⌰⟒⏁⍜ (leto) by Sodoj

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

Contains bright and flashing images. Player discretion is advised. Windows version is recommended for the best experience.

*A new version that includes minor tweaks and bug fixes has been released for download and in browser. For authentic jam experience and for rating, please play the original jam version. *

Partake in ritual.

image.png

⎐⟒⌰⟊☍⍜ ⍀⍜⏃⎅⊑⍜☌ ⚍

image.png

⋏⏃⟊⌇ ⍀⍜⏃⎅⊑⍜☌ ⋏⏃⟊⌇ ⚍

Ratings

Overall 171th 3.984⭐ 97🧑‍⚖️
Fun 360th 3.689⭐ 97🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 151th 3.901⭐ 98🧑‍⚖️
Theme 1007th 3.053⭐ 97🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 211th 4.255⭐ 98🧑‍⚖️
Mood 64th 4.269⭐ 95🧑‍⚖️
Given 76🗳️ 146🗨️

Feedback

Chii
16. Apr 2024 · 00:08 UTC
I've always wanted to make a space-based rhythm game, so needless to say I've thoroughly enjoyed this one. Very well done. The visual is superb.

I very rarely attempt to promote my own game in other people's comment section, but I think our game shares quite a bit of odd similarity - so please feel free to check out mine as well.
HJMW
16. Apr 2024 · 00:32 UTC
Well this was absolutely hypnotising. Is this part of an ARG or something with that morse code at the end? its all very mysterious. I was absolutely sucked in all game, it was visually and audibly great!
gamepad-coder
16. Apr 2024 · 00:38 UTC
=== Pros ===

Visually beautiful, and great creative sounds!

And the blog posts + game page did an excellent job setting the tone for the game before even clicking play. After seeing the visuals and arcane sigils, I had to try it out!

Cool idea, pretty visuals, and great job making an experience out of the "summoning" theme!

=== Food for thought ===

Interestingly, geometric symmetry doesn't necessarily correspond to musical synergy.

If you ever expand this into a full game, consider keeping the same geometry (and symmetry / patterns) of the nodes on the circles, but change the radius of each circle as needed, so that pressing space bar aligns to some sort of music or rhythm. That way it becomes more of a rhythm game and you feel like each progressive ring is harmonizing as part of a greater whole to complete the ritual for the "summoning".

=== Gameplay Suggestions ===

If you wanted to, you could increase the size of the hit box on the nodes to make it a little easier to successfully press space bar. But overall it was relatively manageable and didn't feel unfair.

The mood and atmosphere for this were really great, but after a while I wasn't sure if it was randomly generated or if there was going to be a win condition.

=== Closing Remarks ===

Overall really cool + memorable experience, glad I played :)
Diego Teran
16. Apr 2024 · 02:36 UTC
Love the mood that you set, the sounds, and the visuals!
Got a bit repetitive after a few minutes, but I can see how it could make some nice melodies.
Expiredcode
16. Apr 2024 · 10:03 UTC
I really loved it, congrats!! I liked the athmosphere and graphics, and it got really challenging at one point
But please, i don't know morse code, PLEASE tell us what it says at the end :smile:
Ben Toosey
16. Apr 2024 · 10:15 UTC
To start with I really enjoyed it, as each ring, overlapping with the last, was making some really lovely music (who doesn't love a good polyrhythm)! But in the later levels the sounds weren't matching as well. I'm sure this was done on purpose to make the game harder, but it also made it slightly less enjoyable for me too. That being said, I still had a great time, very moody and always fun to see a rhythm game in LD! Great entry!
Ziggy
16. Apr 2024 · 11:26 UTC
Pleasing to the eye and the ear and surprisingly satisfying, good job
Tayho
16. Apr 2024 · 11:29 UTC
The visual is incredible, the concept is very cool. Great job !
Hystaf
16. Apr 2024 · 11:30 UTC
Is there were musics I didn't get them.... Maybe because I'm on linux ?
Overall I did play around 5-10 minutes and I did't found the Summoning part :/
Anicrofmana
16. Apr 2024 · 11:31 UTC
Hypontizing!
ObaniGarage
16. Apr 2024 · 11:46 UTC
I 100% prefer games that are quick but polished to games that are too long and don't push you to finish them. I expected this to be much shorter when I started it but it was just long enough. The only two critiques I would make are:
1: it's a bit of a stretch from the jam's theme (imo)
2: computer inputs/audio sync are often unreliable for rythm games, which makes you base yourself on the visuals way more (but that's not really a "you" problem)

