LudumData

Time To Live: 10 by LDJam user 236651

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made by LDJam user 236651 for Ludum Dare 51 (COMPO)

Screen Shot 2022-10-01 at 11.53.30 PM.png

About

Time To Live: 10 is a short puzzle-platformer in which a couple of cubes try to reach a battery. The catch? The cubes explode and respawn every 10 seconds. Fortunately, these cubes are special - they record their movement through space and time and will repeat those movements on the next try!

TTL:10 has 10 levels plus one bonus stage. Code, art, and sound effects were created in 36 hours.

Controls

Mouse and keyboard only: - W or Left Arrow keys to move left. - D or Right Arrow keys to move right. - Space bar to jump. - Q and E to cycle between different cubes (only while the timer isn't running).

If you get stuck, you can reset the level in the menu, or skip to another via level select.

Builds

You can play TTL in the browser on itch.io! Windows and Mac builds are also available, both on itch.io and below. "TTL10.zip" is an earlier version which hasn't disappeared even though I clicked delete, and unfortunately I haven't been able to get the HTML embedding on Ludum Dare working. :pensive:

I hope you enjoy playing TTL:10!

Link https://github.com/Lancival/LudumDare51
Link https://lancival.itch.io/ttl10
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/51/time-to-live-10

Ratings

Given 0🗳️ 0🗨️

Feedback

indigo
02. Oct 2022 · 22:31 UTC
Is this game playable as-is? I don't seem to be able to solve either level 3 or level 4, and the buttons Q and E do nothing.
🎤 LDJam user 236651
02. Oct 2022 · 22:42 UTC
@indigo It should be! The Q and E buttons only work while the ten second timer isn't running - you have to record a full 10 seconds before switching to another cube.

Level 3 is intended to teach you about the jumping mechanics, which will be used in later levels:
!> You can jump in mid-air if you fall off of a platform without jumping.
indigo
02. Oct 2022 · 23:44 UTC
Ah, yes, thanks, I get it now. Now it's a cool puzzle platformer. :)

But good lord, is that beeping ever hard on the ears!
Xorel
03. Oct 2022 · 03:44 UTC
Took me a bit to understand the battery switch, but when I did I really enjoyed it! Really like mechanics where you use time to help solve puzzles, and this fits perfectly.

Did have a couple collision issues where I would get stuck to the side of platforms, but other than that I enjoyed it and would love to see it fleshed out given more than just 48 hours!
LDJam user 278827
03. Oct 2022 · 03:46 UTC
Great concept! (and im not just saying that cause mine is so similar ;p)
The float jumping and wall sticking mechanics let you really be creative with how you approach solutions, and for a puzzle platformer theyre great additions to a players arsenal, working well with the solid basic movement.
Sparkinex
03. Oct 2022 · 03:50 UTC
I like the concept. I think there could have been a better way to teach the player how to play in the game as I didn't read the description and got stuck for a little. Made perfect sense once I read the description though so not a big deal. Also just a nit-pick but I would like to have a restart key like 'r' instead of having to go to the menu.
🎤 LDJam user 236651
03. Oct 2022 · 04:37 UTC
@bosco Thanks for the feedback! The float jumping and wall sticking mechanics actually started off as bugs/unintended physics behaviour, but after a bit of testing I decided that they actually made the game more interesting than if I removed them!
🎤 LDJam user 236651
03. Oct 2022 · 04:38 UTC
@sparkinex Hmm, I was explicitly trying to practice designing levels that "teach themselves" instead of creating a tutorial. Do you have any specific suggestions on how I could achieve that better in the future? Also, I agree, a reset level key would probably be a good idea.
dyguests
03. Oct 2022 · 04:49 UTC
"Q E " not working?

There is a problem with collision detection, which I've encountered before.
You need to set your rigid body material to finish smooth
LDJam user 268934
03. Oct 2022 · 05:18 UTC
Your q and e could use explonation :)
Great puzzels when you get the controls.
🎤 LDJam user 236651
03. Oct 2022 · 05:51 UTC
@dyguests Q and E can only be used while the timer isn't running - you need to record a full 10 seconds of movement before you can switch to another cube.

