itch.io

I know this entry is disqualified, but I still wanted to give my opinion on this game since it immediately caught my attention when I saw it in the submission feed.

What drew to this game was the visuals: this kind of, admittedly, barebones 3D visuals instantly reminded me of the little I have seen of David Kanaga’s Oikospiel, and I was very happy to see that Confront Your Fear - The Lifestyle was also a very surrealist experience.

About the game’s narrative and tone, I was initially very surprised by the seriousness of the subject matter, given that the game was submitted to this jam (not that entries have to be non-serious), which incentivized me to test the game a second time in a proper context.

About the visuals, sounds and motifs, I will concur with others and say that the intro is really good! The way the horns blended in with the music and the way the scene turned into a deep void that’s somehow illuminated from an angle made for a fantastic first impression that really compelled me to keep going.

I have already detailed that I like the graphics, but I wish to add that the strange symbolism and barebones 3D graphics really contributed to the sense of disorientation in the first chase segment of the game.

The sound effect are serviceable enough, although this is a game jam project, so I find it understandable that effort was redirected to more pressing matters like visuals or narrative.

Gameplay-wise, it is walking simulator. I really like those, but it is the kind of things really up to each and everyone’s taste.

On a meta level, however, I find the game to be a little unclear. Even, without mentionning that the game was submitted to multiple jams, I don’t really see the baldness anywhere in the game, although I did notice the dancing skeleton behind the glass.

In short, I think this could be a game I would really enjoy if it came to be more developed in the future, but I don’t think it really fits FRENJAM 2.

Wishing you the best for your future projects :)

PS: I find the use of the Lifestyle word around your game to be very funny, which is also something that drew me in.

Thanks a lot for trying out and reviewing the game!

The idea of each customer requesting to be turned into a specific boingyboof was almost exactly the idea I originally had in mind but, as you pointed out, I lacked time. The envisionned system would have had each customer come in with an order involving becoming bald and turning into a specific creature (thumb, gleeby, demon, etc). I also wish I could have added more rare special customers (like THE SKELETON who appears at the beginning).

Thank you very much!

The initial/medium-term vision was, indeed, more intricate in its flow and diversity of procedural components. I didn’t expand on the differences between vision and submission too much in the game’s About section or on its itch.io page, as I felt it would have detracted from the final output to constantly compare what actually is to what could have been. Coming back to the game’s flow, having to scope down meant that while the game is simpler, it also now is much more streamlined (as you pointed out with the functionally useless red spray.

I also hoped that people would find the Axl hair to be a funny bit, so I’m glad it got a reaction :) I initially added the hair due to struggling to find good public domain hair PNGs, but it stayed in since my brain always makes a weird visual connection between Axl Low and (long-haired) Vargskelethor which I can’t really explain. I also just love ̶c̶r̶a̶c̶k̶ ̶c̶o̶c̶a̶i̶n̶e̶ I mean Guilty Gear.

About that last point: I tried to not lean too much into Vargskelethor referential humor/fanservice (truth be told, the thumb heads were initially placeholder textures but proved an easy way to iterate on variants).

Thank you su much for the precise feedback!

I indeed designed the last tutorial page to be a shortcut, in order to avoid having players needing to flip back and forth between tabs, so I’m very relieved to see that it had the intended effect in some people!

I myself do wish that I had found the time to add more funny skin and scalp variants, as well as other rare customers. Anyway, if people can do as you did and take the game’s development in consideration when reviewing it, I find no issue in earnestly presenting the game as it is.

Thanks a lot!

There is, indeed, no definitive win condition to the game (i.e. you can’t “finish” it). As said on the game’s page and in its About section, the time I had for development only allowed me to come up with a proof of concept/expandable base for a game.

Should I explicitely mention this on the itch.io page or within the game?

K.A.L - Kompletely Alopecic Lounge

https://moonlit-sacrifice.itch.io/frenjam-2-submission

Hello, I was about to submit my game to the jam on itch.io, but by the time things finished loading, the submission window had closed.

After looking here in the forums, I have seen people talking about a “late submission period” which was supposedly in place last edition. Is this still a thing?

Please don’t tell me I wasted two weeks to be refused entry because of loading times… :’(