Hi !
Great games you’ve made there ! (For those I’ve tested)
I’m working on a post jam version of the game. Trying to finish the polishing.
I’ve made new characters, more unique, more “world”
Play the jam version of the game : The Salt Pleeease
What’s up guys! Today I have something really cool for you. As I mentioned before, I played and watched several hundreds of LD30 entries. There are tons of cool games, but I want to share with you my personal Top15 of Ludum Dare 30. It contains entries from both 48 hours Compo and Jam. If you didn’t play some this games yet, then you definitely should. They’re all worth it. Btw, I don’t insist and don’t try to convince you. I just want to share my personal opinion and I hope you will find something interesting here. All entries unsorted and appear in (almost) random order.
So, enough talking, let’s check and play some cool games! Theme – Connected worlds.
by Carduus
by BuffaloPhil
by Hypnohustla
by deepnight
by Razoric
by AdventureIslands
by nonetheless
by sputnik
by PixelMind
by CJ K
by Oxeren
by Jakub Koziol
by Robotic
by graebor
by zazery
Thank you for reading! I hope you found something interesting and enjoyable. Feel free to share you favorite entries in comments below. It’s almost impossible for one man to play all ~2500 entries and I’m pretty sure that I missed some hidden gems there. So, if you have some, please let me know.
Thanks again, stay tuned!
After you’ve kindly played my game, you can ponder this:
If you take the game thumbnails (pretty mosaics here!) and average them all together, you get – logically – the average LD entry! And here it is:
See the faint Windows window border title bar at the top? Undeniable proof!
How average is your thumbnail?
Warning!
Reading this before playing the game may diminish the amount of enjoyment you would get out of it! I recommend you go HERE first. It’s not very long.
About The Game:
The game I ended up submitting to this Ludum Dare is a bit of an odd one that doesn’t really fall into any pre-defined genre, but it has elements of platformer, puzzle and adventure games in it. You navigate several worlds from a first-person perspective, try to figure out how they work and try to reach an arbitrary ending.
What Went Right:
-Getting ideas
After the announcement of the theme I went through my usual Ludum Dare routine of talking to people I know and then going for a walk in order to figure out what I should try making. I was able to come up with how I would implement the theme reasonably quickly, in that the player would be able to travel between the normal world, heaven, hell and a weird intermediate world.
The Four Worlds
-Aesthetics
Despite being very simple 3D graphics, I think I managed to make a fairly interesting looking game. Each world had its own atmosphere. (Although I think heaven was a bit lacking as it was added towards the very end of development) The water in the city world and the tentacle and eye filled things in hell are the elements I thought turned out the best
Tentacles, Water, A Sacrificial Altar and Platforms
-Gameplay Mechanics
I managed to keep the interactions the player could perform fairly simple in this game, but I feel they still made the game fun enough. I re-implemented an item picking up and carrying system I had used before in what is probably my favourite of my prior Ludum Dare entries: Reach the Moon
-Programming
I had very few problems implementing the features I wanted to and so minimised the amount of time I would spend scratching my head at a problem. Drawing diagrams on paper to help visualise the problem really helped me.
What Didn’t Go So Well:
-Time management
I had a bit of trouble staying motivated during the 48 hours, primarily because I wasn’t certain what I wanted the final game to be like, and so I took a fair few breaks. By 9pm on the Sunday evening (Perth time, so with about 12 hours remaining) I was very doubtful that I was going to finish. Thankfully I managed to stay focused for a few more hours (Thanks in part to the over-cheerfulness of the Katamari Forver soundtrack) and had my entry submitted by 2am.
-Audio
There is none. This was primarily a result of my time management. By 2am I didn’t really want to launch up SFXR and start putting sound effects where I thought they needed to be, and so decided near enough was good enough. I also know absolutely nothing about creating music. None of the Ludum Dare games I have ever made have any.
