It’s that time again…
The Keyboard Cowboys have been hard at work playing as many games as we can this LD! Our lives have been crazy, but that hasn’t stopped us (too much)!
And we’re so glad that we’ve been able to play so many so far, because there are some absolute bangers in this pool this year. The bar for quality has definitely been raised, and there are some super talented people on here who are rising to the challenge.
In an effort to spread the love, we’d like to highlight some of our favorite games that we’ve played so far. We’ve consciously decided to order them from fewest to most ratings received, in hopes that the more underrated games get more attention, but we love them all, regardless!
So now, without further ado, heeeeeerrreee we go!
@birdwards
We’re honestly shocked this one hasn’t gotten more attention. It checks all of the boxes of a great LD entry in our opinion. Simple gameplay, a fun unique premise, pleasant visuals, and a practically bug-less experience (at least when we played). This one takes < 5 min to play and is just a great all-around package.
@rodobodolfo
Speaking personally, I have a huge weakness for games that just sound nice. I’m sure you’ll find that to be a pattern throughout this post. Stuck in a Drum Loop is no exception, and it’s super novel to boot! I get really sad when unique entries like this don’t get more attention. :slight_frown:
@thegamerasd
Speaking of novel concepts deserving of more attention, In the Loop is a super clever high-score single-player Pong game that is both easy to understand but super tricky to master. We highly suggest you check it out!
@hawkin
Hey look, it’s another beautiful-sounding game. Not only that, but it looks beautiful as well! This is a fun little orbital sandbox toy that is well worth your time to play around with. Hats off to making this thing solo!
@atmctype, @popdaddygames
Chipperton is a pleasant little experience where absolutely nothing bad happens. The two devs behind the game must’ve worked themselves to death to pump out this much content in such a short span of time. Go support their hard work!
@cyphyrgriffon, @tristan-mansfield
Clockmaker is one of those “I could definitely see this expanded into a full game” entries that always seems to impress us. While the difficulty curve ramps up shockingly fast, the game has a level of polish and design focus that deserves more attention.
@jitspoe
I hate this game and I love this game. If you are at all a fan of Bennett Foddy-esque games, I guarantee you will enjoy this one. More people need to play this. I will be back to conquer it eventually…
@mateusboga
We’ve seen a lot of “Groundhog Day” games during this jam, but Loophole Kingdom differentiated itself with some super clever writing and equally charming artwork. The fact that this was accomplished solo is beyond commendable, as well.
@yossarian, @turgidharrier, @bokonon
Mmmmmmmmm, this one’s cozy…Such a pleasing art style and sound design. The team here really nailed the dream-like aesthetic. Just good vibes all-around on this entry.
@moski, @kroltan, @robinaite, @jorgegamedev
You can always count on Whales and Games to put out some quality stuff, and this entry is no exception. Adorable art, a solid and unique premise, and some top-notch sound design. This entry really is the whole package.
@sharkwithlasers
This entry was like ecstasy for my ears. The rewarding cohesion of sounds that result from solving a puzzle are super satisfying, and the puzzle premise itself is both simple and super novel. Go play it now!
@aditon, @firebelley
Now this is one damn polished entry! Everything, from the sounds, to the visuals, to the unique mechanics, all work great together. While it can be a little challenging at times, the undeniable charm of this game is more than worth the effort.
@aevek, @bongard22, @floppynub, @rhoka, @keenan-wulff, @quantumcaveman, @zebshee, @drsnowdude, @brood-machina, @enzar17
Buckle up, this one’s a wild ride. It’s immediately apparent how much love and attention was put into this game. The music’s bangin’, the visuals are striking, and the mechanics are silly and fun to mess around with. This is one seriously impressive entry.
@andre-sadie, @nsadie
Singularity is such a simple yet novel premise. It’s like some weird hybrid between a card game, puzzle game, and competitive 1v1 game. And it all just…works! We’re all a big fan of this one.
@rextgun
This game takes a super simple premise and pushes it to the extreme. It’s a testament to elegant design with how much the dev was able to squeeze out of such a straightforward mechanic.
@mike09123
“Simple to learn, hard to master” is the name of the game for this entry. We love the unique concept here, and once you start to get into the flow, it feels suuuuuuuuper good to hop between lily pads and rack up a high score.
@znw, @micerkol, @gloomyfolken, @abvadabra
We’ve seen a lot of coding games throughout this jam as well, and this one was definitely our favorite. The polish on this game, both mechanically and aesthetically, is super impressive. On top of that, the puzzles are cleverly thought-out and have a lot of meat to them (even if they did get super mind-melty by level 4…).
@no-grapes-games
This is one suuuuuuuuper clever action-puzzler! Navigating a maze with a constantly spinning avatar makes for some mind-bending maneuvers. Couple that with a super adorable art style, and you got yourself a winner right here!
@onkel-mo, @m2u-84, @bastian, @leeloo, @mrpoopybutthole, @duke, @byzanth, @eweren, @kayahr, @pushking, @headcr4sh, @kuri, @zeenyoga, @thecoconutdream, @very-dark-lord
Entries like these make us feel like complete n00bs by comparison. Hyperloop does an excellent job of crafting a unique atmosphere with solid gameplay mechanics, an impressive amount of assets, superb lighting, and A++ sound design. We forgot we were playing a game that was made in a weekend for a few minutes.
@samdemaine
Y’all have probably seen this one floatin’ around the front page already, and for good reason. This is a charming, simple little game that nails exactly what it sets out to do. I could see myself booting this up in my younger years to kill time in class, which I think is a telltale sign of a classic entry. :ok_hand:
…And there you have it! Those are some of our favorites that we’ve played so far. With less than a week to go, the clock is ticking for us, and we still have a lot more games to play, so if we discover any more gems between now and then, we’ll be sure to post additional recommendations!
Again, we are super floored at the level of quality this time around. Keep on keepin’ on, we can’t wait to see what y’all put out next!
‘Til next time. :pointright: :cowboy: :pointright:
