Deeper by EOShadows

Play as a cute little spirit as you bust your way deeper and deeper into the earth to find your friend in this small, aesthetic puzzle.
CONTROLS:
- You play with your mouse.
- Click on any plain square to move your character over to it.
- Your goal is to break the barrier at the bottom of the screen so you can dig deeper underground.
Sorry if things aren't explained well, I had a whole lot more planned including a tutorial, but I ran out of time. I hope you enjoy what I managed to create though!
UPDATE: - Fixed bug where the restart and back-to-menu buttons wouldn't work after certain conditions, and - Fixed bug where the levels wouldn't restart after going back to the main menu.
| Link | https://eoshadows.itch.io/deeper |
| Link | https://eoshadows.itch.io/deeper |
| Original URL | https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/48/deeper-8 |
Ratings
| Overall | 590th | 3.708⭐ | 26🧑⚖️ |
| Fun | 813th | 3.417⭐ | 26🧑⚖️ |
| Innovation | 1160th | 3.042⭐ | 26🧑⚖️ |
| Theme | 1080th | 3.521⭐ | 26🧑⚖️ |
| Graphics | 350th | 4.167⭐ | 26🧑⚖️ |
| Audio | 679th | 3.478⭐ | 25🧑⚖️ |
| Humor | 1342th | 2.079⭐ | 21🧑⚖️ |
| Mood | 400th | 3.896⭐ | 26🧑⚖️ |
| Given | 21🗳️ | 26🗨️ |
@tangiblegames Thanks for the feedback! Yeah, I get that - I was thinking of, after the jam possibly, updating it to where short movements don't trigger the animation (or at least, get a different, much quicker animation.)
@bonzille-games Thanks!
@skoopidy Thanks for the feedback! Yeah, and can see that. Perhaps I'll change the animation to something much shorter after the jam, like something similar to when the spirit moves into the stage after a transition.
However, I think the animation was sometimes slowing me down when making more quick movements.
@lees-pac Thanks, I'm glad you liked my game!
@dzejpi Thanks for the feedback! Yeeeeh I'm seeing that the animation is ending up as kind of a flaw. I'll have to look into shortening it after the jam. I'm glad you liked it though!
@cg-smoothie Thanks for the feedback! I see what you're getting at. I'll probably tweak the movement a bit after the jam and see what I can do.
The main thing I'd suggest is faster movement. The lag time between each move can get kind of tedious when there's a lot of maneuvering to do. I do like the animations, but I'd probably remove the "shrink down", just pop some fluffy particles and start flying. The "grow bigger" one is fine, but should be interruptible if I want to move again while it's playing.
Overall a good, solid entry that doesn't overstay it's welcome charm!
@hamzaplayssssssssss Thanks for the feedback and rating, really appreciate it!
@shin0nome Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you liked the game!
1. Allow the player to click anywhere on the screen that they are allowed to move. I think, in this case, the game should also draw the path showing how the player is moving, so that the rules of the movement become clear (i.e. have to move as a series of vertical and horizontal movements, can't move through walls).
2. Cancel the movement animation when the player clicks on a new spot. E.g. I could click two tiles to the left then immediately click two tiles above that, and the player character would move to both of those spots in quick succession -- I wouldn't have to wait for the animation to complete to make my second click.
Aside from that I loved the graphics and music. I got a sort of Stardew Valley vibe from the game--the music and environment remind me of the mines in Stardew Valley. Either way I think this game might have some of my favorite graphics I've seen so far this Ludum Dare.
I liked how the game tutorialized the different mechanics. A particularly fun moment was when I learned I could teleport into the walls--I especially like the slightly darker wall tile as it suggested I should maybe click there, and then I realized I should try to keep clicking farther into the wall.
I think that the puzzles could perhaps use a bit more depth. I didn't really have to think through any of the puzzles that were in the game as it stands.
I enjoyed the ending of the game. Very nice.
Overall this was a nice experience. The graphics & music really sell the game, even if the movement is a bit frustrating.