You Got Mail! by Kabura

[raw]
made by Kabura for Ludum Dare 53 (JAM)

Screenshot 2023-05-01 192007.png

YOU GOT MAIL! is a mini game for the LD53! We had very little time this weekend, but we participated anyway! ^^

Play the game HERE:

Browser Version: https://kabura.itch.io/you-got-mail

Mobile Version: https://kabura.itch.io/you-got-mail-mobile

Controls: Press SPACE to switch directions

Credits:

Game Programming / Marc Wandrei

Game Art / Justin "Kabura" Neumann

Screenshot 2023-05-01 192100.png

Our Highscore is 66! Who can beat that?? o.O

Screenshot 2023-05-01 205218.png

Ratings

Overall 68th 4.2⭐ 57🧑‍⚖️
Fun 51th 4.196⭐ 58🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 523th 3.429⭐ 58🧑‍⚖️
Theme 91th 4.404⭐ 59🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 138th 4.386⭐ 59🧑‍⚖️
Audio 66th 4.188⭐ 58🧑‍⚖️
Humor 222th 3.745⭐ 51🧑‍⚖️
Mood 235th 3.961⭐ 53🧑‍⚖️
Given 51🗳️ 39🗨️

Feedback

Ben Toosey
01. May 2023 · 18:46 UTC
Great entry! Exemplifies what a game jam game should be: very simple and very effective! It has a lot of polish, and is surprisingly difficult if you get caught between two vehicles! Great work!
Zhiteng Chen
01. May 2023 · 18:50 UTC
Wow, it is really great and elegant. The meaning it conveys really matches reality. The only thing I would like to suggest is to modify the flow better. It is a little bit hard at first, I mean the number of cars.
Procok
01. May 2023 · 19:32 UTC
Very nice entry! I love the single button control yet it's pretty engaging and fun. The graphics are cute and the music/effects are good. Got to 25 after like 10 attempts but gave up after. :D Good job!
Reo_Silmetal
01. May 2023 · 19:32 UTC
This game is so cool ! The art and music are really good and snappy, it's hard to stop playing. Easy to learn, hard to master. The only criticism I have is it's a bit too hard at the start, it would be even more enjoyable if the difficulty ramped up with time.
Frey
01. May 2023 · 19:35 UTC
Awesome game. Simplistic, clear and fun! Would love to see the tiniest bit of difficulty tuning, losing to being sandwiched with no options of survival can be a bit sad.
Mesaying
01. May 2023 · 19:45 UTC
Really great entry, with a simplistic and fun game loop and great art/music! Congrats
Nail
01. May 2023 · 20:32 UTC
I'm addicted to the music of the game it is creates addiction ahah. Great work!
Emily-TTG
01. May 2023 · 20:33 UTC
Really cool! Quite a satisfying game loop, controls well and is pretty engaging. If I had a suggestion it would be some sort of risk-reward to introduce more variety - maybe having to turn back halfway across to pick up a coin or something. Really good stuff!
icch_howw
01. May 2023 · 20:36 UTC
Really nicely polished little game, I had fun trying it! Keep up the good work!
k8n
01. May 2023 · 23:45 UTC
The graphics is so simple and minimalistic and so pretty at the same time. I am amazed!
AploveStudio
02. May 2023 · 04:50 UTC
cute and simple, very cool
GiornoBanana
02. May 2023 · 12:17 UTC
Cool art and music, you should change space button in high score, I always skipped that part because i was pressing space to dodje cars, it was fun to play!
publicidadeba
02. May 2023 · 12:20 UTC
This could reach the Flappy Bird viral reach if it launched 8 years ago. Great job, well thought game.
Timbaleek
02. May 2023 · 13:42 UTC
Really simple and fun game. Cool graphics. I like that there is a mobile version :)
Allax
02. May 2023 · 13:49 UTC
Wow, very cool game. The art is very good. The gameplay is simple but addictive, I think it's best suited for mobiles.
🎤 Kabura
02. May 2023 · 15:20 UTC
@k8n @frey @nail @remus @allax @mesaying @timbaleek @ben-toosey @zhiteng-chen @reo-silmetal @emily-ttg @icch-howw @aplovestudio @giornobanana @publicidadeba Thank you all for your amazing feedback! We're considering all your ideas for future updates :) Cheers!
trASSh
02. May 2023 · 16:56 UTC
Amazing game! It pretty much feels like a finished mini game. If i had to nit pick i would say seeing the cars from further would be helpful. Loved that the cars actually honk at you. Very minimalistic yet very satisfying!
Split82
02. May 2023 · 19:03 UTC
Very smooth and nice graphics. I like the simplicity in here. Great job!
Advarsky
02. May 2023 · 19:06 UTC
A very fast-paced and fun game. I like one button controls and it looks great!
Matthew Bond
02. May 2023 · 19:13 UTC
Good idea and very polished! Sometimes I skipped the end screen and didn't get to see my final score because I was spamming space to try and survive when I died. I appreciate the idea of having only one control, maybe there could be a small time delay before you are allowed to restart so that you don't do it accidentally. Great job!
amarokczukay
02. May 2023 · 19:15 UTC
great game, super simple controls yet hard to master! i liked the art, and i can definitely see how addictive this game is, great work! the game feels very polished, the cars even honk when you're too close!

