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[increpare]

This was supposed to be my entry to the last compo, but I never got around to making it; the theme changed somewhat in the interim.  Anyway, it's pretty short.

Download:

Windows (1.1MB)
OSX 10.5+ (Intel) (1.5MB)
Source (15KB)

Controls:
up/down/left/right/space

[bicilotti]

It crashes immediately on game start. I bet it's a resolution problem (running on a MSI u90).

[increpare]

yeah; it runs at 1024x768.  ah well. :/

[muku]

interesting

Was it intended to end in such an abrupt and non-conclusive fashion? Felt strange. (Ended after I talked to everyone in the bar the second time, and threw me right back to the intro screen.)

[increpare]

there are four endings...(but it might not be obvious how to get to any of them, in which case feel free to let this one pass by...)

[Nandrew]

You know, call me fanciful (and heck, this isn't really gameplay commentary at all) but I really like the attitude and characterisation exhibited in the game's inhabitants.

In an era full of violent hi-res games and ubiquitous skin-shots, you've just achieved with some hand-drawn block characters what most AAA productions absolutely fail at: making me step back and think, "Wow, that's raw."

Interesting "realism", I suppose.

---

At risk of sounding like a heathen, though, I haven't had the patience to attempt this game more than twice. I think I see what you're trying to do with the endings and such, it's just that I'm not overly inspired to retrace my steps and repeatedly thud away through the old space-bar dialog only to do "the wrong thing" and get my game experience effectively reset as a result.


Not otherwise sure what sort of feedback you're looking for, but I do think that the way you don't hold back with characters is interesting.

[Innerscope]

Why did you leave out "t" in the control scheme? It seems like the most valuable key in terms of playing the game.

[pgil]

I thought this was pretty interesting when I first started out... but then it didn't really go anywhere. It felt like a partially developed story, and it didn't hold my interest long enough that I wanted to see the other endings. I felt like there wasn't enough interaction, not enough choices.

[Fletch]

Based on the screenshot, I didn't expect to be thrust into what felt like 5 minutes HBO. You really squeezed the atmosphere in there.

I was just getting into it and it seemed like I finished it (same as muku). I think I'm missing the point, because I don't see how the game isn't deterministic, I don't remember making any choices. Do different things happen if I speak to people in another order? If it wasn't for your tiny text I wouldn't be so curious to go back and play it some more.

What I really enjoyed about the game was the approach you used put it together. It's all scribbly and low-fidelity, and because of that I paid attention to the game and the writing as opposed to anything else. Like making a paper prototype for a UI.

It'd be neat to know if developers in general would get better feedback from a game that looks like that than if it was the same game but all pixeled-up cutely.

Cheers,
Fletch

[Innerscope]

I think I'm missing the point, because I don't see how the game isn't deterministic, I don't remember making any choices.

The game is entirely deterministic and even in some scenarios unfinished without knowing to press "t" on the keyboard after talking to people. Which brings me to my original question: Did Mr. Lavelle intentionally leave out that instruction as part of the game?

[increpare]

there are choices in the game, but it's deterministic.

Which brings me to my original question:

The answer to which is in the affirmative.

[Fletch]

there are choices in the game, but it's deterministic.

The answer to which is in the affirmative.

Could you throw us a bone, then? You have a little audience genuinely interested in your game. Is telling us anything about the choices (or the nature of the choices) a spoiler or something?

Cheers,
Rob

[muku]

I've only gotten two different endings so far, but the order in which you speak to people definitely does matter.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

the only thing wrong with this game so far is the text is way too small. is there a reason you only fill 1/5th or so of the black texbox with tiny letters instead of using a larger point font? i made the same mistake with my early games, but experience has indicated to me that larger text is generally better, even if it means less text can be shown at once.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

okays, got two endings, i think that may be all of them? i'd be surprised if there were more.

another minor quibble about the game, although this is just a thematic thing and not actually a criticism of the game per se -- it seemed as if the game portrayed the homosexual male community or at least the gay bar community as caring more about sex than about relationships/romance, i.e. as primarily promiscuous rather than more like heterosexual couples where (often, anyway) romance precedes sexual attraction. this may well be an accurate portrayal, i don't know since i've no experience with it, but (depending on one's personal morality i guess) can be seen as putting that community in a negative light. of course it's just a small game that prolly won't have a large enough audience to shape many people's perceptions or anything, but just thought i'd mention it.

[muku]

it seemed as if the game portrayed the homosexual male community or at least the gay bar community as caring more about sex than about relationships/romance, i.e. as primarily promiscuous rather than more like heterosexual couples

A homosexual guy I once spoke to asserted me that this is in fact true, i.e. that homosexuals indeed tend to be more promiscuous than heterosexuals. He may even have used a word like "predatory", so it was slightly eerie how this game mirrored what I have been told by that person. That's my only real-life experience I can share on the issue however, and I wouldn't necessarily believe it just because one person said so. It would be interesting to hear what, if anything, Stephen has to say about this.

[PGGB]

I found 3 endings so far: The one where he does not care, the one where he sends the police to the apartment and the one where he is shot.

If anyone finds the fourth one please tell me. 

Game was ok eventhough I think that the music could have been better. Some subtle changes connected to your decisions could have helped in my opinion.

[Cimpresovec]

Like the game. The gfx is realy simple but I like it. The story ( for what it is ) is also nice. Played it twice. 

[Innerscope]

The answer to which is in the affirmative.

I see... How avant-garde of you.

[Impossible]

The game isn't really portraying homosexuals in a negative light.  It's just what happens when you have only male sex drives in a sexual situation.  Lesbian relationships work entirely differently.  Women work as a balancing factor in the heterosexual community, in an ideal world (for men at least...) the heterosexual community would be as promiscuous and the homosexual one. (goes off to imagine that wonderful bizzaro land)