JMS

I think the game plays well and conveys well the idea that you are rolling. The only thing that seems not to fit in with the gameplay is how you completely stop after landing, you should keep your momentum (would make it interesting to speedrun!). I think that you could communicate the fact that there is a wall jump a bit better. Your very first platform requires you to use it, I would add a wall that you need to climb using your wall jump before that so that the player can explore this ability.

I hope you can get enough ratings, your game is fun :)

Good job!

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Wake up little guy jam comments · Replied to Raycasting Studio in Wake up little guy jam comments

JMS2 years ago

Waiting for the clouds was probably not a big deal for you because you are already used to the challenges and so you don't fail often. But for someone playing it for the first time and likely falling off a few times it gets frustrating.

But overall, good job! Are you planning on continuing it after the jam?

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BouncePad Laboratory jam comments · Posted in BouncePad Laboratory jam comments

JMS2 years ago

Very cool concept. It's a bit frustrating not being able to move while on the floor. However, since your game is focused on the movement mechanic, it may not be a bad idea to lean fully into that. Remove the sprite's legs, make it so you can only move by jumping around and build levels around that. You have a couple of tight corridors that don't work at all with your movement - but if you add a few more walls to use your bounce pads on and suddenly the corridor becomes a fun challenge for the player. Of course, you can make it have more traditional platformer controls, being able to move in the floor - you choose what you find more interesting!

What I'd love would be for you to add a "Reset level" button - I got stuck on the button quite often and, while I get that there may be bugs, having to restart the whole game gets annoying. Luckily you added a very functional save system so I never lost more progress than a single level! So that's a very positive point.

Good job! I enjoyed it a lot.

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The Disappearing Act jam comments · Posted in The Disappearing Act jam comments

JMS2 years ago

I think this is one of, if not my favorite game in the jam. What a crazy concept. I never thought I'd say this, but this game reminds me a lot of quantum mechanics lol

The atmosphere is superb, I love how the music tracks just build upon the track of the previous level, and the concept is amazing. I think level 3 was too hard - it should have been the last or second-to-last level, as a lot of people didn't make it through. I almost gave up too, and it's a shame because the solution is not complex once you find out the answer.

I enjoyed how the cube added a new object that you need to take care not to leave your field of view. But I think the concept could be explored more - only in the last level does the cube concept shine. And I also thought that it was too hard to get the cube to the top of the button - it always gets stuck.

If you press "Shift" you sprint, which is a good option as the default speed is too slow. But this sprint is so much faster than the regular speed that it looks like a debug option you forgot to remove. My recomendation (you decide if you want to follow it) is to make the default walk speed faster than the current speed (like 2x as fast), keep the sprint, but make it slower than what it is now.

Overall, I gave it 5 stars in every category, a first for this jam. Well done, you deserved it!

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Timmys World jam comments · Posted in Timmys World jam comments

JMS2 years ago

It was a fun arcade game. I liked your artstyle, you captured a look that is very reminescent of a child's imagination.´

I found that you often got stuck in platforms when you jump next to them - I died twice because of that.

I think a bit more enemy variety would help this game a lot! I enjoy your artstyle a lot so I'd love to see what enemies you would imagine next. You can play with their movement patterns, like having an enemy that moves in a loop, or another that just moves back and forth across the top of the screen shooting at you for example. Or even just a slow-moving, non-shooting, tough enemy that takes a bit more to defeat.

Overall, good job! Well done, I enjoyed this entry :)

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Fever Dream jam comments · Posted in Fever Dream jam comments

JMS2 years ago

I enjoyed this a lot! I would like to see the statistics on how many people played it but did not rate it because they could not finish it.

I have to admit I didn't finish it - I'm missing one of the lights, and I'm pretty sure it's related to the locked drawer (with the combination code). I would like to try to find the answer to that puzzle in the future, but I fear that I may leave you without a rating if I do and you deserve one!

