Wow this is a really a perfectly balanced that is really engaging. Are you a game dev student? All of your games seem to have great design and game play loops. Your genuinely incredibly talented and I want to know what was your strategy coming up with this idea and developing the game?
Viewing post in Crow and Jack and the Snowman Attack jam comments
Oh wow, thanks for the major compliment! I’m not a game dev student, though have been reading and watching game dev related things a lot this year. However, I think that’s all supplemental to the fact that I’ve always had a love for playing games from a variety of eras and genres and more recently I’ve been thinking a lot about why they work or don’t work, or how they deliver the intended feeling or experience through gameplay. I find the “simpler” the game, the bigger the teacher - especially since my own technical skills are currently limited to 2D arcade-like games.
When developing I just try to follow my instinct… “ah this feels a bit boring” or “this only gets fun later, how can I make it fun earlier” or “if I added this element here it’d be more fun”.
This game was actually the third idea I’d had. The first was a basic one where you’re a campfire that moves left to right, collecting falling leaves while avoiding rain to keep your fire lit. Felt that might be too basic, though could be decent with some more elements. The next idea was very different: a Pac-Man-like game but you’re trying to light as much of the stage on fire while avoiding water ghosts who would move around and put out the fire. That felt like it would take me too long to implement (haven’t learnt pathfinding for enemies yet) and I’d end up with a clone of another game. Finally, combining the leaf collecting idea with another arcade game (space invaders) led me to the final product. It was just the right balance of easy-to-implement and unique-to-play. Inspired also by games like Pragmata, Undertale and Truck-kun Is Supporting Me where there is a mini game and a main game going on at the same time. I like stealing ideas from different places (even from non-games) and combining them into my own thing.
Anyway, thanks for playing and giving me the opportunity to talk about this (I love it haha)! I’m looking forward to playing your entry soon when I’ve got some free time over the weekend.