Play game
Numeral's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Enjoyment | #3029 | 3.263 | 3.263 |
| Narrative | #3608 | 2.632 | 2.632 |
| Artwork | #3988 | 3.211 | 3.211 |
| Creativity | #4349 | 3.316 | 3.316 |
| Audio | #7088 | 2.211 | 2.211 |
Ranked from 19 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?
Every platform in NUMERAL is a numeral. A counter steps 9, 8, 7, down to 1 on a beat, and when it calls a digit, every tile bearing that digit is erased. Then the world rebuilds at 9 and the cycle restarts. I read COUNT DOWN not as a clock running out, but as counting downward through objects. So the world's countdown destroys, and the player's countdown preserves. Your one verb is the strike, which lowers an adjacent tile's digit by one. A lower digit is called later, so counting a tile down makes it die later. Strike a tile all the way to 0 and it leaves the count forever, because the counter only ever speaks 9 through 1, and zero is not a number it knows how to call. That is the only way to build something permanent in a world that deletes itself on a loop. The same counter also opens doors. A numeral wall too tall to jump is impassable until the beat that calls its digit erases it, so the countdown is what lets you through as much as what takes the floor out from under you. The last level has no exit. The only address left in the room is the one you are standing on. You strike it to zero, the counter finds nothing left to call, and the machine stops speaking.
(Optional) Please credit all assets you've used
No external art or audio. All visuals are drawn procedurally in engine: the numerals are a hand authored 5x7 bitmap font, and the CRT look is one custom fragment shader. All audio is synthesised at runtime, there are no sound files.
Font: Departure Mono by Helena Zhang (CC0).
Built with Claude Code (Anthropic) as a pair programmer, directed and playtested by a human.
(Optional) What would you like to be called if GMTK features your game?
zeezbitstudios
Leave a comment
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
Comments
I like the use of the theme here!
I didn't have any major issues while playing this game, so I'll just go over the minor ones.
The hazard blocks didn't read to me as hazards right away, maybe making them spiky or red would help them stand out and look more threatening.
There's no explanation for how the strikes work other than a really faint bit of text saying it's possible to do. Some big text on the screen on that level where it's first required could have saved some time.
The last level threw me off a bit, since I didn't try to use my strikes at all for a while and just sat on the safe side ledges. Maybe removing the safety net could have sped that up.
Some music would have been nice.
Other than those four, this is a really neat, competent little game. The challenge ramps up at a good rate, the premise and mechanics are sound, yeah that's pretty good.
Hopefully next time, you feel confident enough to write the code yourself. You clearly know what a decent game looks like already, now getting your hands dirty is the next step!
Thank you so much for the feedback. And yes these could have made the game better. For the part of writing code myself - that would be the next big thing for me!
That's a great idea! Unfortunately I got stuck on the 7, 6 level where you have to time your jump from a 7 platform to pass a 6 wall. Maybe I got it wrong and tried to solve it the wrong way by timing my jump but I couldn't find the right time after 50 tries... I wish I could pass it to see more!
Congrats for the game, it's really amazing
Hiii, in that particualr level you have an option to strike the three 7 blocks to a lower number by pressing "S". For example on the third 7 block you press "S" three times so it becomes a 4 then after the countdown, wall of 6 will vanish and you can jump on to cross it. And if you follow this link - Strik down to the game page, you will find the gif demonstrating it.
Thank you so much for playing the game and sorry that you have to try so many times, hope that now you will enjoy it more!
Oh gosh! I didn't get that! I'll try again
the core mechanic of striking tiles down to 0 to make them permanent while the 9-to-1 beat erases the rest is so smart and rhythmic. the CRT shader looks super crisp too. such a unique puzzle experience, incredible job!
Thank you so much for your kind words! Really glad that you enjoyed playing the game!!
Great idea! I've never played anything like this and it was addictive right until I got stuck. Well done :)
Thank you so much for your kind words and glad that you really liked playing it!
That's complex, a little bit confusing, but it's got a rhythm in it. Which is great!
Thanks a lot! Will work harder next time so it feels better to play!
This is an extremely, extremely creative interpretation of the theme. Wow, definitely the most interesting I've reviewed so far. Movement is fun and the mechanic just works. Well done.
Audio is sparse and I do wish there was a little more going on there (but I'm an audio guy, so I'm biased I suppose). The copy definitely all reads like it was written by Claude which I don't love and for me it hurts the immersion/narrative, but it's understandable during jams when the deadline is tight.
Thank you so much for your kind words and glad that you enjoyed playing it. And yes audio needs more work but I am not good in this departement and wanted to keep it to the bare minimum so it doesn't feel that bad. And for the dialogues, wanted to keep it more machine like so I can get an excuse to use claude XD. Thanks again!!!
Wow. A very unique and interesting concept which was enjoyable to play. I thought the difficulty level was spot on. The visuals are nice and crisp (love the CRT shader)
Thanks a lot! Really glad that you enjoyed playing the game!
This is a clever and original use of the count down theme. I enjoyed playing it and pretty nice design.
Thank you so much and glad that you really liked it