I love the idea of the radio - it's very atmospheric and it was a nice way to hide at least one hint. I have no idea if there's hints in the songs because I cannot understand a single word of the lyrics unfortunately.

You managed to make it very outerworldly. The portal door was a really nice touch. But I managed to get myself stuck on the outer side!

I loved the puzzles I did manage to solve! It was a very well designed game overall. I wish you the best of luck getting the remaining ratings!

Good job!

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the bear jam comments · Posted in the bear jam comments

JMS2 years ago

What a weird game. And I say that as a positive, I love it when a game makes me question what I'm playing haha

The sprites make no sense next to eachother and the background is just solid colors that inexplicably change with height. The bear's animations are completely smooth and detailed in an otherwise 8-bit world. You shoot fireballs despite your animation clearly being a punch.

These would all be negatives in a normal game... but somehow this game is weird enough for everything to work. I love it.

Plus I love the last room!

Good job!

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Unreal Reality jam comments · Posted in Unreal Reality jam comments

JMS2 years ago

I found the idea very interesting! Playing through the same level many times with things changing on each run is a fun idea. I would like to see it expanded.

Your cube was surprisingly well animated, considering it's just a cube! Very well done!

Good job!

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1PILL jam comments · Posted in 1PILL jam comments

JMS2 years ago

This was a very weird game. Eventually you figure out what to do, but I was very confused for a while haha

I think that having some more variation would be nice, as this only gives you like 5 mins of playtime. I liked how, despite this being a very weird and short game (literally 30 seconds per round) you still managed to put in complex lore for this game!

Good job!

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The Jungle Twist jam comments · Posted in The Jungle Twist jam comments

JMS2 years ago

Well done! I enjoyed it.

My favourite detail was being able to push the tutorial text. I was actually expecting it to be needed in order to progress :)

By the way, I have a relatively powerful computer and I had performance issues, especially near the top of the levels. Also, the physics of the main character are a bit weird: when you land on a platform, if you are still going up then the game will launch you upwards, which can be used to skip some sections of the levels.

Good game overall! Well done!

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Pimenton jam comments · Posted in Pimenton jam comments

JMS2 years ago

Very nice! The voice is super cool. Even though it's slightly comedic, it is still a bit unnerving.

I like how despite there being no physical distinction between real walls, fake walls, no walls and invisible walls, there was always enough to imply which walls were real or not. Well executed.

Well done!

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Shadow Stepper jam comments · Posted in Shadow Stepper jam comments

JMS2 years ago (1 edit)

I enjoyed it. All the decisions worked towards giving you a sense of urgency, including the enemy that keeps chasing you and the fact that you have a time limit to see the real platforms. It made sure I was always rushing towards the exit.

The graphics are actually very nice and work towards the atmosphere. Even the cone enemy adds to the otherworldlyness of the setting, oddly.

I wasn't entirely on board you having to find the goggles again after finding them in one level, but I guess it could work well in more levels. What I didn't enjoy was having to restart the level entry cutscene every time I died, I wish it would only play once.

Also, I fell during level 2 and didn't die, I had to wait there and watch the cone attack me. I think having a level reset button would help!

Good entry! Well done!

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Dream Boy jam comments · Posted in Dream Boy jam comments

JMS2 years ago

I enjoyed it! The artstyle is nice. I don't fully understand the ghosts (?) in the first level (I don't remember if they were in the other levels) but I think they gave the game a bit more atmosphere.

It's a bit cumbersome to manage jump, dash and switch world... but I'm sure with more time I'd get used to it. I think next time, if you don't have time to finish a level you should just remove it! Level 3 actually does work well as a last level, but level 4 made me very confused until I realized it was incomplete.

Well done! You'll receive a good rating from me :)

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...Or is it? jam comments · Posted in ...Or is it? jam comments

JMS2 years ago

It's very good! I like the movement you have. It could be really great with a bit of polish.