-Technical Issues
I only tested my game on my own computer. So by the time I woke up on Monday morning I had discovered that most PC’s could not handle the city world of the game. (Turned out all the people created too many vertex buffers for graphics cards to handle) I managed to sort this out eventually and make the game runnable.
Bonus findings:
This Ludum Dare I also tried hosting my game on some other websites, namely GameJolt and itch.io. It’s been really enjoyable being able to see how many people are viewing and downloading the game, with GameJolt having much greater amounts of people than itch.io.
Overall I think this Ludum Dare went very well and look forward to seeing the results and participating in the next one that I can.
Tags: LD30, post-mortem, postmortem
Hello all.
I just wanted share a fiew creations that you folks have done because we find them awesome !
Siphon Ent Garr Fon Kull is also a artistic game, at least if creating your homeworld defense is considered “art” 
No more talking, just need to look below, or you can also try the game !
Hey, so a few days ago, I released this Ludum Maze thingy, which is a collection of all Ludum Dare 30 games inside a maze, and it got featured on Gamejolt (Thank you, Gamejolt!).
Since it got a bit of attention, a YouTuber named JustMoistGaming made a video of it, and tried out 3-4 Ludum Dare games along the way. What’s interesting is seeing the perspective of someone who has no clue about Ludum Dare, play Ludum Dare games.
Check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL36x5qv-o0
I didn’t manage to track down which games he played, but by chance you might recognize yours!
Tags: ludummaze
Oh boy, what a Ludum Dare that was. 😛
Firstly, the LD page is here: http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-30/?action=preview&uid=28661
So, this is my third time participating in the Ludum Dare, but my first time being in the Jam, and being with a team!
My team was somewhat unorthodox, with me (Josh) being the programmer/designer/artist/writer, my friend Kelton doing the music (and he did an amazing job!) and last, but not least my friend Matt, who tagged along last second to basically fill the gaps and help out where he can (we gave him the title “Voice Acting Director” in the end. 😛 ).
The start of it all
We screwed up. Almost immediately.
BASICALLY, Connected Worlds is the one theme we did not want. It is so open-ended, and I didn’t want to take it literally and make a game about space or planets or anything like that.
So we spent the first fourteen hours developing a military side-scrolling shooter where the player is actually just a guy controlling the soldier, and at the end of the game the soldier kills the guy. It was meant to be this big “Woah, I didn’t see that coming!” moment, but as it ticked over to the fourteenth hour, I realised we won’t have time to actully implement the “Connected Worlds” part of the game.
So I made the hardest decision I’ve made in a jam so far. After fourteen hours of animating, art, programming and designing, we completely scrapped the idea.
A working functioning prototype tossed to the side. It was honestly painful.
Here is a quick screenshot of what could have been our LD entry:
So basically here we are, sitting in our rooms at 2 A.M trying to come up with a new idea after wasting our first day, and then the idea hits me.
THE CHANGE
We possiblt had the biggest change in game possible.
We went from a side-scrolling 2D linear military shooter TO a 3D fully voice acted non-violent game based around exploration.
Talk about a pivot. 😛
The above GIF was an early prototype of the game world and Orbs.
ORB
Orb was the game. We knew it. I pitched it as a game thats only job is to immerse the player so much that they believe they are interacting with this real living world, through their computer.
Then while discussing immersion I had the idea that will change First-Person games forver.
THE NODDING MECHANIC
I decided this game, that we are voice acting, needs to have the option to choose yes or no kind of answers, which result in different dialogs, but I didn’t want to break the immersion.
Thus the game’s main mechanic was born, nodding.
Giving the player the chance to respond to in-game NPC’s via nodding/shaking their head increased immersion so much!
Watching people play-test my game I could tell that the connection between them and these little floating orbs was so much stronger simply because they were there. The Orbs were there.
Final gameplay screenshot.
PROBLEMS
Well, having those first 14 hours back would have been nice, but as that seemed impossible, time very quickly became an issue.
You would think we had the foresight to realise making a huge fully voice-acted 3D exploration game in just 58 hours was stupid, but we thought “Screw it, we can handle this”.
