LudumData

The Phaser Machine by LeReveur

[raw]
made by LeReveur for Ludum Dare 51 (JAM)

Cover image

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The machine throw two pulses each 10 seconds, through a bunch of mirrors. You have to change the mirrors direction, in order that the two pulses frontally hit each other
You can move the mirrors only when none of the pulses are on the board

I didn't find why, but note that there is some weird bugs if the window lose focus… And sometimes when retrying the level

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Bad themes are not motivating, nor inspiring me. I considered for a long while to simply give up this one, but I finally managed to spend ~10 hours on it - after all, I did most of the bad themed LD's I've participated before, and I always take two days off my job to do so. And I even didn't manage to find any idea to mock it, as I've done sometimes for other bad themes - that's how bad it is!

Link http://workshop.xenedon.com/LD51/
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/51/the-phaser-machine

Ratings

Overall 589th 3.5⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Fun 274th 3.738⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 508th 3.405⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Theme 714th 3.524⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 1023th 2.714⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Humor 818th 2.389⭐ 20🧑‍⚖️
Mood 1026th 2.857⭐ 23🧑‍⚖️
Given 17🗳️ 13🗨️

Feedback

CodeChomper
04. Oct 2022 · 14:21 UTC
Pretty good puzzle game. I was able to beat all but that last level. Good progression for a jam game, not too many levels and they get harder in a linier way. Over all a good entry for a topic you didn't like. Good work.
KeithSwanger
05. Oct 2022 · 05:06 UTC
I really enjoyed that! Making sure not to flip mirrors that you're already using made the final puzzle nice and challenging. Nice entry!
aeveis
05. Oct 2022 · 07:34 UTC
I liked it! The mechanic is simple but the puzzles ramp up quite nicely. I could see how it could get even more complex. It is interesting how even though you are trying to make the two lasers meet, essentially you are creating one continuous path. Nice job!
MakeMakeMake
06. Oct 2022 · 19:57 UTC
Great game, in the later levels it gets big confusing, maybe the particles could be a bit slower and they could leave a trail behind them that lasts till next round. Good job! :)
lootgrounds
07. Oct 2022 · 07:44 UTC
Quite simple game but can be very interesting and enjoyable with some more features. I can see how it could be expanded to the real mobile game. Good job!
pauly3d
13. Oct 2022 · 21:39 UTC
Enjoyable puzzle game!
Pros: the central mechanic of tracing bounces is always satisfying. The physics always performed exactly as I expected. The difficulty curve of the levels felt fair and smooth.
Cons: I would have really like to have some auditory feedback, for either the charging of the phasers, for bouncing, or for the final collision. I think that could have considerably improved the game's feel and make solving the puzzles more satisfying.
Schuster
13. Oct 2022 · 21:53 UTC
Nice puzzle game. Way back when, LD39, I did a similar laser/mirror style game.
yetanother
13. Oct 2022 · 21:53 UTC
I love that kind of games! The difficulty of the last two levels really hooked me.
Boodle
13. Oct 2022 · 23:18 UTC
Simple but fun! Some audio design could have really helped it feel more responsive!
savorytoast
14. Oct 2022 · 10:29 UTC
Great puzzle design!
Something I would add is lines that trace the whole path instead of just circles.
Geckoo1337
15. Oct 2022 · 14:32 UTC
What a good game! Clever gameplay which seems too easy at start, but after the first levels my brain needed to anticipate paths in order to solve puzzles. The minimalist aesthetic is required - and it allows a clear view without any superfluous details or items. You made an addictive game - and respectfully you should port it on mobile devices. Thank you for your review. I wish you the best ++
Winter2277
16. Oct 2022 · 06:21 UTC
Great game! Very clever use of the theme and I like how when you fail to complete a level in time you just get a delay instead of having to restart.
chromaphase
16. Oct 2022 · 12:08 UTC
Great concept and execution ! Its really interesting, maybe just need some sound to add atmosphere ! Keep improving !
Hawkin
16. Oct 2022 · 15:47 UTC
Nice puzzle game! With some more hours, some sound effects and music, it could have been nicely polished.

I understand being unmotivated by a theme. This was definitely my team's least favorite, so we were upset when it was announced. We started off by deciding what we _didn't_ want to do, and that helped us find an acceptable idea.

Keep playing and rating other games, and you'll find some really neat interpretations of the theme! Thanks for sticking with it and uploading a submission, and good luck next time!
JohnCoffee
16. Oct 2022 · 17:03 UTC
Nice variation on a labyrinth puzzle. Could have used some generic music in the background or a bit smoother symbols though.
gamebuilder
17. Oct 2022 · 00:09 UTC
Very unusual puzzle game. Also, it is a thinking man’s game. I got to Level 5 — I gave up then, as it became too difficult. But that is a criticism mainly against me — I tend not to be good at games like this. Anyway, this game very much fits the theme. Certainly, it is something different. Well done for ~10 hours.
🎤 LeReveur
24. Oct 2022 · 13:16 UTC
@PoV Why the cover image is not showing sometimes, like on my entry here? I saw this before on some entries, but I don't understand why…