Fantascope Chasm by RubixNoob13

[raw]
made by RubixNoob13 for Ludum Dare 57 (JAM)

Since during the Jam we never implemented settings, credits, or how to play, here's how to play:

  • Mouse to aim
  • W to move towards mouse
  • S to move away from mouse
  • Left mouse for melee attack
    • There is a short cooldown on melee attacks
  • Right mouse to launch a fireball
    • Each fireball costs 100 mana from your total of 300
    • Mana regenerates over time

Update 4/9/25: 8:02pm CDT: Finished second massive bugfix round. I think I'm done after this, as everything that was broken for what we got submitted to the jam now SEEMS to be working as intended.

  • HTML5 export seems to be displaying correctly now (no more spinny boxes, YAY!)
  • gate opening sound no longer plays upon entering boss arena
  • spiders SHOULD no longer spawn extremely close to the player
  • spiders correctly move slower when stunned
  • when nudging player to unstick them from terrain, the game tries to find a spawn point NOT directly next to an enemy
  • nudging ALSO tries to avoid putting player directly on the gate
  • Number of spodes to be spawned by the boss are now limited correctly, so the boss doesn't just infinitely spawn additional enemies to fight
  • spode collision correctly disabled after hitting boss so the player doesn't get stuck to or get bitten by small spodes during knockback animation
  • corrected mana regen rate to non-debug value (0.75 instead of 0.6)
  • boss hitbox and z-index corrected
  • moved HP/Mana indicator updates to process() from _physicsprocess() as they were freezing during tweens
  • fixed exiting the depths to work as intended
  • removed multiple extraneous debug prints and unused, commented out code sections
  • fixed exit_depths animation upon defeating the boss (if you manage to beat him, he's kinda tough!)

Update 4/8/25 3:46am CDT: Added HTML5 Export as well as Windows, along with bugfixed Linux version

**The HTML5 Export looks strange, as the window size was only 512x512 in the game, and the embed size is larger, so you can see outside what SHOULD be the visible area. However the world borders are still in place and keep you from exiting. Just ignore the spinny boxes :stuckouttonguewinkingeye:

Pressing "Quit" on the HTML5 menu screen freezes the game (So don't do that!)

Finished massive bugfix session. The main culprit was the health restoration hearts were being spawned on an incorrect parent node causing, but not limited to: - Random crashes - Index out of bounds - Layers that should stop spinning to keep spinning - Gates to next depth layer not opening when triggered - Final boss to not spawn - Other misc issues and corrections

When moving down layers, you will sometimes YEET across the screen, this is due to the game deciding that you were in an unwalkable area and relocating you (sometimes violently) to a walkable area.

Credits: AnneArkey: for creating/modifying miscellaneous graphics to fit the theme we were going for, as well as creating/sourcing all the sound and music for the game.

RubixNoob13: The BIGGEST ball of spaghetti code I've made in a while, however it somehow (mostly) works

  • Graphics - Public Domain: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Bat sprites by awesomeduck https://opengameart.org/content/flying-monster-frames-16x16

Stairs tile by Oiboo https://opengameart.org/content/stairs-2

Spider sprites by camacebra https://twitter.com/camacebra https://camacebra.itch.io/spider-pixel-art-pack-16x16

CC-BY 3.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Grass & Rock tiles by Buch https://opengameart.org/content/outdoor-tiles-again

Magic Pixel Art by peony https://opengameart.org/content/magic-pixel-art

Unknown attribution: Rock tile set on Pixilart https://www.pixilart.com/draw/cave-tileset-cea01fd577b0c69

All other art was made or edited in Aesprite: https://www.aseprite.org/

Audio

CC-BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Throne Room by Visager https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Visager/SongsFromAnUnmadeWorld2/Visager-SongsFromAnUnmadeWorld2-19ThroneRoom_-Loop-/

Eerie Mausoleum by Visager https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Visager/SongsFromAnUnmadeWorld2/Visager-SongsFromAnUnmadeWorld2-29EerieMausoleum_-Loop-/

Inside the Tower by Visager https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Visager/SongsFromAnUnmadeWorld2/Visager-SongsFromAnUnmadeWorld2-30InsidetheTower-Loop-/