The other issue was not having a real artist or 3D moddeler. This led to me doing any “Art” and I just used Unity for all 3D level design (I believe this is like the biggest Unity sin ever, but I was desperate).
OVERALL
I am so happy with what we achieved. Kelton smashed out some awesome music (Buy the album here: http://keltonhallomusic.bandcamp.com/), Matt did some awesome work editing the voice clips, and I showed myself what is possible when I push myself to my limits. 😛
Kelton also produced this cover photo for the game and its soundtrack:
WHATS NEXT?
Someone told me, if this was bigger project with more to explore and mor people to talk to etc, they would kickstart it. That is by far the best compliment I have recieved as a game developer, so I figured, seeing how I go in the near-future, I may take this and turn it into a much bigger project, with a small world to explore instead of a very small area.
Anyway, if you have read this far, you are awesome. Thanks to the LD community for being awesome as per usual, and I will see you all here for LD31!
Everyone who played my game:
I updated my game so now FPS is approximately 5 times faster and
other small bugs updated,
so please rate my game again.
Explanations of theme using in my game:
1. Story is to connect game worlds in war.
2. Big world (Level 1) is connected with Mini World (if you have better result in Mini World you will have more laser).
Since people seem to post fancy statistics recently, I decided to make some of my own, too. However, I don’t really have an easy access to LD data nor a friendly bot to retrieve these for me, so instead I came back to some idea I had some time ago, but eventually forgot.
So here it is: a complete list of all themes proposed across 4 rounds, with the themes from final round being italicised. Maybe someone will find it interesting. Of course, I wouldn’t mind if you decided to play the game in question first. 😉
Planned and executed (4/81; 2/20):
(themes that I wanted to allude to in one way or another, and succeeded in doing so)
Spotted and executed (11/81; 4/20):
(i.e. themes that I was aware would be present in my game, but didn’t really tried to include)
Planned, but not included (11/81; 4/20):
(i.e. uses of themes that I wanted to allude to, but eventually didn’t have time)
Unintended, but somehow included (5/81; 0/20):
Ignored and not included (50/81; 10/20):
(hmm, I really could use some spoiler tag here…)
To sum it up in fancy images, because we all know everyone likes fancy images:
I wonder, how about others’ theme coverage; in particular, what sort of other themes appeared the most in LD games in one way or another (Another World, perhaps?), and whether every theme has related game (I know for sure “This Happens To Me Every Day” has at least one). Perhaps we should play some sort of Ludum Dare theme bingo? ^^”
Thanks to @Deozaan for playing Parallel rift!
I think you found a bug!! haha, you shouldn’t of died there.
Thanks again!
Hi. My name is headchant and I made Annex Kharon for Ludum Dare 30. It is a weird roguelike with spaceships about connecting planets to a trade network and is very much inspired by games like 868-HACK or Hoplite.
Spaceships in space!
I don’t want to write a full blown postmortem so I will keep it simple:
Had a lot of fun making this one. I tried to focus on something simple and after a couple of revisions the gameplay. I think I did manage my time quite well this time: A whole mock of the game was finished after day one. The second day was used to polish it and fix all little bugs.
The first sketch used asian ascii symbols but I wasn’t quite happy with the looks so I used PFXR as inspiration for the ships. But I sadly didn’t have time to draw nicer ships. Connecting planets was a nice simple idea but I have the feeling that I could have used it more especially for the abilities. I also didn’t have time to make more abilities.
I am did some minor fixes and alteration to the game for the post-compo version but I don’t think that ever will make a big game out of it. As said earlier: I had a lot of fun making it and that is the most important for ludum dare.
Scary title, but it’s just the timelapse for my game “Fear – Friendly Extraterrestrial Assembly Robot”.
Three different locations within 1.5 days, try beating that!
Out of the 101 games I played so far, 15 stand out. Click on the pictures to try the games.
What it is: Retro, balanced, polished and complete with fantastic pixel graphics and short, compelling puzzles.
