it all worth it though. I'm proud of us both for managing to finish as first timers!
🎤 ThatSoloDev
21. Apr 2020 · 18:26 UTC
@p0l4r There are five levels in total. Thanks for the feedback and I'm glad you enjoyed it!
🎤 ThatSoloDev
21. Apr 2020 · 18:29 UTC
@drachmor Dude I know. This is the first time I've actually published something online so it was nerve wracking but it feels great, especially because of the amount of support I got from you guys. Thank you so much!

And yeah maybe I'll recreate the game and make a bigger project out of it at some point. Gotta get finished with my current one first though. Thanks for playing!
🎤 ThatSoloDev
21. Apr 2020 · 18:36 UTC
@quinn-patrick Hearing a veteran say that really boosts my confidence. Thanks for playing, and for making my day brighter
🎤 ThatSoloDev
21. Apr 2020 · 18:47 UTC
@tombuston Very interesting idea! Thanks for taking the time to write this detailed feedback and support. You got my imagination flowing!
🎤 ThatSoloDev
21. Apr 2020 · 18:52 UTC
@lairinlair Yeah you're definitely right. I was just nervous because I'm not as experienced as the rest of you guys. I originally thought attending a game jam was not something for me, and that it's something only the veterans should attend to showcase their ideas and gain an audience. I ended up attending though, and I don't regret it a bit. This community is amazing!
🎤 ThatSoloDev
21. Apr 2020 · 18:54 UTC
@bastian Great feedback, I'm glad you enjoyed it even though you didn't manage to get that far. I don't blame you, it took a while before even I got very far in my own game (;
🎤 ThatSoloDev
21. Apr 2020 · 18:58 UTC
@sunnray Yeah I'm proud of myself for managing to get something done within the timeframe, and you're right; i really hope there isn't anybody like me out there that decided to not publish his game because he was afraid of the response. He would've missed out on this bliss!
🎤 ThatSoloDev
21. Apr 2020 · 19:01 UTC
@trace I didn't mean quit as in quit game development, but rather stop working on this project because I wasn't very confident in it, but you are absolutely right. Every developer will start off at a stage where other people are simply better and more experienced, and that's something you should embrace, not something to be ashamed of. Without failure you cannot succeed. Thanks for playing!
🎤 ThatSoloDev
21. Apr 2020 · 19:04 UTC
@the-martijn Fixed! Thanks for pointing that out. Can totally relate to the "scrap idea and start all over again". Thanks for playing!
🎤 ThatSoloDev
21. Apr 2020 · 19:07 UTC
@magicmarten I'm glad you liked it! And yeah I agree that you don't really get a chance to know what's going on when entering a new level. I'll fix that when I decide to continue working on the project. Thanks for playing!
Igor KinGamer
23. Apr 2020 · 16:49 UTC
Nice ideia. It would fit better touchscreen devices though.