The wall jumping feels good... but you can definitely exploit it. In the 2nd (?) level I just wall jumped all the way around the room, avoiding all obstacles.

I thought that having to press "Q" to see the real platforms was a bit of a needless distraction. But after a while I realized that the platforms which are or aren't real actually change when you die, which makes this mechanic pretty neat - every time you play the level, it is slightly different. I'd love if you leaned more in this direction.

There are a few visual bugs, though: a lot of shadows without bodies for no apparent reason.

I enjoyed it a lot. Congratulations!

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Obey jam comments · Posted in Obey jam comments

JMS2 years ago

Wow! I really enjoyed it.

It's surprisingly topical, considering the current situation only really became talked about after the jam started.

I really enjoyed how you can also choose to photograph only the guerrila ads and you get a different message. I just wish you had a different end message if you did that in all levels haha

Good job! I enjoyed it a lot.

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it is NOT a PROP!!! jam comments · Posted in it is NOT a PROP!!! jam comments

JMS2 years ago

Really well done! I love some very clever details:

Love how you gave the player small tasks on opposite ends of the house to get them acquainted with the house, without an explicit "memorize your house" prompt.
Really enjoyed the difficulty implementation, your house getting messier, and how you select it without an explicit easy/normal/hard selection screen!

The game itself is fun, but I think the attention to detail is what sets it apart. The animations were also nice!

Well done!

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Study of the Average Understanding of Overlapping Worlds jam comments · Posted in Study of the Average Understanding of Overlapping Worlds jam comments

JMS2 years ago

Wow! Very cool! I love this mechanic! And I think you used it well. I just wish you could hit invisible platforms, since sometimes it's kind of hard to walk along long platforms, always having to shoot the edge of what is visible.

At the end of the game the announcer says he's coming to get me and I got a black screen. Was that intentional? I felt that there was going to be more of the game and I was looking forward to an unannounced third trial.

Good job! I enjoyed it a lot.

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ILLUSIVE jam comments · Posted in ILLUSIVE jam comments

JMS2 years ago

Very interesting!

I like the story, but I don't understand exactly what the illusions are in the context of the story. Is it just the scientist messing with the robot? This is not necessarily something to add to the game - you can leave it ambiguous! It's just a personal question.

I confess I played in casual mode with the checkpoints - I feel that having the two options is a good idea, but I'm not sure I'd care to optimize the game for the non-checkpoints mode. Is there a difference in story? In any case, I'm positively surprise as to how well the checkpoints were implemented! I always felt that when I died, I returned to exactly the place I'd expect to return. Well done!

The puzzles are also very interesting. A lot of games have used the mechanic of walls/floor that is visible but it's not really there, but by making it a puzzle game you actually create expectations on the player on where the illusions may be. It's not just trial and error, I actually felt that I could predict where most of the illusions were. And the visual flair of the illusions is very polished.

I wish there were some illusions in the escape sequence!

Great game. Good job!

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Get Out jam comments · Posted in Get Out jam comments

JMS2 years ago

I actually agree with the other commenter. There's a TV Tropes page that explains it better than I ever could!

TV Tropes - Nothing is Scarier

Basically: if you create tension and leave the idea that there is something scary out there implicit... it is often better NOT to show anything scary. Because if you show something scary, the player will immediately know that that is the threat, it's a real thing in front of them. If you don't... The player's imagination will create much worse monsters than you could ever come up with! The player will scare themselves more than anyone could scare them. The shadow thing before the zombies is so weird that it actually works better than the zombies! I'd lean heavily into that... maybe work on it a bit more so it's not just a default capsule, but more of a vague shadow that the player can't see very well.

In any case, the game is actually pretty cool. I love the progression and how the rooms change while you're navigating the environment, it makes you question yourself. The atmosphere was cool, too, it was well executed.

Well done! Good game.