Why I like it: There is something nostalgic about it.
This is the one game I saw which could be sellable as is.
Heart Star (AdventureIslands)
What it is: A hilarious game where you and your spouse are chained together and go on dates. Works well as a two player co-op game.
Why I like it: It’s fun even when things are going wrong. Epic when things are going right.
It made me divorce my wife over and over again….for the fun of it.
Planetary Marriage Counseling (WeaselZone)
What it is: An endless runner where dinosaurs are escaping a zoo helicopter.
Why I like it: It is fun and addictive. It shows you don’t need a complex idea to make a great game.
I lost time playing it.
Dino Bolt (GeorgeBroussard)
What it is: A puzzler where different creatures have different abilities.
Why I like it: The sounds are hilarious and the puzzles have a good learning curve where you never feel it is too difficult.
You get to play a mammoth, a monkey and a mole. Need I say more.
Mammoth Monkey Mole (ehtd)
What it is: A 2-d take on Super Mario Galaxy.
Why I like it: It has great look, with lots of variety and a good replay factor.
All the things that can kill you look friendly, but looks can be deceiving.
Hop Hop Planet (SnoutUp)
What it is: Breakout with a Space Invader twist.
Why I like it: My wife will kill me if I don’t.
My wife wouldn’t give the keyboard back and she did the same when my daughter was rating it. In fact she is probably still playing it now (I’m hungry – she hasn’t fed me this week).
Space Breakers (DJWizardCop)
What it is: Two linked characters have to negotiate obstacles to reach each other.
Why I like it: The looks that the characters give each other when they die – it’s those little attentions to detail and some wicked, mean puzzles that make this game.
It’s cute and deadly.
Red Thread (NickZangus)
What it is: You are a baby planet copying your dad planet’s facial expressions.
Why I like it: It’s short, hilarious and could be played by a toddler.
My daughter (not a toddler) keeps following me around trying to copy my facial expressions.
Galactic Bonding (alvarop)
What it is: A puzzle platformer where you play a hungry hamster.
Why I like it: Cute as hell, and a great game mechanic.
I kept killing the hamster just to hear its death scream.
Stanley Squeaks and the Emerald Burrito (Two Scoop Games)
What it is: Geometry Wars.
Why I like it: Geometry Wars.
By the guy who wrote Geometry Wars. Need I say more.
Lethal Reflection (Steve)
What it is: Snake on a train…. in space.
Why I like it: Quirky and amusing. It’s fun, but you really don’t care that it’s difficult.
I wore my train driver’s outfit while I played.
Space Train (SupSuper)
What it is: A running game where you bash the keyboard to operate your runner.
Why I like it: It is so bizarre that you have to admire the mind that created it.
Is it wrong that I find it hilariously funny when your man fails to jump a hurdle?
Burger Beat (TrickFishPie)
What it is: A moral tale in a Zelda-esque world.
Why I like it: The use of colour is good. It does not feel worthy despite the subject matter.
A thoughtful idea, burdened by an overly long maze.
Orange (JaJ)
What it is: A puzzle platformer where they keep changing the rules.
Why I like it: There is a heavy emphasis on the puzzles themselves, not the packaging (which is not missed).
When I first saw it, I thought “not another of these…” but its strength lies in its puzzles.
PRISM (rantt)
What it is: Like Super Crate Box with rising lava.
Why I like it: Fast paced, short, and a classic example of the genre.
If only I was as good at this game as I was at killing time with it.
Savior: Saver of Souls (John Drury)
By the power of big data here is a composite video featuring the first 2000 players of Trappy Tomb along with their (i.e., your) hilarious “messages to eternity”
I can’t tell you how much fun it has been watching these replays roll in, thank you all for making this a very special Ludum Dare and for your wonderful comments on my game too!
