Date Summons by Pokopish

[raw]
made by Pokopish for Ludum Dare 55 (JAM)

In this action-based game your goal is to set up a date with monster girls! But beware... they don't seem to have the same idea of "dates" as you do.

DateSummonsLogo.png

Gameplay

Start the game by choosing one of your matches in the app! Some girls may be harder to please than others so choose wisely from your selection of three dates. Once you summon the girl to their favorite date spot, the date can commence! Show your date what you're made of in 1 versus 1 combat and woo them to be your steady for life or die trying!

ScreenshotFight.png

Theme

The theme is presented in the game as the main feature of the Date Summons app, having the user summon the monster girl from the app screen and bringing them on a date.

Tools used

Unity

Clip Studio Paint

Aseprite

FL Studio 21

Ratings

Overall 377th 3.757⭐ 78🧑‍⚖️
Fun 299th 3.77⭐ 78🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 731th 3.211⭐ 78🧑‍⚖️
Theme 1007th 3.053⭐ 78🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 381th 3.993⭐ 78🧑‍⚖️
Audio 139th 3.987⭐ 78🧑‍⚖️
Humor 263th 3.607⭐ 77🧑‍⚖️
Mood 485th 3.662⭐ 76🧑‍⚖️
Given 89🗳️ 155🗨️

Feedback

kroltan
16. Apr 2024 · 00:30 UTC
Itch web embed doesn't work:

```
WebAssembly streaming compilation failed! This can happen for example if "Content-Encoding" HTTP header is incorrectly enabled on the server for file Build/DateSummonsWebGL.wasm.br, but the file is not pre-compressed on disk (or vice versa). Check the Network tab in browser Devtools to debug server header configuration.
```

Works if I open the iframe address directly for some reason though
🎤 Pokopish
16. Apr 2024 · 12:44 UTC
@kroltan That is quite strange. I changed the encoding on it, so it should be working for everyone now. Thanks for the heads-up!
Monogatari
16. Apr 2024 · 13:46 UTC
The art is good, and the gameplay works well, the last one is sooo difficult hahaha. I enjoyed a lot it's very fun to play ! =) Having 3 difficulty is a nice touch
crushedsummers
16. Apr 2024 · 13:48 UTC
I really enjoyed the "combat" and the variety of attacks each girl had. Inferno girl is really tough though
UmU Dev
16. Apr 2024 · 13:53 UTC
Super solid entry, the boss design was really well put together, the soundtrack was good and the art-style was cute.
I enjoyed my time with the game, good job!
Megh Menghani
16. Apr 2024 · 13:54 UTC
Very fun concept loved the gameplay
fumybulb
16. Apr 2024 · 16:53 UTC
![2024-04-16_22-52.png](///raw/6b0/31/z/63c05.png)

Soooo close! :laughing:
fumybulb
16. Apr 2024 · 16:59 UTC
Very fun to play!

Also I like your art very much!

Just consider being more careful about mixing pixel/fine styles, especially in the same game context.

See more on this topic: https://saint11.org/blog/consistency/
fumybulb
16. Apr 2024 · 17:03 UTC
One more thing:

Make sure that your music is looped.

In my case, the music (pretty awesome, btw) in the third battle ended before the battle.
Breaddysticks
16. Apr 2024 · 17:30 UTC
@fumybulb Thank you for your kind feedback, we are aware that the music doesn't loop, which is weird since in Unity the source is set to loop. Hopefully it didn't ruin the experience. Thank you for playing our game and hope you eventually beat Marat :D
Breaddysticks
16. Apr 2024 · 18:10 UTC
Fellow jammers, once finished playing, would you mind filling out this form? https://forms.gle/FyWj1q39cERdc64S9
beauchama
16. Apr 2024 · 18:15 UTC
Really like the game! Nice challenge especially the last :sweat_smile:
LDJam user 389319
16. Apr 2024 · 18:19 UTC
Nice game, well done :D would be cool to see more options if you develop it any further :3
Somnnum
16. Apr 2024 · 18:33 UTC
so cute and sweet! I really love dating simulators, and it’s also so fun to play and compete with cute creatures :3
Momotiktik
16. Apr 2024 · 18:41 UTC
I wish you can have charged attacks or some timed upgrades, but oh well, Manat was never my type in any case :D I liked the idea, and I guess I've spent too much time on date sims when I was younger. Nice one!
Satolas
16. Apr 2024 · 18:59 UTC
I like the twist, like the monster dating app where you summon your next date :)
Graphics are nice, music as well and overall the graphic choices are homogeneous with the theme.
I like the "Game & Watch" movements like the old LCD moving sprites portables games.