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New Salem jam comments · Posted in New Salem jam comments

JMS2 years ago

Haha, when I was walking around the shops buying everything I did think I'd run out of money. But I figured there was going to be a way of getting back some money to keep doing tasks. You fooled me well!

Well done. The story is good and the graphics are cute.

My suggestions:

I think diagonal movement would be good for this game. Just 4 directions is weird when you're not constrained to a grid.
When you walk to the edge of the playing area, there are just invisible walls. I'd probably prefer it if there was a more physical reason why you can't walk further, like some mountains/forest to the north and the river to the south, for example.
The town itself, which is the focus of the game, is not very interesting. I'd add some more houses North and South, or maybe some more features, just for decoration.

But the game itself is fun! Well done!

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Eris jam comments · Posted in Eris jam comments

JMS2 years ago

Haha, I love the music! It was incredible. The sounds are also very funny.

You had a development console there, I would probably hide it in the final version!

The thing I'd change in a heartbeat would be the limited number of lives. Especially in a game like this, where you're likely to die often because of the missing platforms.

But overall it was a fun game. Good job!

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Wake up little guy jam comments · Posted in Wake up little guy jam comments

JMS2 years ago

Very cute! I enjoyed the environment and character design and animations a lot. Well done.

I wish the movement could have been faster, though. I feel that at least your "sprinting" speed should have been the "normal" speed, and your actual sprint should be even faster. Especially for such a large environment!

The enemies are great at giving you a time pressure of sorts, but I think there could be some fixed hazzards too. But I get it's supposed to be a chill game, so maybe removing the enemies could even work better towards that. More variety of challenges (instead of just clouds you jump on) would be great.

I know I said your movement speed is too slow. But on the other hand, I'd also enjoy it if the mountainous areas also had stuff to do. I liked exploring them, and would prefer it if there was something to collect or do.

I think the section to the right of where you start has a bit too much waiting. The cloud you have to wait for is super slow, and since you're likely to fail that challenge, it gets a bit boring having to wait for it multiple times. Also, I couldn't access the good thought on the cloud going up from there, which I think you realize since you only need 10 out of the 11 thoughts to finish the game! That was a good decision, I think.

Overall, don't think of these as negative comments, as the game was very enjoyable. It's more along the lines of suggestions in case you want to continue this game :)

Great job!

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Not A Real Game [Prototype] jam comments · Posted in Not A Real Game [Prototype] jam comments

JMS2 years ago (1 edit)

Thank you for giving me a cursor and helping me quit the game.

I loved it! So interesting being able to play a "half-finished" game while the developer makes me work for him haha. The multiple tasks were all very enjoyable.

Well done. The graphics and the voice acting were also very nice!

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Cubic GhostPuzzle jam comments · Posted in Cubic GhostPuzzle jam comments

JMS2 years ago

Well done! It's a good game.

I love how there's a puzzle element to it rather than just a platformer with fake platforms (which is very common in this jam from what I can see). The powerup really makes your game stand out from the other games with "fake" blocks.

I think the player's movement could be improved, especially when you jump near a ledge. If you jump and hit a ledge from below, your character stops moving up all of a sudden. It's a bit jarring. But small bugs are to be expected from game jam games, it's not too bad!

Also: I would have increased the radius that you can see around the player when it's a fake block - maybe making it a wider radius, but making the area of the block that is inside that radius transparent instead of fully invisible.

Is there no sound? Some simple sounds could go a long way.

The "Options" and "Credits" menus are completely empty, I'd just remove them. Or better yet, complete the credits with what you have in the "Did you write all the code and made all the assets from scratch?" entry! It's good enough!

Overall it was a nice game, well done!

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The Bride jam comments · Posted in The Bride jam comments

JMS2 years ago

I love it! Really cute and unconventional aesthetic (really well executed too!), really funny obstacles (the guys blocking your way and the water making your dress become dirty) and very uncommon goal. I loved playing it!

