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A jam submission

From Nothing : A Game about Escaping Mental CagesView game page

A game made from bits and pieces, about pulling yourself together and making something meaningful from your existence.
Submitted by ThunderSpark9001 — 2 days, 6 hours before the deadline
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From Nothing : A Game about Escaping Mental Cages's itch.io page

Results

CriteriaRankScore*Raw Score
Video Pitch#34.3604.360
Creativity#114.4004.400
Overall#134.0004.000
Enjoyment#194.0004.000
Audio#423.5603.560
Artwork#973.6803.680

Ranked from 25 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.

How does your game fit the theme?
1. The game starts with the protagonist breaking out of a box
2. I thought outside the box and used a mix of my own unfinished sprites and various asset packs from Itch bundles so that the visual theme of the game is barely consistent
3. The major theme of the game's narrative is breaking free from the mental cages (or boxes) of self-doubt and inaction we put ourselves in, as well as the game itself being a reflection on the various projects I've abandoned from allowing my own insecurities get to me.

Video Submission
https://youtube.com/shorts/_C4DrBm15Bk?si=_RVqpxonxYzgpDdP

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Comments

Submitted(+2)

Incredibly clever and fun game. The storytelling is wonderful and I really enjoyed talking to the characters. The soundtrack was an absolute joy as well. Amazing job!

Developer(+1)

Writing the characters was one of my favorite parts of developing the game, so thanks for the compliments on that front! 

(+2)

Very fun!

Submitted(+1)

This is a really awesome concept! The premise of the story is super intriguing and really really creative! The combat also slaps. I loved getting to chuck a fire extinguisher at those pesky slimes! Amazing submission!

Developer

Thanks for checking it out! I'm glad the combat stuck with you, I was trying to capture the type of gameplay from the top-down Zelda games.

Submitted(+1)

Good game! Got stuck at the part where you're supposed to cast the spell over the town.

Submitted(+2)

First thing I want to note is that I found a bug (at least on the windows version) where talking to Brooke again causes you to not be able to move. 

The next thing, this game is actually incredible. I absolutely love the art style and the differences between the characters. I also loved getting to learn more about them all, and I loved walking around in the cool environment. The music was so good, and fit so well. The idea of making a game based on all of your unfinished projects is really cool. And lastly, the story is so so beautiful. Genuinely cried at the end, it's beautiful to see these projects you've had get some well deserved light. I can tell this game had so much passion poured into it, and I genuinely forgot it was a game jam game while I was playing it.

I really can't wait to see what you make next.

Developer

The Brooke bug is a known issue and I had no idea it existed until after the submission period ended. Good to hear it didn't detract from the rest of the game for you though!

Submitted(+1)

Hey, I tried your game and I can tell you put a lot of yourself into it, the whole idea of breaking out of mental cages really comes through

The mix of visuals and storytelling actually works in a unique way, it gives the game a kind of raw feeling that fits the theme really well. Some moments really stood out because of that

It’s not just another jam game, it feels more personal and memorable

Really nice work. I’m also in the jam, so if you get a chance to check my game I’d love to hear what you think

Submitted(+1)

Really fun game, will play more after the voting ends!

Submitted(+1)

I haven't finished it yet (I think i'm about halfway??) But from what i've seen it's really awesome and you should be proud of it! The game totally nails the vibe its going for

Submitted(+1)

wha this is incredible!!! the story is geniunely beautiful, all the characters are loveable, the soundtrack slaps, and the artwork despite being ametaurish, fits the vibes of the game perfectly! i love this world you created, and look forward all your future creations! 

Developer

I guess I've made a good impression if I have people saying they look forward to what I do in the future! Thanks for playing!

Submitted(+1)

The storytelling here is great! The world you've set up is really cool. I haven't played the whole thing yet, but I'm excited to see more of it! Also, the title drop in the trailer was killer.

Developer

I'm very proud of the trailer, yeah! Thanks for checking it out and I'm glad my narrative is clicking for people.

Submitted(+1)

I made a game about mental barriers in a previous jam, it is always a much needed part of any jam to have one game like this tbh.

Developer

Glad you liked it, I just really wanted to try and make a game that would be very meaningful to me.

Submitted(+1)

Really good game, has a good storyline and artwork, very enjoyable. There is a spot in the subway 2 where you can exit and stay on the outer part of the map which I assume isn't intended.

Keep up the good work!

Developer

It was bound to happen at least once that someone would find an out of bounds spot lol. I'm glad you liked the story though, I put a lot of effort into it!

Submitted(+2)

This was phenomenal!! Loved the story and all its characters, genuinely left a few tears in my eye by the end. Hope you make it far!

Developer

I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for checking it out, It's great to hear that someone really clicked with the story!

Submitted(+1)

I really liked this one! The story is really interesting and the gameplay, while simple, is really fun! I'll definitely be checking out what you make in the future. Also, I don't know if this is intentional or not, but when dying to the Mage, the shields and Mage don't reappear for the cutscene.

Developer

Thanks for checking it out! And yeah, I can't believe I let that scripting error slip by me again. The mage is actually working exactly as intended, I just...forgot to reset their position when the player dies. Glad you liked it tho, I put my all into this one!

Submitted(+1)

I think you did incredibly well with this, and it's genuinely great how well you adapted to the theme and to making your first real game. I can't wait to see what you do with more time.