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Bougainvillea's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Theme | #152 | 3.897 | 3.897 |
| Audio | #202 | 3.483 | 3.483 |
| Visuals | #238 | 3.931 | 3.931 |
| Innovation | #356 | 3.241 | 3.241 |
| Overall | #363 | 3.316 | 3.316 |
| Enjoyment | #593 | 2.966 | 2.966 |
| Gameplay | #818 | 2.379 | 2.379 |
Ranked from 29 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
How does the game fit the theme?
An Interactive Visual Novel about a Strange Place
What code and assets did you not make from scratch during the jam (if any)?
Godot Dialogue Manager by Nathan Hoad
Music by incompetech.com (Artist Credited in Game)
SFX by snd.dev and others credited in game
Montage Sequence edited by me and footage from pixabay
How many people worked on the game?1
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Comments
Spoiler alert!
The storytelling was amazing and the music gave the unsettling vibe.
And, was that video made by you?
It's really good having also it to tell the story but would have used more because now I feel it's a bit out of place because it's used once and the rest being 2D.
Also, didn't quite understand why the scenes with the man were colored differently? The style was also different.
Didn't like much the 'loading' screens as they would appear after a 'reavilng' moment breaking the vibe.
About the credits section, I would have liked it at the end, a more impatient player would have already closed because they're not skippable. About the bike wheel, it was a bit long the part where you needed to go 'forward', maybe if it already showed the lady and the bench looping as a siluette to not spoiler, it would have been a good hint to what was coming.
Lastly, after being able to move I immediatly went left out of curiosity and fell out of the frame.
Didn't quite notice it was looping until the text said it did. Maybe by leaving a more significant element that repeats, it would give the effect.
Overall really liked how the text showed and the art depicted the scenes well,
well done Arjun!
A really unique and engaging interactive story. the pacing was good and it felt enjoyable to sit here and voice all of the characters :) also the idea that we are the person on the bicycle has blown my mind.
The game has some really interesting things going for it. The sudden shift to real footage worked well to sell the feeling of eeriness and confusion. The unique addition of interactive minigames was also welcome and I would have loved to see more of them but saw in another comment you struggled with the forever-problem of game jams: not enough time. Still, the ones you did have time to include were really neat additions. One small point of feedback would be to unify the control schemes for the minigames. In the bicyle minigame you use the W key, whereas during the side scroller section suddenly switches to the arrow keys.
Other than that I just found it a little strange how many times the text boxes just described the literal events being displayed by the visuals as if it was the actual script. Stuff like "Cut to...", "... fills the frame." and "A closeup of...". These things are already conveyed by the art so I feel like you could accomplish more by using the different media of the game (frames, text, audio) to each explore and "paint" different aspects of the scene to really sell the story.
Either way, Bougainvillea was an interesting, unsettling but relaxing game that I enjoyed my short time with.
Great atmosphere and vibe. The juxtaposition of the description of the camera angles plus the drawn pictures is awesome and then later cutting to real footage and the continuous noise from the bicycle creates the feeling of confusion that really sticks. You definitely have a skill for writing and story telling. My biggest criticism would just be it needs a little more gamifying and polishing for specifically the interactive stuff, but for a game jam, this was well done!
Thanks for the feedback. Initially, it was supposed to have a lot of mini games, just like in the beginning with the cycle, but as most of my time was spent doing art I wasn’t able to implement it in time. But I definitely would work on it after the jam
Game is preety amazing with a great story telling, but I think there's a bug in your web build (or it was intentional). The part where we have the control of "the girl". The asset has some missalignment, I don't know if it was artistic choice, just telling you. Also great visuals with chill sound effects.
Cheers, Silent Comet
Thanks for playing. I am not sure what misalignment you are talking about but I’ll take a look
This is such a delicate and powerful piece of work--I genuinely loved every aspect of it. It might honestly be my favorite game I've played in the jam so far.
The moment that really got me was the line "Do ya mind"--the SFX there scared the hell out of me. And I keep thinking about the Bougainvilleas. The fact that they're the only splash of color in an otherwise black-and-white world... it feels so intentional. I'd love to hear what they represent to the team.
Technically, I was also really struck by that sudden shift to realism--that brief 10-second cut to a live-action face and knife. I think the term for that is mixed media or possibly a photo insert cutscene, but whatever you call it, the effect was jarring in the best way. It pulled me right into the tension.
And as someone who does art myself, I have to say--I'm genuinely delighted by the visual direction here. The sketch style, the black-and-white treatment, the way that single color element pops... honestly, I don't think I could have come up with something better myself. It's so cohesive and thought-inspiring.
Really connected with the message too--how "traditional values" can be weaponized. You handled that theme with such care and clarity. Huge thanks to the designer for making something so coherent and memorable.
As someone who also worked on art for this jam, I'd love to connect and share games. So excited for you to try my game—hope you enjoy it!
It means a lot to me that you took the time to play and write to me about it so extensively. Thanks so much. It feels good knowing I was able to generate certain emotions inside other people through my work. I can’t wait to play your games, but sadly I am traveling right now. Again, Thanks so much!!!
Definitely strange. The credits at the beginning had me hesitant to trust the game was over when the start button reappeared haha. Very good suspense builder!
Yeah, I’ll try to add something to indicate the game isn’t over yet after the jam ends. Thanks for letting me know
The art is incredible! I wish there was some kind of warning or sign that the game continues after the credits. The first time, I assumed it was over so I left. When I noticed your screenshots showed more, I went back again and played the rest of it lol
the credits got me off of guard! im glad it didn't end there; cool game and nice art :D
Thanks so much. And you are not alone, one other guy who was streaming the game thought the game ended too.
Really liked the cinematic vibe
Really nice to play a narrative heavy game made in a jam.
It's presenation was very good - between the visuals, stage directions and music it created a very effective atmosphere of unease. Not sure I fully got it, but I really enjoyed my time experiencing it!
This game was amazing! I really enjoyed the story and the visuals and The audio, ESPECIALLY the audio so much. It felt eerie and strange, and really fits well with the theme. Excellent job! :D
Very cool!
The story and visuals are amazing. Well done.
The game has an interesting plot and beautiful visuals.
The sauce, dawg. It’s here.
The art is SO good, really enjoyed the story too!