Illusions of Grandeur by Koolruz

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

A short little puzzle game which forces you to see the world from a different perspective. Summon terrain in order to solve each puzzle!

WASD to move, mouse to place blocks, Z to undo, R to reset. If at any point you're completely stuck and just want to skip ahead, type "cheatyface" to skip to the next level.

Note: If you see a "!" icon on the UI when trying to summon a cube, it's because you're too close to the place the cube will appear. If you move away, you'll be able to place the cube.

screenshot-1.PNG

screenshot-2.PNG

screenshot-3.PNG

Ratings

Overall 114th 4.082⭐ 57🧑‍⚖️
Fun 90th 4.1⭐ 57🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 8th 4.427⭐ 57🧑‍⚖️
Theme 1102th 2.836⭐ 57🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 653th 3.636⭐ 57🧑‍⚖️
Audio 707th 2.818⭐ 57🧑‍⚖️
Mood 738th 3.418⭐ 57🧑‍⚖️
Given 30🗳️ 55🗨️

Feedback

Ulziton
16. Apr 2024 · 01:40 UTC
Very interesting mechanics, like it!
newo42
16. Apr 2024 · 01:50 UTC
Super fun
shadowmaker3000
16. Apr 2024 · 02:33 UTC
creative mc esher type gameplay. sound effects are bit like oppenheimer though.
TomasAquistapace
16. Apr 2024 · 02:33 UTC
Really cleaver game, I liked it a lot!!
crylica
16. Apr 2024 · 04:44 UTC
super creative puzzle game, could definitely see this turning into a fully fledged project! it reminds me of monument valley and mc esher, with a more puzzle focused gameplay. great job! I have no idea how this relates to the theme though haha
🎤 Koolruz
16. Apr 2024 · 05:25 UTC
@crylica You're summoning cubes and stairs to solve the puzzles! I guess I could emphasize that a bit more in the description :)
LDJam user 43351
16. Apr 2024 · 05:59 UTC
Really cool game! I loved the way you introduced each new puzzle concept.
LDJam user 97711
16. Apr 2024 · 06:11 UTC
very neat concept, I love mind bending puzzle games and this is no exception. the level design is super neat! a couple light critiques would be the characters movement is very slow, and the experience of placing blocks felt a little tricky to get right. great entry and congrats!
Demigris
16. Apr 2024 · 06:37 UTC
LOVE IT! The tutorial is pretty clear and I really enjoyed :D very cute and fun![thanks.png](///raw/b3c/95/z/6377e.png)
Hazard Game Dev
16. Apr 2024 · 06:56 UTC
I do not know what I just played but it was awesome! Thank you for the interesting experience.
Aaron Hart
16. Apr 2024 · 13:31 UTC
This is really good, well done! Honestly had trouble thinking outside of the box at first but when it clicks - it's very satisfying :)
cheesepencil
16. Apr 2024 · 15:27 UTC
Too clever for me, I got stuck on the third level. But cute sprites and novel mechanics!
LDJam user 301151
16. Apr 2024 · 16:31 UTC
Incredibly nice game, really enjoy the use of optical illusions for the level and puzzle design!
karamaajalt
16. Apr 2024 · 16:51 UTC
Very cool game. Seems like a very hard game to make, well done!
OrangeDragon
16. Apr 2024 · 22:16 UTC
I like non-eucledian geometry puzzles! Graphics and SFX are good too! Great job!
Pepe
16. Apr 2024 · 23:26 UTC
Yay! I finished this one with a spare piece!
![illusions-of-grandeur.png](///raw/c3e/d5/z/63e95.png)
🎤 Koolruz
17. Apr 2024 · 02:01 UTC
@pepe Woah, nice! I didn't even notice that solution when building that puzzle!
Codeman1010
17. Apr 2024 · 04:47 UTC
My Heart is Full

![image_2024-04-16_224650532.png](///raw/425/b2/z/63fa7.png)
braktheman
17. Apr 2024 · 05:13 UTC
Definitely hurt my brain in a good way. This game feels like it took some wizardry to make work. Nailed it!
hansj
17. Apr 2024 · 08:26 UTC
What a clever game, the isometric block placing and snapping was very nice. Good joob on the puzzless too! Great entry
Avaclava
17. Apr 2024 · 21:08 UTC
I always enjoy it when a game makes me stretch my smooth brain, art is nice and simple. It was probably a me thing but i found myself pressing the R key by accident often instead of Z. Ignoring me being incompetent great work!
hulien22
18. Apr 2024 · 04:45 UTC
Super fun puzzle game, very creative and well executed!! Great job on the level designs and tutorials too, did a good job of teaching new mechanics -- only thing I could ask for is more levels!
Bx007
18. Apr 2024 · 09:15 UTC
Very impressive puzzle game! The idea is so cool~
LDJam user 49756
18. Apr 2024 · 16:04 UTC
So good, i love it, playing with perspectives is really nice, the minimalist art and sounds fits pretty well with it too!
LDJam user 387002
18. Apr 2024 · 16:07 UTC
Mind-bending! Got some very strong M.C. Escher vibes. You really leaned into the perspective mind-f aspect of what is normally a serious problem with isometric games. Very creative solution, great job!
Sozey
18. Apr 2024 · 16:11 UTC
Really clever game, I saw it on stream and was not disappointed when trying it, it feels so cool to figure out the levels!
Emiliabea
19. Apr 2024 · 00:14 UTC
The sprite work is nice and I thought the puzzles were really clever :^)
LDJam user 250426
19. Apr 2024 · 01:30 UTC
another awesome game and very different from your other stuff i've played! the puzzles clever as hek and just the right kinda difficulty especially for jam