this game is the proof that a simple concept well executed makes great results
thewrath
02. May 2023 · 19:16 UTC
A very effective little game! Nice graphics. if you add a increasing difficulty it can be a great game for mobile !
jclardy
02. May 2023 · 19:37 UTC
Very nice! Great setup for mobile with a single tap for a control. Graphics are super polished.
makuck95
02. May 2023 · 19:59 UTC
Wow! Nice concept, it is soo good to use only one key. Graphic and music fits very nice. I like the horn from car. It was good time with this game :)
SunRed
02. May 2023 · 20:35 UTC
Such a simple idea well executed. Really like the music and simplicity of the gameplay. Well done!
Martin183
02. May 2023 · 21:03 UTC
Super simple to understand and difficult to master. A plus for the mobile version, I played it on my phone!
fargred
02. May 2023 · 21:04 UTC
Great little entry, a fun little twist on Frogger and the like. Especially loved the graphics, very pleasent to look at and extremly clear and vibrant. I also really liked the honking sound effect when cars almost hit you!
sdelay
02. May 2023 · 21:10 UTC
tiny game, but well that's entertaining!! design is perfect, mechanic. simplicity is a talent, and you master it.
GG
Lenan
02. May 2023 · 22:42 UTC
Pretty cool game, short but very fun
zakispie
02. May 2023 · 23:10 UTC
Very polished, simple, and easy to play. Great work!
JP Design
03. May 2023 · 04:22 UTC
Simple but effective, now this game will live in my phone forever
(Unless you make an expanded version, then i'll change it in a blink of an eye)
Reef
03. May 2023 · 04:56 UTC
Love a good one button game. Nicely polished, great art and music. I'll echo others that I accidentally skipped the score screen and it would be interested to add one tweak to the gameplay to offer an opportunity to push my luck, like a coin.
SmelJey
03. May 2023 · 10:21 UTC
Fun and simple! I wish I could stop at the sides of the street without spamming space button, but still this is really solid and great entry!
squimmy
03. May 2023 · 14:13 UTC
This is pretty neat. The idea is concise and the execution is pretty polished. The art and the music are both great and the one-button control system is a cool idea. My only complaint is that I keep accidentally starting a new game before I see what my score was because the same button to change directions also starts a new game immediately...
LDJam user 297532
03. May 2023 · 14:49 UTC
I really love this game! The art is so cute and feels a lot like crossy road's voxel art but 2d... The atmosphere also feels a lot like crossy road, which I used to love as a kid. The car variety is great, not too little and not too much, very fit for a game jam. The music is also pretty alright, enforces the retro pixel style, and the sound effects are also really nice (I like that when we go close to a car, they will honk). I guess one thing about the sound is collecting a box should also have a sound but it's completely fine.

The difficulty of the game is actually incredibly well-made, easy to pick up, easy to play, yet not quite easy to master... Perfect for a mobile game, and has layers of reaction time, strategy, rhythm, and understanding of how the game works (like each lane can only have 1 car max). It's honestly beautiful. One thing I would say is there should be a diffciulty curve (like player moves faster or car spawn faster the higher score you get).

Other than that, great entry! Loved it! Also here's my highscore...

![Screenshot_20230503-214059_You Got Mail!.jpg](///raw/c3a/84/z/5b0ae.jpg)
🎤 Kabura
03. May 2023 · 16:20 UTC
@no-whone WHAT! This highscore is amazing! As far as we know you're now the new record holder haha! (we got to 66)
LDJam user 73887
03. May 2023 · 20:26 UTC
This game is so addictive! Nice art and nice sound - I love it. Thumbs up.
Pixelhurricane
04. May 2023 · 00:19 UTC
I could absolute see this right at home among other mobile app classics like fruit ninja, flappy bird, crossy roads etc. It has the perfect simplistic addictive quality that offers a short satisfying game loop! not being able to stop or directly choose your direction makes for a frantic experience of weaving between traffic that really makes you want to try and get better at it!

Absolute banger game, jam project or not. Well done!
Daru
04. May 2023 · 08:22 UTC
Love the pixel art so much !
MrEliptik
04. May 2023 · 08:28 UTC
I love the concept! I'm a huge fan of clever one button game idea liek this. It's really well executed, the art is lovely and the music is cool. I love the little honks from time to time. Huge congrats for your entry :)
martinboue
05. May 2023 · 16:42 UTC
Wow, I'm impressed by how much the concept is simple but efficient. Very nice job, the game is fun, art is great and music is nice. I have nothing more to say, congratulations :)
stephenwhoskins
07. May 2023 · 21:22 UTC
I love it! I gave it straight 5s across the board. Good job!
AmunOnra
11. May 2023 · 23:08 UTC
All it took was a simple but clever game mechanic an addicting soundtrack and a highscore mechanic to get me hooked. Great job :)
AdamCYounis
17. May 2023 · 07:20 UTC
Heya! I felt this game had some really clean presentation. One-button controls, great graphics and sound. I enjoy the little horn honk when you get close to a car as well. It's a simple game, so there's not too much to say other than I would have liked for the gameplay to increase in intensity as the score increases, or some way to create risk / reward by playing faster or more recklessly to increase the score. The open-ended nature of the gameplay makes it drag a little after 8-10 points. With minor adjustments I could see those sentiments resolved pretty easily.

Great effort, and props on making something so polished!
🎤 Kabura
17. May 2023 · 07:44 UTC
hey @adamcyounis thanks sm for your feedback! and yes, we agree (: as soon as we have the time, we want to implement a bigger speed curve for increased difficulty (there is one actually, it's just not really noticeable enough) and a new car type, being coin cars, which drop coins on the ground to stay for a few seconds. cheers!
Euler Moises
17. May 2023 · 13:50 UTC
Your game reinforces a maxim I carry with me: "A game doesn't need a lot of commands or options to be fun. And a game MUST be fun."

No power ups, no items. Just one mission. Cute, fun and functional. How games used to be. Freeway and Frogger made my fun for a long time.

Congratulations!