LudumData

Shadow Summoner by Tommy

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

Shadow Summoners: Chronicles of the Tiny Guardians

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Description

Embark on an epic journey into the heart of darkness with "Shadow Summoners: Chronicles of the Tiny Guardians," a captivating roguelike adventure that challenges you to wield the powers of summoning against the encroaching forces of evil. In this immersive realm, you hold the key to summoning mighty allies to your aid by harnessing the ancient magic of three distinct rune types.

As the guardian of the shadow realm, your task is to defend against waves of enemies that threaten to engulf the land in chaos. Utilizing the intricate art of rune placement, you strategically deploy your chosen allies onto the battlefield, each possessing unique abilities and strengths to turn the tide of battle in your favor.

The summoning process is an art in itself, requiring both precision and timing. By carefully selecting the type of rune and the level of intensity, you unleash your allies with varying degrees of power and prowess. Whether it's a swift and agile assassin, a stalwart defender, or a devastating seraphim, your summoned guardians stand ready to heed your call and vanquish any foe that dares to challenge you.

Prepare to navigate through the labyrinthine depths of ten perilous levels, each teeming with relentless adversaries and hidden perils. With every triumph comes the opportunity to enhance your arsenal, as you uncover one of three random power-ups after conquering each level. Will you bolster your allies' abilities, strengthen your own resolve, or unlock the secrets of ancient artifacts? The choice is yours, and it will shape the course of your journey through the shadows.

"Shadow Summoners: Chronicles of the Tiny Guardians" offers an immersive blend of strategic gameplay, dynamic summoning mechanics, and endless possibilities for customization. Dive into the darkness, master the art of summoning, and inscribe your name in the annals of legend as the savior of the shadow realm. The chronicles await, beckoning you to embark on an adventure like no other.

How to play

  • use WASD or arrows to move around
  • hold Q to charge runes: charging for longer will give you a different type of creature (melee, ranged, support)
  • once you have placed one or more rune, hold E to charge your summon: charging for longer will summon higher tier creatures from the runes you placed
  • kill all enemies in a room to get to the next ones
  • more advanced rooms will have more types of enemies
  • the first one to get to the last room and win the game and to post the screenshot in the comments will have all of our respect :D

Summons

Melee Branch

Warrior (TIER I) melee 1.png

  • Melee

  • Seek and Destroy

Stats

  • ❤️ HP: 100.0

  • ⚔️ Damage: 10.0

  • 🏹 Range: 25.0

  • ⏩️ Attack speed: 0.5

  • 🛡️ Shield: 0.0

  • 👟 Movement speed: 100.0

  • 🤞 Critical chance: 5%

  • 💥 Critical Damage: 150%

Fighter (TIER II) melee 2.png

  • Melee

  • Seek and Destroy

Stats

  • ❤️ HP: 150.0

  • ⚔️ Damage: 15.0

  • 🏹 Range: 25.0

  • ⏩️ Attack speed: 0.75

  • 🛡️ Shield: 0.0

  • 👟 Movement speed: 100.0

  • 🤞 Critical chance: 5%

  • 💥 Critical Damage: 150%

Knight (TIER III) melee 3.png

  • Melee

  • Shield

  • Seek and Destroy (attacks enemy nearest to the player)

Stats

  • ❤️ HP: 300.0

  • ⚔️ Damage: 25.0

  • 🏹 Range: 25.0

  • ⏩️ Attack speed: 0.5

  • 🛡️ Shield: 50.0

  • 👟 Movement speed: 100.0

  • 🤞 Critical chance: 5%

  • 💥 Critical Damage: 150%

Ranged Branch

Archer (TIER I) ranged 1.png

  • Ranged

  • Turret

Stats

  • ❤️ HP: 75.0

  • ⚔️ Damage: 10.0

  • 🏹 Range: 500.0

  • ⏩️ Attack speed: 0.75

  • 🛡️ Shield: 0.0

  • 👟 Movement speed: 0.0

  • 🤞 Critical chance: 5%

  • 💥 Critical Damage: 150%

Marksman (TIER II) ranged 2.png

  • Ranged

  • Sniper (attacks enemy nearest to the player)