![illusions.png](///raw/a32/d3/z/64671.png)
Exister
19. Apr 2024 · 01:45 UTC
Such a fun and polished puzzle game. I recommend this to anyone and everyone
Sheepolution
19. Apr 2024 · 01:56 UTC
I really liked this game! There were moments where I thought I knew how the game worked, placed a tile, only to be surprised that it would be placed in a different way than I had imagined. Somehow that was fun rather than frustrating. I kept thinking I knew the rules, and it was funny how I was proven wrong. The puzzles have a nice balance to them for that "aha!" moment. The art is cute, and I like the starry background.
Meranolean
20. Apr 2024 · 08:26 UTC
Hey! That's a really invoation in puzzles I've seen. It's really fun, because the player has to think in isomterics 2d rather than in 3d! Also there are really good arts and animation. Tha only that got in the way during the play is cube placing system. I stil don't understand how it works. It semms it depends on where the robot stand?

Anyway, thank you a lot for this experience!
Roroto Sic
20. Apr 2024 · 09:34 UTC
Lovelly pixel blocks ! Very good gameplay! The puzzles were not too easy, nor too difficult and well made! Totally a game I can buy for my morning coffee before work ^^
![Capture d’écran 2024-04-20 113225.png](///raw/d93/94/z/6486a.png)
🎤 Koolruz
20. Apr 2024 · 15:29 UTC
@meranolean Thanks for your feedback! Yeah, whenever the "!" icon appeared during block placement, it was because the player was too close to the spot that the block would spawn, like you suspected; I didn't want players to be able to sneak their way into a different location by placing a block directly under themselves. I meant to get the description of the "!" icon into the game, but unfortunately only had the time to put it in the description on the LD Jam page because of how frantic the last few hours of the jam ended up being 😥

Thanks for the kind words! :)
TPace
20. Apr 2024 · 20:19 UTC
Absolutely loved this game. Initially, it was quite frustrating though, and trial and error was the only way to solve the first serious puzzle. After it I got a better idea of the possibilities and then it was quite satisfactory to solve the levels. Really loved the idea, the shapes of the scenario and how the final level works as I kind of editor-- really cool stuff here! I hope this idea gets developed, because I also love and do games which play with perspective and different geometries.

Btw, if you're more mathematically inclined, Penrose's short article "On the Cohomology of Impossible Figures" (https://www.iri.upc.edu/people/ros/StructuralTopology/ST17/st17-05-a2-ocr.pdf) is a real delight to read, and may serve as a source of inspiration for such games.
Ategon
21. Apr 2024 · 13:41 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/25pr3bVYXnk

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
🎤 Koolruz
22. Apr 2024 · 02:51 UTC
@ategon Absolutely, feel free! :) Thanks for checking out the game and thanks for the feedback!
Diego Escalante
22. Apr 2024 · 15:17 UTC
This is by far the coolest game I've played in the jam. No notes, just a great game. I want more levels and more mechanics involving this idea. Really makes you think outside the box and I love that. Amazing work!
FFenril
23. Apr 2024 · 09:03 UTC
I’m so bad at this. So, so, so bad :’)

Like, I watched the video above to try to help me figure out the solution to the third puzzle and I *still* failed to reproduce it :’)

But it’s a great game idea! I 100% understand it’s a "it’s not you, it’s me" situation :sweat_smile:
kiv
24. Apr 2024 · 08:14 UTC
cool idea and implementation! pretty hardcore puzzles. great entry
osh.studio
26. Apr 2024 · 23:41 UTC
Such a cool idea! I love the play on perspective, adds another level of puzzle and complexity to a simple and great concept. Didn't love the sound when you press the button. Great submission, would play more levels if they came available!
JUSTCAMH
27. Apr 2024 · 23:29 UTC
Hey, I played this on stream! That last puzzle really broke my brain, and I’d love to see more puzzles like it that truly exploit the illusion. I felt that a lot of the puzzles took place on disconnected islands or climbed up only one or two blocks, which didn’t really use the illusion much. But that last puzzle’s solution was completely wacky, I love it! You can see what happened on stream here: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2130698362
ultrarat
29. Apr 2024 · 04:30 UTC
Nice puzzle. The showing the cube in the right preview position feels really good under your cursor when in a valid position, but when in an invalid position the lack of snapping made me feel like I was guessing and floating a bit.
LDJam user 382954
29. Apr 2024 · 14:52 UTC
٩(๑>◡<๑)۶
HacksawUnit
02. May 2024 · 19:07 UTC
Extremely clever and well designed logic/puzzling game! A very solid entry all-around. The character feels nice to control and the game works very well for having such a strange illusory logic- I never got stuck in-between tile, found myself glitched, etc. The puzzles were well designed and none of them outstayed their welcome. Great work, would love to play an extended or "super" version.