@senso Thanks! It seems like a lot of people agree that it isn't obvious that you can only switch once every 10 seconds. Not sure if I'm allowed to upload a new build with expanded in-game instructions though?
LDJam user 299352
03. Oct 2022 · 07:32 UTC
As for me well done instruction and really innovative. I liked very much the idea of "teamwork" between the cubes, had fun playing! I guess it would be great to see this game on mobile devices with a bit better graphics/enviroment. Have you thought about some kind of boosts here?
🎤 LDJam user 236651
03. Oct 2022 · 07:37 UTC
@ruslan-kossak I'm glad you enjoyed TTL:10! I thought about adding additional mechanics, but I felt like it took away from the core theme of recording movement over 10 seconds (and the level design was already quite difficult without adding more stuff in!) But if I ever expanded the game, I would definitely have to add new mechanics in.
Henrik Ganard
03. Oct 2022 · 07:40 UTC
A love a game where I feel smart when I solve a puzzle and this game took me there. Nicly done. Thanks for making this game.
m11
03. Oct 2022 · 08:40 UTC
Absolutely brilliant concept - felt genuinely satisfying to solve levels :)
🎤 LDJam user 236651
03. Oct 2022 · 08:51 UTC
@henrik-ganard @m11 Thanks! I'm really glad you enjoyed the puzzles!
LDJam user 236416
03. Oct 2022 · 09:26 UTC
Though I don't like platformers mostly, you managed to provide new cool mechanics here. Good job!
Castitatis
03. Oct 2022 · 09:51 UTC
great game, the only thing I don't like is how you stick to walls when you are trying to jump XD
dhim
03. Oct 2022 · 10:09 UTC
The mac builds "work". Regarding the controls the horizontal surfaces are too slippery and the vertical too sticky for my liking/patience. Q/E doesn't always change, sometimes both of will move at the same time. Not always with the same speed....

Solid entry with the tutorial levels, that you can still skip to see the level design even if you don't complete it (useful for a jam/competition)
LDJam user 258850
03. Oct 2022 · 11:19 UTC
This is great ^^ really well made!

I'm so dumb, I got stuck on the level with 3 stack on top of each other and can't figure it out ToT haha :')
Harry Alissavakis
03. Oct 2022 · 11:51 UTC
A simple but smart puzzle game and a really nice implementation of the re-tracing mechanic! Good job!
OldDog
03. Oct 2022 · 16:05 UTC
cube design,But I feel a little wield when jumping ,And not quite know the Q or E system,,
nyxkn
03. Oct 2022 · 18:44 UTC
I got stuck on level 5 :( Game feels well polished. The menus and transitions are really well made. The controls felt a little weird, how for example the cube gets stuck on the wall when falling down. This could have benefitted from having the levels Not start automatically so that one can have a look and plan and choose the right cube, rather than being thrown into the level without knowing what's going on and being forced to restart it anyway.
Malcom Thonger
03. Oct 2022 · 19:23 UTC
Upon reading the comments i discovered mechanics that didnt feel well explained to the player, but the concept is really cool adn i like the game, just better communication with the player via the use of visual cues may help
SciDev
03. Oct 2022 · 20:09 UTC
This is one of the best uses of the theme I've seen yet, the way you have to think through the puzzles is fun.

I must say though, the controls were very awkward and I couldn't always jump when I should've been able to.
Serxiolas
03. Oct 2022 · 21:19 UTC
The Q & E system should be explained like the other ones (EDIT: it was, but I am an idiot), cause I get stucked soon, once I got it it get better. Jump feels too slow, but maybe necesary for som puzzles. In general a good game experience.
🎤 LDJam user 236651
03. Oct 2022 · 22:24 UTC
@xpycm @castitatis @rickylee @harry-alissavakis Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the game!