I got Lola and May :D But Manat... noooo wayyyy I'm quite impressed someone here almost got her XD

Filled the form :) (nice idea by the way to have a form maybe I'll set one for our game)
RoughSkin
16. Apr 2024 · 19:13 UTC
What a great entry! Loved the retro style, the gameplay AND WHY IS THIS MUSIC SO GOOD??? I just played the mermaid level non stop for that ost. Really loved the game, KUDOS!
Gabrimer
16. Apr 2024 · 19:27 UTC
@roughskin Thank you for your kind words! I'm really glad you enjoyed the music. I might consider uploading them to other platforms like YouTube or Spotify so people can freely listen to them :D
asfdfdfd
16. Apr 2024 · 19:40 UTC
Thos girls are hasrsh, ha-ha. Would never even try to date them in real life. But the looks soooo goooood.
Sariiger
16. Apr 2024 · 19:45 UTC
Had a lot of fun! The first two girls were quite easy, but Manat proved a real challenge. After quite a few attempts I finally managed to beat her too, with quite a lot of health remaining. Loved the visuals, and also, I filled out the form!
![monsterdatewin.png](///raw/564/b2/z/63d58.png)
Jaycee Sandvig
16. Apr 2024 · 19:47 UTC
Very fun! I loved the art and designs. Soundtrack was great - I see that you set it to loop, it's a shame it's not working for some reason. Overall very cute!
edali
16. Apr 2024 · 19:48 UTC
Your game was a lot of fun, we also tried a dating simulator so it was interesting to see your twist on it. I like the art, the idea of the phone and the way you used the theme. The music is so good too
Dywanix
16. Apr 2024 · 19:58 UTC
A very interesting idea. Seeing summoning as a theme I didn't expect to see a dating game. Pleasant gameplay, artstyle and music :D
Kiuun
16. Apr 2024 · 21:23 UTC
Even if the last date is the most difficult it's my favorite part of the game ! Well done, great graphs & music!
reaperhb
16. Apr 2024 · 22:23 UTC
but it's incredible hahaha I'm going to try that in real life I learned the lesson that you had to hit to flirt
LDJam user 0
16. Apr 2024 · 22:23 UTC
Its a fun battle network type deal with some cute designs, nice sound, and a solid challenge progression. Very cool!
Melissa Stodolnik
16. Apr 2024 · 22:23 UTC
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, Manat beat me with one punch left---
nice game, i like it, thank you!
AllDee
16. Apr 2024 · 22:24 UTC
The idea is the most original of all the games I've seen so far, and it really made me laugh! The game is quick and easy to get to grips with, and the characters and their facial expressions are all well done and enjoyable ! Very Nice ! :)
Kirass
16. Apr 2024 · 22:32 UTC
Cool game, I liked it!
Klemen
16. Apr 2024 · 22:32 UTC
I skipped on Manat, its soo dificult, nice, but I kinda miss more connection with the theme given, idk
Zanar
16. Apr 2024 · 22:38 UTC
I really liked this game, really funny! I manage to beath the first two ones, but the last... Damn, what a hell! (no pun intended...). Great game though!
Valcka
16. Apr 2024 · 22:39 UTC
Pretty nice game overall! The date concept is great! Too bad I just see the “summoning” theme as an accessory to the game more than a theme imposed when you play it. But the graphics are cool, the game is fun, it's fun!
Ramon Camata
16. Apr 2024 · 22:52 UTC
Really interesting design. I can easily imagine a more deep design around it, had a lot of fun playing it.
No need to say that this art is incredible, love it.
BenjaminW
17. Apr 2024 · 01:35 UTC
Great game! Very fun, everything is on point.
LDJam user 236545
17. Apr 2024 · 02:24 UTC
What's this - Mega Man Battle Network in my Ludum Dare?! Loved this game, there's so much done well. The gameplay is solid, the music is _great_, and the art is delightful.

The only bit of feedback I have is that the attacks were kind of hard to read. I think slightly longer delays and larger projectile sprites (like 2-3x larger in some cases) would have been a big improvement in your ability to react.

Monat kicked my butt the first time around, but I just managed to scrape by on my second attempt!

![Screenshot 2024-04-16 191844.png](///raw/10c/93/z/63f55.png)

Great job!
LDJam user 342640
17. Apr 2024 · 04:29 UTC
Fun game, though my spacebar hates me now haha. Slime girl is best :)
kuggenhoffen
17. Apr 2024 · 08:26 UTC
Great game love the whole vibe of the game! Great music!
minjutin
17. Apr 2024 · 08:27 UTC
I'm a sucker for dating sims and love seeing them in game jams! Pixel art and music are great, general atmosphere as well. The idea of dating your summonings is also really juicy and I totally need this game to be a feature-length dating sim with even more monsters to summon and date. The fighting mode is interesting but to be playable for a longer time there could be some additional gameplay elements. Still, great work!
Aarimous
17. Apr 2024 · 16:41 UTC
Nice work, I enjoyed the sound effects and overall composition of the game. Congrats on making a game in only a weekend! Cheers!
JuicyBrucey
17. Apr 2024 · 20:44 UTC
I liked the characters graphics, especially my lovely blonde hair. The music was enjoyable too. The first two fights were pretty well balanced, though I wish the third fight had a bit more telegraphing for moves as it seemed a bit unfair at times
Mr_Field
17. Apr 2024 · 20:49 UTC
i did beat manat i swear i forgot to take a picture

very cute graphics & cool music and sounds, i think it would've been a little more satisfying if the shooting speed was a little faster, even if it did less damage - as some nitpicks, i also think making the visual feedback for charging your shot a little more clear would be nice, that and some position smoothing to moving between tiles would be even nicer 🕸
Ruslana
17. Apr 2024 · 21:10 UTC
Nice style and gameplay. I especially like the music :)
Capreola
18. Apr 2024 · 13:06 UTC
Love me some monster girlfriends, even though dating them involves combat haha. It was a nice little game with cute artstyle. I liked out johnny bravo-ish protagonist :D Manat was especially fun to play against. Good job!
sami822
18. Apr 2024 · 16:36 UTC
Nice game, finally I know what happens on datings, thank you.
Artyom Volkov
18. Apr 2024 · 20:48 UTC
The core gameplay is great, however it feels a bit repetitive because it requires a lot of time to fill the love meter, especially when you need to avoid more and more abilities. Sound and visuals are cohesive and create strong vibes of Nintendo game, great job guys.
Ategon
18. Apr 2024 · 22:56 UTC
Thanks for submitting your game to the stream! If you wanted to watch it again in the future heres the vod of the stream (with a chapter for your game)

https://youtu.be/Foe4js2jhJ0

And I'm the host for the ludum dare score chasers tournament this Ludum Dare. Wanted to ask if youre fine if I put some gameplay of the game in an intermission video. Last year for reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TM_eIvjBmIQ
Gabrimer
19. Apr 2024 · 01:04 UTC
@ategon Thank you for playing!! It'd be an honor to have our game in the intermission, so feel free to use gameplay footage of it :D
Saryah
19. Apr 2024 · 15:51 UTC
Loved it! Maybe a visual indicator for the charge up. Otherwise a highly polished, very enjoyable game!
JHax
19. Apr 2024 · 20:18 UTC
Fun game with some really good pixel art! Cool having the different attack sets for each of the characters (even if Manat was a bit beyond my skills)
LonelyGameDev
27. Apr 2024 · 02:50 UTC
Quite a interesting game. I'll try and be nice and fair sense the game did annoyed me a fair bit with the final boss lmao. but it's all good so try not to take what i say a little too seriously.
I definitely think some of the bosses could use a little rebalancing sense it's a bit odd to beat two without even knowing the charge exist, and on a first try. then suddenly getting to the final one. I don't mind a hard final boss that i can't beat. but when there's not much to the journey there. it definitely effects my opinion of the final game sense the first two was more of a chore and a tutorial while the final annoyed me to no end. It didn't exactly leave any meat for me to enjoy

