Just Down Jack by joewan

[raw]
made by joewan for Ludum Dare 48 (COMPO)

screenshot.png

Descend as far as possible for the highest score, but be careful!

There are random pickups, some are good, some are bad.

Controls:

Move - Left/Right Arrows

Restart - R

Toggle Fullscreen - F

Mute - M

Quit - Esc

What I used: Godot, PyxelEdit, Bfxr, Bosca Ceoil, GIMP

Consider playing the Windows version for best quality.

Ratings

Overall 273th 3.673⭐ 86🧑‍⚖️
Fun 154th 3.815⭐ 86🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 693th 2.768⭐ 84🧑‍⚖️
Theme 178th 3.982⭐ 86🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 307th 3.673⭐ 86🧑‍⚖️
Audio 366th 3.307⭐ 85🧑‍⚖️
Mood 331th 3.44⭐ 85🧑‍⚖️
Given 19🗳️ 0🗨️

Feedback

PatrickJR
26. Apr 2021 · 03:33 UTC
Fun! I like that the mystery boxes can be positive, or negative. However they should be more positive than negative. I began avoiding them since most the time I got darkness or confusion. So unless you want the player to avoid them, they should be more positive. I like that the controls are so simple (two buttons) while there is some variety to the games (platform surfaces, mystery box, falling rocks, moving platforms).
tanis
26. Apr 2021 · 07:35 UTC
Nicely done and actually quite polished, considered the small amount of time. I kind of miss the jump button though :) It's really hard to get on a platform when the one below is smaller than the one you are on and it's right below the big one.
Valid
26. Apr 2021 · 08:18 UTC
Sweet endless game. The controls felt pretty snappy
deadmanjw
26. Apr 2021 · 09:23 UTC
Really nice game, very addictive and responsive even running on webgl build.
A0m1n3Zone
26. Apr 2021 · 10:09 UTC
Really nice game, but the jump sound it's a little bit too loud, for me at least. but overall great job
ville
26. Apr 2021 · 17:05 UTC
Fun! Good controls, nice music, I really liked the art style. I agree with @patrickjr, I got mostly bad stuff out of the loot boxes. It doesn't retract from the game, but it makes the rewards into obstacles, in a way. But overall, really enjoyable experience!
Tamino Laub
26. Apr 2021 · 19:47 UTC
Sooo fun to play! Unbelievably addictive and it just feels so smooth
TheMoonrise
27. Apr 2021 · 07:52 UTC
Great game. The idea is quite simple but it works well. The different platforms make the game a bit more diverse while keeping the general gameplay intact. The controls could be a little more precise. I felt like the character did not always go where I wanted them to. But for me the biggest critique are the spikes on the bottom. Maybe the character should bounce off a lot higher or be directly reset to the lowest platform. But as it is now I usually died instantly whenever I fell off, sice I had no chance of getting back up on a platform before loosinga all my lifes. Still, very good game.
Saathvik
27. Apr 2021 · 08:04 UTC
The game is really fun to play, but I feel that the mystery boxes should give better items. I mostly got bad items, and perhaps the spikes should make you bounce a bit higher, since it's really hard to get back onto the platforms once you fall down.
pdotjpg
27. Apr 2021 · 10:03 UTC
Controls and gameplay felt super responsive and snappy. Art and sound effects were nice too. The dissonant music was a bit off-putting, and the pickup system needs tweaking - they're not worth the risk right now, imo. But overall, simple but well executed. Great job.
LungTakumi
27. Apr 2021 · 15:18 UTC
We have the similar gameplay, it's fun to play! The player move a little bit too fast make it harder to control. Overall is good!
Alexey Kuzovkov
28. Apr 2021 · 08:37 UTC
Beautifully crafted game. Simple and fun. Love how the controls feel. Good job!
mira
28. Apr 2021 · 08:42 UTC
What cute graphics. I like this type of game.
Different types of platforms enlivened the game beautifully, not to mention the boxes with a surprise, "confused" for me was always final.
Gargantus
28. Apr 2021 · 08:42 UTC
The game's pretty fun, although a bit repetitive. It would be better if you could know if a mystery box is good or bad .Also I really like the simple art style.
AranCutter
28. Apr 2021 · 08:51 UTC
This is really fun. It's a great simple concept that gets pretty challenging. I got a lot further than I thought I would, though my high score was only around 950.

I wish the question blocks were all powerups. The confusion was pretty punishing. I was tempted to avoid them as a result, but those hearts are just too tempting... I guess it's just personal preference and does add some extra challenge.

