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Definitely shall be swinging by after in that case, I look forward to it!

Okay this is an absolute underrated little marvel of an entry!

As countdown concepts go, I've not seen one quite so as inventive as an old coin-operated phone-booths, and the noir theme just made it drip with artistic style. Mechanically I felt it was tough but in the slightly hilarious Surgeon Simulator way, where I'm desperately trying to pick coins off the floor with my fat fingers. I've not yet been able to clear the whole segment yet, owing to some pretty terrible coin-slotting management on my part (though I didn't have the same issues with phone-operation some reviewers had), but I know I'll be back, easy add to my favourites list.

As an aside, the little GMTK & Godot on the coins is an awesome little detail, made me smile ear to ear!
Hard to find fault really, contained, fantastic entry!

I'm absolutely terrible at Minesweeper but if every version looked and played like this I don't think I'd ever quit it.

For one, the palette: so vibrant and clean and Sonic-esque whilst still having oodles of it's own charm. The illustrations and animations, tiny details like the little joystick movements and shakes in time with the chomping countdown behind you made it both so intuitive and immersive.

And then there's the slightly inspired decision to make Minesweeper into this arcade-y falling platformer. Like a happy, colourful, cerebral Downwell. I could probably talk about this all day but I'd like to sneak in a couple more runs on my lunch lol. 

Ace ace ace.

I'm gonna start with a really small detail that I think shows the care on this.. the way the game-palette colour matches the colour of the game-page so it looks seamless; that was the first impression and immediately I thought "oh this is gonna be a good'un".

And whad'ya know, it absolutely was! Crazy smart conceptually having the countdown relate to an uncontrollable input timing, not seen anything quite like it. Gave a really nice tempo to the levels and whilst it was difficult, I felt the way the pointer sort-of lazily "floats" in the direction you point it felt very.. well.. jellyfish! The challenge was made a lot fairer too by the way the health resets and especially liked how being damaged allowed you to stop and take a breather. It was the little balances that made me keep picking it up after copping it.

Stylistically awesome too, the little outline on the player and the background and movement effects were on-point, palette choice is sublime.

Absolutely loved it!

What an absolute masterclass of an entry. I think I could (and probably will) spend hours on this.

Where to even start? The theming and styling maybe, just beautifully Nitrome-y with a super-pleasing and intuitive GUI and animation set. The constant reminder of the target combined with the demonic narrative element is absolutely on-point (and reminds me of my personal idea of hell). 

And then mechanically, I've no idea how so much was managed to be squeezed into a jam entry, but the curve from hand-smacking a few boxes into a sort-of Box-Beating industrial complex is an absolute dopamine machine and so well balanced.

Easy favourite and I'm glad it's getting recognised the way it is, I'd be absolutely stunned if this wasn't a Mark favourite and/or a category winner.

Aside from the word "yoinked" in the description, it was the palette that initially drew me to this, real sucker for the true-to-form Gameboy feel and this just fit the bill! What I wasn't expecting was some of the most addicting loops of the jam.

Stylistically, just so rad. The transitions are absolutely on point and the pixel art for everything but especially the cards is so on-brand (I love the Orb card). Despite having very simple inputs there's a level of depth that just brought me back every single time. All paired with extremely pleasing and well-considered sound choices. Dopamine machine right here.

Easy add to the Jam favourites. Great great entry.

"TWO FOR ONEBAAAAAAA"

Yup, saw the thumbnail and knew this'd be the banger I thought it would be. As a Wipeout fan yearning for more speedy floaty racing games this scratched an itch I long thought repressed. Just enough weight to keep things controlled without being too finicky. SFX and the impeccable voice-acting just made the goofiness so brilliant and on-brand. Whole thing was excellent and I'll be coming back to this one I'm sure.

Easy favourites add! Smashing job!

Dude Hard to Bead or Hard to BEAT? (*THE QUALITY OF THIS ENTRY) - *high fives self*

Seriously though what a crazy creative take on the theme, combined with such fantastic execution. It says a lot about a devs design chops when I can open the first level and with absolutely no explaining instinctively know how the game works and the rules, without compromising on challenge.