  • Player Orbital

Stats

  • ❤️ HP: 100.0

  • ⚔️ Damage: 25.0

  • 🏹 Range: 500.0

  • ⏩️ Attack speed: 0.5

  • 🛡️ Shield: 0.0

  • 👟 Movement speed: 400.0

  • 🤞 Critical chance: 10%

  • 💥 Critical Damage: 150%

Assassin (TIER III) ranged 3.png

  • Ranged

  • Killer (attacks enemy with least health)

  • Seek and Kite

Stats

  • ❤️ HP: 150.0

  • ⚔️ Damage: 35.0

  • 🏹 Range: 300.0

  • ⏩️ Attack speed: 0.75

  • 🛡️ Shield: 0.0

  • 👟 Movement speed: 150.0

  • 🤞 Critical chance: 10%

  • 💥 Critical Damage: 200%

Support Branch

Priest (TIER I) support 1.png

  • Healer

  • Seek and Heal (allies)

Stats

  • ❤️ HP: 75.0

  • 🩺 Heal: 10.0

  • 🏹 Range: 150.0

  • ⏩️ Attack speed: 0.5

  • 🛡️ Shield: 0.0

  • 👟 Movement speed: 100.0

  • 🤞 Critical chance: 5%

  • 💥 Critical Damage: 150%

Enchanter (TIER II) support 2.png

  • Buffer

  • Shields Allies in range

  • Turret

Stats

  • ❤️ HP: 150.0

  • 🐚 Shield: 50.0

  • 🏹 Range: 300.0

  • ⏩️ Attack speed: 0.5

  • 🛡️ Shield: 0.0

  • 👟 Movement speed: 0.0

  • 🤞 Critical chance: 5%

  • 💥 Critical Damage: 200%

Seraphim (TIER III) support 3.png

  • Area of Effect

  • Ricochet on walls

Stats

  • ❤️ HP: 300.0

  • ⚔️ Attack: 25.0

  • 🏹 Range: 300.0

  • ⏩️ Attack speed: 0.5

  • 🛡️ Shield: 0.0

  • 👟 Movement speed: 75.0

  • 🤞 Critical chance: 5%

  • 💥 Critical Damage: 150%

Monsters

Creaper enemy 1.png

  • Melee

  • Seek and Destroy

Stats

  • ❤️ HP: 100.0

  • ⚔️ Damage: 10.0

  • 🏹 Range: 25.0

  • ⏩️ Attack speed: 0.5

  • 🛡️ Shield: 0.0

  • 👟 Movement speed: 100.0

Bat enemy 3.png

  • Ranged

  • Ricochet on Walls

Stats

  • ❤️ HP: 75.0

  • ⚔️ Damage: 10.0

  • 🏹 Range: 500.0

  • ⏩️ Attack speed: 0.75

  • 🛡️ Shield: 0.0

  • 👟 Movement speed: 50.0

Splitter enemy 5.png

  • Melee

  • Splits on death

  • Seek and Destroy

Stats

  • ❤️ HP: 100.0

  • ⚔️ Damage: 10.0

  • 🏹 Range: 25.0

  • ⏩️ Attack speed: 0.5

  • 🛡️ Shield: 0.0

  • 👟 Movement speed: 75.0

Stalker enemy 4.png

  • Melee

  • Ignore summons

  • Seek and Destroy

Stats

  • ❤️ HP: 100.0

  • ⚔️ Damage: 20.0

  • 🏹 Range: 25.0

  • ⏩️ Attack speed: 0.5

  • 🛡️ Shield: 0.0

  • 👟 Movement speed: 125.0

Evoker enemy 2.png

  • Summoner

  • Summons creature that Seek and Explode

Stats

  • ❤️ HP: 100.0

  • ⚔️ Damage: 10.0

  • 🏹 Range: Infinite

  • ⏩️ Attack speed: 0.15

  • 🛡️ Shield: 50.0

  • 👟 Movement speed: 100.0

HTML5 (itch.io) https://tb-95.itch.io/shadow-summoner
Link https://tb-95.itch.io/shadow-summoner
Link https://tb-95.itch.io/shadow-summoner
Link https://tb-95.itch.io/shadow-summoner
Link https://github.com/TommasoBianchi/LudumDare55
Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/55/shadow-summoner-1