I liked the fact that it was very minimalistic and threw you right directly right into it with no text and menu.
Also, I didn't expect to see a bunch of cool esotheric rythms, so that was really cool to hear (and that 5/4 really was devilish)

GG!
LDJam user 382819
16. Apr 2024 · 12:13 UTC
Oh. My. Llama! How did you guys pull off this effect? It's mind-blowingly awesome! Did you seriously nail this within 72 hours??? If so, you all must have been mainlining coffee and punching the creative clock like there's no tomorrow!
TheKatMol
16. Apr 2024 · 15:34 UTC
Fun and visually intersting game. Nice feedback from both the sound and the visualt.
sirJupitron
16. Apr 2024 · 16:08 UTC
Hi! I really felt inside a ritual, really well made, thank you
Pimeko
16. Apr 2024 · 19:02 UTC
Really cool and unique game, a cool take on all the rhyhtm games we get to see. I'll sleep with bell sounds in my head tonight haha
17 confused villains
16. Apr 2024 · 19:20 UTC
Very creative way to handle the theme - it's simple and immersive, and an interesting take on a rhythm game! I loved the atmosphere, beautiful sounds + visuals.
Jaycee Sandvig
16. Apr 2024 · 19:35 UTC
Fun game! There was definitely a bit toward the end where it stopped sounding like music to me, and it was also when the game got noticeably harder. I had to really rely on visual input as opposed to 'feeling' the music, which I think is less fun in a music-based game. Sometimes it felt like I wasn't really following the beat, just following arbitrary timing. Over all though really polished and the vibes were great.
Luc-creationallabs
16. Apr 2024 · 19:38 UTC
Surprisingly addictive for such a simple game. Really pretty too, congratulations on the submission, well done.
0x0961h
16. Apr 2024 · 20:33 UTC
It was an interesting experience. As a rhythm games player I would really love different shape of "notes" to indicate the intervals between them and maybe a more melodic music, but it's fitting to the theme and I feel that it's more of a "visual experience" kind of a game rather than a rhythm game. So great job!
Kirass
16. Apr 2024 · 22:54 UTC
I like this game! You guys are great!
RumiaObsessed
17. Apr 2024 · 02:22 UTC
I loved that the only "music" in this game is the layered bells from each layer. It kind of reminded me of Time by Pink Floyd. I think the rhythm game aspect of it got lost towards the end when so many of the circles stopped being a majority of one time signature.
ThunderChief
17. Apr 2024 · 02:36 UTC
EARS down the best game I played so far. Nothing else to say. Just amazing
picross
17. Apr 2024 · 02:52 UTC
As a Steve Reich pilled John Cage enjoyer I really liked this game and how insane it got towards the end. I have no idea what the morse code said so i hope someone else translates it heheh. Nice work, very creative
neozoid
17. Apr 2024 · 03:29 UTC
Really creative concept - I think the button timing could be a bit more lenient but otherwise love it!
theheheo
17. Apr 2024 · 07:18 UTC
Hypnotic experience, liked the visuals and the audio.
IRoRoI
17. Apr 2024 · 07:51 UTC
Great meditative game, reminded me of osu but lighter.
Misoukun
17. Apr 2024 · 09:00 UTC
In some kind, poetic. hypnotic. A minimalist concept for great success.