The palette and general styling lead to such a cozy, relaxing environment with enough going on to keep me engaged. I remember commenting on another title that it almost feels like a space you inhabit than just a game and I think the same applies here. 

Really fantastic entry.

What an underrated gem! Genuinely don't think anything I've had any of the experiences so far quite have this strange nostalgic coziness that this game has. Something about the watercolour art and transitions combined with a sort-of "Impossible Quiz by way of Warioware" style puzzles just had me really invested in a sort-of calm, relaxed fashion.

Really really enjoyed this one. Such a fantastic entry.

As a fan of the old Starbarian series on Youtube back in the day, I KNEW I had to check this one out from the thumbnail alone, and I'm so so glad I did!

Character designs? Ace. The little grunt from picking up and chucking random space guff killed me every time. The mix of 2D and 3D was also super original and really sold the offbeat aesthetic, paired with a kickass soundtrack that was sick. Mechanically I liked how there wasn't just a "punch" button, in-fact having the throw only move and stun enemies made it a lot more tactical than it initially seems.. for a buff guy throwing things in space anyway!

Other little points, the menu and UI, really clean and arcadey, on-point.

Loved it!

As an aside, killer dev logo screen btw, slick with style.

tbf bro has a good pout on those pillowy lips of his … homies foreheads could be eating well with him, jus’ saying

Kent's a pseudonym, though we are a couple haha! The Jam's are really just our excuse to book out some time off and spend a few days together doing something fun and creative (cheaper than a holiday, lol). Had other commitments this year so had to really dial down the scope; so win-condition, leaderboards and such were cut very sadly. But thanks so much for the kind words, been a big fan of both your Jam entries!

I'm in awe of how much was achieved in the Jam-period, what an absolute feat of an entry and so much to love! It's all the small elements that come to make the mechanics and styling feel so juicy and I can't give enough praise.

Just a few examples for the art style because it's so charming; little detail I really like is the lighting used at the top to show the action slots, feels like someone wired little incandescent bulbs and it feels so on-theme, lovely styling sensibilities. Also the way the action slots are little boxes that rotate like someone's moving them behind, another stunning little detail! 

Mechanically brilliant despite the brevity (so much room to grow this anyway!), I felt even if I wasn't totally dialled into all the rules initially I understood enough to pick up as I go. And the UI felt clear enough that I never felt overwhelmed.

Excellent on all counts!

W1K! Ace seeing another Jam from you (Plan-Et rocked)! And another ace entry too; artwork is absolutely on-point, the narrative is super-well written and had me laughing out loud at my desk, and just watching 6 billion angels slowly flood the playfield like tiny holy ants marching merrily into certain death with a smile absolutely sent me, couldn't get enough! All worked super-well with the theme too which is the cherry on the cake.

Another great Jam!

Oh this is so up my alley; like Cicadamata meets Pac-Man! Just adore everything here, the controls are so clean and always felt snappy without being fiddly, I like the choice-making of having to decide between more score or an easier run, I LOVE the way the screen changes as the Orb gets close, such a nice detail to avoid constant swinging your head around.

An easy add to the favourites list.

Maybe the most stylish entry of the jam? Everything from the page itself to the motion graphics, to the palette choice is so damn juicy man! Mechanically too I never would have considered that a countdown would have turned one of those metal rail buzzer games into something with a delicious tension of "i can go slower but there's risk to that method too". Level 5 absolutely handed my ass to me, but the art paired with the soundscape meant I wasn't bothered in the slightest.

Clean, fantastic title.

Gave myself carpal tunnel spamming shift so I could dash and kiss my homies dawg. 

Absolutely ace collection of minigames! Space Pool especially absolutely slaps and with such a considered CRT aesthetic I could totally see that on one of the arcade machines at my local. The little shake when selecting menu items was such a nice touch, too; lot of lovely touches generally tbh, like the effects on getting a wave clear and such; very on-brand.

Lovely palette, lovely details, lovely game!

As an aside, just saw your review on our title and the Ren & Stimpy comment put a massive smile on my face, because this is what I'd sent to Meg as part of the brief-in, thanks for the nice words!