All other sound effects were created in BFXR https://www.bfxr.net/

Ratings

Overall 684th 3.19⭐ 44🧑‍⚖️
Fun 655th 3.048⭐ 44🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 464th 3.202⭐ 44🧑‍⚖️
Theme 437th 3.69⭐ 44🧑‍⚖️
Humor 642th 2.157⭐ 37🧑‍⚖️
Mood 676th 3.163⭐ 42🧑‍⚖️
Given 64🗳️ 61🗨️

Feedback

Brian Russell
08. Apr 2025 · 23:24 UTC
Nice, really like how you applied the depth mechanic! Felt really cool traveling down the layers.
yangtuofeel
09. Apr 2025 · 05:53 UTC
The way forward is interesting, and the middle part reminds me of a comic From the Abyss.
Monogatari
09. Apr 2025 · 12:51 UTC
I think you could have put more ennemies with fewer hp, so the game gets more dynamic (maybe mp reloading quicker). i like the way you move the character, and the ambiance is nice !
floppynub
12. Apr 2025 · 00:32 UTC
Great interpretation of the theme, it's awesome being able to see the lower levels spinning around beneath you as you go. Looks like you've been busy with bug fixes, and props to you, I couldn't name a single bug I experienced while playing! Solid art, sound effects for the things that need sound effects, a great entry overall.

My one complaint is the controls - this is definitely an interesting approach, and I was indeed able to play the game this way, but ultimately I think I prefer a more traditional wASD style of movement. That's pretty subjective, but I'm sure there are many who would agree with me.

Either way, good work and congrats on another completed jam!
Thomas Higgins
12. Apr 2025 · 00:32 UTC
Love the way you captured the deep hole going down, really plays to the theme well - mechanics are simple yet easy to learn - A great base that you could build a cool dive ontop of well done!
🎤 RubixNoob13
12. Apr 2025 · 03:50 UTC
@monogatari Yeah, we had plans for several more enemies, but we ran out of time due to a couple nasty bugs taking way longer to track down than they should have, but one of them made the game completely crash when you tried to go to the next level, so we prioritized fixing that and then ran out of time before implementing the other enemies. We actually had plans for 2 different spiders, one melee and one with a ranged attack, a snake, and a bat that I can remember. The bat sprite artist is even credited in the game page despite not making it into the final jam entry. As for MP reload speed, I was trying to balance it so it didn't feel too easy. Originally I thought about making a mana pick up like the hearts for health, but I didn't want it to just be based on RNG.

@floppynub I'm so glad you liked the game! I tried so hard with the bug fixes, because there were a lot of things that broke when panic started to set in near the end. Pro tip, if you're using Godot, figure out a better way to do things than calling stuff like "get_parent().get_parent().get_parent().add_child()" because, inevitably, you'll end up putting something where it doesn't belong and something will break. Like, for instance, spawning a heart inside the node that's the container for your spinning cave layers, and then when you try to move to the next layer, it reads past your array because instead of the expected number of cave layers, you have cave layers + hearts :3 I wanted something that felt more like a twin-stick shooter for the controls, but I agree they do take a bit of getting used to.
LDJam user 279497
13. Apr 2025 · 00:00 UTC
Neat game! I really liked the effect where you saw the next stages in the central pit, very cool way to show the depth and to show how close to the end stage you are! I couldn't figure out how to damage the boss spider, but it was fun nonetheless. Nice work!
K48UTO
14. Apr 2025 · 10:33 UTC
nice graphics and sound. controls are not the most pleasant. also you can abuse enemy AI, they don't see me, but I can attack them.
🎤 RubixNoob13
14. Apr 2025 · 11:14 UTC
@eeldam Glad you liked it! I don't want to spoil too much for anyone else who might read the comments, but you have a melee and a ranged attack, so if one of them doesn't seem to work, maybe try the other one? :wink:

@k48uto So far, it seems like people either love or hate the controls. I planned to add in options to let you use A/D to turn instead of mouse control but ran out of time. As for the enemy AI, obstacle avoidance was planned, probably using some raycasts to steer around obstacles, but I got sidetracked by some bugs that were making the game completely crash, and by the time those were squashed I was running out of time. I also realize that you can launch fireballs JUST a li'l bit farther than the aggro range of the enemies. I did consider trying to make them aggro if you did damage to them, but the enemy code was a spaghetti-coded mess at that point and I didn't want to risk breaking it again so close to the submission deadline. I may tinker with making the code less terrible just for more coding practice for myself and possibly add in all the things we wanted to add for the Jam, but no promises.
HalfdanTheVillain
14. Apr 2025 · 16:48 UTC
Liked you could see the depth of the floors and what the next layout for the floor was gonna be. Also creative with the controls, had a bit of a hard time with them since it is not a conventional way, but enjoyed it nice work!
JeanDevsito
14. Apr 2025 · 22:01 UTC
I had some fun runs, good work! one thing that could be improved is the mana regeneration, spiders are difficult at depth 4 but my shots aren't enough to survive, kiting is difficult due to the controls
Ammonit
15. Apr 2025 · 08:25 UTC
Pleasant musical accompaniment. And an interesting solution with the pit where the levels spin like gears! Great game!
JohneyD
15. Apr 2025 · 08:31 UTC
Quite an interesting idea for a game. It was fun to fight the spiders and go lower and lower. Great job!
mediocrity
15. Apr 2025 · 08:38 UTC
Nice entry! Really loved how you could see the upcoming levels. It really kept me going until the boss fight. The controls were cool and fun to learn, but once I started to get pressured my brain fell back on more regular WASD scheme. :smile:
Transkuja
15. Apr 2025 · 10:42 UTC
Interesting but a bit repetitive, controls takes a bit of time to get used to. Also, you can cheese your way through by hitting the enemies at maximum range and they won't react :laughing:
I like how you handled the theme, great job!
Eugenik
15. Apr 2025 · 11:10 UTC
Very nice atmosphere.
ShisenGumii
15. Apr 2025 · 19:25 UTC
Nice idea but not really funny to play after 2min
librory
17. Apr 2025 · 10:07 UTC
is it me or ..? link to windows build doesn't work and i cannot find html5 link.
🎤 RubixNoob13
17. Apr 2025 · 16:03 UTC
@librory The HTML5 is embedded in the page here on Ludum Dare. Just click the play button on the big image at the top of the page. When you say the link doesn't work for Windows, do you mean it's not downloading, or you downloaded it but it doesn't work?

Update: I checked a few other games and any of them that had files hosted on the Ludum Dare site are saying the download isn't found, so I think the site may be having some issues.
librory
17. Apr 2025 · 17:52 UTC
![scr.png](///raw/ab6/36/z/6c499.png)

oh sorry, i am stupid! i am so used to go play on itch that couldn't think of playing here on ld) crazy) i like the game and the mystery of chasm and sound nice job! maybe movement could be more easy but that one in a game is sure more challanging)
🎤 RubixNoob13
19. Apr 2025 · 05:08 UTC
@librory Sorry for the late reply on this, but nah, you're not stupid. I think this is only the 2nd time I've done an upload to the LD page, maybe the 3rd? I don't think it's been a thing very long. And as far as I can see, the file downloads are still broken today.
LLlarsO
22. Apr 2025 · 15:36 UTC
I really adore those transitions to the next level. Really, really cool! :)

I was motivated to get to the bottom of the game. Overall it was a little bit to slow in the gameplay. The levels are big and your character moves pretty slow. Having a faster pace would be great for the game.

The theme was definitely visible and I like the implementation of the theme in the level transitions. I was really surprised that you added a boss at the end of the stage. Great job!
Glurgludor
23. Apr 2025 · 11:23 UTC
Very nicely realized, I find it complicated to aim and move at the same time, which makes confrontations a little confusing. I'd also say that the pace of the game is a little slow, I'd have liked to be able to shoot faster and more even if the enemies had more hit points. The hole in the center is very impressive, but not being able to cross it forces us to constantly go round in circles.