Now I trained on this, maybe I can go back to Drakengard3 and try to succeed on the final stage ;)
Master-YEET
17. Apr 2024 · 11:49 UTC
I really liked the visuals with the shapes slowly coming together and the individual sounds!
However, the game felt repetitive quickly and near the end, I feel there was just too much sounds playing, they didn't mix that well together.
Starless
17. Apr 2024 · 11:50 UTC
Looks like a starry sky, pleasant bell sounds and hypnotizing gameplay
Tyrannas
17. Apr 2024 · 14:32 UTC
I was really hyped by your post with the weird letters and thought it would be a deciphering game or something like that! Ended up playing a rythm game but it still was a pleasant surprise ! Had fun and as other said it was quite hypnotizing. Really liked the VFX. Maybe is just me though but I found 1) the activation window was too short, I think rhythm games should be just a little bit more permissive. 2) Was really bugged me was that the rhythm needed for some puzzle was not on the same rhythm than the sound already playing it was really confusing !
Overall the idea is interesting and fun !

(Also I wanted to try to decipher the morse code at the end but it was way too fast for my sloth of a brain, too bad :/)

Good job :)
Kerdelos
17. Apr 2024 · 14:35 UTC
I was instantly drown to this game by the screenshots and the enigmatic title when my teammate showed it to me.

I like the graphic design. There's isn't much information on the screen yet the necessary information is here. I particularly like that the error feedback is located where I failed. This helped me recalibrate when I was failing the rhythm.

Which leads me to what I didn't as much enjoy in the game.

I found the rhythm sometimes hard to get and the fact that sometimes I had to do it twice to unlock the next step made it a bit frustrating (also there was some kind of input lag, but that may be the fault of my computer ?).

I found the sound to become quickly annoying. Altough I like bells alright - and found it enjoyable for them to ring when I was right - the fact that every level has a different rhythm quickly turned into kind of a cacophony and made it hard for me to focus on the current level.

All in all it's still an interesting idea and I'm sorry I couldn't get to the end of the game.
willhoit
17. Apr 2024 · 18:18 UTC
Best I've played so far! Wasn't sure if it was going to loop forever though... (one nit: web version, sometimes a second key press wasn't registered)
jk5000
17. Apr 2024 · 20:18 UTC
The games visuals is really good, and the gameplay idea is fun. I overall had fun playing. I don't really like the sounds, and for me it got very noisy. But overall a good jam game. Well done.
TrAceX
17. Apr 2024 · 20:18 UTC
We have just released an update with a slightly bigger timing window and minor tweaks to the level design for improved experience. The morse code clarity is improved as well.

Big thanks to everyone for the kind comments and suggestions! ⊑⏃⎐⟒ ⎎⎍⋏☆
Cody Holt
17. Apr 2024 · 20:32 UTC
The game ends in some kind of summoning circle, but other than that I don't get the connection to the theme. It's kind of beautiful and creative, but not that fun as a game. I get you're waiting for someone to decode the morse code, but most people won't bother.
ganca
17. Apr 2024 · 20:40 UTC
Very good, only issue I had is I felt that there's some inconsistencies when you progress to the next stage, sometimes it 3 cycles, sometimes 2, sometimes even 5. But otherwise very simple and well executed game <3
Blaise Ebuth
17. Apr 2024 · 21:06 UTC
I hadn't played a rhythm game for a long time, that was a fun experience.

The visuals are nice and polished. Though the music we generate sounds a little cacophonous to me. :sweat_smile:

But that is a pleasant game, good job!
Flogram
17. Apr 2024 · 21:47 UTC
Awesome graphics and gameplay! Very polished and simple :ok_hand:
Re-Markable
18. Apr 2024 · 11:57 UTC
What an awesome game! The whole vibe is so sick and I had some moments where I couldn't help but bop my head along to the tunes hahaha.

I do think some calm moments inbetween the louder, more frequent beats couldve helped sell the more orchestral moments. At a certain point it became a bit like too much random noise for me. I love how you made it a pentagram at the end. And was that morse code at the end? If so, what did it say?