Through the final enemy did give me what i think is some good criticism especially for a action game
1: Not enough feedback. There's very little in much of sound to telegraph attacks. or sprites to tell what's going on. like if my character is charging or not. while it isn't a bad thing by itself. it make the game feel far less impactful. Like you're just clicking buttons instead getting into the flow of the game. and it also as bad consequences like:
2: very thing feels very inconsistent. This is one of the bad effects with a lack of feedback. example: Sometimes bullets go through me. is there a invisibility after i got hit by a projectile earlier? or did it just glitch through me. or was it because i moved? or..etc and etc. It makes the combat a very mixed experience for me when I just have a hard time telling what's going on or get a hand at how thing's work sense the lines between "rules of the game" and "buggy" is blurred. Makes the combat feel inconsistent on what it punishes me for and rewards me for doing right

With that out of the way I will say the positives:
Graphics are quite nice.
Lola is best girl.
The music is good. especially on the final one.
It is also a very good concept and very unique to the theme. Like a odd mixture between a romantic visual novel and fight club, even without much dialogue the idea in it of itself is just so amusing and entertaining it get's good points for humor.
Also sorry if it's hard to read. Alot of lines won't space out like they do in the text editor
denilseven
27. Apr 2024 · 17:22 UTC
I'm going to second the previous comment on the sudden increase in difficulty and the lack of feedback on the gameplay, but besides that, this game is very interesting. Just the idea by itself is great, and even with little dialogue you guys gave the characters so much charm
Euler Moises
29. Apr 2024 · 19:23 UTC
Vou escrever em brasileiro mesmo. :D

Jogo bem interessante. Até hoje eu vi poucos jogos com essa mecânica de batalha. A maioria foi por aqui mesmo na Ludum.
O jogo me pegou pelos gráficos pixel art e pelo música chiptune. Muito legal mesmo!
Parabéns pelo jogo e foi um prazer assistir um streamer brasileiro jogando os jogos da LUDUM.

Abraço.
Romulo_Developer
29. Apr 2024 · 22:49 UTC
Eu realmente gostei como o sistema de batalha é, me lembrou muito do sistema de batalha de Mega Man Battle Network, muito bom. Sobre a dificuldade, vou ter que concordar com o gringo acima, ela precisa de um pouco de balanceamento. Mas no geral, a arte tava muito bonita, a música e efeitos sonoros foram muito bem implementados e, realmente criou aquela estranha atmosfera de ambiente de encontro. Muito bom!
UngarBlapp
29. Apr 2024 · 23:35 UTC
Really good fun stuff!
My first two dates went well, but Manat was so tough!
I liked it! haha!
Great fun to play, a charming concept and some
great retro styled art and gameplay!
All round, Great Work!
Dragonayzer
01. May 2024 · 01:05 UTC
Wow, what a twist to summoning- I mean, dating!

I liked most of it, with music and pixel-art being top notch, but the AI of Manat felt a bit underwhelming. I'd make the slow-exploding-orb explode on the row the player was when it was cast, thus forcing to move back and forth more, and I had two instances of her doing flame-floor on middle row first and on my side right after, thus forcing to take a hit, which felt a bit unfair (not by the lore standards, but by skill vs luck ones)

Still, that didn't stop me from dating her in the end!

I wish there was some kind of scoring system to be able to post here and "compete" with others (simplest being clear times shown in the main menu, I guess?), thus making me want to replay and get better at the game.

Overall, a solid experience, would date more!
HexStart
01. May 2024 · 08:01 UTC
Creative take on the theme, with lovely audio and visuals. It took me until Manat to engage a bit more with the battle system. Not sure if I'm fully sold on it though, but I also can't put my finger on what could be improved. Maybe a bit of an extended moveset for the player? Or ditching the grid and allowing for continuous movement. Having said that, the whole package is definitely appealing, great job <3