I made a post in my blog telling my experience within this ludum dare.
http://guineashots.com/2014/09/03/my-experience-within-ludum-dare-30/
GOOD:
BAD:
Tags: behavior tree, game jam, love craft, ludum dare 30, post-mortem
I was never able to get my project as far as I had hoped to, so with the positive feedback I’m eternally grateful for by those who have tried what I was able to accomplish and submit for the LD48 Jam, I have continued forward with development for a Post-Compo release.
Above you can see me experimenting with the latest addition-the elemental effects your weapon will be able to gain through the destruction of boxes dropped by mini-bosses (the larger enemies seen). It’s not actually effecting anything yet, but I’m really happy with its implementation and the visual representation.
Your weapons attack will leave a trail based on what elements it has gained and to what degree, and crystals of each element will appear on your head-the slower they spin the less time left before its effect disappears.
A fun note-something I often hear is ‘I wish the enemies would be damaged by their attacks as well’, so a fun quirk I’ve kept is that while enemies won’t cast effects on each other for balancing purposes and to keep the experience fun, I have made it so they still deal damage-at 10%, and knockback. So it keeps all the fun of knowing they are being damaged without poorly effecting the experience or balance (having the mini-boss wipe out its minions before you even attack isn’t the best haha).
Other things I’ve changed/added since the competition.
I hope you enjoy what you see in the video and look forward to more progress on this, hoping to complete it for a release soon after the Ludum Dare judging is finished.
Tags: jam, LD30, post-compo
I’ve gotta try it!Hey guys!
I made a video for my post-mortem version of my game! The original LD30 game is here, whereas the port-mortem is here. Post-mortem has and is being modified based on feedback I received from people who played it. Thanks to everyone who gave feedback, as you were featured in the video, which is here.
Thank you guys so much for playing the game!
– Gandalf1209
Hey everyone! We are the Button Masher Bros!
The amount of request we’ve gotten is incredible! Thanks so much you guys!
Let’s keep this party going with LUDUM DARE TO BELIEVE S:2 Ep. 6!
With so many submissions, there was absolutely no way we could play them all.
Special thanks to our friends at Reddit, twitter, and youtube who all stepped up to give us suggestions – you guys are the BEST!
If you like the games you see, be sure to check them out of Ludumdare.com and let the developers know what you think!
**Today we will be highlighting**:
Title: Pully Planet
Category: Jam Entry
Creator: Patacrow
Title: Connected Worlds – The Adventure
Category: Jam Entry
Creator: snake5
Title: Infiloop
Category: Comp Entry
Creator: Komjaur
Finally, we’d love to hear what you think!
You can comment on the episode linked above, comment in this thread, or tweet us at:
@ButtonMasherBro – Show
@MathBlasterRitz – Chris
or @jwowBMB – Josh.
Thanks Everyone and HAPPY LUDUM DARE!
Here is a personal selection of games from this 30th edition:
Compo
Jam
So, following the thought from my previous post, I decided to make a list showing which themes are being covered by which games. That list is by no means complete, and is likely to be updated in the next posts (possibly sent every one-two days, depending on how much I get to find at later point). I’d really like you people to help with spotting the themes as well, especially since I’ve played only about 5-6% of all LD games out there. >.<
It's worth noting that themes that have strong coverage found are bolded, while themes with weak or no coverage found aren’t (no coverage can be recognised by lack of linked games). I decide whether coverage is weak or strong arbitrarily, but there’s some measure decisive in most cases: if theme usage needs explanation, it means that it’s probably weak. Also, if there’s at least one game with strong coverage found, the ones with weak coverage won’t be linked. Additionally, if there are many games that cover the given theme strongly, only the most noteworthy will be picked.
Additionally, themes that made it to the final round of voting are italicised. Just because.
Also, I don’t include my game in the list, since I want to be a good girl and do my best to break the habit of shamelessly linking it.
Enjoy~!
(I decided not to give names explicitly, in case someone could find that too spoiler-ish; I guess there should be no major spoilers, even in You Are Already Dead, but…)
Coverage found so far: 17 strong, 2 weak, 62 missing.
Can you spot the games using the missing themes? :3