Ratings

Overall 82th 4.141⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Fun 183th 3.919⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 163th 3.887⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Theme 32th 4.469⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 296th 4.109⭐ 34🧑‍⚖️
Audio 374th 3.567⭐ 32🧑‍⚖️
Humor 691th 2.833⭐ 29🧑‍⚖️
Mood 349th 3.823⭐ 33🧑‍⚖️
Given 30🗳️ 40🗨️

Feedback

mollusk
15. Apr 2024 · 22:29 UTC
Cool game, great sound effects and feedback. Has a lot in common with my submission!

- The gameplay mechanics are interesting, cool idea
- An in game tip informing users to use q/e would be helpful. I came back to the landing page to check controls after starting the game.
- Its very hard! Maybe slower enemies in the first couple levels to let the player get used to the game mechanics would ease up the learning curve.
Human Writes Code
17. Apr 2024 · 09:57 UTC
I really like the game play concept and it's well implemented, however, it ramps up in difficulty really quickly and I wasn't able to make it past more than a few levels. It took me a little while to realise that holding down the rune button for longer meant I could summon different defenders. Once the enemies were able to shoot at me, though, I was too busy running for my life to hold the button down that long.

Aside from the balancing issues, I actually really like this game and think you did a great job!
ecenizo
17. Apr 2024 · 10:03 UTC
Great fun game. Requieres a bit of thinking tro make progress. The upgrade system makes it really cool. Great job! Also super cute sounds!
DanB18
17. Apr 2024 · 10:07 UTC
Nice concept and execution! I think moving the summon/rune buttons from Q/E to mouse or somewhere for the other hand would help as its hard to strafe and press the buttons at the minute especially with the enemies right behind you. Art is great and makes it easy to identify what things are. An extra little mechanic like a dash rune to plan ahead and buy time could help flesh this out into a cool bigger project!
Shenon
17. Apr 2024 · 10:12 UTC
Very interesting idea, the things that you summon are very cute. In the last levels would had left more time at the start of the round for the player to summon some creatures, but the gameplay is fun and graphics are great good job.
Neod
17. Apr 2024 · 12:09 UTC
I really love this style. Just awesome monsters turned out) The healthbar and runes are a little out of style, it seems to me that if they were also in shades of gray, the visual would look a little more consistent. The roguelike elements and the generated levels fit in perfectly, although it's a bit difficult for me)) But I liked it!
ThinkWithGames
18. Apr 2024 · 22:55 UTC
As you said on my submission, funny that we came up with the same title, but very different execution. This idea of fighting waves of enemies was interesting. It did seem like I held down E and nothing happened, not sure if that was intentional also it was hard to tell if any damage was being do and from my ally (or if the enemy and friendly were just stuck). If they were doing damage, I think a visual indicator would help communicate this.

The sound is really good! It was nice that you had a tutorial button in the game, but that screen didn't say what runes actually do.

One minor bug: when I died, the sounds of enemies attacking me kept playing.