@olddog @malcom-thonger @serxiolas Yeah, I definitely need to actually explain the cube-swapping mechanic in-game, and emphasize that you have to record a full 10 seconds before swapping.
🎤 LDJam user 236651
03. Oct 2022 · 22:27 UTC
@nyxkn Hmm the timer shouldn't start until you move a cube (by pressing W/D, arrow keys, or the space bar). Are you unable to select which cube to use with Q or E at the start of each level?
🎤 LDJam user 236651
03. Oct 2022 · 22:29 UTC
@scidev Yeah, sometimes the ground detection fails and doesn't let you jump when it should. But it only happened once or twice during my playtesting so I opted to spend time on other parts of the game, sorry!
raddishradish
03. Oct 2022 · 23:35 UTC
Really loved the concept and level designs! I think my main point of frustration was getting stuck on the floor sometimes. I didn't enjoy the movement in the game that much so I didn't actually play all the levels to completion, but I could understand how I was intended to solve the puzzle from playing around and looking at the level design :0
Bogden
04. Oct 2022 · 01:27 UTC
The concept is really cool, but the execution is a bit rough. Getting stuck on surfaces was frustrating, but my biggest gripe was the inability to end the cycle early and move on to set the moves for the next cube. Was especially frustrating when the 3rd cube was introduced.

Enjoyed the puzzle designs, but they were definitely a bit execution heavy even after the solution was figured out.

Just a few quality of life improvements and you're on the way to a really great game!
🎤 LDJam user 236651
04. Oct 2022 · 01:38 UTC
@bogden Thanks for the feedback! I wasn't sure how to implement ending the cycle early - what should the cube do for the remaining time if you reset early? I also wasn't sure if it would take away from the *every* ten seconds theme. But if I continue development on TTL:10, I'll definitely add some more QoL!
carolinewang
04. Oct 2022 · 02:20 UTC
While the mechanic was a bit hard to use and took some getting used to, this game's mechanic is very fascinating :open_mouth: If this had been built into a longer term project as a puzzle game, better instruction/UX design on how the mechanic works exactly would be great but for 72 hours, the puzzles are definitely super cool to figure out! Nice work and congrats on your first compo! :smiley_cat:
Matt Green
04. Oct 2022 · 05:04 UTC
The core mechanic was pretty cool, but the basic mechanics were confusing. Was I sticking to walls? Sometimes I couldn't jump if I was too close to a wall and I'm not a good enough platformer to not do that, haha.

Also, I would have loved a mute button for the sound effects.

I love a level select screen! Both for skipping past levels you've already played or (in my case) for levels you can't figure out. Lots of LD games are very punishing in making you restart the tutorial every time you die. So I thank you!
🎤 LDJam user 236651
04. Oct 2022 · 05:16 UTC
@carolinewang Thanks! You did great work on your solo game too!

@matt-green I appreciate your feedback! The physics does sometimes bug out a little, it would probably take me a while to stamp out all of the unintended physics though. And you're right, I should have included a mute button.
rosypenguin
04. Oct 2022 · 05:18 UTC
props for innovation, these levels were clever and challenging. Wish the cubes would auto alternate between the two so I don't need to remember to swap with Q or E in between attempts. Also I think the friction on the edges could be reduced so that the cubes can slide down a wall, instead of permanently gripping the side. Great work for a compo!
🎤 LDJam user 236651
04. Oct 2022 · 05:37 UTC
@rosypenguin I'm glad you found the levels interesting! I did try automatically alternating between cubes, but I'm not actually that good at platforming, so I found I had to redo the same cube often enough that it made sense to just have it be manually controlled. Could probably be a QoL option in the future!

