My first game on LD. I think, deep dark fantasies gachimuchi is the best "deeps" theme disclosure :tongue: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/deepdarkfantasies

I grade for now 29 games and here my personally top 5 for now.

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/scrab-the-scrabbler Balatro + scrabble + arcade. For me, as a not-native English speaker, It was a good balance in difficulty: I chill in arcade part and hard thinking in balatro+scrabble part. Definitely good game experience.

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/floor-22 Most stylish game in jam. Simple, but music + art works very well.

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/fantastic-general Opposite of previous game. Not so stylish, but complex and full-content turn based strategy like generals or Eador. Good game in rare category.

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/deeper Old styled flash game. Brave provoking game.

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/grimm-syndrome Full-content narrative rhythme game. Style story-driven experience.

Disclaimer: I’m not a PC game designer, but I have extensive experience designing social games for real-life.

In my opinion, there are two approaches to game development:

1. Mechanics-Focused Design This refers to everything that forces the player to make choices. This approach often works for strategy games, deck-builders, or logic-based games. Key principles here are:

   • The player must constantly choose between options, with no single "overpowered" solution.
   • The player shouldn’t be able to develop an optimal strategy or "solve" the game. Instead, they should face unique situations requiring tailored solutions.

2. Narrative-Focused Design This means making the player believe in the world you’re creating. For example, if your game is about a gangster, it must include guns, cash, cars, and rap. Any elements that clash with this theme break immersion, making the player distrust the game.

My Ludum Dare Jam Experience: I had only 2 days and roughly 10 hours to work on the game. The theme was "deeps", which I interpreted as "deep dark fantasies"—a nod to the niche gachimuchi subculture. I chose the narrative-focused approach.

1. How I Did It:

   • Listed everything I associate with gachimuchi: low-quality cross-fandom fanfics, music mashups, a neon-lit bar inspired by Blue Lagoon, gym rivalries, and Twitch emotes.
   • Added all these elements into the game. The genres (visual novel + rhythm game) emerged naturally, serving the narrative rather than dictating it.
   • Skipped core rhythm-game mechanics, like the pop-up messages for hitting notes in Guitar Hero. For my game, immersion through the fanfic storyline mattered more, and I spend my time for more important things.

2. Result:

There is my thinks about this theme. I would be happy, if you share your opinion in comments and play my game!

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/57/deepdarkfantasies

I want to understand community position about this:

https://poll-maker.com/poll5463099x31E04059-162

Discussion in comments

I have fun to play and comment your games! This is an interesting experience. We all now have our own unique history!

(This is the game main hero)

If you want chill and relax on phonk music, welcome to my short game!

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/58/$419963

https://mr-mesmer.itch.io/the-a-q-game

I hope all have fun as me while making JAM's!

| Light on | Light off | | --------- | --------- | | | |

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/58/the-a-game

Hi all. I want to pitch my jam game(https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/58/the-a-game) to local publisher 18th October.

If anyone here, who would streams jam games, I will be happy, if you play my game, and I use part of VOD for my pitch.

Hi all! I write a 7 slides pitch presentation, which explain publishers about my game.

If you are a JAMer - I will be happy to listen your advices in comments about game and pitch slides.

If you are a publisher - feel free to contact me.

Slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vpXS3Q6L5Boyi5PdNas5RG3VOoHhJyCsEpLUEsVprWQ/edit?usp=sharing

Game: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/58/the-a-game

Love you all ❤️❤️❤️

1. The Collected (https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/58/ldgame-58).

I like mood in this deckbuilder. It remember me Hoffmann's tale "The Golden Pot" and Mullins games.

1. BoolkUp (https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/58/bulkup).

This game give me madness vibe. 0 brain, lighweight game with cats and antropomorphic cats.

1. Claim thy lands (https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/58/claim-thy-land).

This is an autobattler game with mechanics like in board games. I don't know, how to make full steam version from this, but I like solve this game in this demo.

Share you top games in comments!

I tried to add some vitality in my game:

JAM character:

JAM-character with eyes:

I think, it will be character improvement, for mini-games, when I need in eyes. For example, shooter with A character in this panel

It was fun this time! And I know a lot! My path with this game now.

1. Develops this game for half of day

2. Knows, that viral game makes viral vibes

3. Knows, that top-grades games generate more grades

4. I try to make pitch presentation to publishers (en: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vpXS3Q6L5Boyi5PdNas5RG3VOoHhJyCsEpLUEsVprWQ/edit?usp=sharing, ru: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/14hp7R_s91tvTtgk2UZ0kHDMEqhQaY74ZvqDP6I3eKsc/edit?usp=sharing)

5. Send pitch to stream with publishers, and get some hate from normies.

6. Start develop post-JAM version for trying tiktoks

7. Get first wishlist! (Like, "I will buy you game, if it will be released in steam" message in discord chat)

----YOU ARE HERE NOW ------

1. FUTURE PLAN: try to makes tiktoks with this postJAM game

2. Try to makes some reddit posts

3. See results, and try to develops 1-1.5 hour version of my game for STEAM!

Be cool and have fun on LD, in as many aspects as you can!!!

https://youtube.com/shorts/OWk3JXVOY5M?feature=share

From top-8 LD humor game to steam release!