Core was one of the last sponsors we signed for Ludum Dare 49, announced just a few days before the event. So while time was short, I’m excited to share that we had many Core games submitted to Ludum Dare 49!

Core represents a very different, but important take on game development. My generation learned to make games from the ground up, because frankly, we didn’t have another choice. But while I was making GameBoy, PlayStation, and mobile games, this whole other generation grew up in Roblox, which blossomed into its own billion dollar gaming economy. For the next generation, I think Core has so much going for it, with its modern graphics tech (Unreal Engine), multiplayer out-of-the-box, robust scripting (Lua), and its novel approach to asset creation (kitbashing).

Let’s take a look at what folks made in Core.

Galactic Card Quest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLIUFTEN2mo

This is a deckbuilding battle card game. You get 3 energy per turn, and you spend them to play cards. You collect items and new cards as you play.

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/galactic-card-quest

This game does a great job of showcasing what the asset pipeline of Core does for you. The graphics are stunning, especially for something made over a weekend. The card game mechanics are pretty good. Once you figure out the basics, you can power through many stages, but the enemies do eventually get strong enough that you need to really plan your actions. I definitely think there’s potential here.

Creaky Castle

This game made great use of the theme. You jump between platforms collecting treasure, fighting monsters, and levelling your character. The team at Core let me know this was a solo effort from one of Core's largest creators. Nice! Welcome back randomphantom. :smile:

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/creaky-castle

I really like the simple RPG mechanics here. Missing a jump can be frustrating, but it works in a “flappy bird punishment” sort of way. This was the game I spent the most time playing. I never quite made it onto the scoreboard, but I keep thinking about giving it another try.

Portal Town Rescue

This game is essentially an escape room. You can’t leave until you’ve harvested enough resources and built structures to de-corrupt the portal.

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/portal-town-rescue

The team admitted to being a little lost creating this, but I think they did a fine job. Sometimes you don’t know where you’re going until you get there. I haven’t played much with Core’s physics, but I was quite amused seeing the trees flop around after cutting them down.

Corrupted Core

This endurance game has you activating machines, using your magic to uncorrupt them. Keep this going as long as you can before the reactor blows.

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/corrupted-core

My best time was 1:35.

More Games

• AlchemyChaos - https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/alchemychaos
• Unstable Multiplayer Speed Runner - https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/unstable-multiplayer-core-speed-runner
• Unstable Worlds - https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/unstable-worlds
• The Unstable Challenge of Space Time - https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/the-unstable-challenge-of-space-time
• Unstable Universe - https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/49/unstable-universe

Wrap-up

Wrapping up, I want to give a big thanks to Core for sponsoring us. I’m really excited about what they’re doing, and the potential to really shake-up how games are made. I look forward to seeing what folks make in Core next time.

If you would like to check out Core before Ludum Dare 50, grab it from the Epic Game Store for free at: https://bit.ly/Core-LD49, and check out the list of tutorials and documentation in my original post about Core.