Great work on it!
Jorenkv
28. Apr 2021 · 12:01 UTC
Loved it, simple and fun and the graphics fit really well. My only criticism would be that getting back onto a platform after falling felt like mostly luck because often there isn't a platform low enough that you can get on after hitting the spikes, so usually I would just lose all three hearts from the same fall without anything I can do about it. Maybe the 'jump' could be made a bit higher so you can theoretically always reach some platform after falling if you still have hearts?
vsi-
28. Apr 2021 · 15:01 UTC
quite good looking graphics, really liked it, nice mechs, gj!
Tom Robson
28. Apr 2021 · 19:11 UTC
Nice entry!

Gameplay is fun, I especially love the mystery boxes, I truly never knew what I was going to get. My only criticisms are that:
- It's really hard to get back on the platform after I fall off
- The sound and music got pretty grating at times

Good job overall though!
korfi
28. Apr 2021 · 19:15 UTC
I liked it! Very responsive controls, cute graphics and a great idea. I really liked how there were new platforms and dangers coming the further down you got. I also liked the health system as well as the uncertainty of wether it'd be a good powerup or a bad debuff.
sawtan
28. Apr 2021 · 19:30 UTC
A nice entry for sure, I liked the progression, and the powerup mechanics was a good spice to make it interesting. Cheerz!
DotSquare
28. Apr 2021 · 19:34 UTC
A pretty cool game. At first I thought it was very simple but then I ran into the boxes that change the gameplay and thought it was really neat. Congrats for the entry :)
Quack Doctor
28. Apr 2021 · 19:46 UTC
It's interesting that the mystery box gives different effect, can be addiciting once started, cute game!
fabula_rasa
29. Apr 2021 · 00:56 UTC
Pretty engaging little game! I found myself hitting "restart" more than I would think :smile: I really liked the random pickups (darkness is devious!). Gameplay is fun and feels polished. Really, really solid compo!

I didn't like the music (just personal taste), so it was very nice to be able to mute it.

![Screenshot_5.jpg](///raw/732/a2/z/41766.jpg)
Vidu
29. Apr 2021 · 07:32 UTC
The game is really fun ! Easy and fast to learn, quite challenging and pretty beautifull ♥
Congrats, that's a great entry !
Crazybot
29. Apr 2021 · 07:42 UTC
Not exactly the most original idea but it did look very polished and feel good to play, I had fun with it!
ZeHa
29. Apr 2021 · 07:46 UTC
great overall look of the game, nice character sprite!
Achila eranga mohottige
29. Apr 2021 · 07:51 UTC
Nicely done an infinite game utilizing the theme accurately, guess I got me an alternative game to play while my internet is down! good work
TheOnly8Z
29. Apr 2021 · 07:51 UTC
Really like the idea of horizontal movement only and the controls feel pretty good, which makes momentum important. I'm not completely sold on powerups being both good and bad (so far, I didn't find the positive benefits good enough to make it worth risking), but it is a good way to mix up the gameplay regardless. A common idea but executed competently. Great work!
GaryS
29. Apr 2021 · 07:56 UTC
Excellent!
I thought the physics were really nice for this and particularly appreciated the slippery and bouncy platforms. Nicely polished.
I'm guessing the platforms were random, as there were a few instances where it would have been impossible for me to continue. Our game is very similar and we had the same problem.
The only thing is that when you lose a life, the bounce is rarely enough to get you back onto a platform, so essentially if you die once, you're likely to die all three times. I think you should respawn from the top instead.
Solid entry, well done.
Flamingo
29. Apr 2021 · 08:01 UTC
Nice game, liked it!
GoodGamesJames
29. Apr 2021 · 09:24 UTC
Cute visuals. The randomly generated levels were really cool. I think this could have really used another platform type that affected your movement. Both the green and blue platforms were a lot of fun.

I also would have liked if hitting the spikes would have put you in a safe spot or just killed you outright, I don't think I ever was able to get back to a platform and survive after the first bit of damage from the bottom.

I would have enjoyed if the positive and negative mystery boxes had different visuals, I learned to just avoid them all, but having rewards that encourage you to play riskier than normal are always fun. Maybe a health pick-up too.
Game-mon
29. Apr 2021 · 10:02 UTC
Great game! simple gamplay, but really well done and polished. Great 8-bit vibes in the audio and art (I instantly recognized Bosca Ceoil :joy:). Congrats! :D
Meenakshi
30. Apr 2021 · 07:53 UTC
I liked how you just jump right into the game.. Intuitive. Fun to play for sure!
bnmkt
30. Apr 2021 · 08:52 UTC
A reverse doodle jump! I really love it :3

The graphics are really nice, the sounds are good, a little problem when falling, it's very easy to not be able to catch up and with the randomness it's a bit unfair but it's part of the game haha

Thank you for this game and keep it up!
BiOniKMonSTeR
30. Apr 2021 · 09:14 UTC
Hi there, thanks for the entry, it feels really nice. The game is simple yet effective. I had fun playing it. It was a smooth experience, the controls are simple, the gameplay intesifies the deeper you go.

