The 2013 In Review Contest [Reviews: 94]

Make games! Discuss those games here.

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charbile
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Post by charbile »

I'll give it one last go, for the gizzer. This is the FINAL COUNTDOWN

Today I watched channel 5 segment about registerhell.exe what did you think about the game?

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charbile
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Post by charbile »

MEH 2

(impressions)
I didn't get into the first Meh. But this one I felt like I finally understood what kind of game the author was going for and could get into it a little. His retrospective helped some, but it's also the secret not said anywhere in game: you have to play multiple times to advance the various plots and the endings seem to build on each other--it's not mutually exclusive, they could all happen on the same timeline (hinted at in the retrospective.)

In a way it's thematic, like you're stuck in hell and have to keep coming back to a bad job. The relationship thread with the jackel doge lady was fun, though I'd rather see the game changed into a dating sim for it and the dialogue/tone changed wildly when it happens.

Graphics are top notch. The portraying everyone as sheep I didn't care for, but I understand it's meant as part of the charm of hating your job. Supposed to laugh, I know. Just seems like some of the stereotypes were a bit too easy targets or convenient to be amusing.

The game design...

I could make a list of nitpicks/issues, but the main one is the choice: play it safe or risk it. There's no feedback or clarity to the player as to which to choose. While you could argue the random vagueness of it is thematic to working a sucky job, you could also argue by taking away meaningful decisions that the game then becomes nothing more than a random display of cutscenes.

I never felt like I was in control, but once I got past that, I was able to enjoy the ride and narrative.

---

Whew. how many more i gotta do? I can't be doubledowning every game here. Gotta go faster, fasterfasterfaster
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charbile
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Post by charbile »

The SUPER AMAZING BLUE BALL GAME

The main menu and menu music was very well done. Lots of text manipulation and a beat you can slide to.

Game is tech demo time... ... ... ... Yous a ball with a velocity (x or y movement value) with no brakes but changing direction. If you touch the edges of the box you're in, or red dots or walls, you lose.

I hope the author had fun with it and learned a lot and look forward to playing the games they really want to make.

(Credits said "Hate the Game? Complain at SlimeSalad.com", so there you go. You're welcome. Also, for all that main menu action, there's no 'quit' or 'exit'.)

---

There was an amusing gag (i think?) where the second option was "Freeze Mode". When you select it, the game freezes and you have to close it. The next time I opened it, it changed to "Box mode" which seemed like a legit mode.
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charbile
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Post by charbile »

Ninja Noah's Zombie Planets

Charbile's Guide to Safe Online Gaming and You

RED FLAGS -- Warning signs to look out for:
  • *** "i was going through my old files and found this, my very first project!"

    *** "newbie games are fun :) "

    *** title card screen is a photograph of a close-up of dirt and grass, also used as the battle backdrop

    *** first thing the main character says is "What happened?" next, "Who am I?" and then, "Yeah?.. Who's there?"
The game itself isn't bad in theory. Play as a ninja finding your way through levels avoiding zombies. A first game - Aint bad for what it is. It is what it is, dog. Thought everyone tried making a RPG first. Times sure are changing, aren't they? Make sure to check the rocks and trees for items on the island if you play.
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charbile
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Post by charbile »

Timmy's Maze

It's a game by my MVP Sparrowhawk. REPRESENT

You get to name 'the idiot'. It suggests Timmy, but I changed it to Jimmy. It's the little touches that can make a game. But wait, first text box he says his name is Timmy and that he sees I'm calling him Jimmy. Now who's the idiot? This game is pretty deep.

The first set of monsters killed me.

Playing again, I didn't change his name, but he says the same thing as if I did. Now who's the idiot? This game has many layers. Cheating, I beat the game. But you can keep going... and enter into a map with grass and trees. In it, there is a 'Guy' who says, "You already beat the game Timmy. Why are you still playing?" Had to sit back and pull my hands away from the keyboard. This game was surprisingly thought provoking. It was a very self enlightening five minutes.
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charbile
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Post by charbile »

Spooky Times

I don't know if this is a trend but I feel it's worth pointing out: one-tile wide mazes aren't fun. At best you can dress it up and bacon theme it and randomly generate it, but even then. Am I the only one that feels this way? Or have I already succumbed to the review madness and I'm not seeing things as a sane person would.

Maybe if you can increase the framerate for the ohr, and move really fast... maybe if, no, I can't really picture a way in which this could ever be fun for an entire game. Pacman! pacman did it. So did a lot of early arcades. They kinda worked? Maybe we're trying to bring back the genre here. Maybe this is all cutting edge.

At any rate, Spooky Times is like Destroy All Monsters, but with atari style graphics and halloween themed baddies. The music is homemade by everyone's favorite Meowskivitch. Grab yourself a good time and settle in with your special someone for a real treat. Drink your favorite beverage and you'll have a tasty time. Think of that fond childhood memory to put a smile on your face. I remember when I first played an Atari 2600, ah... refreshing.
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Gizmog
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Post by Gizmog »

charbile wrote:Spooky Times

I don't know if this is a trend but I feel it's worth pointing out: one-tile wide mazes aren't fun. At best you can dress it up and bacon theme it and randomly generate it, but even then. Am I the only one that feels this way? Or have I already succumbed to the review madness and I'm not seeing things as a sane person would.
I thought they were appropriate in Baconthulhu. You could use 'em to juke enemies and stuff. Was nice! I didn't like the mazey-ness a whole lot, but making it wider would've been more pointless steps rather than fewer. Didn't like it at all in Spooky Times, that game needed some wide open spaces and scenery and slime.
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charbile
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Post by charbile »

Woryurs of Woberyun

There is a limit to the number of uh... games one can play in one siting. I'm starting to feel the burn. My only wish is that you too could feel this. Then maybe, just maybe...

