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[SA Game Jam 2016] Lost in Thought

pieterpieter
edited in Online Competitions & Jams
Jam name: SA Game Jam 2016
Project name: Lost in Thought
Level of experience: Professional
Category: Overall
48 hour entry

As you stare of into the sunset, you find random thoughts wisping through your head. Some you might dwell on, other you just let go.

In the end you sit back and look at the thoughts you entertained, and hopefully gain some insights into the one who played with them.

[Gameplay]
You grab thoughts as they fly by, rearrange them, customize them or let them go. There aren't any real game mechanics (other than some planned effects based on arrangements), it's about creating a mood from the thoughts that float by. Contemplative gameplay :)

[Controls]
Grab thoughts with Left Click. Scale, rotate and change decals (only one decal so far).
Change colour with Mouse wheel.
Scale a thought down till a dustbin appears to remove it.
Spacebar to clear all your thoughts.

"S" places a screenshot in "C:\Users\[user name]\AppData\Local\Lost_in_Thought"

Latest version:
Lost in Thought v0.0.0.2

image
Thanked by 2EvanGreenwood Ross

Comments

  • pieterpieter
    edited
    Latest build: Lost in Thought v0.0.0.1

    Grab thoughts with Left Click. Scale, rotate and change decals (only one decal so far).
    Change colour with Mouse wheel.
    Scale a thought down until a dustbin appears to remove it.
    Spacebar to clear all your thoughts.

    "S" places a screenshot in "C:\Users\[user name]\AppData\Local\Lost_in_Thought"
  • D3zmodosD3zmodos
    edited
    I didn't read your explanation of the controls and pressed space in an attempt to make a single thought go away and lost my (highly disorganised) collection D:
    Note to future self: Read the instructions *before* playing the game...

    Nice and simple idea, its like a tool for introspection/self-reflection. The main thing I would have liked to be able to do is clear just a single thought...and maybe have the ability to select more than one at a time to move/modify them together.
    Also I think it might be better to make new thoughts (the faint ones that are busy passing by) go behind the ones you've already added, once or twice I accidentally selected a thought while trying to move one that I already had (which also doesn't go so well with the lack of ability to drop just a single thought).
  • pieterpieter
    @D3zmodos, thanks for playing, a screen with the controls before you start would go a long way I agree. Will try and have it in by this afternoon.

    Thanks for the feedback on the depth of the cards, I was going back and forth on that one, nice to get a second opinion. I'll implement it and test it out.

    To remove a though, just scale it down till a little dustbin appears and it will float away :) Sorry, forgot to put it in the instruction :P
  • pieterpieter
    edited
    Submission version:
    Lost in Thought v0.0.0.2

    *** Photo Finish! ***
  • BoysanoBoysano
    edited
    @pieter
    Wow it is beautiful...I love it, would make an excellent screensaver or casual mobile meditation experience...would probably go viral on mobile.

    I want my *thoughts* to float in bubbles, which pop when I select them and drag them down...

    Sick shaders, hope you do some tutorials on them!

    I probably might even play this from time to time, just to clear my head and emotions...would be nice if it could have even more words etc. so I could use it even to brainstorm for inspiration or for game ideas to be creative etc.

    Thanks for the experience!
    Thanked by 1pieter
  • FengolFengol
    I really liked this mood toy. Picking meaningful words that are floating by and making my own little collage. I'm not sure what the hearts did though?
    Thanked by 1pieter
  • pieterpieter
    edited
    Thanks for the kind words, @Fengol. I think you've probably described it bes as a toy, and not a game :) The hearts are meant to change the decals on the cards. They first turn them off, and then turn on a random new one.

    I kept running into the same problem, every time I thought of adding a goal or constraint (to this specific mechanic) it felt as though I would limit the player's ability to express themselves fully. The would then feel compelled to play a certain way in order to achieve the goals set by the game. This just felt like the idea in it's purest form.

    Also, the irony of a curated list of positive words is not lost on me :)

    Ultimate expression needs ultimate freedom.
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