This is a crazy awesome concept! Reminds me an awful lot of Your Only Move Is Hustle, which is my favourite fighting game.. well.. ever, so it's awesome to see a turn-based bullet hell shooter, it makes all feel a lot more cerebral and deliberate than the usual panic of the genre (though don't get me wrong, I still had plenty of panic!)

Lovely illustrations and FX, understand the crunch meant soundtracks weren't able to be put in, but nothing playing the AoT theme on Spotify didn't fix!

Excellent idea and execution.

Saw the words "Munitions Choir" and a term like that is always going to pique my interest!

Risk of Rain meets Vampire Survivors, which is like combining game-crack and game-herorin.

Seriously what an incredible amount of juice to pack into a game jam entry. There's just so much on offer here! the gunplay is snappy and the enemies varied, powerups have weight and synergies; sure maybe it's overwhelming at first, but par for the course right?

Love it.

This title managed to do something no other title has managed so far: teach me what the word "aridification" means.

Seriously though such a charming entry, and given the heat in Europe right now, probably the most topical! Time we stuck it to the man, man! 

I kinda absolutely adore the way that a seemingly simple change introduces a totally new spin on the chess formula; the strategy becomes so much about prioritising units, time management, and knowing what to let go. I'd love to come back to this after the jam finishes up, it's so cerebral and nifty.

I mean I suck at it, but it's kinda like learning chess initially, I'm excited to get better!

Haven't seen Scratch pop up in years! Was my first ever language way back in 07... happy memories!

Absolutely incredible puzzler, one of the most unique concepts of the jam easily; tough but fair brain-teasers with a super intuitive and friendly UI, love the small details like the little crowd movements, really adds to the immersion! It's the sort of thing I could imagine being in a printed puzzle book, or even a sort-of Wordle-esque daily website puzzle. It's such a great "drop in and play" medium!

Love Love Love it.

I knew even as soon as I saw the two characters posing around the play button this was going to be special.

I ADORE the sort-of two-tier level of complexity, where on the one hand you're choosing the schedule of abilities, but then in the moment-to-moment you're deciding how your positioning affects the way the abilities interact. 

So many little details, the slight ghosting effect on the dial-hand, the way the SFX give a really intuitive sense of round progression, it's all so well-excecuted and clean; and the mechanic is so unique and on-theme. 

Incredible entry.

Such a stylish, clean entry! Reminds me of the old Railroads game on iOS back in the day, which I lost countless hours to. The ramp up is perfect to challenge without overwhelming, and even without checking the tutorial I could understand the mechanics whilst still being presented smart, brain-teasing conundrums. All of that's tied into that relatable and PTSD-inducing of themes: desperately trying to get power to your phone before it gives out. 

Smart, clean and really well excecuted!

The polish on this is off the charts! An ace little gameplay loop with a nice ramp-up combined with probably some of the cleanest UI of the jam; the placeholder text dump with all the static and bugging out, the iconography, the on-brand SFX; mechanically lots of little touches too, like the way the timer slows down before hitting 0 to give the player a little bit of leeway. Even the menu has so much flavour to it my word.

Absolutely superb entry, easy favourites list add.

Oh I adore this. Instant add into my jam favourites. Everything about the feel is so 90's and the little details are incredible. The way the bomb jiggles, the windup on enemy animations. It's all first-class and that's not even getting onto the tower-defense mechanics, which has such as natural difficulty curve I felt always challenged without being overwhelmed, crazy good balance. And a perfect fit on the theme too, just chef's kiss.

Will be coming back to this one post-jam, so good.

Glad I managed to get on the leader-board, actually matching the same score as *checks notes*,  Adolf.

Seriously though, so enamoured with this one! Superhot stylings meets GMTK! Love the geometric visual style, the gameplay is so fast and crisp and something about chucking cubes and hearing the tinkle of breaking glass is so seratonin-releasing. The UI and visual styling is so on point and I appreciate the way the enemy health is counting down right in front of you, keeps it both stylish and intuitive!

Love it!

I remember Hypnagogia! I knew something felt familiar! 

Such a great narrative experience, in a Jam it's so hard to grab the player enough in the first instance to keep them invested but you've just nailed it with the intro so well, immediate questions asked of the player that are great to tug at. The puzzle element of reordering memories was thoughtfully done and the fact I have a scary countdown AND can't overdo the running gives a delicious tension to the gameplay.

