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Below the Crust's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| AI Direction & Adaptability | #9 | 3.500 | 3.500 |
| Overall Enjoyment | #11 | 3.300 | 3.300 |
| Production Velocity | #21 | 2.800 | 2.800 |
| Theme Fidelity & Creativity | #22 | 3.100 | 3.100 |
Ranked from 10 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
The Biggest Challenge
#1 I struggled with the theme, making a game in phaser with AI initially as a platformer. I had to create editing tools for the level, the AI couldn't create a compelling level solution initally. It annoyed me so much I pivot'd to another idea.
AI Tools Used
Codex, Suno.
Areas Where AI Was Used
Images, Sound, Code, Uploading the game files. The only thing touched was the game config files for balancing tweaks.
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Comments
It was an intuitive and super fun game where you just dig your way straight down! The skill unlock feature is really interesting too!
I was impressed by how well-polished the game mechanics were, and I found it really fun to play!
It's sad that I can't just ignore the core and keep digging straight down—the game won't let me. It just forces my path to veer toward the core against my will… I really thought I'd be able to enjoy that kind of freedom once I'd fully unlocked all the skills… 🥺
…But putting that aside, this is a really enjoyable game. The thrill of being able to dig straight through in one go is simply indescribable.
I had a great time!! 🙂
That's fantastic feedback! I was so focused on the core, I didn't think about that. Thank you for playing!
The thrill of the moment I upgraded my drill and could dig continuously was fantastic!
It’s also great how you can gradually feel the impact of the upgrades.
Plus, the background music has a catchy, addictive quality to it!
Fun idea! It would be awesome if you could flip between drilling and plowing through the rock and the bounce effect as you went with Pachinko Machine cave buffers that bounce you off with boost so you go wild around the screen.
I love the fun music and the brisk pacing.
Came over after your kind words on DEEP — and this is great! The "how far do I push before I bank?" tension is the good kind of greed, and having Charge auto-extract and bank your Alloy means a failed dive still feeds the Skill Map, so progress never feels wasted. Drilling through the voxel crust is satisfying and the meta-upgrades (charge/drill/burst/yield) give a real reason to re-drop. It nails the DIVE-as-descent theme; the one place it's lighter is the jam's BUDDY side — a companion drone or rescue-buddy could add another layer. Really polished run-based loop. Nicely done!