I just have some trouble seeing how it fits the theme, it's not clear to me in the game that the wedding is just a dream. Or is that implied from the... final place you reach? I didn't catch that until I looked at the screenshots. But I did find the goal location to not be what I expected!

Great game! Well done!

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Tommy and the wizard jam comments · Posted in Tommy and the wizard jam comments

JMS2 years ago

Good job! The effect with the shadows was really great! Not only did it block your view of the level, it gave the walls a 3D feel... or was it just me?

Are you supposed to be able to climb walls by jumping continuously? Because I actually enjoyed that!

Good job!

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Brainta: It Is Not Real jam comments · Posted in Brainta: It Is Not Real jam comments

JMS2 years ago

It's a good story! Well done :)

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Wake Up, Emily! - Brackeys Game Jam jam comments · Posted in Wake Up, Emily! - Brackeys Game Jam jam comments

JMS2 years ago

It's fun! And I love how everything works towards your aesthetic. Unfortunately, it's a bit too frustrating due to it basically requiring you to memorize every hazzard. The jump button is not very responsive, it often doesn't register my input.

But overall it's a good entry. Good job!

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Watch Your Step jam comments · Posted in Watch Your Step jam comments

JMS2 years ago

I like the mechanics! And the idea of having a progress bar was a great addition. I almost gave up but seeing it reach 100% was motivation for me to continue!

The stats at the end are also a good idea.

I think it's a bit too hard for a jam game, though. Still, I had fun. Good job!

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A World of My Own jam comments · Replied to MisteryDush in A World of My Own jam comments

JMS2 years ago

It should be possible to go out... but I may have overlooked something. Was it possible to hit Esc and then restart the level?

I could have made the menu more obvious in hindsight!

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A World of My Own jam comments · Replied to Kaiynest in A World of My Own jam comments

JMS2 years ago

Thank you! I've never encountered any problem with the music, so thank you for your feedback. I will look into it!

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The Mirror of Truth jam comments · Posted in The Mirror of Truth jam comments

JMS2 years ago

Can I just say I love the clouds??

Great idea. Love the artstyle too.

The camera movement is very polished too. I only thought it didn't collaborate in the area immediately before the first mirror shart.

I love it when you put more than one reflection, the levels become so trippy. Very nice.

Well done!

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Deception jam comments · Posted in Deception jam comments

JMS2 years ago

Hahaha, it seems like you had a lot of fun doing it, especially the recorded messages. I liked the concept. The character designs are very nice.

Well done!

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Granny's Cellar jam comments · Posted in Granny's Cellar jam comments

JMS2 years ago

Very cool! I love the aesthetic.

A lot of games in this jam have the mechanic where there is a "real" world that you can only view temporarily, but yours meshed it with the theme in a very unique way. Very well done.

It's also very polished, I think it's one of the best games in this jam!

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Nighty Night jam comments · Posted in Nighty Night jam comments

JMS2 years ago

Haha, such a cute horror game. Love it. I love the personality of the game, especially the little smirk at the end.

Also I must confess I did not find the easter egg. Unless you mean the "power-up"? That was a nice touch :)

Where are all these extra pieces of furniture coming from???

Good job!

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Escape from Unreality jam comments · Posted in Escape from Unreality jam comments

JMS2 years ago

Interesting concept! I always enjoy these types of movement puzzles.

I found it a bit too easy to cheese by walking in place, but I think it was the right call for a jam game. If you want to make it harder you should only allow the reflection to move if your character moves (for example, you cannot make your character walk against a wall to position the reflection better).

Also, I had trouble with the tight spots as it is a bit hard to know when you will collide or not.

Overall I enjoyed my time with the game!

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Book Worm jam comments · Posted in Book Worm jam comments

JMS2 years ago

Hello! This looks really cute but unfortunately it seems not to want to load. I think it's a problem on my end. Is there a downloadable version available?

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