Overall very nice entry. Good work!
felo07
30. Apr 2021 · 23:26 UTC
Hey I loved the game, but the blue platform is sooooo slipering hahahaha a little bit hard, nice concept and art ;)
TommyTheITGuy
01. May 2021 · 20:48 UTC
Very addicting game! I had a lot of fun trying to get as low as I could! I like the mechanics with diffrent types of platforms (my favourite one is the jumpy one). The boxes were a nice gambling mechanic, sometimes they'd help, sometimes they'd F you over (F you confusion!). Overall the game is well-made. The music is nice and doesn't tire out. I really like that the game is highly replayable. I'm interested what new platforms are lower. Hope to beat my hiscore!

Here's my playthrough: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1007430228?t=4h26m19s

![jdj.png](///raw/342/3/z/41f24.png)
FlorianDuf
03. May 2021 · 08:35 UTC
Hello,

Very efficiant game. I take time to play with and try go deeper ! :)
Random picker are *"Darker"* and *"Life"* ? I know compo is hard but if you want improve your game, you can add other effects :)

Because, I prefer to not take *random picker*, because Darkness is very hard and random.

It's a very nice game. Good job !
FadrikAlexander
03. May 2021 · 08:48 UTC
it's an amazing short game I would loved it to be more challenging or maybe have more platform and having the game faster in general, awesome job!
ZwodahS
03. May 2021 · 09:00 UTC
simple but fun game. There are some things that I wish were different

1. Having a jump. Okay this is cheating since I also like that it is simple, but I think the game might actually be more fun with jumping.
2. Hitting the spike almost always loses you 2 health. Not sure how you can change this tho.
3. "Powerup" having negative effects. I kind of don't like working for something, and having it be negative, but I think this is personal opinion.

Overall simple and clean execution.
Lucky-Trident
03. May 2021 · 18:47 UTC
Simple and elegant game !
Loved it played until I reached 1000 points.

Nice soundtrack too. I didn't grow tired of it which is a testament to its quality.
Super Hadoken
05. May 2021 · 15:41 UTC
Solid compo entry. Nice graphics, audio and gameplay with all round polish.
Could've done without the confusion pickup.. those are frustrating as hell, lol.
Fer9001
05. May 2021 · 16:32 UTC
fun little game! great visuals, good job
mudlee
05. May 2021 · 17:20 UTC
Oh man, the confusion powerup is just epic! A well polished, really great entry. And again, the best one was the confusion powerup. I mean, "best" one... :)
felixmreeve
05. May 2021 · 17:28 UTC
Really tight controls, enjoyed it a lot and the graphics/music gave it a nice arcadey feel. Great work!
filgru
05. May 2021 · 17:43 UTC
My High score is 1267.. Not so bad I guess :) This game is awesome! I spent plenty of time playing it. Very addictive one!!! Nicely designed character. Music is very simple and funny and it fits perfectly here:) I don't have actually anything more to say... other than Congrats!!!!
krammetje
05. May 2021 · 18:06 UTC
Fun game. Having new types of platforms introduced one by one instead of starting with all different types gives a nice feeling of progress.

The thing I disliked about this game was the boxes having a chance to give negative effects. The first few times I went out of my way to collect a box only to get "confusion". Since the negative effects are far worse than the positive effects I started avoiding them all together.
Villanelle
05. May 2021 · 20:12 UTC
Really loved the game, had a great time playing this! I tried several times and only made it to 900m but the game felt fresh and fun every run. The only thing I disliked was the same thing some mentioned before, that the "? boxes" gave the impression that I was going to get something good and helpful for my run, but instead they were negative effects (even though all the negative effects were also pretty fun). Never got anything positive out of those boxes, so I don't know if they exist or if the odds of getting the bad effects are much higher. Anyways, loved the game!
joe40001
09. May 2021 · 07:44 UTC
Well designed, I got to 712, probably could get farther. Not too challenging. Liked the art/music.
zubspace
15. May 2021 · 23:51 UTC
Amazing game! A really great Godot entry!

Love the concept of platforms with different effects. The art style is great. The character is awesome. Controls are perfect. And I love how it gets progressively harder. Also like the punchy music.

The only thing I won't forgive you is confusion (lol j/k).

Great game. Good job.

![Jack.png](///raw/037/22/z/4275b.png)
Videt
16. May 2021 · 04:08 UTC
Super simple game, but with nice visuals and sounds!