It seems like many people don't like the "stickiness" of the walls, although that's also a holdover of the physics engine which I opted not to "fix" during the game jam, as it also allows you to build "bridges" with your cubes. If I continued development, maybe I could figure out a way to have "slippery" walls but keep the cubes "sticky".
cafebeef
04. Oct 2022 · 05:38 UTC
I like the concept. It's an interesting way to implement a time loop that I haven't seen before. Unfortunately, I ran into a lot of collision glitches (or at least I assume they are glitches?). I would get stuck halfway down a wall if I was still moving to the side. I also couldn't figure out how to make a second cube like in the screenshot. It would have been helpful if there were more/better instructions explaining how to play.
🎤 LDJam user 236651
04. Oct 2022 · 05:42 UTC
@cafebeef The earlier levels only have one cube to make sure players understand the basic moving and jumping mechanics. You can skip to later levels which have two or more cubes through the level select menu!
cafebeef
04. Oct 2022 · 05:58 UTC
@lancival Thanks for pointing that out! I didn't realize the level select would let you skip to a future level that you hadn't played yet. I tried one of the later levels and it does feel pretty innovative. But I do feel that the game is held back a bit by the bugs and unclear explanation of how to play.
cassowary
04. Oct 2022 · 06:38 UTC
It is a pretty cool idea, and I like the parts where you have to switch back and forth between the two cubes multiple times. It's like a more constrained version of one of those 'time clone' games. The physics definitely have some issues though, I ran into an issue on the level 'preconditions' where I couldn't seem to jump if I was the bottom cube sometimes, even if the other cube was no longer on top of me. I've run into the same wall sticking issue when implementing a platformer with a physics engine, I know it can be a non-trivial problem to solve.
Human Writes Code
04. Oct 2022 · 07:39 UTC
Good concept and no doubt challenging to create. I made it through quite a few levels but I don't think my brain is capable of thinking far enough ahead! The controls were snappy and responsive and the design was simple and clean. It could have done with some music. My main issue was that it was too easy to get stuck on walls (and the sides of blocks) which made it difficult to execute the perfect sequence of moves. Overall, good job!
FootLettuce
04. Oct 2022 · 08:42 UTC
Nice work! Just took me a while to get the hang of the wall sticking. That rush for the battery in the final few seconds really ramps up the pressure! Overall, super decent. The icing on the cake would be explaining the movement system in greater detail, but hey, it's a Game Jam - so this would be classified as a bit of a luxury feature.
Nash
04. Oct 2022 · 09:35 UTC
It is a unique take on the theme for sure! I also like how the levels were designed to teach the players mechanics one by one. It worked fine until the swapping mechanic was introduced. It was really hard for me to understand when I can do the swap - apparently it is tied to the timer somehow.

I can see why the cubes were made to stick to walls. It is an interesting idea but it also comes with drawbacks. Sometimes basic platforming feels very clunky when the corner of the cube hits a wall and the movement just stops right there. But fluid platforming is obviously hard and time consuming to do right and you cannot do everything during a jam.

Overall, great work!
milq
04. Oct 2022 · 11:56 UTC
Wonderful new concept! I love platform-puzzles (I've done one too). You've had a brilliant idea, really fun game!
Krebzor
05. Oct 2022 · 07:29 UTC
I like the idea, Im imagining a super meat boy with this idea, the blood and the fast pace xD Is nice, but there are things that bug me like not double jumping (but that has a reason)
BoxedMeatRevolution
05. Oct 2022 · 08:18 UTC
Very nice puzzle design! The last level had me thinking for a while, but I managed to figure it out eventually :smirk:

By the way, was the wall-clinging an intentional game mechanic? It felt a bit janky and frustrating at times.
vidarn
05. Oct 2022 · 09:55 UTC
You made a really cool game. The concept was mind bending (in a good way) and the puzzles were really smart. I can imagine this game being very complex to implement :sweat_smile:
I wish there was a button to quickly restart though. I messed up a lot and it would have been nice to be able to retry right away instead of having to wait for the timer.
lbrande
05. Oct 2022 · 10:25 UTC
Cool puzzle platformer that integrates the theme well. It's somewhat annoying that the cubes tend to stick to walls when jumping.
🎤 LDJam user 236651
05. Oct 2022 · 20:10 UTC
@boxedmeatrevolution The wall-clinging was sort of intentional, since you sometimes need to cling to other boxes. However, I didn't have time to fiddle around with the physics to have collisions with walls behave differently than collisions with boxes. I hope it wasn't too annoying!
LDJam user 271014
06. Oct 2022 · 03:56 UTC
Interesting idea! Simple at first, but some of the later levels are real mindbenders.
LDJam user 281060
20. Oct 2022 · 18:50 UTC
Clever puzzler! Some of the latter levels really stumped me haha. The sticking to walls when jumping really through me off; perhaps it is needed for some puzzles but it was different than any other platformers I'm used to. Maybe sticking should be on a key? Solid entry over all!