I really liked playing this, great job guys! :)
Pascal Fitzner
18. Apr 2024 · 18:52 UTC
A simple game, but executed very well.
Cat Lab
18. Apr 2024 · 20:10 UTC
Very cool concept and visual appeal, I love the creativity with this one. My one gripe is how much you end up relying on visual cue alone as opposed to getting a feel for where the beat should land. There's the tiniest delay between pressing the spacebar to the actual placement of the input with the movement of the circling figure. The fact that it just doesn't quite line up almost drove me crazy! But all in all, awesome entry!
LDJam user 259831
18. Apr 2024 · 20:15 UTC
Really cool game! It looks amazing and the feedback you get from hitting a note is great. I love the overall aesthetic and it was very fun to play. The sound eventually got a little too noisy for me but the game was great overall. Nice work!
Artemy Zen
18. Apr 2024 · 21:18 UTC
Very mesmerizing! Very beautiful!
Is the game infinite? :)
psuchan
18. Apr 2024 · 21:53 UTC
I would say it is more like some musical experience than a game. I very like esoteric mood around the production.
Roman Dubrovin
19. Apr 2024 · 00:56 UTC
bell ringing simulator =)
Chibiata
19. Apr 2024 · 17:54 UTC
The visuals are really good, but the sound was a little bit too confusing for me...
moonlightbomber
20. Apr 2024 · 00:09 UTC
It's a nice rhythm game. Too bad my mechanical keyboard couldn't keep up with the rhythm.
MaiMai
20. Apr 2024 · 00:36 UTC
Extremely well polished for a jam game! Had some trouble as it moved away from the original beat and the bells were a bit much but those are minor complaints. Good job!
Tetracold
20. Apr 2024 · 00:59 UTC
Interesting entry, simple but pretty seweet!

I kinda wish he music was a little bit more melodic and conventional cuz it would have helped me focus a little better on the timing input lol, but it didn't throw me off too much and I understand the vibe it's going for.

I also think the timing could be a little bit more forgiving but otherwise I enjoyed it!

Pretty solid entry!
ping78
20. Apr 2024 · 01:18 UTC
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Blue Pin Studio
20. Apr 2024 · 02:30 UTC
Maybe its just my brain playing tricks on me but it didnt seem like the tracks were forming any sort of harmonious melody or even making sounds on the same tempo. Dunno! Very cool visuals tho
UngarBlapp
20. Apr 2024 · 03:21 UTC
Really nice work!
Love the art and visual, the sfx choices were perfect,
hypnotic stuff!
Great Work!
poboy
20. Apr 2024 · 03:24 UTC
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oara'u i vjap uj xoix xoa qrbvxjtrip ujzcar mjrwu:

jfqa gvjf i phdfhtox drairb, mohza h vjfdarad, maiw ifd mairb,
jcar pifb i ygihfx ifd qgrhjgu cjzgpa jk kjrtjxxaf zjra—
mohza h fjddad, fairzb fivvhft, ugddafzb xoara qipa i xivvhft,
iu jk ujpa jfa tafxzb rivvhft, rivvhft ix pb qoiplar djjr.
xhu ujpa chuhxjr, h pgxxarad, xivvhft ix pb qoiplar djjr—
jfzb xohu ifd fjxohft pjra.

io, dhuxhfqxzb h rapaplar hx miu hf xoa lzaiw daqaplar;
ifd aiqo uavirixa dbhft aplar mrjgtox hxu tojux gvjf xoa kzjjr.
aitarzb h mhuoad xoa pjrrjm;—cihfzb h oid ujgtox xj ljrrjm
krjp pb ljjwu ugrqaiua jk ujrrjm—ujrrjm kjr xoa zjux zafjra—
kjr xoa rira ifd ridhifx pihdaf mojp xoa iftazu fipa zafjra—
fipazauu oara kjr acarpjra.