Kudos on the piano-work too, absolutely sublime soundtrack!!

Excellent piece.

Straight 5's. Like KerBull Space Program, I don't think I've laughed so hard on this jam than the countdown hitting 0 to massive fanfare and the total cutout of music as my cow explodes. Mechanically the initial 10 seconds is both stressful and hilarious, and knowing I can't take the piece off once I've strapped the fuel tank above the thrusters on accident lead to some absolutely brilliant emergent gameplay. Being able to upgrade was just the cherry on the cake.

Easily one of the best entries by some margin.

What an astonishingly beautiful entry. The hand-drawn art is genuinely some of, if not the best of the Jam, and gives such a weight to the mechanics that so elegantly curve up in difficulty over time.

Speaking of weight, the narrative element: such a touching, creative presence throughout the whole experience; the inevitability of the damage to the heart and the effort you make to mend is both touching and relatable.

Fantastic title from a great team! 

What a crazy clever entry! Really neat mechanic (like a sort-of puzzle version of Watch Dogs), that slowly builds in complexity into something truly special.

Pushin' & Pullin' was where it kicked into gear proper for me; having to start messing with the arrows in a certain order made me feel like a actual genius when I nailed it (and an idiot when I didn't). Styling is equally unique, the palette is so vibrant and the characters so inspired. Really loved this one.

Yes! I've not played Pentiment yet but have seen it, this might be the kick I need to try it! The other has similarities but a little more... offbeat, it's definitely fun though.

Oh of course! I never knew the name but recognise the Matejko painting. That's such a lovely detail!

As a kid of the flash-games era, this is exactly the sort of title I know I'd spend genuinely hours on. So much polish in the little details; the little car turn animation, the way it slightly squishes at higher speeds. The controls had just enough weight to feel responsive without being too finicky. All topped off with a good helping of incredible art and palette styling and some excellent butt-rock. Stellar entry!

An incredibly easy add to my favourites Jam list. 

The premise, style, mechanics, and especially the humour is absolutely on-point; something about nearing the end of a routine with almost no points and having "Beg" left in the hand absolutely killed me; has very " Death of the Reprobate" vibes which is amongst my all time favourites: just so really really well put together. All married up to some of the best art-styling of the Jam imo. And I haven't even gotten onto how satisfying the synergistic card mechanics are! Feels like each set is a puzzle to optimise out of, super addicting.

Incredible entry.

Somehow still less dangerous than the microwave-roulette I play trying to defrost raw chicken..

Seriously though, hella hilarious and fun; I didn't realise I could be just as excited about hearing a microwave ping in the virtual world as I do in the real one. Somehow a cuboid with no face distilled more frustration and terror than most character designs. Loved it!

Absolutely dripping with atmosphere, the combination of palette and art-direction along with really well-placed music just sold the feeling so well.

The combat and style reminded me heavily of Wizard of Legend which I lost so many hours to at uni and felt right at home here. Really intuitive mechanics ramp-up and difficulty curve, a really neat narrative element that plays great with the theme, adored this one!

Just found this! Thanks so much for the feature (and for sticking with it, ha!), it put a massive smile on mine and Meg’s face!

It says a lot about a devs design sensibilities when I can blast through a tutorial dialogue, rock up to the first puzzle with no context and intuitively understand the nature of the puzzle whilst still providing a challenge. This is an absolutely awesome entry with some masterclass atmosphere design, the lighting setup (LOVE the dithering) gives such a claustrophobic which the lack of oxygen only adds to over time.

Great both artistically and mechanically, very INSIDE which is one of my favourite puzzle games. Awesome title.

7 ducks left but I feel Darwinism took its course.

Okay honestly this is a genuine feat of an entry. Incredible 3D graphics (on web?!?), wonderful art styling, SFX, the narrative style that feels like those old Beatrix Potter children's books that weren't afraid to get weirdly dark in the absolute best way possible.

I think this is probably my favourite entry of the Jam so far? Just so many smaller details that come together under an incredible vision. Masterclass of a title.