This event I got around to trying out more entries than ever, currently I'm at 105.125 "ratings given", so I've probably played around 110-120 titles. These were almost exclusively HTML5 entries playable in a browser. (This is just out of convenience, I usually only download or install games that placed well after the ratings period.)
I figured I'd share my favourites, one entry per voting category:
Humor
Bulldozer By The Sea by @foxxy and @eldogg
The core concept is hilarious to begin with: you control a bulldozer trying to free beached fish stuck in the sand. The toyish low-poly visuals are matched perfectly by the absurd voice-over work, and a very polished core mechanic. The implication that you are either a fish yourself driving this bulldozer, or a human relative of these stranded idiots rounds out the pure joy of this gem.
Audio
Fade by @jeremy-ryan
This is an all around beautiful entry. I picked it as my top Audio game not strictly because of the audio work itself, but due to the way it uses music as a core driving force of the concept and the gameplay, and a powerful storytelling device. This is an inspired idea delivered with great finesse. (And the only game on this list not playable in a browser.)
Graphics
Dikes & Polders by @andre-sadie and @nsadie
A simple puzzler with a captivating style: an isometeric floating grid with pastel colours comes to life as you reclaim land from the sea to grow tulips. A great excercise in minimalism, and an elegant use of the theme. Amongst my favourite visuals this jam, this was the only one not using pixel graphics, so I picked it for highlighting.
Innovation
Deeply Dazed by @xiahouheshuo and @hangergames
A minimalistic puzzler where you have to configure the parts of a Spirograph to match the desired end result. A mind-boggling entry built around a single mechanic that is so familiar yet so hard to wrap your head around.
Theme
ScanR by @charliegray
An innovative platformer where you have to explore a dark cave with a clever ray-casting mechanic.
I lacked clear stand-outs in the Theme category, I picked this one because among the myriad of other cave- and ocean-exploration games this one gave me the best feeling of depth by daring to make the cave completely pitch black. This accented the great core mechanic and made for a great atmosphere.
Mood
Substrate Mining Co. by @romanempire, @ilyas-aqil and @steve-dragon
A highly polished narrative-driven game where you explore an abandoned mine. The pixel art is crisp, the story is well fleshed out, and you have a great degree of freedom by simply having no objective - it's up to you what to look at and when to consider the game complete.
Fun
Fish'o'gram by @maxds98, @bugord, @katalistine and @amolker
Deep dive with a submarine to discover wildlife, you've probably met this take on the theme a few times this jam - I know I have, upwards of 5 times! However, this cute title is probably my favourite. The photo mechanic is outstanding, capturing exactly what's in your view finder, with optional upgrades to resolution, and the ocean is filled with beautifully drawn creatures. The phone mechanic gives a little personal and contemporary touch. All in all it's just a relaxing and fun casual title.
Overall
Dome Romantik by @idinakloppstock and @rongo-matane
My overall favourite game this jam, this thing is just flawless. A very polished mining mechanic where you have to balance how much time you spend away from the surface so that you can properly upgrade and defend your base. A beautiful retro aesthetic with great pixel art and a limited colour palette. Outstanding polish for a jam game, everything just looks and works smoothly, the main gameplay loop is enjoyable, and it has a beginning and an end.
Closing thoughts
I am very happy to have had the opportunity to play+rate this many entries this year. Compared to previous jams I felt that the theme spawned a bit too many variations of the same few game concepts, but maybe this is just due to me having seen more titles this year than usually. I was also a bit surprised that the proportion of Compo games didn't increase much, despite this being our special 48th event. (I myself have made a compo game for the first time, and while I will be probably going back to the 72h Jam, I have no regrets.)
Did you guys also find the games less diverse than previous years? What are your standout entries?
