Inaka Flowers by SquidGod

[raw]
made by SquidGod for Ludum Dare 53 (COMPO)

Inaka Flowers

A tiny, cozy game about cycling along the Japanese countryside and delivering flowers to your neighbors. No goals to this game - just relax and enjoy the scenery. Keep going and you'll eventually hit Mt. Fuji.

Devlog for how I made the game

https://youtu.be/YLwYoYzSBaU

Controls:

  • Cycle Forward - Click/hold on bottom half, Spacebar, D, or Right Arrow
  • Collect Flower - Click on flowers directly
  • Deliver Flower - Click on house with white outline

Gif1.gif

Gif2.gif

Gif3.gif

Screenshot1.png

Screenshot2.png

Tools Used:

  • Godot 4
  • Aseprite
  • Audacity

Ratings

Overall 138th 3.718⭐ 41🧑‍⚖️
Fun 305th 2.987⭐ 41🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 200th 3.346⭐ 41🧑‍⚖️
Theme 115th 4.103⭐ 41🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 51th 4.218⭐ 41🧑‍⚖️
Audio 80th 3.731⭐ 41🧑‍⚖️
Mood 7th 4.397⭐ 41🧑‍⚖️
Given 26🗳️ 46🗨️

Feedback

Diego Teran
01. May 2023 · 08:02 UTC
Loved the aesthetics! Felt at peace while playing :D
fnelix
01. May 2023 · 10:24 UTC
Nice look and peaceful gameplay, you need a bit of patience to see all the scenery
Fabian Denter
01. May 2023 · 16:37 UTC
Super pretty and relaxed little experience, I like it a lot. Well done!
🎤 SquidGod
01. May 2023 · 22:42 UTC
Thanks for playing everyone :)
@fnelix I wanted it to be a longer experience to see all the scenery at a pace like you were actually cycling, but I think I went a bit overboard... If I could go back I would speed it up a bit!
Floke
01. May 2023 · 23:50 UTC
Very relaxing! I smiled more and more while playing it, I really like the thought of collecting flowers and gifting them to other people.

I think this does not need much more to be a full game. Add a fitting summer soundtrack, a constantly varying background scenery and maybe some small dialogue from the neighbours, and I could play it for hours. Simply because the peaceful mood makes me so happy.

Really well done!
🎤 SquidGod
02. May 2023 · 00:19 UTC
Thanks @floke! I was thinking that too - wanted to add a day night cycle and make some original bgm, but didn't have the time. I'll be making a devlog about the game and consider expanding on it based on the reception.
candlesan
02. May 2023 · 00:53 UTC
Was not expecting such wholesome and cozy content! I love the aesthetic, and the setting of just riding a bicycle along a Japanese countryside just brings in all of those Miyazaki vibes. The diddy that plays when you deliver some flowers is just PERFECT to. Nicely done! Love the mood!
ollie_d
02. May 2023 · 04:50 UTC
Very cozy indeed. This is a very relaxing game, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great submission :)
Foursay
02. May 2023 · 04:56 UTC
Very peaceful game that I enjoyed a lot! I remembered my old days riding my bicycles and get around the tiny town of mine. Its was a very cosy time and I really wish I could get back to. thank you for bringing my memory back with this entry. Nice Job!
LDJam user 280707
02. May 2023 · 05:01 UTC
Nice lil game!
burnedkirby
02. May 2023 · 05:10 UTC
Very peaceful game. The sounds are great too. Good work!
🎤 SquidGod
02. May 2023 · 06:02 UTC
Thanks for the nice comments all! Glad I got the cozy vibe across :)
ROBOWARRIOR1982
02. May 2023 · 08:51 UTC
I love the pixel art and animation on this, this is a really simple and peacefull experience. Not really challenging but this is well done, and the mood is great.
jdah
02. May 2023 · 10:21 UTC
Great aesthetic and mood, really relaxing - I think with just a little bit more this could be a really fantastic full game. very cozy and love the pixel art parallaxing!
ThomasTournoys
02. May 2023 · 14:41 UTC
Such a cozy game, I was so happy when the sea started showing. Some music whould do wonders to it, but overall it's a very nice game.
uNclear Physicist
02. May 2023 · 15:12 UTC
Very visually pleasing game, love the aesthetic!
zealous-coder
02. May 2023 · 16:14 UTC
Very relaxing experience, was a little unsure at first if there was a goal. Obviously didn't read the description. It takes a quite a bit of time to get to the mountain. Do you ever stop????

I like how you set the game in the webpage and in the canvas very seamless. I think the wind sound is too quiet I was hoping for a point which the character jumped off the bike to stare at the mountain and perhaps give me a sign that the game was tracking my delivers in some significant way.

I think there's potential in this for sure. Well done!
made3
02. May 2023 · 18:50 UTC
This is the best example that a simple idea, executed in a excellent way makes a good game. I think the best part is that the environment in the background really changes. If the background would have stayed the same and just repeated itself, there would have been nothing to keep me going.

I really want to create such a simple, cozy game in the next gamejam now as well!

