This is a really interesting game, it's like downwell but gambling (you just rely on luck more or less when falling). I am also quite sorry I wasn't able to rate it during the jam, I'll deff rate it for the 2nd jam which I see you've joined :)
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Downwards Bound's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| How well does the game fit the themes? | #5 | 3.818 | 3.818 |
| Visuals | #7 | 3.727 | 3.727 |
| How do you rate the game overall (you can consider fun, dev time, etc.)? | #13 | 2.909 | 2.909 |
| Audio | #16 | 2.909 | 2.909 |
| Gameplay | #18 | 2.727 | 2.727 |
Ranked from 11 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
How long was your dev time?
3 hours
Comments
I found myself getting stuck a lot, maybe the player could have some type of movement ability, and rely on hazards for the run to end? super good foundation for the next phase of the jam though, very nice work!
Quite a nice game (I especially love the graphics) but I wish the gameplay relied a bit less on luck. Unless I'm missing something, it seems sometimes there is no way to guess you're going into a dead end until it's too late. I tried going with caution and going all-in with random jumps and both strategies gave the same results, only with the former being slower. ^^
Still a very fun random-choice game with an impressive level generation algorithm given the time limit! I don't know what you could add. Maybe some narrative with a story uncovering as you go deeper in these mines?
It´s cool and cruel at the same time… Max depth was 250m aprox. Music, ambient and concept are really cool!! Congrats! You have a good start here for add more mechanics and features…
The procedural generation takes time, and if you fall into a dead-end, it´s a bit boring waiting another 30 seconds without going out.
If possible, it could be great if, in the first 100 meters, the dead-ends have a real possibility to jump out.
I want to see more if possible ^^
Great visuals, background music, and lighting! The build up really wanted me to be able to explore the mine for awhile. It would be cool if the gameplay was a little more forgiving to start, because twice I got stuck immediately after my first jump.
This one really stood out to me...loved the vibe....there's a quiet sense of mystery in both the aesthetic and the pacing that works beautifully together.
For upcoming jams - As for the navigation, it might be helpful to have a limited-use ability to recover from getting stuck. One more suggestion would be to reduce the dungeon generation time.
I like the vibe of this one. And the story. I feel like it could be a very relaxing game if it were a little easier to not have to end your run after getting trapped in canyons.
I really liked this one! The visuals r really pretty and fit well with the feeling the gameplay evokes (sort of solemn but also adventurous). It's insanely impressive that you got world-gen working in 3 hours - doubly so considering that it still felt like there was a pattern to what paths lead to progress vs dead-ends.
It would be nice to see some more visual variety as you descended - I think for a title like this the reward comes from being able to uncover more interesting details in the world as you descend. New areas, oddities, geometries and so on can vary the descent enough to make each playthrough an enticing mystery!
Additionally it might be nice to be a little more forgiving about dead ends. For example - maybe the MC has a super-jump they can use a limited number of times to get them out of tough spots (which also requires the player to use skilfully in order to escape). Though maybe that would be antithetical to the jam theme ahaha.
Great job on this title!


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