GRIMM by Malfeasance
"Gretel, wait--!"
Controls:
left and right movement: A, D
jump: W
How to play:
Stay on the screen by dropping down. Avoid spiky obstacles and try to reach the bottom.

Post-Jam version: https://audreyc.itch.io/grimm-v2
Changes: - Adjusted camera and falling speed
Fixed bug that prevented sound effects slider from appearing in pause menu
Fixed bug that prevented music from stopping between sections
Made spacebar also work as a jump button
(Original link does not have these changes)
| Download | https://audreyc.itch.io/grimm |
| Original URL | https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/48/grimm |
Ratings
| Overall | 1002th | 3.473⭐ | 39🧑⚖️ |
| Fun | 908th | 3.351⭐ | 39🧑⚖️ |
| Innovation | 1732th | 2.5⭐ | 39🧑⚖️ |
| Theme | 798th | 3.73⭐ | 39🧑⚖️ |
| Graphics | 400th | 4.122⭐ | 39🧑⚖️ |
| Audio | 907th | 3.203⭐ | 39🧑⚖️ |
| Humor | 798th | 2.813⭐ | 34🧑⚖️ |
| Mood | 788th | 3.581⭐ | 39🧑⚖️ |
| Given | 40🗳️ | 55🗨️ |
At first, I didn't understand that the crystals are dangerous, it seemed like a decoration - I understood after the first death though :D. And also, I tried to jump with space at first, would be nice if it supported both options (at least I would definitely use the space if I could).
Moving to the gameplay - I "planned" my jumps and tried to find a safe way, but the camera was way too slow some times. For example, I had to wait until the whole screen scrolled down, because I didn't see anything under me, so if I jumped down it would be just random, no decisions involved. When I did jump down blindly (mostly by mistake), the camera didn't move fast enough so I couldn't even try to avoid things. So I guess the correct way was to wait, that took away some of the thrill and engagement.
Music! I loved how the music changed with different environments (and also the fact that there were different environments). The game felt really complete, you didn't skip anything (like most LD games do).
So to sum it up, it's a solid entry, the gameplay could use some improvements, but even in this state it looks more like some released games than an average LD game (mostly thanks to art and music).
Good job!
The only critique I have got is that the audio started overlapping sometimes, but that isnt really important.
Overal a really nice game!
Well executed and kind of addicting game with a few minor flaws. I really liked the music and the chaos that was in it but over time it was getting really confusing, maybe to a point where it was a bit too much.
Besides that it's a very pleasing experience. Have a vote :)
Strenghts :
- Crisp audio and sound
- Great controls and level design
- Fun scoring system
Possible improvements :
- Waiting for the camera after a bunch of deaths can be a bit tedious ; but I guess that I just had to use my brain and memorize the layout...
All in all, fantastic entry !
Only issue I had was that the musics sounded like was playing on top of itself, like when changing biomes one track should've ended. Beside that, solid little falling game.
I think there's some audio overlapping?
Visually great, nice audio and controls feel solid and satisfying.
Great work.
For the gameplay, I have one giant piece of feedback. It's never a good idea to force the player in a situation where they need to jump to a point lower than the bottom of the screen with no information about what's below. This is referred to as a "Blind Jump" and from the player's perspective, all it does is make them upset when it leads to their death.
Even in a situation where a blind jump doesn't kill the player, it's still a nerve wracking experience when the fate of the run rests in what's below, and the player has no idea what it could be. At least have some indicator of hazards off screen. when a player dies from that, they'll never feel like it was their own fault, which leads to frustration.
In any case, as mentioned, the artwork is great. I love the title screen, and the little "jump scare" at the end of the game. cool stuff, just keep blind jumps in mind for future projects.