Skip to main content

Indie game storeFree gamesFun gamesHorror games
Game developmentAssetsComics
SalesBundles
Jobs
TagsGame Engines
A jam submission

Across the SandsView game page

A textless game about deserts, tea, trade, and traveling.
Submitted by Timespiraled — 1 day, 5 hours before the deadline
Add to collection

Play game

Across the Sands's itch.io page

Results

CriteriaRankScore*Raw Score
Presentation#973.4003.400
Gameplay#1202.6002.600
Overall#1432.4002.400
Theme#1752.0002.000
Engagement#1841.6001.600

Ranked from 5 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.

Leave a comment

Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.

Comments

Submitted (1 edit) (+1)

Quite an original game in which all the instructions are conveyed through images and imaginary glyphs. I very much like the idea of the puzzle, and it's a nice brain cruncher having to make tea for one guest while watching out for what the other is ordering. Very nicely done. 

However...

It's mentally very taxing, and it goes on and on and on... The counter of 636 just seems so horribly far away that I eventually gave up at the point shown in the screen shot. At each place of selling, you see the counter only inching towards the goal, and after a while you start wondering: is it worth it?  The game only becomes increasingly difficult, and with nothing in the way of a reward in between, I just got the feeling I was being punished for progress lol. 

It's a shame because the idea itself is very good. And I really did (through trial and error) understand what you were supposed to do without any form of text. But by that time I've already missed the precious low-hanging points that I missed out on because I initially didn't understand what was going on, and heard one customer after another sigh and leave. 

So... I would suggest to have some rewards in place every so often, as well as save points. But, again the idea is quite nice. The atmosphere is also good, and the graphics match very well with what you're trying to do. Just a tiny little bit of tender love and care would have made a huge difference!

Developer(+1)

Thanks for giving Across the Sands a try. The game "stages" are definitely meant to be taxing but the game could definitely improve with shorter term goals. Game Jam deadline gave me very little wiggle room to iterate but it's definitely what I have planned for post-game jam, whenever that ends up being.

I'm glad the art stuck for most playtesters; it's the first time I attempt to create my own art assets for a jam and it was definitely a learning experience!

(+1)

I really like the artstyle of this game and I think the gameplay has potential. It does really need more variety though. Maybe some enemies that you have to avoid, like sand raiders or even sand worms similar to Dune. The environment is a desert and while I get that it's hard to think of some interesting landmarks for a desert, it's not impossible, especially for a fantasy game. This desert needed more 'life' to make the journey more interesting.

The biggest flaw is probably the fact that you decided to make a textless game, yet it seems like the player is supposed to read the game page first for instructions? I didn't read it and really struggled with the game itself. Ideally, the game should provide all the instructions you need within itself and the fact that it's textless still allows for that, just use more universally understood icons and such.

I do think it's a good effort for the jam and hope to see more games from you in the future!

Developer(+1)

The lack of location variety really just boiled down to lack of time sadly. I had all 26 stages + travel decor planned out but I had to settle for the waystations/markets/flags as deadline closed in. It really wasn't hard to come up with them. Enemies are a definite "no-go" since that'd undermine the entire premise behind the setting.

Appreciate the feedback on the first level tutorial not being enough handholding. None of the playtesters had the game page and were able to understand how to play without additional instruction but there's definitely improvements that can be made to it + adding a way to call back the instructions somehow.

You'll definitely see me again, either in your own jams or elsewhere.

Submitted(+1)

A nice, calm experience, exactly as promised. The core of the game is very lovely. The mechanics are simple but engaging, the artstyle likewise. I wonder if a bit more variation in the background art may help build a bigger connection with the world and the journey.  All in all, the game succeeds in what it sets out to do and could be exactly what somebody is looking for.

Developer(+1)

Thank you very much for the kind words. Waffling about on other concepts cost me some time so I didn't get to the unique landmarks for every stop/travel but I'm looking forward to adding those in post-jam alongside some other QOL fixes and perhaps some more skiff variety. 

Thanks for playing!