Train Tilt by mrjoshuamclean

[raw]
made by mrjoshuamclean for Ludum Dare 49 (COMPO)

Deliver cargo on an unstable train. Try to balance weight for maximum acceleration and toss some crates onto the tracks if they get to be too much.

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Developed using Godot in under 9 hours for the second half of Compo because I had a change of heart on game concept - mostly because I envisioned this one as complete whereas the first idea was heading nowhere fast.

It's a bit wonky, but I hope you'll get some fun out of it.

I learned a lot of Godot and I see now why it's so beloved.

Concept

Deliver the cargo as quickly as possible - and as much of it as you can save.

The train slows down if it touches the track. If it's too slow, game over!

Balance weight on the train (including your own) for maximum speed.

Distance from the center matters!

What's the highest level you can reach? And the most boxes delivered?

Controls

  • Move: A/D keys, arrows, d-pad, or left stick

  • Jump: space, key X, gamepad bottom button

  • Grab/Throw: alt, key C, gamepad left button (hold to grab - you will also auto-grab anything that falls on your head)

  • Pause: Esc, Pause/Start/+

  • Quit (after pausing): key Q, Back/Share/-

Known Issues

You can get trapped/buried under too many boxes. Try jumping or grabbing and throwing to dig your way out. Otherwise you may have to wait and hope.

I accidentally left the levels quicker than intended (for testing). So the early ones end kind of suddenly, but on the plus side you should survive more levels.

Credits

In loving memory of Charlie, my furry companion who left us suddenly and far too soon right as the event was beginning.

Special thanks to my wife Kate for being super supportive on this maddeningly difficult weekend. She continues to keep me going even when I think it's impossible.

Ratings

Overall 377th 3.25⭐ 22🧑‍⚖️
Fun 242th 3.45⭐ 22🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 253th 3.375⭐ 22🧑‍⚖️
Theme 114th 4.025⭐ 22🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 469th 2.75⭐ 22🧑‍⚖️
Audio 180th 3.425⭐ 22🧑‍⚖️
Humor 329th 2.441⭐ 19🧑‍⚖️
Mood 372th 2.972⭐ 20🧑‍⚖️
Given 25🗳️ 1🗨️

Feedback

Omar 14
04. Oct 2021 · 14:40 UTC
amazing small game mechanics loved them; I wish there were more types of obstacles, after all good game <3
Bauke Regnerus
04. Oct 2021 · 22:52 UTC
A surprisingly fun game. My main complain is that the difficulty doesn't ramp up quick enough for my taste.
Glaikunt
05. Oct 2021 · 16:44 UTC
Great little game! Love the idea, it's pretty unique from what I've played so far. I kept getting mixed up between jump & grab especially as it got faster. Enjoyed playing it! Great Job!
Drunk Wizard
05. Oct 2021 · 19:12 UTC
Cool game, nice take on the theme and given the few hours it took, it is a solid entry :) The music is absolute banger, I constantly felt like I am running away from a chasing train, only for my doom to slowly creep closer and closer. However I had some issues with the controls, the grabbing felt inconsistent and if I pushed a box to the right side, it quite often floated up and over the railing, falling off :/
Artyom Volkov
06. Oct 2021 · 06:26 UTC
Small and fun little game, the idea in interesting.
XCVZXC
06. Oct 2021 · 16:19 UTC
Great idea for this theme and very well executed. Too bad you have to start over from first level when you die.
Wendel Scardua
06. Oct 2021 · 21:13 UTC
Nice game :) I wish it kept the "score" (current level, number of boxes delivered) on the game over screen, though. Also, I don't know if it was intentional to make it more difficult but whenever I landed over a box I couldn't jump from it.
MateusBoga
08. Oct 2021 · 01:18 UTC
Very nice game! It had a nice difficulty curve, and it felt intuitive. The controls were a bit junky when there were too many boxes, and I got stuck trying to move between them, I wish there was a way to grab them from the side too.. Overall, great work!
LadyMistLeaf
08. Oct 2021 · 15:59 UTC
Great little game, especially for being completed in only 9 hours, and for being your first game jam with Godot! The music was really cool (as usual) and the concept fit well with the theme! Great submission!
rufson
08. Oct 2021 · 16:15 UTC
The fact that you coded it in 9 hours in godot and made simple graphic is impressive. I like when the train go faster. Will you improve it later?
I'm so sorry for your loss, it must have been tough. Take care.
Chris Dirkis
09. Oct 2021 · 10:12 UTC
The physics of the thing are a little wonky, but it's pretty endearing overall. I'd have liked to see the challenge more up front, as it is it's pretty hard to lose for a decent few levels.
Juanlu
11. Oct 2021 · 19:47 UTC
Nice game! The physics are a bit strange sometimes, like the boxes just move like on ice and then go up the wall at the end and escape the train. Sometimes I had more fun just throwing the boxes away than trying to stack them (maybe it could add some boxes that you have to throw out as a mechanic?). The music is quite fitting and the sounds are simple but enough.
Barrier
13. Oct 2021 · 13:15 UTC
Great music! The idea is also pretty good. There are some things with gameplay that could be improved. Why can't I jump when standing on a box? And it takes too long to get to a challenging level. But otherwise it's a nice promising concept that could be developed into a fun game!