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Insect Hospice's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Narrative | #1010 | 3.450 | 3.450 |
| Creativity | #3170 | 3.550 | 3.550 |
| Artwork | #3762 | 3.250 | 3.250 |
| Enjoyment | #5685 | 2.700 | 2.700 |
| Audio | #9566 | 1.450 | 1.450 |
Ranked from 20 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?
a countdown of life
(Optional) Please credit all assets you've used
see description for full credits
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Comments
Very bitter sweet game concept and execution! I was not expecting to feel so deeply about my bug friends, but in your own words, the game is about "noticing, choosing, and letting go" which hits very hard. I really like that there's no obvious "win condition" - you do what you think is best for your insect across each day knowing that your time is limited, but not knowing by how much. I wonder if this game was inspired by caring for an elderly pet or family member, as it really brings me back to times in life where I've been in similar situations. Sorry for the mini-rant haha! Beyond the lack of audio, I would have liked to see the insect I'm caring for respond to my 3 actions between days. Even just a small animation of the insect eating my food, basking in my sunlight/shade, etc. would make my actions feel a little more impactful. I enjoyed the comfy art style, and the central notepad with all of the game info! Other than that, I really enjoyed the narrative and emotion impact of the game. I think you achieved everything you set out to with this one. Thank you for a unique and thoughtful submission!
Thank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful comment.
I currently have an elderly pet at home, and I've also spent time caring for injured insects. The one I cared for the longest was a cricket I found almost frozen in my garage during the winter. After reading everything I could find, I realized it had almost no chance of surviving if I released it back into the wild, so I decided to bring it home instead. You can probably imagine me wrapping Christmas presents with a cricket chirping beside me. It was such a unique Christmas, and I'll never forget it.
I did my best to make its remaining time as comfortable as possible. When it eventually reached the end of its natural lifespan, all I could do was watch it grow weaker until it passed away. It's a helpless feeling, but at the same time, I knew it was simply part of nature, and that I had done everything I could.
At first, I didn't connect the countdown theme with this idea, so I ended up spending quite a bit of time exploring other directions. Then, during the jam, I came across an injured firefly and brought it home to care for. It survived for two days before it passed away, and that's when this idea came to me. I just didn't have enough time to finish those details within the jam's deadline.
Thank you for the suggestion! I agree that adding more animations and audio would make the experience even better! And I'd like to add Ruben, my cricket who passed away, to the game as well. It feels like a nice way to remember him.
omg this is so sad, you did a great job of delivering an emotional experience in such a short time span
I'm sorry for putting such a heavy topic into the game. I thought the cockroach part would make the game feel a little less heavy. Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to play my game. It really means a lot to me.
my heart nearly melted, maybe that's just because I love bugs way too much, awesome work <3
Thanks for playing! Glad you had fun ;)
Aww, this is really sweet. As someone who spent a lot of my childhood building horrible failed terrariums for the isopods in my backyard, it's nice to play a game that engages with my true power fantasy (knowing enough about insects to not accidentally kill them).
Thanks for playing! The fact that you build little homes for your isopods is already so adorable. I didn't expect my game to remind you of that, so reading your comment made me really happy. Thank you so much for your kind words!
These poor bugs 🪲😱
I wish I could have saved them all. Such is life...
I'm sorry to say the bugs in the game were based on insects I actually found in real life and wasn't able to save (except for the cockroach ...). I guess that's just how life is. We can't always save them, but maybe during the final countdown of their lives, we can still choose to do something to make them a little more comfortable. Thank you for playing! And thank you for caring about these little creatures. That's very kind.
What a funny game Well done
Please rate my game Flip it
Sure! Thanks for playing!
I really liked this one. I LOVE games like undertale where you chose to kill, or spare things, and this is no different. Also very informative! and naturally, when i see a bug I dont really think much of it, well now i do. Only complaint is that there isnt any audio.
Hey, thank you so much for playing! I honestly didn't expect my interpretation of the theme to be understood on that level, so reading your comment made me really happy. I'm also sorry I didn't have enough time to add any audio, but thank you so much for your kind words! ;)
very informative and usefull. good joob! I would like you to rate my game as well.
Thanks for playing! I love your game as well ;)
tkank’s :)
Very cozy game. It also teaches things.
I only feel bad for the ccockroachs.
Music would have been a very nice addiction, but I guess it's not a big deal. Just add it after the jam.
The art is actually cool.
Thanks for playing! I also feel a little bit bad for the cockroach. (No, I don't, haha)
I also wish I'd had time to add some music. I'll probably do that after the rating period ends.
Thanks again for your kind words!
really creative twist on the theme!
Thanks for playing! I'm glad you noticed my take on the theme, haha.