ifd xoa uhzwaf, uid, gfqarxihf rguxzhft jk aiqo vgrvza qgrxihf
xorhzzad pa—khzzad pa mhxo kifxiuxhq xarrjru facar kazx lakjra;
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xhu ujpa chuhxjr afxraixhft afxrifqa ix pb qoiplar djjr—
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xohu hx hu ifd fjxohft pjra.

vrauafxzb pb ujgz tram uxrjftar; oauhxixhft xoaf fj zjftar,
uhr, uihd h, jr pidip, xrgzb bjgr kjrthcafauu h hpvzjra;
lgx xoa kiqx hu h miu fivvhft, ifd uj tafxzb bjg qipa rivvhft,
ifd uj kihfxzb bjg qipa xivvhft, xivvhft ix pb qoiplar djjr,
xoix h uqirqa miu ugra h oaird bjg—oara h jvafad mhda xoa djjr;—
dirwfauu xoara ifd fjxohft pjra.

![morse.png](///raw/c23/b2/z/64828.png)
Sariiger
20. Apr 2024 · 06:50 UTC
It was a really relaxing experience, kinda felt like a mediation session. The beats were really nice as well!

It's a shame it can't be rated in the audio category. Great job!
martonel
20. Apr 2024 · 07:22 UTC
Such a nice and simple game. Good job!
konstantinreed
20. Apr 2024 · 07:26 UTC
Really interesting work, guys. Alien language, Morse code in the end. Someone bothered to find out what's being said at the end, but I'm too lazy for that, lol. Thanks for the atmosphere during the game; for a moment, it felt like I was transported back several years when I lived near an Orthodox church, and the sound of bells woke me up in the mornings. Excellent job!
BruceZoom
20. Apr 2024 · 07:49 UTC
A really beautiful game! But after a few cycles, it gets a little boring as the previous cycle's music fade away and I start to doubt the meaning of keeping hit the beats. Maybe adding more feedbacks or rewards can give players more motivation to play the game.
LDJam user 250824
20. Apr 2024 · 11:26 UTC
I became much more proficient in Morse than I expected to become today.

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I'm a huge fan of rhythm games, and this one provides challenges that I'm not used to in this genre. Polyrhythms were tough! I wish there was a hardcore more that would reset every time you make a mistake, I'm willing to spend an hour fighting this thing to perfection.

Presentation, idea, choice of samples, everything is top-notch.

Thank you for this gem!
Yxure
20. Apr 2024 · 13:15 UTC
This is the best game I have played in this jam. Good job!
Maxthedoom
24. Apr 2024 · 09:09 UTC
Well I certainly didn't expect to see a rhythm game with this theme! I loved it. This is definitely the type of game I'd love to see end up on steam post-jam, once there's more rituals and content.
Cresceda
24. Apr 2024 · 16:24 UTC
This was really cool! Atmosphere fits, quite mysterious. It would be cool if it was a bit more difficult but that also affects the sound/music to the point where the intention is lost. The morse code is a nice touch, though I don't know any. Read the comment above tho :).
TPace
29. Apr 2024 · 14:42 UTC
Interesting exploration of polyrithms; also, the ending was a good addition, adding some mystery appropriate to the theme. Good job!
Dogshroom
30. Apr 2024 · 00:55 UTC
Beatiful entry. Minimal and stylish. And I loved the sound/rhythm game aspect of it. Kinda reminded me of Sword & Sworcery by Superbrothers for some reason.

~~Your base belongs to us. Thank you for playing.~~
atmospherium
03. May 2024 · 13:57 UTC
Man, this is a checklist of everything I enjoy about game design. Procedural audio. Simplistic graphics with particles and post-processing to spice it up. Simple gameplay that builds on challenges, but also is extremely forgiving. Esoteric, cryptic hints at... something... to intrigue the player. Polyrhythms. I loved when things shifted to 3, but when the 5 came in at the end it legit felt like a plot twist (that in hindsight seems obvious and inevitable). Great way to play with expectations.

I've been doing LD for ~10 years, and this game is quite possibly my favorite out of all of the games I've played. It feels like the game I have tried and failed to make SO many times, but you guys have absolutely nailed it.