So, this one's by Willy Elektrix. Today's colors will be purple and yellow. They work very well with each other. I like the retro vibe as always. In the game, you move very fast by tiles and have to step-on different weapons to defeat the different bad guys by touching them. The bad guys chase you and it's all on a single screen. Can you get the high score?

Can you?

CAN YOU??

CCCCCCCAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNN YYYYYYYYYYYOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
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charbile
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Post by charbile »

Well, in regards to maze talk..

sorry, having trouble formulating complete sentences

In that regard, don't the best rougelikes use more than one tile wise mazes? Didn't nethack or whatever have a lot of open rooms? Can you not run around in Diablo games? And have a good time??
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Gizmog
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Post by Gizmog »

Dunno about Diablo, but remember that Nethack doesn't have walking animations. You can traverse those rooms in no time flat, no need to wait. We get to watch people walkabout, and that takes time. There was a bit of a chase in Bloodlust, and it was frustrating how far back in the chase you'd be set by dodging around a single rock, because of the down one, wait, left one, wait, up one, wait kind of thing. In a roguelike you could've just done two diagonals and been right as rain.

I'm not saying I'm for stuff that's only one wide, but stuff that's arbitrarily big bugs me too.
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charbile
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Post by charbile »

Cat in Box

In the readme.txt:
"This is a game meant for hours of mindless fun."

But what if I like my mind and want to use it? What do I do? WHATDOSIOKJOEBJ:OE:;alkh

OMG look at the cat so kawaii, the menu cursor is a pink paw! It has cute jazzy sound effects. Like, that cat is so adorable when it walks and it's all :3 :3 :3 and as you play it gets harder and harder to put the cat in the box, you have to suck it in and jump and oh my god, Spoonweaver Studios did not just do that--you can press Z to bat things with your cutesy wutesy little paw

I for one welcome the Casual Game master race of mobile game users. Surely no finer a genre has yet to be devised. In it for the thrills and art, no doubt. It's always good to see a studio expanding into more complex and ground breaking designs and concepts.

Grab your favorite kitty and pet the kitty and give this a play! I give it two paws up. MEOW
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charbile
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Post by charbile »

Questicle

This game only requires a spacebar to play. You know, I was just thinking, the most fun I have when playing games made with the ohr is using the spacebar. What if you could make a game that cuts out that other stuff and gets right to the best part?

Well folks, Spoonweaver Studios beat all of you to it.

They even took it one step further. Do you like rhythm games, but don't care for the music or sound getting in the way of timing that button press? Wish you could have green visuals (or an entire forum of green) instead of colorful graphics and animation that only gets in the way to distract you?

And it's so small a file too. I'm sure if this was in a contest, it'd win it. Doesn't feel anything like a contest game too. Hey, I'm sorry but I have to say I feel like the previous games were wasting my time after this one.
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charbile
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Post by charbile »

Bloodlust v1.2

Game contains mature and sexual themes. oh boy oh boy oh boy

May 30, 2014
Char's home
10:58 AM

(time to play another game... i can't wait...)

(!! Blood! So much blood!)

(Oh god... Jackie! Please... please be okay!)

(Oh no... B-blood?! W-where are they...! Mama dadda..!)

(Some... some twisted dream... this dialogue, it... it can't be real...)

Jackie...? Jackie!! Oh... oh god.. oh god.. JACKIE

I... I can't play this. It's too scary. Who would do this? Could it be... whoever did this is still in the house?!

!!! oh god oh god oh god AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Is this finished? Graphics are good and not so good at times, played the previous version a long time ago, was ok. Lots of walking and looking for what to do next. I like the sound and build up for the atmosphere, but it's a bit... cheese sandwich. Maybe some ham too.
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charbile
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Post by charbile »

Time and Time Again I find myself playing another game

The premise is great. Town is in trouble by magics and you have to figure out what to do to get it out of trouble. Feels like a good first draft, proof of concept. Needs some work to get ready for casuals though. I'm just not feeling hardcore enough.

On that note, slightly off topic, but how many games get released still needing testers? I don't want to be a tester anymore. I want to be playing games after they get that polish and player-feedback-adjustments.

Scripting effects are great, snow falls, screen gets tinted, and stuff. I'm finding a lot of where puzzles are, but not the items needed to solve anything. I get the feeling I'm supposed to follow people as they wake up and do stuff, can see they left food. Not sure if I want to. This is some major creeping. It's an rpg, so don't worry, it's cool.

What am I suppposed to dooooooooooo show me the gamefaqs

ending sequence is cool time loop
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charbile
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Post by charbile »

LASERTAG

Was given my brother's collection of pogs a month ago. You're welcome to have them if you want them. You think that's off-topic but it isn't. I once watched a game of Laser Tag. Didn't see much, was dark and the view was obstructed by this maze of blacklight neon walls.

(contest game)

I like the narrative, it's very gritty and real. Sure it's not *too* real, but let's just say people get shot. And you have to go it alone when you lose your best friend. It makes you think, how far would you go? How far would you take things to get what you really want. How many games would you review to go all the way.
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