Mutiny's Last Reward by DubiousDuck
Play our game on itch.io! https://oscarshs.itch.io/mutinys-final-reward

Aim and shoot and loot! Your goal is to collect gems and try to get as many points as you can before time runs out.
Controls: Cursor to aim (Recommend using a Mouse) + Left Click/Space to shoot
Share your scores in the comments to see who's the best pirate!



Visual assets are adapted from Treasure Hunters by Pixel Frog (CC0).
Music and sound effects are adapted from:
- Apple Cider Juiced! by Zane Little Music (CC0)
- Blackmoor Tides (Epic Pirate Battle Theme) by Matthew Pablo (CC-BY 3.0)
See links to the assets on our Itch page.
| Itchi.io | https://oscarshs.itch.io/mutinys-final-reward |
| Original URL | https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/58/mutinys-last-reward |
Ratings
| Overall | 97th | 3.971⭐ | 36🧑⚖️ |
| Fun | 39th | 4.076⭐ | 35🧑⚖️ |
| Innovation | 119th | 3.758⭐ | 35🧑⚖️ |
| Theme | 323th | 3.779⭐ | 36🧑⚖️ |
| Humor | 450th | 2.855⭐ | 33🧑⚖️ |
| Mood | 362th | 3.591⭐ | 35🧑⚖️ |
| Given | 38🗳️ | 42🗨️ |

I personally would have preferred no time limit, but this is still really fun.
(I'm rating all 5's, don't tell anyone)
It’s a real pity there’s a time limit, and that I can only see my trajectory when using a potion. It makes it hard to calmly think about the best shooting angle, so victory often feels more dependent on luck than skill.
That said, this game has a lot of potential. With more refinement, it could become something truly fun and addictive!
I *really* love this idea - I'm a huge fan of Puzzle Bobble, and this is such a unique execution on the concept of aiming and shooting to make combos that I've never seen before. It definitely has potential as a full-scale game!
When things were going well, I was having a great time - It was super satisfying seeing the combo meter keep filling up, and to keep maxing out my score. The combo meter was so juicy and satisfying, and once I got to multi-hook levels, I was having a blast firing nonstop.
The one place where things felt like they fell flat for me was the time limit - I would have much rather have had a shot limit than a time limit, because I found it incredibly hard to do what the game wanted (make cool trick shots) while under such a tight time pressure. Once I got to the below stage, I genuinely thought I might have to give up, because I was playing for about 20-30 minutes trying to figure out what angles would allow me to get the points I needed. At first, I tried to play it legitimately, but after a certain point, I felt like I had to start playing in an extremely unfun way in order to succeed - I just kept grabbing the potion so that I could see my trajectory, then repeatedly spent all 20 seconds trying to figure out how to maximize my points, memorizing the exact cursor placements I needed to win in a future round. It didn't feel like I was still playing the game at that point, which was a bummer because the game could be so fun!

The next level when the multihook power-up was introduced re-*hooked* me, and I was immediately having a lot of fun again, because I was no longer feeling the pressure to maximize my points per shot.
On the subject of the timer, I think the lack of feedback around the timer ticking down also may have impacted my experience with it - Oftentimes, I had no idea if I had ten seconds left or milliseconds left, so I was in a state of panic throughout the entire level. Giving a visual or audio indication that the timer was near expiration may have done a lot to alleviate this timer-related anxiety. Additionally, letting the player finish any shot that is in progress when the timer goes off would also do a lot to help the timer feel much more manageable - It felt so rough to make the final shot that you needed to win, but have it be cut off right before you grabbed the gem.
Hopefully this feedback doesn't come across as negative, or as me disliking the game in any way! I *really* liked this game, and the fact that the game is so well designed with such a clear vision makes it easy to come up with constructive feedback. This is a great entry, and you should be very proud of it! Well done! :)
I totally 100% agree with you on the shot limit, and if we do decide to continue developing the game, we'll definitely look into testing that mechanic out. Thank you so much for your kind words and taking the time to write down your thoughts!! We appreciate it so much :smile_cat:
I saved it to play more later. It's on my favorite games list.
Congratulations!