Great entry overall!
AshKetchdem
18. Apr 2024 · 23:02 UTC
nice game, nice style! It reminds me somewhat of Binding of Isaac and to our own game! I like how you implemented the theme and summoning runes is cool. I love the risk-reward thing of putting down and charging to activating runes. I feel like in the later levels the summoning of runes takes a bit too long and it is difficult to get enough distance of enemies to find your gap to summon. Overall I think the style, art and gameplay was well done. Great entry!
TheGreatCarpet
19. Apr 2024 · 00:07 UTC
I was a little dumb at the beginning, but then I realized. The gameplay is pleasant, as is the art. Good job!
Pusheeneiro
19. Apr 2024 · 09:49 UTC
Great game, I love this art style
vivid-hallucination
21. Apr 2024 · 03:13 UTC
I dig this. 🖤

Those little flames that come straight for you kept taking me out. Stalkers. They're hard to pick out until it's too late - which I guess is the point lol. Found myself wishing for some sort of defensive manouver I could use against them. Or a way to dodge attacks.

Loved it though. It's fun. I think that rune drawing and summoning system is innovative. It looks and sounds great. Perfect jam game.
duudel
21. Apr 2024 · 12:18 UTC
This was nice! At first it did not seem to have much of a strategy it it, but then I got that you can summon multiple runes at the same time. In the end, moving with the player character was not needed that much. It's mostly just about the rate at which you can summon more guardians. If you need to move, then you have most likely screwed up already.

Maybe there could be some strategic element to movement or positioning your self. Maybe some locations in the level give bonuses to the player or summoned guardians, if the player places rune there?

Anyway, enjoyed this little game :)
Gordy Keene
21. Apr 2024 · 14:14 UTC
I had many opportunities for a comeback.
Phanelly
21. Apr 2024 · 14:18 UTC
Such a cute looking game. The art is definitely top tier. The basic mechanic ideas is very nice as well. It is intuitive, clear and definitely a nice take on the Summoning theme. It is nice to play around with the system and put multiple runes and summon all monsters together.

I think the game could be improved on two direction:
(1) the UI (the "health-hearth") is too far away from where the screen demands the player's attention. I'd recommend to have maybe three small hearts on the player's character or a different kind of health mechanic, maybe one that affects the summoning and rune placing instead.
(2) I think the map really needs some obstacles for the player to outmaneuver the enemies, especially the ranged ones. A labyrinthish map would also add complexity to the rune positioning. I think it would be fun.

All in all very cute a fun game! Keep the good work up!
Edoardo Talamini
21. Apr 2024 · 15:47 UTC
Very cool idea and very good execution! At time I was a bit too busy looking at my runes intead of watching the enemies, but it's definitely a very good game!
AJ Atkinson
22. Apr 2024 · 14:08 UTC
I loved this submission.
Nice simple art and style, fun mechanics, and rather balanced game play.
It may be my favourite game that I've seen in the jam so far!
Paroxysmal
22. Apr 2024 · 14:20 UTC
Cool game. Like the concept of it. Does get a little to difficult later where you just don't have time to do the summoning.
iOlis_Lui
22. Apr 2024 · 18:16 UTC
Cute and simple) "Protect the queen!" Heheh))
dekara
24. Apr 2024 · 18:40 UTC
Hey, really cool game. The concept is really cool. But the ranged units and support units did not really felt worth waiting a second or third circle for the rune. just spamming tier three meele felt to powerful in every situation. Except the stalker, but I do not think there is a really good strategy against them in the current state of the game. But its a super solid, well done base that has cool potential. The graphics are super cute and the sounds great.
KrummSakura
28. Apr 2024 · 21:38 UTC
I like the rune placement and leveling the summons to the tiers which is quite a novel game mechanic. The minimalist art style and animations are really lovely and well crafted. Difficulty is somewhat brutal after a point, which is not a big deal and can be adjusted. Nice job!
koboldskeep
02. May 2024 · 16:43 UTC
Hey, an awesome roguelike! That's great, I like how you have the risk/reward setup. I'm sure there's some more optimal ways to play this. It would be nice if there was more in-depth roguelike choices and the ability to make a broken build (like "all level 1 runes spawn two critters instead of 1"). I think I was getting hit by invisible projectiles at later levels and I'm not sure what that was about. Audio was a little rough and could use some balancing and duplicate noise reduction. Otherwise it came out great!