Edit: Ooh and I forgot to praise the satisfying bicycle chain sound
machinescreen
02. May 2023 · 19:17 UTC
Lovely chill game that has mood in spades. I enjoyed the low res pixel art and the sounds are also great but part of me wishes there was also some sparse music here and there to go with it.
MallanSandan
02. May 2023 · 20:23 UTC
Cute and cozy! Very satisfying to pick flowers and deliver them! :D Like the others have said, some music would be wonderful!
yellow attic
02. May 2023 · 21:10 UTC
Beautiful aesthetics and heart worming. I love it.
Reef
03. May 2023 · 05:18 UTC
Nice cozy experience, biking simulators are poised to take walking simulators to the next level. All this needs is some wind and birds chirping, very relaxing. I thought maybe I missed it so went back to check and got no sound the second time. I remember the bike chain fitting perfectly though.
🎤 SquidGod
03. May 2023 · 18:21 UTC
Thanks everyone! I agree @thomastournoys @machinescreen @mallansandan music would be awesome. I wanted to get to it, but didn't have the time - would be a great way to learn some music production.

@reef @made3 Glad the cycling sound came across well. I just recorded my bike directly and cut it to loop so it wasn't too much work.

@zealous-coder I was thinking of having a jump off the bike moment too, but I'm quite slow at drawing/animating so I found I didn't quite have the time to make an animation for that. Wanted a sfx volume slider too, but you know how it is. Might have to come back and expand on it a bit!
zealous-coder
03. May 2023 · 19:23 UTC
@squidgod hey totally understandable, I think what you accomplished was awesome. Its great when there are a multitude of opportunities in the core of a game.
Ruslana
03. May 2023 · 21:52 UTC
It is amazingly simple and cute. I just had to test what happens if I run out of flowers and I found out it is impossible to fail this game :D As for me it lacks gameplay but as a prototype it is unusual and interesting. Well done!
DDesignDude
04. May 2023 · 00:45 UTC
This game achieved a serene atmosphere very well and if I'm not mistaken you were strategic in deciding what audio to create or record as what as was in the game was minimal but very effective for what it was. I especially like the piano notes that can be heard when delivering flowers. I didn't make it all the way to Mt. Fuji (unless that was a joke) but I certainly hope it is in the game as that would be a cool reward for making it so far! Great job on the artwork as well.
Zahkros
05. May 2023 · 11:21 UTC
This game is very cute! I like to see these type of games on gamejams as its grabs the core purpose of jamming. Little scope, but polished feel. Nice audio as well! :) Good job
OldDog
06. May 2023 · 10:48 UTC
love this game,,the pixel art are so good,I like the color and animation,makes me feel so comfutable!
wish there can be more content of this game,more environment and details,nice game,good job!
LDJam user 362721
08. May 2023 · 18:49 UTC
Looks very good
NicMagnier
08. May 2023 · 20:19 UTC
Really chill and relaxing. Simple mechanic done well.
I ride my bike until the sea and I was happy about it.

Awesome Job as usual Squidgod.
Cinterre
08. May 2023 · 20:39 UTC
Finally a game I can properly score for mood haha. Really nice idea and presentation. Would have loved to see the features you mentioned in your video. Well done!
BotAccount
08. May 2023 · 23:22 UTC
I love how the game looks and found your video about making it well made. This may be intentional, but for me the white outline on the house made it stick out to much from the art style. I did a quick test of how it would look like without the outline.

![Inka Flowers House recolor.png](///raw/4b6/a5/z/5b9f2.png)
🎤 SquidGod
09. May 2023 · 01:29 UTC
@ruslana Thanks! Realized I had to add a quick check towards the end to account for that :)

@ddesigndude You can get there - just takes a while. The balance for the speed of the bike is a bit off haha

@zahkros Small scope and polish was what I was going for. Thanks!

@olddog More content would be fun for sure! Thanks for playing

@nicmagnier Hey Nic! Great to see you here - didn't know you took part in the jam too. Thanks!

@cinterre Thanks for watching the devlog!

@botaccount Yeah I wanted a quick way to show the player that the house was clickable - in hindsight it definitely could've been done in a better way.
digital bacon
09. May 2023 · 11:00 UTC
The most chill game I've played this jam! Lovely graphics, enjoyable scenery and perfectly placed sounds. Would have liked some soft music to go along with the big ride. I'm really happy the YouTube algorithm suggested your video to me :grinning:. Excellent work, really well done!
deetee
09. May 2023 · 14:15 UTC
![Flower Mountain.png](///raw/7e6/a5/z/5ba36.png)

I loved playing and even made it to the elusive mountain! I found this through the amazing video on yt.
🎤 SquidGod
09. May 2023 · 22:34 UTC
@digital-bacon thanks for watching the video! I would've loved to put in some soft music if I had the time.

@deetee wow nice job making it all the way! And a lovely screenshot too. Thanks for watching the devlog.
jclardy
10. May 2023 · 14:08 UTC
Nice little game! Simple concept, nicely polished. Sound design is great. Also - big fan of your playdate videos, still waiting to get my group 5 order.
ValentinWB
10. May 2023 · 23:42 UTC
I like how you even pushed the cosiness into the game integration on the web page ! also the bike sound is pure asmr. Very good job !
LDJam user 279507
12. May 2023 · 15:44 UTC
That came together as a cohesive cosy whole from such small parts. Lovely