Bravo again, the game has potential :)
MorePixels
23. Apr 2025 · 11:56 UTC
Oh this was a nice surprise, a very cool little game! Worked well with what you had, I love the hole in the middle of the stage, it felt very theatrical, but tended to leave all the levels feeling 'samey'.
xpoho
23. Apr 2025 · 12:31 UTC
Veri interesting idea!
MatthewDrake
23. Apr 2025 · 12:45 UTC
Haven't ever seen controls done like that before, it took a bit of getting used to for reasons other people have mentioned (aiming and moving at the same time.) I really liked the transition as you moved to a different level too, great use of the theme as well. Nicely done!
TheSmellofOxygen
23. Apr 2025 · 12:54 UTC
I really liked the chasm effect! I think some of the pixel art sprite resizing was ugly, but otherwise the visuals were pretty consistent and I appreciated the sfx for everything. I found the mana bar turning red when you don't have enough to cast fireball helpful. The player controls were a bit frustrating. I would have preferred WASD movement for this kind of top down shooter, and the melee option felt like a trap. Perhaps if it knocked enemies back it would be better, but as if was, unless you were running backwards while meleeing, you were getting bitten.

I LOVED the rise through the chasm after you defeat the boss.
LDJam user 287424
23. Apr 2025 · 13:46 UTC
Interesting entry. The controls were unique. I'm mixed on how I feel about them. They work, but having the mouse be both aim and movement direction can create conflicts when I want to aim and walk in different directions. For the scope of a jam game I was okay with the controls, but on a full game I think I might get frustrated with it eventually. I also would have liked to see some knock back on the melee attack to give it a little more oomph and prevent the need to backpeddle while fighting. My favourite part of the game was the central pit. I liked the visuals of it and that you could see the upcoming levels below you. It did mean that a large part of the playing area was mostly unusable, but again, in the context of a jam game I think it was fine, and it did give the game a distinct look. Very theme appropriate. Awesome work!
BatTheCat
23. Apr 2025 · 15:52 UTC
I liked the game, I got to the last boss and I only needed 2 hearts to win... the top down view reminded me of the classic GTA, but I think following the mouse direction to walk was a bit confusing. I think the music didn't fit well with the theme either.
Aizomon
24. Apr 2025 · 09:35 UTC
I like the progression style a lot. The visual of going down feels impactul!

I never really dare to move backwards because it's hard to tell where the character is facing from the top-down view.

Overall, great execution and I had fun playing it!
Aynu
24. Apr 2025 · 11:16 UTC
Nice game I could never make one like this anyways I am solo no one I know is a game dev so I just appreciate your game an di think it will always be 100 times better than my game!!
🎤 RubixNoob13
24. Apr 2025 · 13:06 UTC
@aynu Don't think like that at all! You said this was literally your first game jam. I've been doing this for a while, and normally I only have 1 other person helping, but we used graphics and sounds from a lot of other sources, like 95% of what I do is the coding part. It's something you don't learn in a day, but you've already come really far in what, 1 month of pygame development? Don't give up, and don't sell yourself short! :smile:
Static_Leap_Studios
24. Apr 2025 · 15:54 UTC
I loved the effect of seeing the deeper layers! I really wanted to do something like that for mine but it didn't work out. Art and sound fit well. The boss was very difficult. I got used to the movement but kept trying to strafe. I wished for a way to increase damage output, to cut down on kiting spiders while my mp recharged. Additional enemies or spells would add more replay value. Great job!
MoD_Wiz
25. Apr 2025 · 18:14 UTC
Those transitions between levels/depths are silky smooth!

Gameplay is very nice and controls, while unorthodox, works very well once you adjust to it.

I would say that lack of enemy variety makes a game a little repetitive but boss mitigates it.
Aynu
26. Apr 2025 · 05:19 UTC
@rubiksnoob13 I actually wanted to go in the jam but I don't have a teammate so thought without a teammate I would always do bad that's why I quit game dev until I learned pygame. I mean so far all my games graphics are like bad and the code is in one file. Anyways most people say I should quit pygame and learn an engine ( I and unity don't have a good past). Anyways what game engine dk you use. And do you have a discord?
🎤 RubixNoob13
27. Apr 2025 · 07:12 UTC
@aynu Sorry for late reply on this, was out and about doing some real life things.

For the graphics, we opted out of that category because they were basically all made by other people. Code being in one file isn't necessarily bad, depends on what exactly you're working on.

If you like python, I would recommend looking into Godot engine. It's what I use, and its scripting language, GDScript, is very close to python, so there's not a ton to "unlearn" if you've been working on python.
Aynu
27. Apr 2025 · 15:57 UTC
Ok and discord @rubiksnoob13